Prydhain ist Teil von Fading Isles.
Reiche, die zu Prydhain gehören:The Chief Constable is the hereditary commander of the fortress of Dinas Llong.
The Lord of Bonrick.
The Brenin is the overlord of the Fade of Prydhain and chief vassal of the High King.
First lady of the Fade of Prydhain. Usually the wife or eldest daughter of the Brenin.
The Túathach of the Western Approaches is responsible for guarding the western shore of Prydhain
Lord of the Forests of Ydellet.
This is the rulership position for the realm.
Ambassador of Prydhain.
A Baron of Prydhain.
A Marquise of Prydhain.
The quartermaster of Prydhain is responsible for maintaining camp followers and distributing them amongst the knights of the realm in time of war.
The people of Prydhain are romantics who value the brave warrior, the learned judge, the generous lord, the magnanimous victor and the fearless seafarer. Little distinction is drawn between the sexes where honour and status are concerned, and both polygamy and polyandry impart the honour of a high-status noble on a lower-status spouse.
Bastardy is considered less of a defect than in many cultures, and a bastard can use their senior parent's name although the right to bear their arms and inherit lands or titles is usually restricted to legitimate children with legitimacy being traced through the mother's line.
These leads to a complex web of familial relationships and as such genealogists play an important role in many aspects of day-to-day life. A noble who cannot maintain a retinue of scholars is therefore diminished in the eyes of both their peers and the common men.
Prydhain is also a sword culture. Whilst the axe and spear are common weapons of war and even the great lords use them, swords are imbued with great honour and this attaches to the warriors who wield them. Such is the symbolic power of a famous sword that the warrior wielding it must often undergo many hazardous trials and accept a binding Geis to win the blade and the subsequent relationship is closer than any marriage.
Whilst the more sober of the nobility recognise the value of good armour and weapons, a class of warriors exist who eschew armour and shields, entrusting their lives to the power of their swords. They take their vow so seriously that if routed in battle they beg their lords for a quick and merciful death rather than live with the shame of dishonour.
Another totemic element in the culture of Prydhain is the severed head, and a warrior's stature is greatly increased by the number of heads taken in open battle. When a head is taken in this way it creates a bond between the two families as solemn as that of marriage, the head being considered the dowry which makes them one.
Head-hunting for its own sake is looked on with undisguised disgust and the severed head of an enemy must be treated with the same dignity accorded to the victor's parents. To do otherwise is considered the deepest of all insults and may lead to the ostracism of the abuser's entire clan if the crime goes unpunished.
In terms of social precedence, there are very clear distinctions between status based upon de facto authority and the dignity conferred by a noble lineage. In particular to come from a long line of recognised heroes is considered more praiseworthy than to be ruler over a great empire, and as such rulers will go to great lengths to marry into such families even when there are few other incentives to do so.
Likewise in figuring inheritance it is more likely that a good holding will be gifted to the child of a high status spouse even when they have several older siblings. This is a means by which any clan rising to power from humble beginnings can gain the honour and dignity befitting its new station.
Amongst the landless nobility the main source of honour is the size of their war band and the number of swordmen or cavalry they can command, though being an island race the use of cavalry is not so prevalent.
Whilst the swordsman is the epitome of honour on the battlefield, the horseman holds a special place in the myths of Prydhain rivalling that of the great mariners who first settled the islands. All horsemen are considered noble, though only those from amongst the First wield any practical power and authority, and to become a knight is the dream of any common man who aspires to a life of wealth and comfort for his family.
No matter that the knight may live in a rude cot, within its walls custom dictate that he be treated with the same honour and dignity as the highest lord. This custom is as binding on the First as it is upon common men and provides the social glue which binds the two peoples.
Prydhain is by definition a maritime culture. Though reasonably blessed with natural resources it is too small a land for the ambitions of so romantic a race. The ubiquitous coracle is a peasant's vessel used extensively by fishermen and travellers on the inland waterways, so of little note. However the larger Currach is an ocean-going vessel owned by a warrior and crewed by their war band. As such the ruling class is directly involved in mercantile activity and many tales of valour have a merchant expedition at their core. The high esteem this brings to seamanship means that no slave would ever be allowed to row on the sacred swan ships, and indeed even amongst the freeborn it's looked upon as a privilege. A man boasting the powerful physique of a rower is thus as blessed as the knight, treated with the respect due one who fearlessly battles the black ocean tides.
War and trade are not the only routes to honour and prestige amongst the Prydhaini. As a people their love of learning and scholarship is great and the ancient sciences are held as sacred above all other things.
To train as a scholar is the pursuit of a lifetime amongst common men but it brings with it great rewards, both in terms of social status and in the affection of the peasantry. The scholars of Prydhain maintain the genealogies, interpret the codes of law and provide the practical knowledge which underpins the many day-to-day technologies needed for the realm to prosper.
The priestly classes are more concerned with the will of the gods, and they divide between a lesser class devoted to the ancient pantheons worshipped by the common folk and higher class associated with the newer faith which arrived with the First. The commoners are incredibly superstitious and look for portents everywhere, and their priests are therefore tolerated but not held in the high esteem of the later class who use their knowledge of numbers, astrology and sacred texts to advise and tutor the nobility. A lord without priests of the higher class seems ignorant, and one without priests of the lower class is dangerously vulnerable to sorcery.
One of the greatest dishonours a noble can incur is to mistreat a scholar or priest and their lives are considered sacred.