Isremar Reich

The Isremar Reich is a moderately populated agrarian society in the southeast region of Midtelos. Home to the Myriad Legions, the people of this region are know for their strict adherence to tradition, codes of honor, and sturdy masonry. The Isremar Reich is the continent's largest exporter of horses and their stables produce some of the most specialized breeds to be found. It is a land of artisan-ship where it is considered a part of each person's honor to master their craft. From the martial skills of the Legionnaires to the work of masons and cobblers, it is not enough for a Reichsmen to be good at their skill; it must be done with flair and please the eye.

Despite the monarchy in rule over the Reich, power is shared with a council of 12 Grand Dukes, each of whom rules the one of the major cities and provinces of the greater kingdom. The ties between the Grand Dukes are extremely strong; reinforced by blood-relations, marriages, honor-debts, their Oaths, and the rule of the Eternal King. While some disputes do arise, these are typically settled via champion combat during the monthly tournament cycle, or in the case of disputes between Grand Dukes, during the yearly High Tournament.

The people of the Reich, known as Reichsmen, can be found with any color of hair or eye as would be considered natural for a human. The defining features of the people collectively is found in the paleness of their skin and significantly greater than average size. The men of the Reich typically range a few inches over six feet of height and are notoriously stocky while the women typically stand just under six feet in height and are likewise robust. Bands of adventurers and at times entire Crusades from the Reich can generally be found out and about in the world; seeking to earn knighthoods or acquire tales of daring to share back home. These young and rowdy groups are typical of the Reichsmen: eager to fight an honorable and good fight, living fast, and dying valorously.

Leadership
Due to the innate hazard and sometimes short life expectancy of Grand Dukes, the first duty of each Duke or Duchess is to name their heir. Those lacking qualifying family members when they gain their title can name an unrelated heir to be considered adopted postmortem by the Duke or Duchess should they pass before a biological heir should arise. It is not uncommon for these heirs to take a blood relation of their adoptive parent in marriage to help continue the family line unbroken. In normal circumstances succession is passed on to the eldest heir who has met the requirements to inherit the title as set down by the Eternal King. These requirements are that the Heir has earned a knighthood, has led men in a field of battle, led from the front lines, has tested their skills against their peers in tournament or personal combat, has upheld the Code, and has named their own Heir. While the heir and lines typical pass from father to son, it is not unheard of for a daughter to inherit and become Duchess. Female heirs are expected to fill the role of male heirs and rulers in every aspect. Eldest children unwilling or unable to meet this requirement are passed over for the next eldest child. This means that when one meets a Duchess of the Reich, they're meeting a woman who has successfully trained as a Legionnaire, completed in tournaments, won duels, and lead every battle following their knighting on the front lines.

One of the few direct strictures against the Grand Dukes and their Heirs, is that if one rides out to command their armies the other must remain behind to rule. This stricture likewise stands among the ranks of the lower nobility, all the way down to the youngest Knights. Each rank of nobility follows the same process as outlined for the Dukes in selecting their Heirs. It is not uncommon for a higher noble without a blood-related heir to select a noble of a lower rank that is highly respected to serve as their Heir until a child accomplishes what they need to in order to pass the Anointment of Crowns as the process is called.

Societal Ranks
The Reich's flexible approach to inheritance makes upward mobility through military service quite common, but in the wider society there are other means by which a lowborn man or woman can raise to recognition. While these other paths do not put them in line for rulership, it affords them the sort of social regard that in other lands can only be gotten by birth and wealth. This roots in the cultural regard for honed skills in the Reich regardless of if that skill is with a warrior's weapon or a craftsmen's tools. Even farmers who take the time to husband lines of animals can earn a level of regard unheard of outside of the Reich. The list below demonstrates a general outline of the social pecking order with * used to mark ruling classes.


