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An Explanation of the Governments of Modern Clandon (by country):
Therrenia: The simple breakdown is as this: Therrenia is split into four different, but small, territories. Each is ruled by a Quin (pronounced as shin), or governor. Overall, their decisions are dictated by the Raltin, who holds a position similar to that of a king. So, Therrenia’s territories are watched by the ruling Raltin who dictates decisions. Say that ten times fast. (Who says that explanatory posts can’t have humor?) However, it isn’t that simple. They follow a very strict set of ancient traditions, even though the new King Gethnoel attempted to extend the arm of the Set Laws, which will be explained later. According to these traditions, ten things are set in stone:
The Plainsterritories: The Plainsterritories lie in the east, on the coast nearest Therennia and on the border of East Region. For a description of the government, I must give a history, which I did not give in the briefer explanation of the individual countries and their natural tales. What I did tell you, reader, was that the Plainsterritories were ruled at first by a king. Ten kings ruled, for longer than Clandoran existed, up to the point when Mc’Kenthon Swiftblade was overthrown. Every one had been diverse in some way, and there were no restrictions on what animal could rule. Only one family had kept the throne for more than a generation, and theirs was the most stable reign. Kings weren’t very respected, and had no real power, except for in the village surrounding the castle and in the small army kept as a personal bodyguard to the king. This army usually consisted of jackals and badgers, the more powerful creatures. The last king to rule, until about thirty years ago, was Stripeslash Yetwar. He did nothing remarkable for his “subjects”, and was overthrown almost immediately by . . . Kallenian Snapclaw, a powerful jackal warlord. Of course, at the time, he was nowhere nearly enough to take down Norden Northwind, or his son Gulrag. However, he had his sights set on the Plainsterritories for two reasons: the many squabbling small-time rulers and king would be of no resistance, and . . . why would he want Clandon? It was cold and harsh, and he was an Eastern creature: the further east, the warmer. So, he built up a small army that was three times the size of Yetwar’s, rushed in, and quickly took the entire country with ease. Now, he’s set himself up in a dictatorship, likened in many ways to that of the Northwinds. So far, Snapclaw has refused any sort of a treaty, including the Set Laws, offered to him. It’s not unknown that he has his sights set on Therennian next. King Gethnoel Swiftblade, Spokesbeast Tiren Letren, and the Council of East Region know that he is there, and aren’t going to let it continue very much further, under their Set Laws, but are somewhat preoccupied with other matters at the moment. So, by definition, the Plainsterritories are under a military dictatorship. The Mountainous Territories: Unknown. Clandoran (north and south): Clandoran, formerly known as North and South Regions, formerly known as Clandoran, formerly known as Clandon, is currently ruled by a military monarchy. King Gethnoel Swiftblade, son of Mc’Kenthon Swiftblade the FoxWolf, currently rules under many names, including: the Rogue Captain, the White King, Icefurr Swiftblade, and others. Instead of a law set in stone for the country, this king trusts his subjects to make the correct decisions based on their instinct, their direction from Doranfather’s Spirit, and his dictation. However, Swiftblade did place into effect a police force, about twenty creatures in Force Guild and Swiftness Guild per village. Speaking of which, he also installed a “guild” system. This split his army and any advisors or messengers of his into five different categories, based upon where their skills laid: Swiftness Guild, Force Guild, Swordmasters, Guild of Instinct, and Distance Guild. The names are all self explanatory. Almost the entire police force is made up of the first two, and the infantry is as well. Advisors, generals, and councilmembers are usually Guild of Instinct. Archers and messengers are almost always Swiftness or Distance Guilds, and the Swordmasters are solely shock troops. It’s a military monarchy because that is the main outcome of many of King Gethnoel’s achievements: a stronger army. This is rumored to be so because of the overthrow of the original Clandoran empire, the death of the king’s parents, and the dividing of Clandoran into North and South Regions by Norden and Gulrag Northwind. King Swiftblade has vowed not to let this happen again, which causes him to be very, very intent on the destruction of Old Clandon (the cult) and Kallenian Snapclaw’s army. First, though, he has to smooth out the wrinkles in the Set Laws and help settle the war between East and West Regions. East and West Regions: Both of these have the same government, with one major difference that I will explain later. In short, each is ruled by a council. The councils have their own complicated sets of laws, that nocreature follows. No explicit history is to be given, except for this short synopsis: At the start of written history in Clandon, when the old language was just being eradicated, the whole continent was ruled by one king. Two groups of smaller, less powerful creatures split from the union. One went east. One went west. Each had the same basic idea, and both ended up with councils and no armies. Thus, they had to form alliances with the other small countries that had broken off. Using their allies’ resources and strength, East Region and West Region became stronger and larger, soon opposing each other and the rest of united Clandon. Soon, they forced their ways in