The Nation of Druthal, a Parliamentary monarchy of ten archduchies. One of the five Trade Nations, in the western part of the continent

Introduction

“Druthal is a shining example of what man can achieve. A culture of freedom and respect.  A government that remembers its people, while honoring its traditions and roots. A truly civilized nation.”  -Loren Sarter, Druth Philosopher and Patriot

“Druthal is several kingdoms that labors under the delusions that it is one nation.”  -Duke Mulius of Tanaphus, Kieran Historian

“Druthal, much like a bright child, shows great potential and growth, but is often breathtaking in its ignorance.”  -Konu Rek-Bonutek, Tsouljan Sociologist

“Pompous bastards!  Think they can save the world, and rule it as well!”  -Qada Yassama, Imach Emir

​Druthal is a nation that has changed significantly over the centuries, and yet has managed to maintain a sense of national identity.  Despite centuries where “Druthal” was actual several kingdoms, there was always a sense of all being Druth people, united in culture, language and temperament.  Since the nation reunited under its current government and royal lineage, it has thrived, advancing in industry, trade and enlightenment, emerging as one of the strongest powers in the world.

Climate and Geography

Druthal is in the western part of the Tovaran continent, bordered by Waisholm and Kellirac on the east, as well as the Briyonic mountains, Acseria to the south, the Gulf of Waisholm to the north, and the wide Tesolic ocean as its west coast.  Much of Druthal is rich and temperate, with warm summers and mild winters, and are places of agricultural abundance.  The southern parts of the nation are increasingly tropical, hot and wet country, but just as rich and fruitful.  It is said that within the borders of Druthal, almost anything can be grown, and almost everything is.

Area: 1,398,282 square miles

National Identity

Druth

Languages

The primary language in Druthal is Druth Trade, which is considered to be the “standard” version of Trade, though that standard is claimed largely by the Druth, so the claim is somewhat biased.  There are some patches of other languages commonly spoken in Druthal.  Most of note is Old Jarin, which evolved from the old Linjari language.  This language is significantly different from Trade, and while several words migrated into Druth Trade, it is believed that its roots are the closest living remnant of the old Kindric tongues that had been nearly eradicated during the rule of the Kieran Empire.  Another language is Racqui, which is a Trade-modified version of Kellirac Sechiall, spoken by the nomadic Racquin people.

Language Sample

And he stood holding his hat and turned his wet face to the wind…

Government

The government of Druthal is a Parliamentary Monarchy, with most of the governmental powers given to the Parliament, while still maintaining the authority of the throne and the King, and through him, his Royal Cabinet.  The Royal Cabinet consists of eleven people, appointed by the King, who serve as his advisors and drafters of policy.  This includes The Grand High Lord (second to the king in authority, if not in succession), The Grand General, The Grand Admiral, the Chief of Intelligence, High Lord Marshal, High Lord Treasurer, High Lord of Commerce, High Lord of Diplomacy, High Lord of Protocol, High Lord of Education and High Lord of Loyalty.  While there is no formal rule that the King must appoint from the nobility, it is most common.  

The Parliament has more authority, in that they have the ability to draft and enact law, and any Royal Edict must also pass approval of the Parliament, though it takes a 60% agreement to reject a Royal Edict.  The Parliament has one hundred members, ten elected from each archduchy, each to a five-year term.  While there is no requirement for members to declare party affiliation, almost all members are affiliated with one of six parties: The Traditionalists (Dishers), Ecclesials (Books), Functionalists (Frikes), Populists (Salties), Free Commerce (Minties) and Loyalists (Crownies).

There is also the Council of High Peers, which consists of the ten archdukes and fifty-five dukes, however, this body has no formal authority or powers beyond the individual authority of its members. It will sometimes meet and vote on resolutions, but none of those resolutions are legally binding.

The Archdukes and Dukes of Druthal have their vested power in the archduchies and cities, but there are similar systems of elected bodies balancing their authority in each place. The noble and their elected councils can govern their people as they see fit, provided they do not violate the rights of the people nor contradict any parliamentary law or royal edict. A noble who does so can by tried by the Parliament and stripped of title.

