Understanding the Society of the Desert Jewel (book)

Understanding the Society of the Desert Jewel

by Khuzha T'karil of Gamant'hr'ith,

born Khuzha Sharhhn of Gamant'hr'ku

Introduction

To the casual observer, it can be quite easy to assume that the formation of the social hierarchy of the Musparan populace is a rare and complex system that would take years to understand and generations to be at ease with. Truthfully, this is all just a clever ruse to make the simple and common folk (and the occa- sional passer-through) marvel at the obviously superior method of governing that the S'Kra Mur of Velaka have perfected. If this revelation fills you with a sense of unease, do not be alarmed: it means only that you are clear of mind and sharp of wit, the sort of person not easily bamboozled by such chicanery.

Chapter One: The Basics

Since shortly after Shorka founded Muspar'i, recorded as occur- ring 225 years before the fall of the Dragon Priest Empire, the rulers of the Desert Jewel have divided their power and influence by giving property and titles to reputable families. When the tradition began with Shorka herself, they were literal families of S'Kra Mur who all carried some legitimate relation to one another, either through blood or marriage.
Of course it did not take long for political posturing and greed to win out, and the families started adopting, exiling, trading and outright buying members to advance their societal standing. Accounts I've read seem to disagree wildly, but several indicate that this practice started as far back as the rule of Shorka's son, the first King of Muspar'i, Zharr the Asp.
Not to be outdone by their subjects, the Musparan Royalty took to the new methodology with verve and vigor. It became a coveted prize to be offered admission into the royal family. Within the span of a generation, the practice of juggling the structure of your kin for social gain was not just accepted, but encouraged. It was during this time that the families became formally known as the Shh'oi Gamant, or Great Houses, of Muspar'i.

Chapter Two: Shh'oi Gamant hhs Muspar'i

Most important among the Great Houses of the Sun's Egg, Gamant'hr'ur -- the First House -- is actually elevated beyond the ranks of mere nobility to that of royalty. This is the House to which all Kings and Queens of Velaka belong, dating back to the beginning. Interestingly enough, the King or Queen is the only member of the House that carries any title at all. The rest of their kin simply enjoy a life of abject luxury, living in Shorka's Palace and being waited on hand and foot daily by their subjects.
The philosophy of this practice is that members of Gamant'hr'ur, the Royal Family of Muspar'i, are above the trivialities of mat- ters of state and public service. It would be foolish and crude to expect them to perform any sort of official duty, apart from enriching the social standing of the city by their sheer pres- ence. Make no mistake, however. Each and every one wields the influence necessary to do as they please without fear of reper- cussion from the lower standing nobles and citizens. The only force pervasive enough to stay their hand would be that of more veteran royalty, and there is always one close by. It is cer- tainly true that no matter how fierce the beast beset upon you may be, there is ever a fiercer one that sets upon it as well. Gamant'hr'ku, the Second House, is where the true governing of Muspar'i is done. Since the Royal Family is far to busy having dakohirdu races and feasting on roast yeehar, the duty of overseeing day-to-day operations is relegated to the nobles of Gamant'h'ku.
Courtly advisors, mercantile executors and battle-scarred generals can all be found among the ranks of Gamant'hr'ku, having unquestioningly earned their disting- uished positions through the virtue of birthright and excellent familial ties.
The privilege of attending to the fundamental government of Muspar'i does not come without costs, however. Members of Gamant'hr'ku can expect to be envied by all manner of noble and citizen alike, for they wield the ability to shape Muspar'i as they see fit. This results in a constant barrage of attention from those who have something to gain from familiarity with high-ranking nobles. Additionally, the House members must deal with a regular routine of rooting out and thwarting assassina- tion attempts perpetrated by those who may have been wronged by the noble's decisions.
Even the Royal Family must be watched by the nobles of the Second House. Musparan Royalty is often acutely aware that should the balance of power suddenly shift, their most trusted advisors and executors of state might turn against them, becoming merciless tyrants who hold the royals' very lives at stake.
Members of the Third House, Gamant'hr'tys, are quite often the most attentive supporters of the nobles of Gamant'hr'ku, or failing that, the most troublesome thorns in their sides. Though the majority of noble titles are given to the Second House, the more influential, witty or conniving members of the Third House are usually able to weed their way into things, holding a number of important positions among the governorship.
It can be expected that notable nobles from the Third House are always intensely careful not to offend the Second House nobles that surround them on a daily basis. With similar regularity, the nobles of the Second House are acutely attentive to avoid showing weakness or lack of clear judgment in the presence of those from the Third House, as it would only serve to feed the belief of the lower-station nobles that their House is in fact superior. The nobility of Muspar'i has been locked eternally in this delicate dance, this snake-and-mouse game, from the time of Shorka to now.
Houses beyond the Third are typically trivial in their impor- tance. The largest contribution attributed to them is the ability to divert just enough attention from the First, Second and Third House nobles to keep life from being too dull as they watch for more imminent, higher-profile concerns. Gamant'hr'ith, the Fourth, is often the most vocal of the lower houses as the seat of power is just beyond their reach. Gamant'hr'zhi, Gamant'hr'jo and Gamant'hr'zhu -- the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Houses respec- tively -- are rarely heard from except by the lowly citizens they outrank. The impact of these lower nobles is so inconsequential that they entirely evade the worth of discussion here.

