Before Azar left the caravan (something that I did not even notice how happened), he spent an entire day cramming information about the powerhouses and factions of the Kingdom into me.

I'm grateful for his dedication, but it was a bit too much to digest completely, so I just allowed my memory to note everything he said without understanding most of it. But now, with my immediate future more or less clear, it is probably time to start thinking about that as well. After all, it's a matter of time before I need to start working on my principal task, Sepyre's religion!

And that means I will need to be aware of what, or who, to avoid interacting, pissing off, and else.

As the name indicates, the Kingdom of Neverc has a King indeed. But as a realm established just a hundred years ago, its system isn't quite what one could expect from a single-person ruled country.

To understand the Kingdom's system. One will need to understand the reasons behind it and look back. To be exact, a hundred and two years back, to the turbulent years that gave rise to the Kingdom of Neverc and the other countries that separated from the Empire.

The Breakaway States

At some point, 102 years ago, the Litwalian Empire's sacred Emperor, Sandu the Justice Guardian, died under strange circumstances. He died without leaving anyone to inherit the Imperial throne, thus, leaving it vacant for dozens of claimants that believed it to be theirs. Practically every noble, general, and else with even a single ounce of the Litwal dynasty blood announced their claim.

But the Imperial Army stood steadfast against the division, with the marshal of that time, Izetior Dra'Ignis, keeping it out of the following civil war by announcing that vacant or not, the throne was the only thing that allowed one to command the soldiers.

And somehow, he did manage to act on his words, and not a single soldier or officer, not without leaving the army beforehand, participated in the conflict.

The civil war did ensue anyway, and logically, each claimant required troops. With the army keeping out of it, the only way to get the troops was by recruiting or sequestering garrisons, personal guards, and other regional soldiers. But armies and even individual troops need money, provisions, weapons, etc. And again, with the imperial treasury and warehouses protected by the imperial army, the only way to get the money and everything else was to bleed dry the provinces.

And while some of the provincial and regional nobles, governors, and others had their interests or claims, the situation got worse than anyone expected in just a single year. On the verge of uprisings and their own civil wars, almost all the separately administered lands broke of the conflict.

Having been the most drained region and with the constant threat from the south from the Kigur tribes, the first one to break out was the West Lithandia region, now the Holy State of Lithandia. It is still unknown how, but the fact is that in less than three months, the followers of "The One" and their leader, Flarea the Illuminated, garnered enough support to overthrow the weakened Imperial garrison. And then, put both the West and East Lithandia regions under their authority and flag.

Soon it was followed by the Kishel noble family, who garnered the support of the Northern Central Lands and formed what is now the Kingdom of Kishelia. Urhan Kishel, the first King, was one of the most prominent nobles of the Empire at that moment, holder of two-thirds of the region. He was also a wise man and desired to ensure the safety of his dynasty.

Eliminating, dismissing, and exiling all the ones that could be an obstacle, he gave the freed and even his own lands to a cadre of new nobles. Not free, but in exchange for absolute loyalty to the new state.

The free City of Platenor acted differently, pledging to keep out the civil war and not helping any claimants in exchange for a semi-independent state. With the City's soldiers not part of the Imperial Army but holding power enough to change the game for any claimant, it was unsurprising that the request was a successful one. Later, as the situation calmed down, several smaller cities and towns requested Platenor's help against the constant recruiting and contribution "requests" by different claimants. Risking its position, the City's council agreed, and slowly, the Radowian Republic came into being. And by guaranteeing a military alliance and keeping out of any infighting, it was the only ex-Imperial state that was still considered an ally and friend to the Empire.

And while all of this occurred, the Seven Counts that controlled the four regions of the Throat, Midhill, Anear, and Neverc made their mind as well. Two of the Count families were possible claimants for the title of Emperor, and the others had reasons to support at least one claimant as well. Still, between fighting a disastrous war that would probably end with at least five on the losing side while destroying the regions they lorded over, they decided to secede as well.

Not an easy decision to take for most, especially as one of the Counts, Ludolf Teh'Callion, was someone with a fair share of Litwal blood. But he knew that as soon as he joined the civil war, his lands would end encircled by the other six Counts. And neither of them would support him as an Emperor, at least not without surrendering his lands in exchange for the Imperial Crown.

