Editors
1,822
edits
Nightstar The Bright
Joined 5 November 2023
no edit summary
Tags: Mobile web edit Mobile edit Advanced mobile edit |
|||
|
- Fashion -
Lighteyes, both men and women, often wear clothing made from silk. Beards are eschewed by the nobility, although this doesn’t stop some from wearing them. Traditional clothing includes a skirt like garment called an [[ulatu]], which may be worn with a shirt and a robe over the top, and mink pelts.{{book ref|sa2|19}} Also Vakama.{{book ref|sa4|20}}
Darkeyed women tend to wear simpler clothing, and tend to wear gloves on their safehand rather than large sleeves. This is done so that they are able to more easily perform household duties.{{book ref|sa1|3}}{{book ref|sa1|6}}{{book ref|sa1|16}} Wearing a glove on the safehand in this manner is seen as immodest and an inherent sign of lower class, and therefore is not typically practiced by lighteyes.{{book ref|sa1|3}}
- War and Dueling -
Lesser non landholding lighteyes.{{book ref|sa2|45}} Hamlet lords{{book ref|sa2|39}} —- 10 Lords of similar rank (Davar){{book ref|sa2|45}} — Highprince.{{book ref|sa2|39}}
The Alethi have a long history of monarchies rising and falling, with few families able to retain authority for any significant period of time.
The first figure to unify Alethkar after the fall of Alethela was Sadees the Sunmaker in c.{{rosharan date|673}}, although his rule quickly collapsed after his death as Alethi territory was split between his ten sons, leading to another interregnum due to a proper heir not being selected before his passing.{{book ref|sa3|19}} This interregnum lasted until Gavilar Kholin led a war of unification, once again bringing Alethkar under a single ruler by the year {{rosharan date|1145}}.{{book ref|sa3|26}}
While the king has power over the Highprinces, highprinces still retain a high degree of autonomy within their own princedoms, to the extent that they essentially function as their own sovereign nations. Therefore, the king is not an autocratic source of authority.
The monarchy's power over the highprinces, however limited, is primarily maintained through military strength and access to soulcasters, which he taxes highprinces for their rights to use.{{book ref|sa1|15}} In part due to the limited power of the king, many people feel more connection and loyalty to their highprince or local lord than they do to the king themself, or to the institution of the monarchy.{{book ref|sa1|24}}
The monarch has the right to promote individuals into the position of a classical Highprince if they deem it necessary, therefore consolidating inter-princedom national power in certain aspects of government into individuals.{{book ref|sa1|18}} This right is controversial, and only began to be put into use late into the War of Reckoning in {{rosharan date|1173}}, when King Elhokar granted highprince Torol Sadeas the position of [[Highprince of Information]] and Dalinar Kholin the position of [[Highprince of War]].{{book ref|sa1|18}}{{book ref|sa1|69}}
==== List of Known Alethi Monarchs ====
{| width=80% class=infobox style='text-align:center!;' align=center
! class=title colspan=3 style='background-color:#bbf;' | Alethi Monarchs
|-
!Name
|-
| [[NanHar]]{{book ref|sa3|53}}
|-
|[[NanKhet]]{{book ref|sa3|53}}
|-
|[[Silnasen|Siln]] Dynasty
|-
| ''Interregnum''
|-
| [[Hierocracy]]{{book ref|sa1|26}}
|-
| [[Sadees|Sadees the Sunmaker]]
|-
| ''Interregnum''
|-
| [[Hanavanar]]
|-
| [[Valam]]
|-
| [[Taravangian]]
|}
=== Princedoms ===
{{image|Alethkar Color.jpg|side=left|width=250px|Alethi Princedoms}}
Though it is ruled by a single king, Alethkar is divided into ten princedoms, each ruled by a [[lighteyes|lighteyed]] [[highprince]]. Each princedom is named after the family controlling it, and each has its own military, independent of one another - a remnant of the times prior to the reunification. While the highprinces do work together, the king has limited control over them, maintained less through tradition, and more through sheer military power and access to amenities like [[Soulcaster]]s, which are heavily taxed.{{book ref|sa1|15}} In addition, the ruling [[House Kholin]] controls the largest territory, as apart from their own princedom, they also hold an underpopulated stretch of land called the [[Eastern Crownlands]].{{map ref|Alethkar}}
Borders between Princedoms were largely, but not exclusively, defined by natural borders created by the Windrunner and Deathbend rivers, the Sunmaker mountains, and the Sea of Spears.{{map ref|Alethkar}}
It is unclear what princedom [[Akak]] is a part of.
They have repeatedly fought with the neighboring [[Jah Keved]], fighting for territory at their shared border.{{book ref|sa1|16}}{{book ref|sa3|52}} These wars tend to be pushed more by western Highprinces instead of by national efforts pushed forward by the crown.{{book ref|sa1|16}} At the same time, marriage of lighteyes between nations is nothing seen as particularly out of the ordinary, nor is it forbidden by any religious tenants or national laws.{{book ref|sa2|1}}
Through trade treaties, they are able to trade with Jah Kaved for cheap.{{book ref|sa3|66}}
==== Highprinces ====
A highprince is the ruler of one of the ten princedoms that make up Alethkar. They essentially function as the leaders of sovereign nations, rather than simply as heads of administrative districts.{{book ref|sa1|12}}
- Trade -
Many things are traded through and in Northgrip. From there merchants bring goods to the rest of the country.{{book ref|sa2|19}} Like in other Vorin countries, aside from Lighteyes, only darkeyes of the first and second [[Nahn]] can become merchants.{{book ref|sa2|45}} Lighteyes engage in trade deals with each other, hoping to get favour with higher Dahn lighteyes. Raw shum is worth about 10 clearmarks a bag. A lord who wishes to make use of the roads for trade needs to pay for the patrols and maintenance of those roads. This money is given back to the villages where the materials are harvested or made.
