Retlegian Culture

A list of the many parts and customs in Retlegian Culture, ranging from the various titles to punishments for lawbreakers, all the way down to things like the smallfolk.

## Social Structure

The society and legal system of Retlegia recognizes a hereditary noble class set above a class of commoners, who are officially known as "smallfolk" (the very name indicates their lower social standing). Members of the nobility are also known as "**highborn**", while commoners are known as "**lowborn**". Nobles officially possess more legal rights than the commoners do. Many crimes for which a lowborn peasant would be punished by having their hand cut off a noble will only be punished for by paying a fine. The noble-born also have the right to demand a Trial by combat.

There are a number of wealthy merchants in the few cities and towns, but on the whole, Retlegia’s society is feudal and agricultural. While there is a small merchant class, it does not extend far beyond the five major cities (Retlego, Heartvale, Summerholde, and Skyland). Even a wealthy merchant in Retlego is still legally considered to be a “commoner”.

Women, even noble-born women, do not have the same legal standing as men. Inheritance only falls on a woman if there are no males in her family ahead of her in line of succession. However, women can rule in their own right if they have no surviving brothers (and their brothers left no surviving heirs). If the noble-born heir to a lordship is underaged (or otherwise infirm and unfit to carry out their duties), a regent may be appointed to rule in their name.

Members of religious organizations are a different section of society, technically not nobles but possessing special privileges that commoners do not possess. This of course primarily applies to the clergy of the Faith of the Four, the dominant religion in Retlegia.

### Smallfolk

The term **smallfolk** refers to the peasantry and commoners of Retlegia, effectively anyone who is not part of a noble House - though smallfolk make up much of a noble household - or a knight. In spite of this distinction, hedge knights are generally considered to be only one tiny step above smallfolk.

Most of the common population of the Retlegia are peasants who lead an agrarian lifestyle, although some live in larger settlements and in Westeros's few true cities. Most, though by no means all, are uneducated and illiterate. Unlike members of noble Houses, the smallfolk do not typically use surnames.

Although there are no exact numbers for the total the population of Retleiga, let alone parts of the population, the smallfolk are usually estimated to number in the millions. Retlego alone has an estimated population of half a million

The nobility and ruling class of Retlegia display various attitudes towards the smallfolk. These range from outright dismissal and contempt to understanding the inherent importance of these people as human beings. The attitudes of individual nobles have also been known to change over time. In general, however, even those nobles on the more charitable end of the spectrum do not make serious attempts to alter the existing hierarchy, or heavily incorporate the smallfolk into the business of governing. Although rare, those among the nobility who have spent time among the smallfolk and/or do not aspire to hold political power themselves tend to be the most open when it comes to dealing with the commoners

### Bastards

Children born outside of marriage are bastards and cannot inherit lands or wealth from their parents, unless legitimized by the monarch. Retlegia does have a system for acknowledging bastards with special region-based surnames (such as "Woods" for The Westlands, "Waters" in The Stonelands, etc.), but they still cannot inherit. These names can only be used by acknowledged bastards by their parent (and only if the parent is of noble birth.)

In order for a bastard to inherit land, titles, and wealth, they must  be legitimized by either their noble parent or the king.

There is no outright law punishing noble men or women for having bastard children. Instead it is considered a social and religious disgrace.

Each region of Retlegia has a different surname for bastards of noble birth.

* Ice for The Snow Tops
* Woods for The Westlands
* Lyon for The Gold Hills
* Waters for The Stonelands
* Horne for The Black Isle
* Grey in The Grey Mountains
* Winters for The Freezing Vale
* Summers for The White Cliffs
* Wylde for The Riverlands
* Steel for The Midland.

## Legal Systems

### The King's Peace

Lords have judicial power over cases that occur on their lands. A lord will hear petitions at his local castle-court, sit in judgment at trials, and pass sentence based on the evidence. In theory, justice derives from the authority of the King of Retlegia, Lord of the Ten Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, who sits on the throne in the capital city of Retlego. The King's power is delegated out to other great lords of the Realm. This extends in a hierarchy from the king, to the lords of the Great Houses, to major Houses, to minor Houses. Individual lords are supposed to enforce the laws and carry out punishment on their own lands. Only the major cities (and possibly a few of the large towns) have dedicated “police forces”, such as the City Watch of Retlego.

