Mechandre

Mechandre (/mɛʃɑ̃dʁə/), officially known as the Imperial Kingdom of Mechandre, and formerly known as the Kingdom of Me Shu Lan (/mɛ ʃu læn/), is a territory of the Empire of Vieure located on the north western peninsula. It has sizeable oceanic borders, and a land border with #Placeholder#.

Mechandre is a highly populated nation, with many cities and towns of remarkable size, thanks to advanced agricultural knowledge and plentiful fish stocks to feed the burgeoning populace. It's capital city, Sunpac, is amongst the largest cities of the world, with numerous notable landmarks and features.

The nation is a feudal monarchy, nominally ruled over by the king, Han We pak-Wa Dae. It was formerly a relatively minor economic presence, with a largely isolationist foreign policy. Invasion by the Empire has seen the country receive more trade and international interest as the conquerors establish themselves and their ways in the nation.

Religion

 * For a more thorough accounting, see Divine Matron and Ésprisme

Classes
Social class and relative status in Mechandre is a complicated matter that is governed by a number of factors, such as lineage, income, training and education, occupation, and nation of origin. It is worth noting that, by and large, a Vieurais individual will typically rank higher socially than a Me Shu-sun individual of the same nominal social class. As a consequence of this complex, multi-factor stance on class, a person's social standing broadly comes out as a mean of all of the above, with precise relative standings being a matter of the perceptions of the people involved. Whereas one individual might believe that a person's affluent familial lineage is the key determinant of their class and view them as of higher class, another person might believe that it is less significant and ascribe that same person a lower social status.

Lower class (Dae-Jukdae/Méyieuxs)
Of all the social classes that are recognised as civilised, the lower class is the one with the least standing. The typical lower class family is Me Shu-sun, though a handful of Vieurais families also belong to this class. A lower class person still retains the rights of a free man, and can own property and land, as well as having the right to seek legal recourse from the courts and government. Typically, they are uneducated and work in jobs such as sailing, farming, or as servants and cooks to higher-ranking families. Prostitution is another common line of work for members of this class, though it is not one that is exclusive to this social tier.

Many lower class individuals subscribe to the classically patriarchal ideas, but also accept the necessity of having their women work to help provide for the family, even though they are weaker than men. Additionally, they are some of the primary visitors to the various wisemen that practice native religion, owing to the fact that many of them live outside of the cities and, as such, are more insulated from the cultural changes that the imperial conquest by Vieure has brought about in the major population centres.

Middle class (Leu-Jukdae/Medians)
The middle class represent the next step up the social ladder. The Vieurais draw no distinction between this group and the professional class above them, though the natives do. This group is largely comprised of merchants with their own premises, though first and second mates from ships, and more affluent prostitutes and brothel madams would fall into this category also. At this level of society, a notable population of Vieurais individuals begin to appear, though they are still significantly less common than their native counterparts.

At this level, a believe in the native religion is still rather pervasive, but a significant proportion also practice regular worship of the Divine Matron. Some particularly shrewd individuals take no chances with regards to their fortunes, and subscribe to a believe in both sets of theological practices.

Professional (Man-Jukdae/Medians)
The professional class, which most Vieurais individuals would view as the upper middle class, represent the first social stratum with significant rates of literacy and numeracy. People of this class are engaged in higher paying professions, or complex and technically demanding professions. Common professions at this social level are naval captains, mid-ranking military officials, traders, lawyers, priests, physicians, and collectors.

As with the middle classes, there is a significant proportion of practitioners of both of the major faiths represented here. Vieurais individuals make up a large portion of this class, having had the learning and economic means to move to the country to exploit the new lands or to bring the word of the faith to the native populace.

Aristocracy (Han-Jukdae/Gentiles)
The Aristocrats are broadly defined as the class in which people no longer have to work, and may simply exist off of accumulated wealth, or from the revenue of enterprises under their ownership but which are managed by employees; however, this hard and fast rule is not an absolute. Judges, for instance, are regarded as being of the aristocracy, as are the Wizards of the Esteemed Order of Arcane Masters. Many individuals who hold the affections and patronage of the nobility are also brought to court as courtesans, and hold the social status of an aristocrat as a consequence. Aristocracy typically coincides with a high degree of intelligence and learning.

After the imperial conquest, a significant reshuffling of the wealth of the country was orchestrated. As such, most aristocrats are of Vieurais origins. By extension, the predominant faith at this level is that of the Divine Matron.

Nobility (Ban-Jukdae/Eléves)
For a more thorough accounting, see Ranks and nobility

The nobility are the highest social tier of Mechandre. This class includes the Me Shu-sun royal family, as well as the dukes, earls, and other land-holding titles. Almost every noble is of Vieurais origin, as the imperial conquest led to most titles of nobility being stripped from the local populace and being reassigned to those who had contributed significantly to the invasion. This process continues to happen periodically.

The expectations of a noble vary with their ethnic background. Nobles of Me Shun-sun descent are expected to be literate and numerate. Men would also have a familiarity with sword duelling and military command, whilst women are expected to be familiar with the correct execution of the tea ceremony, as well as some manner of artistry. Women are also expected to have a good understanding of the interpersonal politics of court, so as to help suggest suitable matches between children. This final decision on such matches typically falls to the men, though they strongly consider the advice of their partners.

For Vieurais nobles, literacy and numeracy remain important skills for both men and women, as well as courtly dance. Unlike Me Shu-sun noblewomen, the Vieurais expect that their noble-born females have a solid understanding of matters of business, so that they can tend to the family estate when their husbands are away at war. Women also to decide on matches for their children, often with minimal input from their husbands. A Vieurais nobleman is expected to be broadly read and knowledgeable on many subjects. In contrast to the native population, there is comparatively little interest in the honourable duel as they carry no weight under the word of Vieurais law.

Outcasts
The Shun-Jukdae, or Exiles, are a caste of individuals from whom all the rights of the free man have been stripped. Though they are not slaves, they are not recognised as being permitted to own lands or property. Their presence inside of a settlement is punishable by death or enslavement. The two major groups that contribute to this caste are pirates and the Guksul-sun. Additionally, murderers and rapists, as well as those who commit other especially grave crimes may receive this punishment in lieu of death if the court deems that the individual will suffer more for it. The title of outcast may never be revoked. Once an outcast, a person will always remain so. A person who has been legally forced into the caste of outcasts will have a large cross branded onto the side of their face to identify their status.

Those who are caught aiding outcasts are sentenced to a death by flaying, and their skin is preserved and sent to the village or neighbourhood in which they lived to discourage others from the same crime if an outcast should return to that area in future.

Slavery
For a more thorough accounting, see Slavery in Mechadre

Slaves, also known known as wangdo or celons, are a caste of individuals who are owned by another individual and have no rights or any kind. They are not permitted to marry, to own possessions of any kind, and are offered no protection under law. A slave is marked by his owner's brand on his face or body.