Arvelkai

## General

Located in eastern Solos is the Arvelkai Republic. Its rule is a medley of republicanism, monarchy, and magocracy. The official religion is Velkarum, a polytheistic faith, and the official stance is one of tolerance as there are a variety of beliefs amongst its citizens. However, they tend to be suspicious of foreign religions, especially those not of a human persuasion, and nonbelievers are met with an equal, if not greater, unease, although those of their culture are more accepted, and religion is often not a source of conflict.

There are a myriad of ethnic groups—mostly sepia in hue—but they can often be categorized as two larger groups: the matrilineal Ma'tarel of the southern regions and the patrilineal Araxuel of the north, and the former outnumber the latter. The two also differ in magical pedagogy: study amongst the Ma'tarel is dominated by the Sorcerers Guild, and *hedge magic* for the Araxuel, who study under independent guilds, and later called *Araxuel magic* following efforts to seal the chasm that divided the republic since its founding. Aside from hair ornaments, they are quite uniform in attire, save for the pirate folk of the Velkai Peninsula— where hair is commonly locked and dyed with a variety of colours and the clothes are a peculiarly stylish patchwork, and the magic is more of a roguish nature—and the desert nomads, wear whatever they can acquire.

Arvelkai is rather warm and wet year round, although its southern regions—more grassland compared to the forested north—can experience cooler winters, and farther south, to the tip of the peninsula, is chaparral. Farther northwest of the Reghaddi, however, is more arid, leading to the desert formed by the Thieving Spine.

## Government

The Arvelkai Republic is foremost a magocracy; the arcane flows through the land as readily as its rivers, and underneath its sophisticated society, the wild magic of old is very much alive, alive in the minds of those who believe the strongest of mages ought to rule.

At the top of society is the King/Queen, often a battlemage in study, chosen by the elite members of the Sorcerers Guild known as the Council of High Mages, or High Mages, the throne inherited thereafter until complications arise, when the High Mages once again make their decision. The monarch studies in the guild and is of a long line of esteemed mages who have been intertwined with the royal court in some way. Rarely has the throne been occupied by one unfamiliar to politics. Moreover, because battlemages are preferred, men are more likely to be chosen, as is the case for the High Mages for the same reason. Battlemage is considered a man's profession, and women who wish to pursue a man's profession have to legally live as a man.

They are expected to be celibate, or to be intimate with a woman, and are to give up their inheritance and family name, ultimately a political inconvenience; there are, however, exceptions to this rule but there have been no documented cases of a female battlemages retaining their status as women.

In some circles, the monarch is still regarded as The Archmage, referring to a time during which the strongest guild or coven, or even individual, was the law of the land. But the title is regarded as an insult, a veiled suggestion that they are a *Warmage*.

Amongst the monarch's court—the Grand Court—are representatives chosen by the peers of their respective provinces. These individuals are called Viziers, and whilst magical proficiency is not required, it is preferred. Nonetheless, they advise the monarch and have to balance their province's interests along with the courts, and therefore have assistants—Scribes—who are educated in specific matters of infrastructure, and at least a few with a general comprehension of infrastructure. To ward against nepotism, scribes have to complete an apprenticeship outside their family's instruction, although a few prodigious individuals have become Scribe without formal schooling. Viziers and scribes tend to be men but women are visible as the latter, less so as the former.

Military leaders, commonly referred to as Commander (or Battlemage) are too integral to advising and thus have seats reserved for them but are often too concerned with the armies of their provinces. Consequently, they elect a *Royal Battlemage*, or a few, in their stead. He may be a decorated fighter but more often than not, he is chosen for his political acumen. He also receives the least respect from his courtly peers, regarded as too ineffectual to be a High Mage or a Commander.

Collectively, the council has the power to nullify the monarch's decisions but must require convening with the Justiciars of the Tribunal Palace to ensure the legality of their actions, and to get the perspective of other educated minds. Justiciars can be appointed by the monarch, alone, in extreme circumstances, but in otherwise normal circumstances, the votes of the High Paladins (leaders of the provinces' clerics), Magi (religious leaders), and commanders of each province are required. Justiciar assistants will most often be women, preferably hidden, and preferably courtesans, tutors, and performers.

Provinces (city-states), sometimes called nomes, are lead by a Nomarch, who is chosen by the collective of leaders within the province. The stratification in nomes mirror those of the capital but on a smaller scale, and court mages (usually women) are also more numerous in provinces. The trend of women assisting and men deciding exists on the provincial level too, albeit less so.

## Guilds

### **Sorcerers Guild**

Find someone who says the Sorcerers Guild does not have the final say in Arvelkai and discover the biggest fool in Solos. On paper, the guild's power goes as far as selecting a king, listening to the advise of chancellors and judging them by skill, but it is the Sorcerers Guild, for good or ill, who are the vanguard of magic in the republic: strengthening the very armies the monarch will use to impose his/her will, providing clerics the theoretical knowledge to ward against rogue magery, ensuring every province need not want for healers, and being the main source of quality enchantments. If trade and soldiers are the arms and legs of Arvelkai, the Sorcerers Guild is the backbone.

In charge of every principal guild of a province is the Archmage, and beneath him/her are Seers, individuals who oversee their respective discipline. Further down in rank, but not necessarily in skill, are Magisters, instructors, and lastly, mages, the students. Sorcerer/Sorceress for advanced students and Tyros for beginners. As for the Council of High Mages, they are selected from the ranks of Archmage, Seer, and Magister. Towns that can fund a guild rarely have an Archmage and are more lenient in the offering of services. More often than not, they survive on the patronage of nobles.

Legally, women study the arts of healing and alchemy, a nonspecific term for a field with a variety of applications, and depending on the use, enchanting. Enchanting is considered a man's profession, traditionally, because of its use in combat, but some ancient discoveries have revealed civilian uses, which are aligned with gender norms, thus women who study enchanting are not necessarily placing their legal status at risk, even though women who study enchanting for war purposes have not needed to live as men either. It is just considered unusual for a woman to be interested in spilling blood.

Men, of course, legally study battle magic, along with some rudimentary healing, although armies have dedicated healers, who are taught by women, however. Likewise, women are taught some basic self defense. Some forms of conjuration are taught too, and men tend to study it because of its combative potential. Illusion magic (acceptable forms) is used more for *spiritual easing*, and because the epitome of womanhood is seen as nurturing, women make up the majority of illusionists.

### **Traders Guild**

The Traders Guild is regarded more for utility than values. Many things arrive at those docks and enter those gates, and merchants with political aspirations are met with the most suspicion. A few provinces outright bar merchants from any political seat, nobility rarely speak highly of them, and they came into existence ten years after the founding of the republic.

The guild was founded by five illegitimate sons called the Bold Bastards. Most of their history is uneventful, merely transporting goods throughout the republic, and was occupied primarily by family. It was not until a guildmaster's son married the daughter of a Nadjiharri patriach that they become more notable, followed by more marriages that only extended their reach. Moreover, the Nadjiharri's travels have hardened them to banditry, providing the Traders Guild with a force of their own; that realization gave them a leverage in arguing against noble taxation.