Religion

The primary religion in Druthal is the Church of Druthal, which is one of the Tovaran Monotheistic traditions.  The Church of Druthal is a hierarchical, organized religion, with formal churches headed by ordained priests who have worked their way up the hierarchy.  The primary tenet of the Church of Druthal centers on the idea that God themself is unknowable, but some figures— saints— have been blessed to be able to communicate directly with God.  Prayers are therefore directed to saints to intercede on people’s behalf.  

Much of the ideology of the church— the moral foundation for “living a life the saints would approve of”, is found in The Testaments of the Saints, a collection of the various stories of saints (and sinners) in the Druth Canon.  There are twenty-four saints officially named and discussed in Testaments, but several others are noted with holidays and church patronage.  

There are several religious orders within the Church that are not tracked within the hierarchy of the priesthood.  There are monastic orders to each saint, as well as the cloistress orders, and those orders serve in functions of maintaining church grounds, community outreach, archiving, preservation and record-keeping.  Much of Druthal’s preserved historical records from small communities are due to the efforts of the Sisters of the White.

In rural parts of Druthal, especially in the north and east, there are pockets of the old-faiths, usually worship of minor gods in a polytheistic framework.  Many of the stories about the minor gods are the inspiration for the saint stories in the Testaments.  While active efforts were made to fold those faiths into the Church of Druthal by integrating their stories into the Testaments, the Church officials made a point of not taking any action to specifically stamp out those old faiths.

A Priest of Druthal performs most weddings in the church.  It is a simple ceremony in which they each pledge to be man and wife and support each other through all things.  Rings are then exchanged.  This is usually followed by a celebration in which the newly married couple receives gifts from friends and family. 

Funeral ceremonies are somber affairs when a priest says a blessing prayer for the dead, who is then usually interred in the ground.

In addition, there are a number of more secular ceremonies.  Typically, when a young girl becomes of marrying age (fourteen years old in Druthal) there is a party given for her which referred to as her Appraisal.  This is a name that carries over from when paying dowries to the bride’s parents were a hard and fast rule of the engagement process, rather than the occasionally held tradition that it is in the current day).  Announcement of an engagement at the Appraisal is not uncommon.  For noble girls, the Appraisal is usually a large and lavish affair.  The old tradition with appraisals was that a father would spend as much on the party as he would get for the daughter, thus balancing out his books.New Spring- First day of the year, in which large amounts of feasting and celebrating occurs.

Fenstide- A holiday of Acserian origin, noting the death of Acser.  A somber holiday in which families gather together and have a simple meal, one which follows the eating restrictions that the Acserians follow.  

Reunification- Celebrating the Reunification of Druthal in 1009.

Military

The Druthalian military is noted and formidable.  It is also very well organized, supplied and maintained.  Service in the military is not mandatory, but is well regarded and considered good way to gain prominence and political .  Many members of parliament have had some form of military experience.  The military is under the authority of the King and Parliament, but it is the nobles’ responsibility to provide support for them.

The military is essentially broken down into three areas: Army, Navy and Intelligence.  Each has a structured chain of command and series of ranks.

The Army is headed by the Grand General, who reports to the King and the Parliament.  Below him are generals, colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants and finally the non-officer ranks of enlisted soldiers.  Army units are broken down into specialties: footmen, bowmen, pikemen, cavalry, irregulars, engine crews and support units.

The Navy of Druthal is headed by the Chief Admiral, and below him are Admirals, Captains, Commanders, Lieutenants and Crew.  Most naval crew wear leather armor (if any at all) and carry lights swords such as rapiers.  Crossbows are commonly used as well.  The naval support crew includes shipbuilders, with the biggest Druth shipyards in Kyst, Lacanja and Yoleanne.  Druth ships are well made, and considered formidable, but the real strength of the Druth navy comes from sheer volume, the quantity of ships, as well as the level of organization and training of its Navy.

