Board Thread:Character Discussion Board/@comment-27097330-20151121003424

Okay, so for a while now I've been wanting to do something to make the Tauredain my own and I've been working on this project. It will be followed by more. Please read it all, I've spent weeks on this.

Government and Social Class: The government and social class of the Tauredain is very complex. It acts like a teetering tower of social status. Please note the names of these classes have been translated as best as possible into Westron. Those with no western equivalent remain Tauredainian and some names sound a little awkward in this language. This order of men is laid out in the Quipya.

Emperor: At the top is the emperor. The position of emperor is inherited by the youngest child of the Tauredain royal family, male or female. They can turn down the offer but almost never do. The current emperor of the Tauredain is Coaxotl, Lord of the Trees, King of the Jungle, Mighty of the Earthlings, Champion of All Hunters, Greatest of Archers, Envoy of Yirasana, Guardian of the Sacred Mumak, and Protector of the Hlatuk groves. He is the mightiest of any force in the Tauredain lands and wears the sacred headdress during most times. He is the chosen one of Yirasana and honored as her envoy on earth. All other Tauredain citizens refer to him. As emperor he is surpreme leader of religious, economic, and political matters. He need not worry over any simple matters such as getting food, but he often hunts for pleasure and status despite this. He is attended by slaves and servants at all times and his living quarters are the most expensive and best in the empire, as is his food. He is one of 7 people allowed to enter the sacred groves of Hlatuk with his eyes open, and the only one allowed to speak. He is quite totally and completely the head honcho of everything Tauredainian.

Empress: Since the Emperor is not always male the term Empress is not technically always correct, but the spouse of the Emperor nonetheless commands only slightly less than equal respect to the emperor. On the other hand they do not in fact have as much real power as the Emperor, in fact they lack much authority over the highest ranking officials. However the spouse does have the power of a well trusted advisor.

After the emperor and their spouse there are three positions of equal power. They often quarrel over decisions, and attempt to acquire more power. These are the Copalli, Sacerdotxl, and Vixier.

Copalli: The right hand of the Emperor, the Copalli can be male and female. The Copalli is chosen by the emperor from a collection of Atal. Their job is too oversee all the everyday matters that are too small for the Emperor's attention. The Copalli has jurisdiction over all domestic workers, merchants, and artisans, and has almost as much power as the emperor himself. The only areas their extensive influence do not extend too are military and religion. The Copalli defers only to the emperor.

Sacerdotxl: The Sacerdotxl is the high priest of the Tauredain. They most commonly female, but powerful males have been in power as well. They are chosen by the Emperor from a collection of priests. The Sacerdoxtl presides over all religious affairs and a great collection of other priests. They are one of the seven able to enter the Groves of Hlatuk with their eyes open and are greatly revered by all in Tauredain society. More information on Tauredain Religion will come later.

Vixier: The Vixier is the supreme commander of the Tauredain fighting forces. They are traditionally men but woman have often taken the roll as well. They are chosen by the Emperor from among a group of individual generals. More information on Tauredain military will come later.

Advisors: Pretty self explanatory. The emperor has a large collection of advisors who advise laws and political decisions. While they lack official power to command their esteemed place close to the emperor grants them great respect.

Nomax: After the advisors come a collection of noble families known as Nomax. The Nomax govern the individual satrapies of the Tauredain Empire. The emperor governs the satrapy surrounding the capital, and the Emperor is the Head of all Nomax. Each other Nomax answers to the Emperor and the Copalli as his agent. They are also subject to the Sacerdotxl in matters of religion and the Vixier in matters of Military. The Emperor has the right to remove a Nomax family from office and promote a different Nomax instead. A Nomax lives in a palace in the Capitol city of that Saptrapy. Many Nomax are family of the Emperor. Each Nomax has there own small private army, and revolts have happened from time to time. More information on Tauredain geography will come later.

The Vixier, Sacerdotxl, and Copalli each have right hand men/women, they all share equal status.

Various Captains: Underneath the Vixier are several, so to speak, various captains. They all have about equal power. They consist of the Captain of the Mumak Guard, the Captain of the Palace Guard, the Captain of the Cavalry, and three Infantry Captains. Each govern the respective forces in and out of combat. More Soldier Social Classes will come later.

Green Hands: Under the Sacerdotxl are the Green Hands. They are the highest ranking priests after the Sacerdotxl, and there are only ever five at one time. They are among the seven allowed to enter the Groves of Hlatuk with their eyes open along with the Sacerdotxl and the Emperor. They are the go-to's for every Sacerdotxl and well versed in matters of Tauredain Religion. More info on Tauredain Religion later.

Head Atal: Even the Copalli can only organize so much, occasionally, he falls to his two assistants. The Head Atal. Chosen for their skill and analytical thinking, these two scribes go around and organize all aspects of Tauredain society when the Copalli can not. They also manage their fellow Atal. More on the Atal later.

From now on their are little positions of equal status and most positions contain many occupants.

Wild Ones: The religious rank directly below the Green Hand, these priests organize temples in the Capitols of Satrapies. They take direct orders from the Green Hands and the Sacerdotxl himself, but usually simply handle the religious ceremonies in these areas. Wild Ones often clash with the Nomax, as the Nomax have more authority, but Wild Ones take orders from the Sacerdotxl, who has more authority than the Nomax. You may be beginning to see Tauredain social class is much more than tribal leaders and slaves.