But the decision was taken, and after the seven Counts conveyed, they decided to separate as a single state, the Kingdom of Neverc. With Ludolf Teh'Callion being the most powerful and respected of them, he assumed the title of King. And Cadowden, the port-town home to the Teh'Callion dynasty, became the Capital of the Kingdom.

But Neverc's first monarch did not have the same luck of controlling most of the lands in his new Kingdom. And neither did he have the fortune of having only minor nobles as the founders. On the contrary, an alliance of any two Counts was enough to overpower him. And while he had plans to counter their influence gradually, the Counts were anything but idiots. They perfectly knew that the new King, sooner or later, would do everything to take them out of the equation and become a true monarch. And so, when he, at last, was coronated, Ludolf was not announced as the sole sovereign of the new Kingdom, but only the First among Equals. And pressing on that, the Royal Council was established. A Council to rule the Kingdom, with King merely having the right to speak first.

***

And so, with changes and both peaceful and not so years, the Kingdom of Neverc existed. A Kingdom where the King wasn't even a true King. First, Ludolf and then his son, Siegbert, attempted to change the situation. And while the father met close to no success, the son's actions did introduce some changes. Changes that regretfully died along with him.

Almost in a repeat of history, Siegbert Teh'Callion died without leaving a clear successor. Even more, as a joke of the gods, his death was a mystery equal to Sandu Litwal's one. The only change was that only two people had Teh'Callion blood and could inherit, and surprisingly neither Count tried to force themselves on the throne.

Nobles say that even with two claimants, a crisis always follows. And these words applied this time as well, as Siegbert's younger brother assumed the throne, a relative, the son of Ludolf's younger brother, announced himself as the true successor.

Three counts stood with one cousin, and another three stood with the other. So a civil war was inevitable, and it happened indeed.

The Cousin War, merely 24 years ago, was a truly disastrous one and the main reason for the continued existence of the Royal Council. A Council that held even more power than before, and one where the King had not even the right to speak first.

***

Only two events of the Cousin War carry importance in understanding the changes and current situation. The [River of Blood] and the [Southern Warlord's Ascencion].

*

The first was what led to the collapse and destruction of three of the original six Count families. Neither of the Counts at that moment was a coward, and even as they lost the war, not one of the three losing ones escaped. The new King, Roald Teh'Callion, wanted them to swear loyalty, but the incident now called [River of Blood] occurred and ruined what could have been a far more acceptable resolution.

No one, and never, would be sure of who was the one behind the command to disarm the surrendered Count's guardsmen. But such a command was pronounced, and the soldiers of King Roald camp acted on it. Still, the Guardsmen were not commoners or even soldiers but a group of minor nobles and knights that had pledged to protect their respective Counts. And even if the latter surrendered, it did not mean that the Guardsmen were now free of their duty.

And when soldiers rushed into the three separate Guardsmen camps, they responded by taking up arms. "History knows no ifs" But still, if the Counts had been present, probably the incident would have ended without much issue. But they were not, having been summoned to a meeting with the winning side. And so, the Guardsmen overpowered the soldiers and, fearing for their lieges, began marching towards the winner's camp.

With the claimant, Giselher Teh'Callion, dead in combat, the three losing Counts could do nothing else than accept the new King, and they planned to do so. But they never did, as their heads fell to the ground at the blade of Szalai D'raec, the Count of Central Midhill. And while someone could, and still do, claim he overreacted, it is impossible to hold it against him. After all, with the report that the already surrendered Count's Guardsmen are attacking the main camp and alarms going off, what else but kill the truce-breakers remained?

Count Aras of Zeln, and Count Edium of Lower Anear, had not been present in the main camp, but examining their armies, and hearing the alarm, rushed back, along with their personal forces.

With no time to ask and no intention to dialogue, both commanded their troops to enter the fray and eliminate the attackers. And so, rivers of blood flowed that day and continued on the next, when part of the ordinary soldiers of the now-dead Counts took up arms in retaliation.

As truce-breakers, the Count titles posthumously were revoked. And their families either fled or were forced to witness their lands and possessions taken by the winners.