### Lordship

See Lordship

Gaining the title of knighthood does not make a man a lord, though many knights do eventually become lords. Knighthood is a middle-step between noble-born lords and commoners. A commoner can be knighted for valorous service in battle, but the title is not hereditary. A commoner who is knighted usually starts out as a “hedge knight”, a poor freelance knight not bound in allegiance to a specific lord (considered to be so poor that they sleep under hedges by the roadside while searching for employment). The next step up for a prospective knight is to become a “sworn sword”, sworn to the service of a particular lord. Beyond this step, a sworn sword may become a “landed knight” if his lord rewards him with land for his service, typically a smallholding, large farm or small manor with servants. Successful landed knights who expand their holdings or continue to perform exemplary service for their liege may be raised to the rank of "Lord" in time, leading a minor noble House. Sometimes a knight may skip some of these steps, and while rare it is not unheard of for a lord to reward a commoner for valorous service by granting him both land and the title of knighthood. For example, House Greysor is a House of landed knights in service of House Gallister, but it is not a lordly House. Thus the head of the House, Ascar Greysor, does not possess the legal right to hear trials and pass judgement.

### Knighthood

See Knighthood

Knights are skilled fighters, and good, honorable men, bearing the title “Ser” (Ex: Ser Rolund Goldmane). There are multiple types of knights. Some are raised from birth to become a knight. These men first are sent off to either a knight or a noble to serve as a squire, polishing armor, sharpening weapons, riding a horse, chivalry, tournaments, and performing other task to prepare them to become a knight. After the squire’s master deems him ready, then he will attain the rank of knight.

## Crimes and Punishments

See Crimes [1]and [2]Punishments

As a feudal society, Retlegia does not maintain long-standing dedicated prisons. There are dungeons in the major cities and castles, but these are not meant for long-term confinement of a prison population: they are more along the lines of holding pens used until sentencing through corporal or capital punishment. Valuable military or political prisoners may be confined for an extended period, i.e. in the cells under Edun's Keep, but this is exceptional. The only long standing prison in Retlegia is The Black Fort under rule of House Grimhall.
Certain serious offenses are punishable by amputation, though in some cases even petty theft may be punishable by amputating a hand. Treason and oathbreaking are punishable by death.
In most of Retlegia, professional executioners deal out death sentences, often by beheading or hanging. The royal executioner is known as the “King's Justice”, though in a looser sense the term "king’s justice" refers to the laws enforced by the king’s authority throughout the realm (i.e. the executioner who acts as “King’s Justice” thus becomes the living embodiment of law and sentence).

Punishments range from crime to crime, as well as person to person. For lower class crimes such as petty theft and such, men often lose a finger or two as punishment. For higher crimes, men can be imprisoned for a time, executed, or exiled. If a noble or knight is being punished, then they can lose all their holdings and titles, and be further punished by exile or execution. Sometimes, when they’ve been caught doing something illegal, people would go into self exile to avoid punishment for a crime.

Blood money is sometimes turned to as an alternative punishment for murder, to end a feud. In this case, the family or lord of a murderer will pay a large fine to the family of the man he killed, thus resolving the matter.

### Trial by Combat

See Trial by Combat

Trial by Combat is a way for nobles to prove their innocence. The premise is to determine a person's guilt by having them defeat another in combat. The accused has the right to choose a champion to fight in their place, as can the judge (normally the local lord). Almost nobody would turn down the demand for trial by combat, even the King would struggle to deny it.

## Heraldry and Sigils

See Heraldry

The various noble Houses of Retlegia use distinctive **heraldry** to identify families and individuals. These heraldic devices are also carried by armies on the battlefield as a sign of status, as well as allegiance to those noble Houses.

Heraldic designs can vary widely. They may consist of a simple pattern of colors, but more often feature animals (either real or mythological) and/or physical objects. Specific sets of rules govern what form a heraldic design may take.