 * The Eternal King*
 * The Grand Dukes* - Rulers of one of the twelve provinces they collectively form the Grand Council.
 * High Clerics of Father, Mother, Minstrel, Warrior, and Pale Lady
 * Grand Heirs* - Must hold at least a position of Knighted Legionnaire.
 * Knight Marquee* - Rule the lesser settlements and form the Marquee Councils of the Grand Dukes.
 * Archmagi
 * Marquee Heirs* - Must hold at least a position of Knight Marshal
 * Knight Marshal - Commander of an outpost or overseer of a precinct; Form the Knight Council of the Marquees.
 * Grand-Master Craftsmen
 * Knight Heirs* - Must hold at least a position of Knighted Legionnaire
 * Knighted Legionnaire* - an Legionnaire that has gained the recognition of Knighthood, minimum rank needed to serve as Judge.
 * Master Craftsmen
 * Priests, Scholars, Magi
 * Legionnaires
 * Journeymen Craftsmen, Farmers, Businessmen
 * Squires, Apprentices of any Sort
 * Unskilled Laborers, Foreigners
 * Cowards - Tattooed, dehaired, and treated as animals



Religion
The citizens of the Reich venerate many of the aspects of the Father, the Mother, the Minstrel, the Warrior and the Pale Lady. Values among the gods that emphasize with the cultural importance placed on honor, prowess, excellence, and freedom are the ones found strongly in the tenants of the local churches. The regional cults focus on the Father who's portfolio is treated to have subsumed the Warrior's due to the expectation of combat prowess and leadership being joined in the local culture. Similarly the Mother has absorbed the much of the Minstrel's portfolio by the local cult's teachings. The Pale Lady is the third god of note, having absorbed the sphere of Fate from the Warrior, Luck from the Anarchist, and History from the Minstrel. While the clergy of the divine trio are aware of the other teachings outside of the Reich, it is generally regarded as heresy. Visiting priests should step gently lest they find themselves harried out of the kingdom for defying the local paradigms if they're deemed benevolent or slain fell cultists for those who are deemed malevolent.

On the topic of death and birth, the Reich's people have a strong belief in reincarnation and rebirth. They do not preach an hierarchy of creatures, a good horse will naturally be reborn as another horse. And humans will be reborn as humans. The rebirth is more about the continuance of the immortal soul of each person. A person has a period of time to be reborn, which is limited until the memory of that person fades from mortal knowledge. If they are not yet born the person's soul is damned to wander the Grey or "Veil" as it is commonly called forever or until it is consumed. To this end it is common for the dead in the Reich to be buried under a sapling so that the tree can live on to carry their memories far into the future to give them as strong a chance at rebirth as possible. The "line" for rebirth can be shortened by deeds committed in the current life, and valorous actions can find one quickly being reborn. Those who are cowards or of low character find themselves constantly shuffled to the back of the line, becoming ever more likely to be forever damned in the Grey.

Death Rites
Death is a common occurrence in the Isremar Reich, an acquaintance around the corner that they'd rather not see but don't necessarily dread. Far more feared is to be humiliated and/or forgotten. As a result the most important aspect of a burial in the Reich is for some measure to ensure the fallen are remembered to be taken. This usually takes place in the form of a dirge which is recorded at the soonest opportunity and added to history. Books on battles in the Reich always start with the Dirge of the Fallen, the lyrics of the song which tells how each warrior fell recorded for memory. While the Dirge may not be the most accurate recording of a battle, it is perhaps the most respected part and will often be the only part widely remembered.

Disposal of the bodies normally comes in two forms. Inside the Reich, bodies are buried with a sapling inside sections of the forests which are no longer being actively logged. The thought being that the tree makes a living marker which will help hold the memory of the fallen longer. To this end it is considered very bad luck to cut down an immature tree in the Reich as you may be disturbing a grave before the rebirth of the soul. Outside of the Reich, funeral pyres are typically lit and the bodies burned to ash. In both cases, the fallen's worldly possessions pass on to their heir. In any instance where there is no family or heir, the objects normally bound to such are instead passed to the local nobility.