=== The Market ===
Alethkar has some form of open market,{{book ref|sa4|18}} though the amount of openness in the economy, that is the amount of government regulation in the market, is unclear.
- Caste system -
The Alethi culture is divided into two major castes, the '''[[lighteyes]]''' and '''[[darkeyes]]''', separated by, as can be surmised, the color of a person's eyes. The lighteyes form the upper caste, with broader rights and privileges, while the darkeyes are the lower, working caste. Furthermore, each caste is subdivided into ten ranks, with the lighteyed ranks being called [[dahn]]s, while the darkeyed ones are the [[nahn]]s. Some nahns and dahns are hereditary, or stable, while others can only be held by attaining a particular position.{{wob ref|2782}} The Alethi monarch, for example, is the only person in the country holding the first dahn.{{wob ref|4006}}
There are many ways for a person to improve their rankings, such as through marriage or military service. A soldier who becomes an officer will almost automatically be raised to a proper dahn or nahn, along with their children.{{wob ref|2782}} Holding land automatically entitles a lighteyes to at least the sixth dahn, regardless of their previous status, and becoming a [[Shardbearer]] entitles at least the fourth dahn.{{wob ref|4006}}{{book ref|sa3|58}}
Alethkar is generally a feudal nation. The Alethi monarch is served by ten [[highprince]]s, which have their own lower-dahn subjects, down to the citylords, who rule over individual settlements.{{book ref|sa1|16}} [[Shardbearer]]s stand slightly aside from this system, although many of them are either highprinces themselves, or in direct service to one highprince or another.
- Sexes -
Like all [[Vorin]] nations, Jah Keved practices a division between the sexes. Women have [[safehand]]s, covered either by a buttoned-up sleeve, typical of lighteyes, or a glove, typical of darkeyes. {{book ref|sa2|45}} They are discouraged from picking up weapons and fighting. By contrast, men are forbidden to read.{{book ref|sa2|45}}
=== Sex and Sexuality ===
Vorin culture is strictly oppossed to extra-marital sexuality,{{wob ref|1443}} though this doesn't stop prostitution from being popular at Warcamps and cities, and in Urithiru.{{book ref|sa3|13}} Though even those that make use of their services tend to look down on them for their occupation, and often physically abuse them.{{book ref|sa1|46}}
They are accepting of homosexuality, and allow same-sex marriage, as long as the same oaths are spoken. This is due to the fact that their perception of marriage is rooted in the oaths itself, which a pair of any gender would be able to make without any issues.{{book ref|sa3|35}}{{wob ref|1443}} However, some see it as unbecoming of one's gender, but this seems to be an uncommon perception.{{book ref|sa3|55}}
Incest is strictly looked down on, this includes the marriage of one's sibling's widow(er).{{cite}}
=== Gender Roles ===
The Alethi have very strict gender roles that permeate nigh every aspect of their culture.{{cite}} With most aspects of life, from art, to occupation, to cuisine, is defined by a strict masculine-feminine dichotomy.{{cite}} Ardents, however, are essentially considered genderless and can persue both masculine and feminine activities.{{book ref|sa1|33}}
Going against these prescribed roles is often seen as unnatural or downright blasphameous.{{book ref|sa1|26}}{{book ref|sa2|12}}
Their conception of gender roles is deeply rooted in ''[[Arts and Majesty]]'', an ancient work of Rosharan literature that defines certain topics and practices as feminine or masculine.{{book ref|sa2|25}}{{wob ref|6245}}
- Religion -
Alethkar is one of the five great [[Vorin]] Kingdoms, with vast majority of their populace worshipping the [[Almighty]].{{book ref|sa1|3}} The worship is mostly carried out by the priests, called the [[ardent]]s. The ardents, while influential, are not free -- rather, they are slaves to various [[lighteyes]]. Unlike most other professions, ardentia is open to both men and women, and to people from all social castes.{{book ref|sa2|11}} Ardents are considered genderless from a social standpoint, and as such, many of the Vorin taboos regarding gender and gender roles do not apply to them.{{book ref|sa2|44}} They are also the only people permitted to use [[Soulcaster]]s.
Unlike other varieties of Vorinism, the Alethi are not required to be personally devout, or to perform religious ceremonies. While each citizen is supposed to pick their [[Calling]] and Glory -- their goal in life, and the aspect of the Almighty they wish to emulate{{book ref|sa1|18}} -- the actual religious part of the religion is handled by the ardents, who perform the requisite rituals and prayers for their masters, so as to reassure them of their righteousness.{{book ref|sa3|89}} The Alethi themselves rarely interact with the Almighty, save for an occassional glyphward or prayer.{{book ref|sa3|15}}
| |||