*

The other incident is the [Southern Warlord's Ascencion]. The only time in the entire history of the Kingdom a Count title was created, and even more, that the Royal Council agreed on something unanimously and with no debates. And even now, it is the only decision of the Royal Council that no one has attempted to dispute. Because if there is someone whose Count title is deserved, that is Arum Tra'Ort.

The son of Tradort's City Viscount, Arum served as the commander of the Throat region southern border. Not a single participant in the Cousin War would have dared to take troops from that border, and rightfully so. After all, what lies on the other side of it isn't anything else than the Empire.

As people sometimes say now, it was the Gods who prevented the weakening of the already small 10-thousand army, and it was the Gods that placed Arum at the head of it. But Gods or the wisdom of the Counts, it does not matter, as when the Empire decided that the Kingdom was weak enough to be retaken, it was Arum and the army he commanded that stopped them. A 60-thousand strong army against a 10-thousand one, nobody would think much before saying the probable result. But, they would be wrong.

Losing the first few clashes as his army was all along the border, Arum did not despair. He calmly ordered a retreat, taking advantage of the smaller numbers and knowledge of the local lands to overtake the invaders' momentum and gather his forces at Dercsor Fort, a small fortress just a day ride from the border. Gathering volunteers, town guards, and anyone who willed to stand in the path of the Imperial Army, he managed to bolster his forces to somewhere around 15-thousand, a number still too low. At least for others, as for him, he considered it enough.

Using Dercsor Fort as a decoy, by allowing a few Imperial Scouts to follow him, he practically invited an assault on it.

But when the Imperial Army gathered and attacked the next day, they found the fort's doors open and no signs of any defenders.

Arum had somehow managed to avoid the scouts that he allowed to follow and, in just one night, disappear along with his 15-thousand strong force. But he had not retreated. On the contrary, he had advanced!

With reports of their supplies, garrisons, and reinforcements attacked by Arum's forces, the Imperial Commander had no choice but to stop and start sending soldiers to intercept the attackers. Thus, playing into Arum's hands, who had decided to take care of the enemy soldier by soldier, group by group.

A hide and seek game ensued, but the Imperial Army still had the numbers, and its commander quickly understood that staying on the spot was only helping the Kingdom. But as soon as he decided to ignore Arum's forces and lunge towards the Region's Capital, the latter's strategy changed in response. Now Arum's forces hounded the main army and attacked every time he could. The Imperial Army used traps and counter traps, decoys, fake information, every means to stop, catch, and eliminate Arum's forces. But somehow, with dwindling numbers and sometimes hardly escaping alive, Arum did not give up. Every opportunity that the Imperial Army gave him on the week-long journey from Dercsor Fort to Rafert, the Throat Capital, he jumped on and damaged, killed, and destroyed everything he could. Personally leading every attack made the troops under his command practically regard him as a god of war, and they were not far from the truth indeed. And he confirmed the title again, under the walls of Rafert, where his remaining seven thousand, with the three thousand city garrison as reinforcements, gave and won the decisive conflict of the war. A battle between 10-thousand Royal troops against 34-thousand Imperial ones.

A battle that, even now, is considered the pinnacle of strategy.

A battle that made Arum Tra'Ort, just a month later, be declared a Count of the Kingdom.

*

But while it may have looked like a good ending for the new King, it was all but that. The three Counts that supported and brought him to power claimed an enormous price for their help. And King Roald had no choice but to pay.

*

After the Cousin War, the Royal Council convened, and the lands of the Kingdom were redrawn to accommodate four Counts, and the King, now only a Count with a different title.

The same Royal Council divided some of the previously unique rights of the Crown, like the right to grant lands or create minor noble titles.

Over the last years, the King, with the support of Count Rien of Zeln and Count Arum of Throat, has been slowly regaining the throne's power, but the situation has hardly returned to as it was during the first years of his grandfather, Ludolf Teh'Callion.

Kingdom's Politics

If one briefly looked at the Kingdom of Neverc, its political hierarchy would be evident. And while the reality was far more convoluted, with some lower nobles influencing the decisions of the Counts or even King, it would still be close to accurate.

At the top, even with his limited rights, the King stands. Roald, the 3rd Teh'Callion dynasty monarch. And while his title carries the stigma of first among equals, thanks to the changes and small advances he made, he is the first indeed.

