"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown."

    Every long-lasting civilization must have order, but also allow for change. Sesamar is no different this way. This document will detail the underlying structure surrounding the civilizations of several races; for each has its own nuances.



CONTENTS

• Humans
• Elves
• Dwarves
• Lings

Humans operate under an elective monarchy. The Conclaves of Nithnamar elect the king for a period of eight years.

The monarchy is structured is as follows:

While a king is elected, every king must have a council. It is so codified. A king can choose his council as he sees fit, but it is always in the best interest of the king to create a council that contains trusted and knowledgeable advisors. A wise king will likely seek the aid of master casters, high priests, druids, champions (paladins), rangers, and a seer.

Lords and ladies are landholders who also are or have been battle-ready commanders for the king. Lords may be stripped of their titles and lands at the mercy of the reigning king or reigning queen. Lords are able to assign field martials and captains, but must pay them from their own resources.

Dukes and duchesses are landholders who are non-martial proponents of the king. They are routinely given specific tasks to perform by the king. They retain their titles and lands at the mercy of the reigning king or reigning queen.

Regents are created by the king, lords, or dukes and are given either temporary or permanent duties. Royals are often chosen for these positions. They are paid by the entities who create them.

Royals are considered to be to be cousins or closer to a royal family (house). Houses typically contain lords, dukes, and regents, but those titles are certainly not bound to houses.

Lords are given hierarchy over dukes because Sesamar is a battle-rich environment. The need for the military to be able to make decisions in the field is paramount for the survival of the human race. This means dukes are often viewed as tacticians who learn to exact their influence via skilled dialogue while adhering closely to the nature of their specific given tasks.



Elves

There are several societies of elves: Meravera, Televera, Renavera, Evandera, and Loralanera. Little is known about the details surrounding most societies. Nevertheless, here is what is known about them.

Meravera (Mermen)

This is an aquatic society of elves. Nothing is known about them, except their historical connection to elves during the Age of Neltinus. They are sometimes referred to as sea-elves or mermen.

Telavera (Drow)

This is a branch of the Loralanera who were banished, due to their insistence on using destructive transmutation magic. It is believed this society of elves were driven underground during the Age of Mirgris. There have been no signs of the Telavera, who are sometimes referred to as drow elves, or simply drow.

Renavera (Ruse)

A branch of the Evandera regressed to a wilder nature. This vicious contingent was expelled from the forests and cities near Evandelith during the Age of Neltinus. It is believed this society of elves migrated eastward and reside past The Howling Chasm. They have been referred to as ruse elves for their trickster nature.

Evandera (Woodland or Green)

It is known this society is extremely egalitarian. The king exists for as long as its people are content. If the Evandera ever lack confidence with their king, a new king is put into place by what can only be called acclamation.

The process of acclamation can be summarized thusly. It is a series of debates and discussions, which can be described as lively, over an unknown period of time to determine who shall be king. Topics of discussion include current events, knowledge that the candidates possess, their potential influence, and such. They are all integral to making a choice as to who shall be considered and finally chosen for the role. The voices of the eldest of elves carry great weight during this process.

Most Evandera live within or near the city of Evandelith in the Eastern Lands.

Loralanera (High or White)

All that is known about the Loralanera is that they have a king. It is not known how a king gains the position. Knowledge concerning other leadership positions is unknown. History has revealed the Loralanera do have a well-ordered military with a strict hierarchy that contains their equivalent of generals (alinea), captains (orlinae), lieutenants (palinae), and soldiers (morlinae).

The Loralanera live within or near the city of Loralanthalith. They rarely cavort with humans.



Dwarves

There are three known societies of dwarves: hill dwarves, mountain dwarves, and grey dwarves.

Hill Dwarves

Hill dwarves live in or near Xon. This orderly city is a shared city between dwarves and humans, who get along remarkably well. While this may seem superfluous to the hierarchy of hill dwarves, it is important to know that hill dwarves and humans live in separate sections of the city, although there is no rule that forces the two to live apart. It certainly has more to do with the needs of construction due to height and not for any other reason.

Hill dwarves have a strict hierarchy that dominates over the entire city, including the humans. At the top is a king. The king remains in position as long as the elders find it to be a sound choice. The elders work with regional lords, who in turn organize discrete sections of the city and surrounding areas near Xon.

The humans in Xon, while respected and cherished by hill dwarves, may not retain positions of power within the dwarf hierarchy. This is because humans exist there as traders, merchants, and smiths. Humans have been able to live in Xon because hill dwarves are extremely good natured and hospitable.

Mountain Dwarves

Mountain dwarves, unlike hill dwarves, are reclusive (and ill-mannered according to hill dwarves). Mountain dwarves have a king, elders, and lords, much like the hierarchy of hill dwarves.

While mountain dwarves do not lend themselves with much interaction with non-dwarves, they do fearlessly and tactfully combat kobolds, bugbears, and goblins. These dwarves live within the mountains in a city called Tolan north in the Eastern Lands.

Grey Dwarves

During the Age of Neltinus, a group of mountain dwarves experimented with earth magic in order to create passages, mine for precious metals, and defeat kobolds and goblins. The magic stirred something nefarious within those who used it. These dwarves lost their good nature, which alarmed the rest of the mountain dwarves. The group of mountain dwarves were expelled from Tolan and its surrounding areas.

It is believed these grey dwarves migrated far westward in mountains beyond the White Water River. Nothing else is known about these morally compromised dwarves.



Lings

There are two societies of lings: Harrowfellows (of Harrow) and Maylanders (of Mayland). They live in their respective regions.

Both the Harrowfellows and Maylanders have identical societal structures. They each have regional representatives and an acting mayor, which are all elected positions. The mayors regularly meet with representatives in council to hear issues, communicate concerns, and provide directives. Lings have no army. They are craftsmen, writers, merchants, and farmers. They lead simple lives.