Intelligence is headed by the Chief of Intelligence.  Ranks in Druth Intelligence are similar to Army, with no rank of General, and agents instead of soldiers. Beneath the Chief is the Colonel’s Table, the collected council of top ranking officers in Intelligence, who administrate and assign the projects and goals of the office.  

Seperate from the proper military, there are the Tarian and Spathian Orders, who are trained elite warriors in the defensive and offensive arts, respectively.  They are not part of the same chain of command as the military, and are somewhat dismissed by the proper channels as being an “old-fashioned throwback”, a relic of Druth’s past.  There were once Twelve Elite orders, but all but the Tarians and Spathians either disbanded or were folded into the military or other organization over time.

• Tarian: The shieldmasters, practitioners of defensive and protective arts.  
• Spathian: The intense swordmasters, experts in the offensive arts.
• Kenalian: Nimble staff warriors. Disbanded in the 12th century due to lack of support and folded into the Tarian Order.
• Cascian: Mountain rangers from Monitel. Fell apart in the early 12th century due to lack of financial support/interest.
• Braighian: Armored pikemasters. Disbanded in the 10th century to form the Oblune Army, later the pikemen in the Druth Army.
• Vanidian: Axe and bow woodsmen. Order fell apart in the wake of the Acoriandestruction (9th century).
• Ascepian: Healers and protectors that eventually became the Yellowshields when woven into the army (11th century).
• Marenian: Seamasters— sailors and trident warriors. Eventually woven into the Druth Navy (11th century).
• Derienian: Holy warriors, co-opted by the Inquistors in the 10th century and disbanded in the Reunification.
• Grennian: Mounted cavalry knights, in the classical sense. Self-destructed in the 8th century with the shattering of the kingdoms.
• Hanalian: Order keepers that were transformed into the King’s Marshals in the 11th century.
• Otajian: Mace and flail warriors, primarily organized in southern Druthal. It collapsed in the political infighting of the Scallic-Linjari war.

Magic

Druth understanding and practice of magic is often considered “behind’ the rest of the culture, since as recently as the mid-eleventh century, in many places magic was illegal and its practice was punishable by death.  While anti-magic laws are forbidden by both parliamentary law and royal edict, several regions of Druthal still have laws that work around such edicts to effectively make practicing magic illegal, without that being the explicit phrasing of the law.  

Practice of magic is highly regulated, though, through organizations called Circles, that provide both training and legal protections to mages.  Circles are registered with the government (usually at the Archduchy level), and are given autonomy to police and persecute their members in cooperation with the government.  

Circle membership is usually— but not always— contingent upon completing an education in Magical Studies at a university, or equivalent private training.  Some of the larger circles require little more, and provide little more that license to practice magic in a professional capacity.  Others are smaller, tight-knit communities that treat membership like family.

Magic is a course of study at many colleges and universities, and some of them— notably RCM and Trenn College in Yin Mara— are developing intense study and research into magical and mystical sciences, attempting to reach a higher level of understanding of the magical arts and match the knowledge of Tsoulja, Poasia and other parts of the world. 

Circled mages are typically not allowed to take roles in the government or law enforcement, though several do become lawyers to defend the Circles’ interests.  The one exception is the Red Wolf Circle, whose members explicitly cooperate with or join Druth Intelligence, which is the only aspect of the Druth military that utilizes mages.

Laws & Legal System

A large portion of Druth law comes from “The Rights of Man”, a document written by King Maradaine XI in the early 11th century, which established the Parliament, the rights of the people, and established limits upon the nobility, including himself.  The Rights of Man include the Right of Opinion (allow one to speak freely without fear of recrimination), the Right of Justice (preventing punishment or incarceration without trial and counsel), the Right of Property (preventing invasion of privacy as well as nobles usurping a citizen’s property) and others.  The archduchies and smaller divisions can set additional laws, as those nobles see fit, provided they do not violate the Rights.

No man may be punished or incarcerated without trial or counsel.  The judiciary arm is under the authority of the parliament.  The Royal Judges are five judges appointed by the king, and approved by the Parliament, and they are the highest court in Druthal.  Below them are various levels of judges down to the local level.  Each level is answerable to the level above them, and the Royal Judges are answerable to the Parliament.  It is often through this chain that the Parliament hears of nobles who are abusing their power.