Slightly below him, it's the Royal Council, formed by the four counts, and where the seat of the King is about to be reestablished.

Following the council, there are two political forces that on paper are more-or-less equal, but in reality, are anything but it. They are respectively the [Noble's Assembly] and the [Voice of the Realm].

The [Noble's Assembly], as the name states, is a gathering of nobles below the Count rank, one meant to speak up the interests of the realm and the nobility. Regretfully, from how they behave, the only matter they are absorbed in is the latter, their interest. The Assembly is also heavily factionalized. Something normal since the Crown's right to appoint minor nobles in the Count lands was lost. After all, each minor noble mainly matches their opinion with the Count that granted or can deprive them of their title.

As for the [Voice of the Realm], it's a similar assembly with rights to speak to the council, or even King, formed from prominent commoners. Guildmasters, Priests of the different accepted religions, Maesters, and so on gather to speak up the interests of the realm and the commoners they represent. Regretfully, their actual voice power has dwindled a lot since the Crown lost some of its rights, a situation that is, hopefully, close to improving.

***

Noble Hierarchy

Azar made sure that I learned it well, but I will 'Record' the basic structure. After all, why should I care about each right of every damned title?

Count

Region-wide Holding Control over laws in own lands Royal Council membership Personal Army, Guards, Knights Control over taxes in own lands Right to grant lesser nobility

Viscount

Major City Control over city courts Appeal right to Council and King Command over Garisson Control over city taxes Right to grant lesser nobility

Baron

Lesser City or Fortress Holding Upper law for his lands Appeal right to Council and King Personal Retinue Moderate control over local taxes Military command rights

Lesser nobility (Importance varies between titles, but court order is from left to right)

Unlanded with Household Name Baronet Unlanded with no Household Name Landed Knight Unlanded Knight Title inherited along with the Household Name Can not be inherited, usually given as a reward for merits Can not be inherited, used as either a title for heirs or for nobles that lost their rights If the successor is Knighted, then both title and land are inherited. If not, only land is inherited Can not be inherited, can be only obtained from a Knight Order commander Can have a limited amount of personal forces Can have a limited amount of personal forces Can not have armed retainers except hired ones Knight Order or Liege Membership of a Knight Order Depending on the Household type, can receive a stipend from liege Liege either provides land that generates income or has to provide economically No stipend or income Command rights over common soldiers Command rights over common soldiers Can buy and own property Can buy and own lands and property Can buy and own property Can buy and own lands and property The order provides a small amount of money. With sufficient holdings, contributions and backing can receive a higher title With sufficient owned lands, can create a holding With sufficient owned properties and contributions, can create a household title Eligible for prize money after any combat Eligible for prize money after any combat

As a side note, Successors for any title above Baron, receive a provisional title two levels below if there isn't an available title in the lands under the title. For example, A Baron's heir will be considered an unlanded noble (with no household name). While a Count's heir, if his parent does not give him a title, will still be considered a Baron of the Realm (although having no lands will put him in the same position as the lower nobles anyway).

***

Factions

Azar named several dozens of bigger or smaller factions among the nobles and even commoners. Still, only a few of them are important enough to remember them.

Noble Factions

Old Bloods; Formed by nobles whose titles exist since, or even before, the foundation of the Kingdom itself.

New Bloods; Formed by nobles with titles created in the last hundred years.

Traditionalists; Oppose changes to the system itself. Usually suggest concentrating on growing the Kingdom's power without losing their own.

Reformators; Consider that a strong Kingdom can not follow the same path always. Usually suggest attempting drastic changes, even to the detriment of the system or realm.

Equalists; Oppose any strengthening of a group or individual over another. Consider that be it King, Council, or Assembly, neither can decide everything. Usual proposals include that each noble should speak on the Kingdom's policies and that nobles should rule their lands by themselves.

Mixed Factions

Monarchists; As the name indicates, consider that the King should be the supreme power of the Kingdom.

Representatives; In opposition to the previous faction and any sole-ruler system. Their tenet is that any decision is to be debated by representatives from the affected groups.

Imperialists; Although the name suggests a love for the Empire, their standing is to take a similar approach to politics and rulership as the Imperial Court. The monarch's will should be supreme for the realm, but no opinion on lesser things like local policies.