Due to the high death rate in the Reich, there is active encouragement of children within the borders. Called the Mother's Blessing, a bounty of gold is given by the local nobility to the mother of each babe born which survives to its first birthday. Among the women, the number of children one has born becomes a mark of status and is typically shown by a pendant bearing colored stones for each child. Twelve being considered a sacred number in the Reich begets the woman a celebration in her name and an even larger bounty for her twelfth child as well as the title "Mother" which grants as much social regard as a someone considered a grandmaster of their craft. A thirteenth child is considered such a momentous occasion that the woman and child are taken to the Sacred Springs to be blessed by the Eternal King directly.

Horses
The Isemar Reich is first and foremost a horse culture. Horses pull the plows, move the goods, carry the troops, and hold a special place of honor among all the other domesticated animals. The Reich takes the practice of horse breeding extremely seriously and has done so since time out of mind producing specialized breeds that are suited to their tasks and in high demand throughout the world. As such one of the most stringent laws of the land is the sale only of gelded males to foreigners and it is not uncommon for Legionnaires to ride their second best horse when operating out of the Reich so that stallions are left at home and mares or geldings are all that outward bound armies keep in their ranks. The most common horse breeds exported are the light draft and light chargers. The Light Draft breed can only be called so in comparison to the Reich's Heavy Draft breed, as it is as large on average as the heaviest draft horses bred elsewhere. The Light Charger breed is a sturdy all around saddle horse with a good turn of speed and great endurance that can also be used for light cart and stage duties; much like the Heavy Charger though, these steeds have a slightly more cunning mind making it willful and hard to manage if not kept contented. There are stories of Light Chargers letting themselves out of stables, untying leads, and in general being nuisances. The most costly and therefore less common breed sold outside the Reich is the Pacing Horse, sometimes called a racer. These sure footed, light weight, and agile creatures are unable to bear heavy riders for long distances; let alone burly men in armor, and as such are favored for scouts, fast messengers, and skilled riders willing to keep their weight trimmed. In general terms a Reich bred Light Draft or Light Charger can fetch two to three times the normal price of a normal draft or war horse, while a Pacing Horse may fetch up to ten times the normal price of a riding horse.

Three breeds never seen away from the Reichsmen that own them and never legally sold to outsiders are the Heavy Charger, Heavy Draft, and Dwarf Horse. The Heavy Charger having been bred to carry armored Legionnaires long distances and still gallop fast enough to mount an effective charge are the most prized lines in the Reich and the edge it gives the creatures give the Legion is tightly held. The Heavy Draft breed is simply uneconomical in many applications as the massive creatures slow and powerful plodding make it ineffective for long distance travel when compared to the price of using oxen instead, though it is the preferred beast of immense burden in the Reich. Dwarf Horses are a genetic fluke, a flaw in their breeding produced a line with short sturdy legs like those of a pony, but with the burly mass of a light draft horse. These walking barrel-like creatures seem almost sentient at times, are extremely playful, and have mostly taken over the duties of normal ponies in the Reich. Due to their intelligence and nature, it is considered almost sinful and abusive to sell them to outsiders who may not properly care for them.

While magic and technology lag behind in the Reich compared to many other regions, one particular innovation has helped the kingdom keep up with other realms and that is the Horse-Wheel. Resembling a waterwheel without the stream, horse wheels are generally made of an immense size that allows a heavy draft horse to be brought into the interior of the wheel to power it. The slow, strong plodding and weight of the beasts provides a huge amount of power on the rotating axel, allowing it to be used to draw water from deep wells, turn grindstones, and any other usage that can be found for the contraptions hooked to the power source. One of the most popular uses in the Reich is the use of a pair of these wheels hooked to a steel reinforced crane for the lifting and moving of immense masonry blocks and other heavy objects.

Rats
In the Reich, rats are considered evil creatures and are persecuted heavily. Rats, if they can be found, can be brought to the local watch for a bounty. This bounty varies from city to city; but it is enough that a few people in each settlement are able to support themselves as full time rat exterminators. The most common practice however is for teens to go rat hunting as a way to earn a few extra coins for their wants.