Judges are expected to hear accusations, listen to testimonies, hear defense and render decision.  Failure to follow procedure will get a judge reported, which can often lead to disbarring.

Nobles are expected to provide for law enforcement in their territory.  Most will just have a sheriff with deputies, but it the cities it will often take the form of a constabulary, with an organized system of rank and command.

Since the creation of a codified legal system, the study and practice of law has grown in Druthal.  While the amount of lawyers in no way equals the amount in Kieran, it is considered an honorable profession to enter.  However, it is a profession it which a degree of duty is required.  As no man may be convicted without counsel, many lawyers spend several years offering their service to the court as counsel of defense, their token fee paid by the local noble, in order to establish a reputation.  Most nobles will also employ a lawyer whose title is Justice Protector, whose responsibility it is to work with the sheriff or constable and prosecute those who are arrested.

Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs

Druthal is a member of the Trade Nations.  This is a non-military alliance which also includes Waisholm, Acseria, Kellirac and the Kieran Empire.  They are currently on friendly terms with all members, although the Kelliracs are somewhat cold to Druthal.  

Druthal has friendly relations with several Fuergan families, most notably the Kyoram and Giowen families.   Druthal also has cordial relations  with Tsoulja, Lyrana, and to a limited degree, Ch’omikTaa.

Officially, due to the Covenant Treaty, Druthal has no enemies.  In reality, tensions are still very high with regards to the Poasians (and Cthellians and Xaminics) due to the recent war with them.  They are wary of Bürgin, Turjin, Bardinæ and Imachan as well.

Calendar

Trade Calendar (12 month, 7-day week calendar) with Year 1 marking the beginning of the reign of Maradaine I

The Druth calendar measures the year with twelve months that range from twenty-six to thirty-two days. The calendar begins with the month Keenan, which has thirty-two days. Keenan first is also called New Spring and is the vernal equinox. The remaining spring months are Maritan (thirty days) and Joram (twenty-six days). The summer months are Erescan (thirty-one days), Letram (thirty-two days), and Soran (thirty days), with the summer solstice on Erescan fourth. The autumn months are Oscan (thirty-two days), Poriman (thirty-one days), and Alasim (thirty days), with the autumnal equinox on Oscan second. The winter months are Nalithan (thirty-two days), Maleman (thirty days), and Sholan (twenty-seven days), with the winter solstice on Nalithan first.

The Druth calendar also notes a seven-day week, which has its origins in ancient Kieran religious practices that do not apply to modern Druth life. The days are Lemes, Ene, Kio, Acal, Ghen, Mier, and Ren. 

The Druth calendar counts the year from the end of the Rebellion from the Kieran Empire and the coronation of King Maradaine I, forming what was called at the time the Great Kingdom of Druthal.  This is referred to as the “Free Era”, and in the Druth calendar, years prior to that are counted backwards as “Before the Free Era” (BFE).

Sample Date

Erescan 13, 1215 FE

Social Organization

Druth houses are usually two stories, with the kitchen, main room (with fireplace) and a study of some sort on the first floor, and sleeping quarters on the second floor.  In the city, many homes are integrated with the shops, so shopkeepers live in the same building.  The usual arrangement is shop in front, home in back.  They are usually built of brick and wood.

Druth homes of the rich are usually more elaborate and larger.  Most noted is in these homes, personal chambers consist of three rooms: a sitting room, dressing room and sleeping room.

Druth cities have a tendency to divide up into unofficial neighborhoods and districts.  Many of these divisions are based on the relative economic level of those who live there: the rich live on one side of town, the middle class in another, the poor in yet another.  

Druth cities are usually filled with shops and inns.  Shopkeepers in Druthal tend to be very specialized, so in order to make purchases for a meal may require going to five or six shops.  Most shops close at sunset, and much of the town’s activity dies down then, except for at inns, which close late at night.