The Golden Hunters: The best warriors in the Tauredain Empire, they are called to hunt savage beats and fight powerful enemies. The Golden Hunters are some of the best in Far Harad and can go through almost anything. In fact an average Golden Hunter can fend off and kill on his own twenty experienced Cerinrim Warriors going through a blood craze. Unfortunately the Golden Hunters don't exactly grow on trees. There numbers are small but they are still very formidable. These peerless men are often praised as heroes by the common folk and showered with fame and glory. They are also distinct on the battlefield. They are the Rangers of the Tauredain, they can disappear into the forest and melt back out in a moment. They are enigmatic and wild Golden Hunters are often characterized with a distinctly romantic tinge. Many remember the battle where they destroyed an entire Near Harad army from behind.

Ambassadors: The Tauredain employ the fastest jungle deer to carry these wily men back and forth on missions for the Tauredain. They are very well trained in persuasive arts and all the proper mannerisms, most are trilingual. There vital and noble place in society commands respect for them fro mother more lowly citizens.

Atal: Below the elite ranks of the military and the ambassadors are the Atal. They may not be as respected in Tauredain society as the heroes of the army but they might very well have more power. They are the supervisors and organizers of the Tauredain Empire. Under the lead of the Copalli and Head Atals, they take note on supplies, handle taxes, and inspect public works. They demand respect in Tauredain society and citizens recognize their dependence on them.

Priests: These average, everyday, priests conduct worship in the temples of the Wild Ones. They have are greatly respected and to have even one of these average priests mad at you is a terrible thing. They are the organizers of religious services in these cities and they often know many citizens.

Beast Tamers: A great part of Tauredain religion is the worship of animals large and small. But not all priests are adapt to this task. The famed beast Tamers of the Tauredain not only work with dangerous animals including the fierce some Mumakil, they study and work with plants as well. This gives them great, almost religious respect in society. Racanal: Tauredain people put knowledge very high in society, the Racanal are people who devote their lives to this study. They might study animals, engineering, history, medicine, they all work for the Empire to create a better more knowledgeable place. To become a Racanal one must study for a year under a chosen subject master and then be tested by the Pharoah himself. Because of this they are held in high esteem by the commonplace. After the test Racanal can choose to wander the Empire in an attempt to advance their subject, or they can settle in a Capitol city and benefit society with their knowledge.

Vetan: The small commanders put in charge of sections of the Tauredain army. They have authority in society as veterans and trusted leaders, however they don't command the same respect as the heroes from the elites, even if they are captains.

Palace Watch: To be enlisted in the service of the emperor is a great honor for any soldiers. It shows they are reliable, thoughtful, dependable, and trusted. The Palace watchers protect the emperor at all cost, and not just his palace. They are his official guard, even of many emperors have employed others as well.

Mumak Guard: These brave and wild soldiers ride the notoriously volatile Mumakil into battle. With their famous war paint and javelins they strike terror into the hearts of their enemies everywhere. When at home the fierce warriors are well respected and complimented constantly.

Cavalry: Long ago one Tauredain tribe domesticated the fabled jungle deer. Nowadays the Tauredain empire uses this knowledge to fuel an efficient and well trained cavalry. The honorable combination of forming a complex bond with a particular animal and the fact they are important and daring soldiers grants them a high status and respect.

Infantry: Pretty self explanatory. More information in Tauredain Military.

Suqua: These are the upper class owners of businesses and establishments in Tauredain cities. They usually support a large family and are the some of the most common members of society. More information will come in Tauredain Geography and Economy and Society sections. They often look down upon merchants as wild men with no self discipline or honor.

Catl: The average citizens of cities. They are usually the family of Suqua and are supported by them as well as gaining extra pay working for other Suqua. They are simple, free and have a good sense of humor. In general they lead a good life.

Merchants: In cities their are two main classes. The Suqua and Catl, and the Merchants. The are craftsmen and traders. They travel from city to city, tribe to tribe, selling their wares to the empire. They often set up stalls at festivals in the lower parts of cities, and therefore are often on bad terms with resident Suqua. They consider the Suqua and Catl to be cowardous and aloof.

From this point on, no longer are these social classes based in the cities. Now they are classes in the simple tribal villages around the jungle. Starting with the tribal chieftain.

Tribal Chieftain: The respected leader of the tribe. Each tribe has it's own customs and reds for their leader but each one is a guiding force in small Tauredain communities. They are also the head warriors and hunters in a tribal community. They are usually chosen by the shaman from a collection of hunter-warriors.

Shaman: The religious head of different tribes, they have almost as much power as the Chieftain himself. They usually wear elaborate dress and jewelry and command lots of respect in tribes. They sometimes come at odds with Tribal Chieftains.

Hunter: Each tribe have it's own collection of hunters who provide most of the food source for society. They are also experts in tracking, stealth, and setting snares and traps. When the Tauredain enter a large war they are called to be militia. Because of this they command great respect in Tauredain society and are a class higher than the common folk.

Common Folk: Each tribe has a different large export depending on their location. These common, simple tribesmen live ordinary lives in village. Most of them craft, gather, or partake in the local export. For some areas farming, others mining, both in each one the community folk partake in their duties. In most cases this is the lowest social class. More info in Tauredain Economy.

A Separate Note on Servants and Slaves: There are of course some other ranks in society. The Tauredain do observe the practice of slavery, despite great respect for their slaves. Most slaves being prisoners of war. A slave or servant's status in society depends on their master. Servants in service of the Emperor have a very high status with priest slaves slightly lower and so on. 