The Circle Kingdoms
This page is intended to give you a little more information about the Circle Kingdoms, but in particular Jenel. I've spent a long time working in this world, so I have all kinds of trivia in my head. I'll add to this page as I feel the urge, and depending on whether anyone else is interested in this stuff. :-)
Monetary System:
The monetary system of Jenel is based on divisions of eight, for the eight gods, which would make calculating the change for anything quite a challenge! Maybe it's just as well that Yozerf is so poor.
sestarrii: The sestarrii is the largest coin. Cast from gold, most peasants never even see one in their lives.
jentarrii: one-eighth of a sestarrii
octarrii: one-eighth of a jentarrii; one sixty-fourth of a sestarrii. The most common currency.
Human Gods:
The humans of the Circle Kingdoms for the most part worship a pantheon of eight gods. The two most important are:
Jen, the king of the gods. Jenel's name is derived from His. Jen is a sort of warrior-hero type, who went around slaying monsters to make the world safe for humans to live in.
Hel is the Queen of a shadowy underworld, where those who have lived wickedly find themselves after death. She is often called upon by warriors, and Her name has become a common oath.
Although the church in Jenel was once very powerful, it eventually clashed with the secular leadership. Scheming and treachery ultimately helped lead to its downfall, and by the time of Wolfkin most of the social elite find it fashionable to keep their minds on the secular rather than the spiritual. Indeed, some of what was originally the sole province of the church has passed to them; marriges, for example, can be performed by thanes, lords, and monarchs as well as priests.
Rural peasants as a rule are more open to spirituality than their cousins living in towns. Aclytes, of course, have their own gods and beliefs.
Social Hierarchy:
The monarch (king or queen) rules Jenel
Directly below him or her are the lords, each of which rules a demesne within the kingdom.
Each lord has a number of thanes who owe him fealty. Each thane oversees a thanedom within his lord's demesne.
All of these have non-noble retainers who answer directly to them, such as a lord's Sworn warriors or Steward; however, in the absence of their lord, they would be at the command of the highest-ranking noble present.
Peasants, of course, are below everyone else.
Because Aclytes are forbidden to own property, they cannot be members of the nobility by default.
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