Only members of noble families have the legal right to formally display their own heraldry, though knights also gain this right after the conferring of their title: When a commoner or lowly mercenary gets knighted (even if he is only a poor hedge knight with no land and no right to sit in judgement), he legally becomes a member of "the nobility" and can invent his own personal heraldry. The followers of a noble family can also display that family's heraldry (i.e. Purell foot-soldiers can carry banners with Purell heraldry), but it is illegal for the smallfolk to simply invent and use their own heraldry.

## Titles

### Noble Titles

* King of Retlegia
* Lord
* Lord Paramount
* Ser
* Hand of the King
* Master of Coin
* Master of Ships
* Master of War
* Master of Law
* Lord Commander of The Kingsguard

### Military Titles

* Master-at-Arms

a title held by the man, usually a knight, responsible for the training of soldiers in a castle in peacetime. This can includes sons and wards of the lord he serves. In wartime, he is actively involved in leading the defense of the castle along with the Captain of the Guards and the lord himself.

* Captain of the Guard

a title granted by a lord to a member of his household. The position confers the responsibility for commanding and organizing the guardsmen of a garrison charged with the vigilance and defense of the lord's castle or town or the protection of his family and/or retainers.

* Castellan

a senior position granted by a lord to a member of his household. It confers responsibility for the defence and governance of a castle or territory when the lord is away or cannot attend to those tasks himself, such as in the case of a lord being under age. This title can be granted to anyone by their lord, not only a member of the nobility

### Other Titles

* Steward

the title held by a senior member of a lord's household. Unlike the castellan, the master-at-arms, or the Captain of the Guards, stewardship is not a military position. A steward is charged with organizing servants and managing the day-to-day activities of a lord's estate. In the case of kings or high lords, stewards may be nobles hailing from vassal houses.

* Scholar

A title granted to a person who has studied at one of the colleges on Vathiena and has accumulated vast knowledge on multiple fields. Many lords have employed scholars to advise and assist around their castle. These jobs range from healing wounds to writing letters.

* High Scholar

The title granted to scholars who serve on The Small Council.

* High Priest

A title granted to the head of a clergy, most notably The Faith of the Four, the primary religion in Retlegia.

* Squire

## Inheritance

In Retlegia, the rules of inheritance are very specific. When a king dies, the throne goes to his oldest son until there are no more sons, then to his brothers. If he has no brothers or sons, then his first daughter would become queen.

For the noble houses & family names, it works slightly different. The eldest son of the lord becomes lord, followed by his sons. If he has no sons, then his younger brother becomes lord. If no male heirs remain, then it goes to the oldest daughter. If the daughter dies, then the lordship goes to her son. Only when their whole bloodline is ended, then does it go to the first lord’s younger brother. When twins are born, a son is valued more highly than a daughter.

## Marriage

See Marriage

Marriage is one of the many things that vary widely across Reltegia and even more across Vathiena, especially between religions. Marriages are often arranged between noble houses, whether to form alliances or to increase one's power.

## Currency

The coinage used in Retlegia is based on the **Gold Dragon** coin, which has two common smaller denominations: **Silver Scale** coins and **Copper Wing** coins. Barter is also another common way to pay for a good, and most merchants would not turn down other nation's currency as the metals are always valuable, regardless of origin.

* One Silver Scale is equal to twenty Copper Wings
* One Gold Dragon is equal to ten Silver Scales

All Retlegian coins bear the dragon and sword of House Goldfyre, while the other face of the coin bears the sigil of whatever Great House ruled over the region it was made in. For example, a coin made in The White Cliffs would have the pegasus of House Purell on one face, and the Sigil of House Goldfyre on the other.

## Tournaments

See Tournaments

A **tournament** (or **tourney**) is a great social event featuring competitive contests of martial skill, often thrown by a noble house to celebrate honor and chivalry or mark some event such as a wedding or birthday. They also allow a noble house to flaunt their wealth and status, as tournaments are enormously expensive. It can take a smaller house years to pay for one tourney.