towards and through the center of united Clandon, creating the first North and South regions. Soon, they were at war, even with the Set Laws that the king of North Region had set in place. Now, only a few things have changed: the first war ended with North and South pushing together, forcing the East and West Regions out and becoming Clandoran. Then, another war took hold, after the installment of Spokesbeasts in Western Clandon. Finally, King Gethnoel was successful in bringing the East and West under the protective shield of the Set Laws. The Set Laws: The Set Laws were put into effect under the rule of Harken MacKay, king of North Region, before Clandoran, after United Clandon (which was essentially a bunch of creatures with no ruler). They constituted five things that would help all the countries bound by it to stay under some sort of code. At first, it was only accepted by South Region, which eventually created Clandoran. East Region and West Region refused and ended up attacking the North. However, BECAUSE of the Set Laws, South Region came to MacKay’s aid and drove East and West apart. A few centuries later, King Gethnoel finally convinced almost the entire landmass to join, except for the miniature countries. He still continues to send envoys to the Plainsterritories and Therrenia. The Laws have many sub categories and fine prints, but these are the main principles of the main body:
Old Clandon (cult): Old Clandon originated only half a year after King Gethnoel took the throne. Nocreature knows for sure who started the cult, but it’s said that he was part of the rebellion. Old Clandon believes three things:
Old Clandon is a clan of powerful assassins, who are divided into a strict hierarchy. Each assassin is given a level. First comes the Divine, or the leader of the cult. After him come the Shamans, or top generals. After that come the level ten assassins, all the way down to the level one servants. Each assassin, no matter their level or rank, carries a double curved sword and multiple throwing knives of the same make. All wear black cloaks, the “color of perfection”. --SPOILER ALERT-- These rogue fighters also carry poisonous crossbows. Along with these, they have an array of dangerous poisons and different types of darts and bolts. Each wears a special patch with a number and the Old Clandon symbol. Well, there it is: every government and hierarchy and religion in Clandon, excepting the Mountainous Lands. I’ll let that one be a surprise. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Also, I hope it explained some things that were confusing, like the Set Laws and Old Clandon.
Gethnoel Swiftblade paced back and forth, back and forth in his throne room. “Where are they? They’ve been missing for five days!” he exploded. “I specifically told Santena not to launch an attack yet. The company should be back now!” The nobles near the king came nearer, trying to reassure him. They all knew that Santena was his best friend and advisor, and if the wolf was lost, it would be devastating to him.
The king was not easily reassured. “Leave me, all of you. I need to think -- and pray.” The nobles and lords hesitated. “Go!” he commanded. Hesitantly, they finally made an exit out the nearest door. Gethnoel fell the the floor on his knees, tears that he’d held back in front of his men finally pouring out of his silvery eyes. “Father,” he whispered. “Bring back my brother.” ***** Well, at the moment, his “brother” was running for his life . . . again. Just half a mile from Highlord Rock, Santena and Lieutenant Mc’Seron were dashing through the snow on an open plain. Sergeant Vire had already been caught by the sparrows and eagles they were on the run from. Santena was trying to yank his horn from his belt. “Lieutenant! Split, crosspiece!” he commanded. This was a common order given among the Swiftness Guild: what it meant, when two, three, or four runners were pacing together, was a simple but effective straight split. If two, they instantly made a full 90° turn. If three, one kept up the forward dash, while the others split off. If four, the extra runner fell back at a full halt, then joined the second on the right side. As ordered, Mc’Seron skidded to a stop, then took off at full speed towards the south. Santena quickly mirrored his action. Overhead, he heard the whistle of wings as the larger, heavier eagles spun over head, trying to check their speeding recklessness. The sparrows were able to turn, but without their backup, didn’t continue after their enemies. The eagles had crashed into a cluster of trees. “Haha!” Santena gasped triumphantly. He’d been running as fast as he possibly could for over half an hour, and nothing had worked. Quickly, though, before the eagle troops recovered, he dove into a nearby cave, rolling over on his . . . “Aah!” . . . right onto his back wound, tearing it back open and ripping off the bandage he’d remade that morning. “Damn it!” he screamed, then slapped a paw over his mouth. Silence answered his outburst. He held his breath. Still nothing. Five more seconds, and he was going to move. Nothing. He burst from the snowbank and cave, taking off back to the east and Kerenian. He’d have to trust Mc’Seron to find his own way back. ***** His fur was matted to his body, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Kerenian was just there, right on the horizon! To gain speed, Mc’Seron ripped off his sword, belt, and chain mail hood. “Doran . . . help me!” Thundering paws and loud roars were bearing down on him. ***** Gethnoel was still on his knees, after two hours of prayer, when a loud, urgent knock sounded at his door. “Come in!” he commanded, standing and wiping the tears away. The oak door flew open and crashed into the wall -- followed closely by Santena. The black wolf stumbled to