Post by The Divine Empire of Vessia on Jun 20, 2019 10:07:23 GMT -8
The people of Vessia are split directly into upper and lower class, with a middle class practically non-existent. The upper class holds all the power; money, weapons, food. While the lower-class is kept educated this is only so that they would be better sources for income to their rulers. Of course their rulers are aware that an educated populace is more prone to self-determination, so they make sure that great respect for the government and affiliated institutions is maintained and instilled from an early age. Additionally, very strict laws, rules and social norms are developed that are difficult to circumvent even for the nobility. Of course, bureaucracy, greed and great dissent within the government makes sure that there are many silly and rather stupid laws needlessly restricting one's freedoms. However, there is method to this madness; it makes it clear to the citizens that they are property. Taxes are made great to let the citizens only have enough to feed themselves. Anything more is seen as a threat to national security for then they can arm and prepare themselves for war.
There is limited unspoken social contract of niceties and such between the elite and the people. Noblesse Oblige ensures that the occasional lucky serf receives some silk clothing and nobles make sure not to earn too much ire from their people; after all they are the ones they will need support from in case of war, or the nobles want to secede from the Empire. But it is always ensured that via blessings and enhancements the elite always have an advantage over the commoners, no matter how outnumbered.
Vessia also has many ethnic minorities. Though within the basic Vessicher ethnicity there is much internal variance in dialect and culture, there are people of a wholly different ethno-cultural legacy with their own distinct language, tradition and often government.
Vessichers
Vessichers are the dominant ethnicity of Vessia making up somewhere between half and two thirds of the Empire's population. The Empire portrays the image of a typical Vessicher as tall, blond, peach skinned and blue eyed but in truth a more brownish hair and less ruddy complexion is typical. Even within the same province Vessians will have great disparity in their culture and their dialect of Vessian, much more across provinces but ultimately they are still one people. Vessichers have a great enjoyment of beer, many like the ones of Bayern even dedicating whole festivals to it. They are generally a farming folk, the only time they abandon their stationary lives being when they go to war. They are also a clever people, tinkerers and wise Magi in their ranks aplenty.
Vessichers are the dominant ethnicity of Vessia making up somewhere between half and two thirds of the Empire's population. The Empire portrays the image of a typical Vessicher as tall, blond, peach skinned and blue eyed but in truth a more brownish hair and less ruddy complexion is typical. Even within the same province Vessians will have great disparity in their culture and their dialect of Vessian, much more across provinces but ultimately they are still one people. Vessichers have a great enjoyment of beer, many like the ones of Bayern even dedicating whole festivals to it. They are generally a farming folk, the only time they abandon their stationary lives being when they go to war. They are also a clever people, tinkerers and wise Magi in their ranks aplenty.
Egyszers
The Egyszers are the descendants of a nomadic people that once terrorized Vessia. Eventually, an agreement was made that in exchange for much land, gold, and integration into the Empire with considerable rights and privileges as well as their own Electoral position and ruler they would make peace. They make up a considerable part of the Empire, both in their homeland and as a diaspora in places adjacent to their namesake Kingdom. They are a people that enjoy song and dance even in public on work days, and are noted as being very faithful to the Angelist faith; a perhaps ironic fate, considering they are comparatively recent adopters of it. One can see their ancient legacy as their clothing is distinctively a mix of various cultural influences. Even in their appearance this is noticeable, their skin being a paler but more yellowish hue than that of Vessichers, their hair typically a jet black and their eyes usually an icy blue.
The Egyszers are the descendants of a nomadic people that once terrorized Vessia. Eventually, an agreement was made that in exchange for much land, gold, and integration into the Empire with considerable rights and privileges as well as their own Electoral position and ruler they would make peace. They make up a considerable part of the Empire, both in their homeland and as a diaspora in places adjacent to their namesake Kingdom. They are a people that enjoy song and dance even in public on work days, and are noted as being very faithful to the Angelist faith; a perhaps ironic fate, considering they are comparatively recent adopters of it. One can see their ancient legacy as their clothing is distinctively a mix of various cultural influences. Even in their appearance this is noticeable, their skin being a paler but more yellowish hue than that of Vessichers, their hair typically a jet black and their eyes usually an icy blue.