Chapter Three: The Social Ladder

The terrain of the desert is eternally shifting. One day the sun sets on a great sand dune, from whose top the Velaka is visible in all its glory. The next morning finds the mountain reduced to a trivial hill, its bulk having been pulled away by an uncaring wind. Muspar'i is just one more dune amidst the sea of sand. Unlike many governments across Elanthia, the Shh'oi Gamant of Muspar'i are not fixed in their social standing. It is true, for example, that the Monarch always belongs to Gamant'hr'ur, but not because they were born of the First House; it is because their House gained such status when they took on the throne. The snake follows the head, as they say.
Whenever the seat of power in Muspar'i changes, so does the structure of its Houses. Typically, when the King or Queen feels the icy breath of Urrem'tier encroaching upon them, they name an heir. In the early days, the heir was a direct descendent, such as when Shorka passed the city to her firstborn, Zharr. Over time, the elite bloodline grew out of touch with the people, subsequently making the Royals unfit to rule. The method of choosing a blood relation gave way to the practice of selecting the most experienced and well-liked candidate.
At the very instant the monarchy changes hands, the House to which the new leader belongs is elevated to the status of Gamant'hr'ur. Many times in Musparan history, the shift in lead- ership was superficial, as the new ruler was already a member of the First House. But just as often, the new ruler belonged to a different House. Heirs are commonly appointed from Gamant'hr'ku and, a little less commonly, Gamant'hr'tys. Never in the history of Muspar'i has an heir been named who was of lower station than the Third House, though clever rulers who have taken a liking to a lower noble are not above adopting him or even elevating his entire House in status just to select him as the next for the throne.
The second effect the naming of a new monarch has on the social pecking order is that the order goes completely out the window at the whim of the novice King or Queen. The anointed ruler of Mus- par'i has the right to arrange and rearrange the Shh'oi Gamant as he or she sees fit. Often the House that had previously been the monarch's greatest rival falls to the status of Fourth or lower, and those that had been their most staunch supporters take the higher ranks. It would be difficult to expect these deci- sions to be made on any grounds other than personal prejudice, of course.
Just as there is no fixed order to the Houses, there is also no fixed number. Monarchs are free to disband any noble House at will or to instill nobility upon a family that previously lacked status. A disbanded House still remains a family, of course, but any titles or privileges they held are lost. At the other end of the spectrum, families granted these privileges usually enter the noble world at the lowest possible rank, but not always, as the decision is always at the ruling force's discretion. Muspar'i has seen, in its past, both extremes to the scale of few houses and many. For example, during the rule of Tkeloh -- a corrupt and fiercely paranoid King whose reign was appropriately ended at the edge of a q'zhalata -- disbanded all but two Houses. While he did it with the hope of eliminating a great number of enemies in one fell swoop, in fact he only served to give a cause for those who mildly disliked him to curse his name eternally. Conversely, the Ghahhn family was the only one to ever carry the title of Gamant'hr'kan, the Eighth House. They fell into obscurity at the end of a long internal struggle that I will not waste ink detailing here. I assure you, however, that the scandals were quite entertaining and echoed along the streets of Muspar'i for several summers to follow.

Chapter Four: Closing Remarks

Many readers with prior knowledge of S'Kra Mur society are likely left with a few questions. Some of the more common queries are answered in brief but hopefully illuminating terms below. Are all of the members of a Shh'oi Gamant family? Are they all ru'ati? Often enough the answer to the first question is yes, and the answer to the second is no, but there are exceptions to every rule. Most of the Great Houses of today's Muspar'i are composed of a single family, though they can be rather spread out -- distant cousins, relations by marriage -- and almost always have a few that are not particularly well-liked by the others. It is not unheard of, however, for the larger Houses to contain one or two ancillary families that bear a tenuous relationship, if any, to the whole. In theory, it is similarly possible that a very small House may find all of its members to be ru'atin as well as blood relatives.
Does Sraan have any bearing on Shh'oi Gamant? Usually, yes. S'Kra Mur families all tend to belong to the same Sraan, with the exceptions being one's intentional expulsion or a member marry- ing into a different Sraan. In the case of the former, one is simultaneously expelled from the House as well.
In the case of the latter, the shift in association can be far more politically motivated. If the relative who has married into a new Sraan is of little consequence, they will usually be released from the House on ami- cable terms and go to be with their new family. If it would be politically unwise to lose the noble in question, or if it would be politically advantageous to acquire their new spouse, then the House will instead adopt the new member to their numbers. The result would be two members of differing Sraans within the same House. While a conflict of interest may arise at some point, thelikelihood is rare, as nobles adopted in this fashion almost always understand the perils of public dissent.
My sincere hope is that this entirely objective analysis of Mus- paran hierarchy has been informative and educational. Should you have additional questions, I encourage you to ask any passing noble you happen to meet, as so few of them are arrogant and self-righteous enough to dismiss the inquisitive nature of a lowly citizen.