the floor, his face plastered with terror. “Santena!” the king exclaimed, rushing to his friend and catching him before he fell. “What happened? Where’s the company I sent you with?” A group of medics rushed past the open door, followed by Earl Fent, Lord Rake, and Ithiniel. The latter group dashed into the throne room. The medics were carrying a body wrapped in white cloth. “He’s unconscious,” Fent determined quickly. “Call those medics back: we have another one.” “Another one?” Gethnoel asked worriedly. Rake nodded sternly. “A certain Lieutenant Mc’Seron, Swiftness Guild, was severely injured. We found him right outside the center point of the kingdom. Broken back, crushed leg, but no blood. It looked as if he’d taken one, and only one, strong blow. Just one bruise.” Rake shivered. “What creature would be powerful enough to do that?” he wondered quietly. “Only a few, Rake.” A new face entered the room. “Captain Icefurr, in that part of the country where they’d been coming from . . . I can guarantee that Mc’Seron was attacked by a bear warrior,” Jennter Mc’Kallen stated matter-of-factly. “And a powerful one, at that.” “Lord Jennter!” the two other lords chorused, and came to one knee with a fist on their hearts in an ancient sign of respect. He nodded, and the pair rose again. Jennter was Gethnoel’s primary advisor, and the only creature who still called him “Captain Icefurr Swiftblade”. Whenever he walked into a room, he instantly commanded respect from the lesser lords. His powerful frame and myriad of scars across his face spoke of his older role, only a few years ago. His arms and sword didn’t compare to that of Santena’s, but right now, he looked to be the most powerful creature in the room next to the unconscious wolf. “Didn’t you hear the lords, Captain? Call those medics back.” Earl Fent yelled down the hall in a voice that was deceiving in relation to his considerable age. “Get back here, doc!” Even in the traumatic situation he was in, Gethnoel couldn’t help letting a grin flit across his face at the sound, and the speed at which two medics charged down the hall and into the throne chamber. They took Santena by his arms and legs, straining to lift him, but managed to move him out of the room with looks of determination plastered on their faces. “Damned heavy wolf,” one muttered. “Watch your language in the presence of the king!” Lord Rake commanded. He turned back to Lord Jennter and Gethnoel. “A bear? Polar? Why would they be so close? And why did this one attack one of our soldiers? Under the Set Laws, this is a declaration of war between the Mountainous Lands and Clandoran . . .” Earl Fent immediately interrupted. “No, it isn’t. The Mountainous Lands and the Plainsterritories were excluded from the Set Laws three years ago, due to their refusal to cooperate with the main Clandon landmass and Terrenia. The Lands’ emperor believed that his empire was just fine without us when King Swiftblade sent his request for the old rules to be restored, and Kallenian Snapclaw almost attempted an attack. After Gulrag Northwind destroyed the ancient ways, put into effect centuries ago, he also got rid of the Set Laws. Therefore, we have no right to attack them back unless they actually encroach upon our territory. Which they didn’t,” he added. “But they did! At least, the Mountainous Lands were on West Clandon land, which is protected under the Set Laws,” Lord Rake argued. “Which places the issue under Western rule. Therefore, we can’t do anything, my good lord,” Fent said resignedly. “Only Tiren Letren, and I have a menacing feeling that he isn’t going to.” “But he might!” Gethnoel exclaimed, a vague idea forming in his mind. “If we perhaps . . . . convince him with a mutual outcome of letting this continue any further than it already has. We’re going back to West Clandon. Call Ithiniel.” Ithiniel was soon collected, and the king, a troop of one-score soldiers, and the lords Fent and Rake set off towards Highlord Rock once more. Meanwhile, back at the castle, something terrible was about to happen. ***** Lieutenant Mc’Seron woke to the most horrifying sensation: he couldn’t feel anything but his shoulders and face. No matter how hard he strained, all that greeted his feverish efforts but a tingling feeling and a growing pain in his upper back. He was in the Karenian palace infirmary, surrounded by empty cots. The fox pulled his head forwards with a tremendous amount of effort. “Oh, Doran . . .” he muttered woozily. What had happened? Then it all rushed back to him in one wave: he’d been running towards the city, to warn the king about . . . the Mountainous Lands! They were coming! He had to . . . “Who’s there?” Nothing greeted this question. Then he heard it again: a slight swishing sound, like a moving cloak. Next, a small rasp of steel on steel, like a dagger being drawn. “Who’s there? In the name of the High One, come out!” Still, nothing. He laid back down shakily. “Stupid brain, playing tricks on one creature,” he murmured, but didn’t quite believe it himself. He was wrong. A bright knife descended from over his head, flying towards his skull. The last thing he got to think was, Oh, no. Old Clandon! A Note from the Author: I am soon going to do an explanatory post about a few things: The Old Clandon cult, the Set Laws, and the government systems of each individual country in Clandon, including Therrenia. If all you Clandonians out there have any other questions, be sure to ask in the comments! |
AuthorI love fiction, fantasy, roleplaying, and reading. Nice to meet you too. All of my tales are little kid-friendly, except perhaps a few stories in the Rogue Captain universe. Those are more geared towards teens. Check with your parents, just in case. Archives
August 2019
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