Druth cities are often considered dirty, as most cities have no one designated to clean them up.  Streets and buildings are usually well maintained, except in the poorer parts of town.  The poor are also quite noticeable, as many take up begging on the streets.

The average city dweller gets up in the morning, does his work in the day, has dinner, spends the evening either at home or in a tavern, and goes to bed.

Life in the country is usually quieter, as those out there concentrate mostly on doing their work, which is mostly farming, ranching and mining.  Those who live in the country usually have little concern beyond making their living.  Homes are usually farmhouses and ranches, far enough apart from each other that there is little contact with the neighbors, or parts of small villages which essentially home all the people who work for one or two major farms, ranches or mines.  The country people usually make a decent living, since landowners must pay a competitive wage for workers.  Very few poor live in the country, since if one works, one makes decent money, and if one does not, there is little opportunity to live off the charity of others.

Familial Units

The basic Druthalian family unit is the nuclear family, consisting of a monogamous marriage of husband and wife, and any children they may have.  Ties between extended families vary, but rarely are connections held further than two generations of removal.  Families usually raise children until the age of 13 to 15, at which point they typically find an apprenticeship, join the military or pursue further education.  There is no hard societal rule concerning this, however, and some children, especially girls, stay at home for many years to follow.  Typical marrying age for Druth women is 15 to 20, and 18 to 25 for Druth men.  

Naming Conventions

Druth traditionally have two names: first, a given, personal name; and second, the family name.  Family names are patrilineal, and it is common for women to adopt their husband’s family name upon marriage.

Druth will use titles and ranks as part of one’s name.  For common folk and civilians, this is usually Mister for men, Miss for unmarried women, and Missus for married women.  Sometimes “Young Mister” or “Young Miss” is used, but that tends to be out of fashion in 1215.  This is done in conjunction with the family name.  For military ranks and other non-noble titles (such as Doctor or Professor), that is used instead of Mister, Miss and Missus.  There is a specific usage for members of Parliament, in adding “Good” to title or honorific. 

Agriculture & Cuisine

Primary Crops: Druthal is the greatest farming area in the world, so many crops are grown there.  The primary ones are corn and wheat, which form the staple flours of their diet.  The only exception is in Linjar, where rice is the primary crop.

Breakfast: Eggs, cheese and sausages are common breakfast foods in most of Druthal, usually had with bread or biscuits.  Also common to have is oatmeal, gruel or granola.

Lunch: Lunches vary throughout Druthal, although a recurrent theme is a meat stew (what kind of meat varies with the region: lamb in Saurial and Patyma, game in Acora, and so on) served with bread and cheese, and beer is drunk with it.

Dinner: Roasted meats (usually the same kind the lunch stew is made from), served with a variety of vegetables.

The biggest variety is in Yoleanne, where just about anything may be served, and it is almost always delicious.

Clothing and Hairstyles

Druth tend to be fair-skinned, with white-to-fawnish pink complexions, though there is a tendency towards tanner skin colors in the southern archduchies.  Hair is typically brown to blond, and while red hair is not unheard of, it is uncommon enough that Waish heritage is presumed, and is referred to as “waishen hair”.  Eyes tend to be brown or blue, but other shades are also not uncommon.  Of course, in many of the cities, especially Maradaine, there are peoples whose origins are from nearly every corner of the world, and thus the idea that “typical Druth” is easily classifiable by appearance is frequently challenged.

Druth clothing tends to be very colorful, with many blues, reds and greens.  They avoid wearing black clothing, as it is associated with Poasians.  Most common fabrics are wools and cotton linens.  Men usually wear pants and a pulled over shirt.  Often stockings are worn under the pants, with the pants stopping mid-calf.  High boots and a vest to match the pants are often worn with this.  Many Druth men with wear a hat of some kind when outside.  They usually keep their hair short, and beard wearing is not uncommon, but it is not the prevailing fashion.  Coats of fur or leather are worn in the winter.

Women often wear either dresses or a pullover shirt with a skirt.  Stockings and vest usually go with this.  Fur coats and hats are fashionable for women to wear in the winter.  Hair is usually allowed to grow, but kept pinned up.

