The Kingdom of Komaru

Komaru is largely a feudal society, and as such is dominated by a number of classes of people. In general, birth determines an individual's class for life. However, with the growth of the Church of Inner Light, and the recent rise in power of the merchant class, societal barriers are starting to decay. Before the Church rose to power, men and women were considered equals. While Shiliya's teachings would end that equality and differentiate the roles of the sexes, only the most affluent and devout nobles have really put Shiliya's principles in practice. For now, Komaru remains a land where any man or woman may aspire to power.

The Lords of Komaru

The nobles of Komaru are the eldest power in the land. They are led by Alessandro Komaru, the Crown Prince, who reigns with the approval of the Royal Council. The Royal Council consists of nobles appointed by hereditary succession, and is famed for its ability to strip friendless nobles of their lands and titles in the blink of an eye.

Newly freed from the sumptuary laws and restrictions of the Interregnum, the nobility is experiencing a small renaissance. The Interregnum shattered the previous power structure, allowing new families to rise to power. It is even said that the Crown Prince seeks a consort outside of the great houses, in the hope that he can avoid favoring one powerful noble over their bitter enemies.

Nobles tend to be touchy, arrogant, and protective of their reputation and lands. Dueling is a common preoccupation, providing a chance to defend one's honor or prove one's courage. In a duel, the challenger sets the terms of the duel, be it to first blood or the death, while the challenged party chooses the weapon. Although duels are traditionally fought with swords, the dueling pistol is becoming an increasingly popular weapon among the modern nobility. Most pistol duels are to first blood or a single exchange of shots rather than incapacitation or death, but even so the lethality of the dueling pistol has greatly raised the death rate among young nobles.

The nobles of Komaru are divided into noble families determined by hereditary bloodlines. Each noble family controls a number of titles, each of which grants its bearer a parcel of land and its income. Within a family, titles are closer to job responsibilities than personal possessions. While a child often inherits a parent's title, the leaders of a family have the power to reassign a member's title based on merit or political maneuvering. As such, a family's power is best defined by the titles it controls.

The Bellatrix
The Komaru
The Minamet
The Sone
The Touraine
The Yuasa
Minor Families

The Church of the Inner Light
Merchants, The Twilight Crux, and the Dawning Star
Other Groups