Blessed Kingdom of Light

This country is ruled over the the Church of Light. Home to the majority of humans on Elarus, since humans have no innate ability to wield magic. The head of the church, known as the Holy Maiden, is the highest authority, beneath her are the Bishops and beneath them are Priests and Priestesses. Only a woman can take the role of Holy Maiden and only men can become Bishops as a balance of power. In addition to the heirarchy of the Church of Light, there is also the High Council which is a secular group of rulers that are elected by the people of the Blessed Kingdom. Each represents a different area within the Kingdom, and are elected to the position for life. When a current councilor passes away, the people of the area select their replacement rather than it being inherited via family. While the High Council is heavily involved in the ruling of the Blessed Kingdom, dealing with things like territorial disputes, law and order, taxes, and other mundane tasks; they are ultimately beneath the Church of Light and any edict by the Church overrules any decision by the High Council.

Major Laws

Only the worship of Light is permitted within the Blessed Kingdom of Light The use of magic is expressly forbidden by order of the church In addition to taxes, citizen must pay monthly tithes to the church Citizens are expected to behave with honor and grace and practice the teachings of the Church of Light

Demography and Population

The majority of the population of the Holy Kingdom of Light are humans. Only pure humans are allowed to join the Church as magic users are expressly forbidden from setting foot in the churches. -Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings and Half-Orcs are allowed to become citizens of the Holy Kingdom but do face discrimination despite not being magical races -Half-elves are technically allowed to live in the Holy Kingdom of Light, but are carefully monitored. If they demonstrate any ability to use magic they are forcefully removed from the Kingdom and may be executed depending on the magic used and if they resist being expelled -Elves, Dragonborn, and Tieflings are expressly forbidden from entering the country due to the magical nature of these races.

Territories

Consist of the Western half of the continent of Elarus. The Northern part of the territory is home to a large mountain range. Most of the Southern part is primarily plains and rolling hills, but there is a desert in the southwest as well.

Military

Made up of the Enforcers of Light and completely controlled by the Church of Light. Within the Enforcers there are the Guardians of Light who are the standing army and are currently posted at the border of the Kingdom. Then there are the Enforcer Knights who are fully trained and patrol within the kingdom enforcing the laws and dealing with criminals. Finally there are the Holy Enforcers who are posted at the various churches and act as guards to the priests, bishops, and the Holy Maiden herself.

Religion

The only religion permitted within the kingdom is the Church of Light. All citizens are required to be members and pay tithes. All other religions are forbidden.

Foreign Relations

There is only one other country on the continent and the relationship between the two is extremely tense. It would be unsurprising if war broke out and the two countries carefully monitor their borders to ensure that citizens of the other country keep out.

Agriculture & Industry

Primarily an agricultural power The plains region of the lands are primarily dedicated to farming and animal husbandry. In the mountains, there is the mining of precious metals and gemstones by the dwarves which the gnomes then convert into beautiful jewelry or weapons. There is some development of machinery, but it is still in its early stages with things like water wheels to grind up grain and advanced farming equipment. Even the stone cities are connected to the farming community, consisting of roles like bakers, weavers, dyers, woodworkers, and other such career paths.

Trade & Transport

There are a multitude of stone highways connecting the three provinces of the country to each other. These are patrolled by the Knight Enforcers to keep law and order There used to be roads crossing the continent, but these were either intentionally destroyed or badly damaged and grown over from long disuse.

Education

All children of the kingdom are required to attend lessons in the Church from the age of 5 to the age of 13. These lessons include reading and writing, basic mathematics, history, and religion. The quality of the education depends on the church itself. Churches in major cities tend to be wealthier and provide better education then those out in the provinces. The wealthy will frequently make hefty donations to insure that their children receive private tutoring from a priest rather than learning with a group of similarly aged children. After turning 13 years old, children are expected to pick up an apprenticeship or they may choose to join the church at this point. Citizens may still join the church later in life, but children who join right at 13 tend to have greater opportunities to rise up the ranks in the church.

Type

Geopolitical, Theocracy

Government System

Theocracy

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Mixed economy

Currency

Coins. These come in four denominations: Iron coins are the lowest and worth 1 Bronze coins are worth 5 iron coins Silver coins are worth 10 bronze coins Gold coins are worth 5 silver coins

Legislative Body

High Council -Elected by the people and consisting of 8 members who represent the 8 regions of the Holy Kingdom of Light -Elected for life and replaced once they die or if they become so ill that they can no longer fulfill their duties

Judicial Body

The Bishops of the Church of Light -They insure that all laws fall in line with the teachings of the Church of Light and determine punishments based on the religious guidance of the Holy Maiden and the teachings of Light

Executive Body

Enforcers of Light -Individuals who join the Church of Light but choose to become warriors rather than priests. Open to either men or women. -After two years in the Enforcers learning general skills, recruits are allowed to specialize in specific weapons (such as swords or bow and arrow) under the tutelage of an aged enforcer -The Enforcers report directly to the Bishops and the Holy Maiden and thus only enforce the laws that the Church agrees with allowing the church to maintain its hold on the people while giving the illusion of the Council holding power.

Subsidiary Organizations