Khoras - Civilization - Nations

The World Of Khoras - Civilization - Nations - The Aukarian Republic

The Castes of the Aukarian Republic

Introduction

The Aukarian Republic is very much a caste society. It is strictly divided up into nine castes. Aukarians are born into a specific caste based on their family and economic status. Most spend their entire lives within that caste. It is rare for a person to move from one caste to another.

The Castes

Aukarian society is definitely a caste society. Everyone has a certain rank or level. There are nine castes many encompassing a range of professions. The first four castes (Noble, Herald, Martial and Craft) are known collectively as the Greater Castes. The other five are known as the Lesser Castes.

The Greater Castes

	The Noble Caste - Nobles and Noble Family Members
	The Scholar Caste - Heralds and House Wizards
	The Martial Caste - War Masters, Military Officers, Soldiers
	The Craft Caste - Skilled craftsmen, artists, scholars, students, apprentices and chamberlains. Also includes the ilesan (escorts).
	The Common Caste - Unskilled labor including farmers, servants, guards

The Lesser Castes

	The Houseless Caste - Any citizen who is not a member of a noble house.
	The Foreign Caste - Any outlander or foreigner who is not of Aukarian Blood.
	The Slave Caste - Slaves, indentured servants and certain commoners who have great debt.
	The Criminal Caste - Thieves, bandits, criminals, prisoners and the dishonored

There are certain rules governing behavior between the castes.

Do not speak to a higher caste until spoken to.
Only the first four castes (Noble, Scholar, Martial and Craftsmen) are allowed the gift of writing and reading. The other five are forbidden to read or write. Teaching them to read and write is a crime.
Inferior castes are expected to defer to higher caste in all social situations. An inferior must stand to allow a superior to sit, for instance.

Classes within the Castes

There are certain regular professions in the Aukarian Republic. For instance, every noble house has a House Wizard, a Herald and a War Master.

The Najham (Nobles)
Traditionally, this refers to the head of the household, a father or father-like figure that leads the household. Although, interpreted more broadly, this category includes the entire noble family.

The Kardule (War Masters)
The War Masters are the elite soldiers of the Aukarian Republic. Each noble house has a single War Lord who leads the house security, trains the house guards, and serves as the personal bodyguard to the noble family. All war masters carry a hakaran blade. It is forbidden for anyone else to even touch a hakaran blade. If you carry one, you are expected to know how to use it and you cannot refuse a challenge or duel.

The Majie (House Wizards)
Every noble house has a House Wizard. The House Wizard is a sage and scholar who educates the noble’s children in science and mathematics. He is the chief advisor to the noble and holds a position of great power and respect. The House Wizard is also the official authority on magical matters and is responsible for the control of all magic within the household.

The Hune-kri (Heralds)
The Heralds are an ancient order of wise men who date back to the founding of the Houses. Each Herald is an expert in Aukarian culture, protocol and heraldry. Heralds may be either male or female. Most are also master musicians and poets and serve to entertain their noble lords with a story or apt poem on social occasions. For important social meetings, a herald may be called upon to compose and play a piece of music. Beyond this, the Herald is something of an advisor to his master on proper behavior, courtly manners and social status. Quite often, it is the Herald who will school the noble’s children in literature, music, art and social graces.

The Chuelon (Chamberlains)
Every House has a Chamberlain who sees to the daily functioning of the household, commands the servant staff, purchases needed supplies and generally ensures that the household has everything it needs.

The Ilesan (Escort)
The ilesan are high class prostitutes, but they are much more than just sexual servants. They are specially trained escorts that perform ritualistic massage, wine ceremonies, serve meals and generally cater to any need of their high paying clients. Ilesan are highly educated, able to carry on a conversation about any topic and are trained in the social graces. The services of the ilesan are in great demand. Because of their training, they are regarded with respect in Aukarian society.

The Tardem (The Dark Lords)
Although the general Aukarian public does not speak of them, there is a profession of assassins known as the Tardem. They are employed in small numbers by some noble houses, although no house admits to it. To the public, the Tardem are a myth and not polite conversation. But they are real. They are highly skilled assassins who use stealth, poison and martial prowess to complete missions that require a degree of finesse and subtlety that the Warlords lack.

The Daimot (The Dishonored)
When a criminal is punished and later released from prison, he is "dishonored". This is a special designation. He is considered to have sacrificed his honor and is considered unclean. Most aukarians will not make contact with the Dishonored. Even touching them is considered revolting. Most daimot will leave Aukarian society. A few manage to regain their honor through hard work.

The Haizen (The Outcasts)
The only thing worse than daimot is haizen. The word "haizen" means “outcast” in the Aukarian language, but it means much more than that. It means “one who is outside the Aukarian culture. One who is beneath notice... less than nothing”. It is their worst insult. The daimot are still considered a part of the Aukarian system, just the lowest part. The haizen are considered nothing.

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