For the nobles, this basic style still holds, although their clothing tends to be more ornate (sometimes mimicking Kieran fashions), and of course has a greater level of quality in the material and workmanship used in its making.

There are some variations in each archduchy.  Acorans tend to lean for to furs and leathers.  Yinarans usually forgo any vests or coats.  Linjari usually dress loosely altogether, exposing more skin.  Scallics, despite the heat, tend to dress more rigidly, making sure the only exposed skin is the face and hands, and even some will wear gloves, and the women veils.  

Education

Opportunities for education are quite good in the urban parts of Druthal.  Most cities have a few schools for children to learn basic reading, writing and math skills.  Also, many cities will have at least one private school of this level, which the local noble has a hand in running.  These schools teach etiquette and manners on top of the basic curriculum.  In rural areas, scholastic educational opportunities are minimal.  In the rural areas, more often than not, children will forsake learning skills of reading and writing and head directly into an apprenticeship, learning a trade, or focusing on going directly to work on the farms, ranches or mines.

Higher education is plentiful in Druthal as well, although pursuing it requires either money or some form of sponsorship.  Almost every city has some college or university, and some have more than one.  

The largest school is the University of Maradaine, which is popular because of its wide choices in study in addition to its relatively cheap tuition.  But the most noted are the schools referred to as “The Elevens”, as they were all founded by an act of Maradaine XI in the 11th Century.  There are, with little surprise, eleven of these schools: The Royal College of Maradaine (in Maradaine), Coanware University (Vargox), Pirrell University (Kyst), Trenn College (Yin Mara), The Acorian Conservatory (Porvence), Central Academy (Fencal), The Cape Institute (Lacanja), The University of Hechard (Hechard), The Great College of Scaloi (Iscala), Riverview University (Marikar) and Glennford University (Yoleanne).  A vast majority of the Parliament and career military officers studied at one of The Elevens.

Commerce, Business and Currency

As Druthal is an area rich with many natural resources, the Druth economy is quite strong.  The currency of Druthal is the Crown, a silver coin.  Gold coins called a Tencrown also exist.  A Tencrown is sometime called a “Fullnight”, since in many inns it can buy you a meal, two beers and a room for the night.  Smaller value coins, made of copper and tin, are called twentins, worth twenty to a crown.  On the street they are often called just “twents” or “ticks”.  Pence, the smallest of change, are tiny copper coins, worth ten to the twentin.

Entertainment and Games

Most entertainment comes from going to taverns, which is where many Druth spend their evenings.  This is the social center of a community.  Most taverns have live music playing, and Druths will sing and dance as they drink, tell stories and play games.

Theatre is gaining popularity in Druthal, but mostly amongst the rich.  The only theatre that is popular with the common man is broad, slapstick style comedies, which follow a very predictable pattern with stock characters.  They go like this: young couple in love with no money, rich relative tries to prevent marriage, funny sidekicks intervene, couple gets together due to intervention, with help from an source of money that shows up in the very end out of nowhere.  It also involves a lot of tripping, hitting and pants falling down.

Druth play a number of sports, but the national sport is Tetchball. For the rich, rowing is a very popular sport, as well as horse sports.

Art and Other Great Works

The Rights of Man: A document which outlines the basis for the Druth government, as well as spelling out those freedoms which all men have should have a basic right to.
The Maradaine Bridge: A feat of engineering, this bridge is designed to allow easy crossing between the north and south sides of Maradaine, but can be raised to allow tall ships to pass.
The Kynam Museum: In Vargox, this is probably one of the greatest art collections in the world.  It contains five of the paintings of Paulsen Jorg, as well as the scupltures and sketches of Timaleous, including his masterwork Oscana Struck.
Three Centuries of Darkness and Light: An epic novel, often referred to as the definitive epic novel, and the work of fiction which has had the most printings known.   This twelfth century work by Duchess Julietta Renwood (of Porvence) chronicles five families over the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries, culminating in the reunification.  The book redefined Druth literature.