Deed of Power; A mix of people that believe that titles and political power should come from service to the realm or one's capability to provide it.

Gold of Power; A group of wealthy lower nobles and influential people. They consider that one's ability to accumulate wealth shows their ability. Thus, they should have a say in the Kingdom's policies.

Commoner Factions

Self-rulership; In their belief, every town or group should be allowed to vote on what affects them. Similar to the Representatives, but with a far higher degree of sovereignty.

Individualists; Consider that every single being should be able to choose the following, or not, of the realm's policies and laws.

Communal; While they consider themselves part of the Kingdom, members of this faction believe that every territory should have its manner of ruling. They do not oppose the existence of nobles or the Monarchy but do not approve of any Realm-wide higher-level orders, regulations, or else except in times of war and emergency.

From Azar's words, it is common for a Noble to be a member of at least three different factions, as for commoners, they seldom participate in more than one. Another difference he pointed out was that influential commoners rarely are members of the commoner factions, considering that mixed ones are the only worthy of them.

***

Groups and Organizations of Interest

Each of these groups has enormous clout in the Kingdom, and while some appear to be practically silent, they influence most decisions.

Royal

[The Royal Sword], or Sword; Reporting only to the Royal Council, they serve as protectors and watchdogs of the Nobles. Thus, a mix of protection and intelligence gathering. And under council's orders, the ones responsible for tightening the leash on minor nobles if required.

[The Royal Hounds], or Hounds; An organization that is both loved and feared, sometimes called crazed criminals and other times saviors. While their principal mission is to sniff out and eliminate the hidden dangers to the Kingdom, they also carry out intelligence gathering and assassinations. They are also known for their unlawful methods and tendency to remain in the dark. Rumored to report only to the King, and thus, have been suspected of several incidents that plague the monarch's opposition.

[The Royal Gauntlet], or Gauntlet; The only official royal law enforcers. Investigate, solve, and punish the culprits behind any law-break, including but not limited to rebellion, sabotage, and corruption. They are also dispatched as enforcers of Royal orders, thus acting as the armored fist of the throne from which they take their name. After the Cousin War, report to both King and Royal Council.

[The Mist Skrulls], also called Skulls; The intelligence and counter-intelligence branch of the Kingdom. Previously a black-ops group under the Count of the Central Lands, now supply the King and Council with information. Except for the name, almost no information about them exists openly.

[Royal Army]; Only a third of the army answers directly to the King, with the other two-thirds formed of troops belonging to the Counts and the minor nobles from their territories. Responsible for protecting the Capital, the borders, and the four Count's central cities. During peacetime, follow both King and Council commands, with the King obtaining full power over the entire army solely in war. Standing number close to a hundred-thousand strong.

[Royal Fleet]; Most of the ships come from the Neverc region, which is the personal holding of the Teh'Callion family, while the remaining are forces of Count Arum of Throat. Thus, the fleet is entirely controlled by the King, not to a small amount of dismay for the Royal Council opposition. The fleet numbers close to three hundred ships, with over a fifth being magic-equipped warships.

Free

[Neverc's Trade Fleet]; One of the most relevant sources of income for both the Kingdom and the King himself. Sometimes it is said that it's the trade ships that guarantee the rule of the Teh'Callion dynasty, and probably, they are not mistaken. House Teh'Callion has ruled over the Neverc region for over three hundred years, and even now, seven of each ten trade ships carry their symbol. Being part of the King's possessions as Count Teh'Callion, they are the reason for the moniker [The Wealthiest Count] that all Teh'Callion Counts have carried.

[Merchant Guild]; Officially, there is only one trade guild, but in truth, they only control half of the overall volume of land trade in the Kingdom. Still, with the other half divided between hundreds of organizations and unaffiliated traders, only the guild indeed has a voice loud enough to make even the Royal Council hear them out.

[Mage Guild]; A loose organization formed from representatives from the seven mage towers, the three academies, and the free mages. Factionalized and political to an extreme, with most mages being nobles or their tuition and experiments funded by nobles. All Kings and Counts have been trying to take the guild under control since its creation several dozens of years ago. The last attempt by the King involved the creation of the [Royal Magic Institute] and forcing the guild to accept their representatives.