Selecia
kingdom of the stars
Selecia is known as the kingdom of knowledge. It is commonly considered the most powerful and influential kingdom within current day Aklaesia, and is sometimes called the capital of humanity. It was founded by Alistair the first and is run as a monarchy under the Soraya family (descendants of Alistair).
It is split into three primary cities:
- Selecia (capital) - city of the first moon
- Athedria - city of the second moon
- Kythira (alvania) - city of the third moon
Selecia's capital city shares a name with the kingdom itself. The royal city is situated within it, and the archives is rumoured to expand under the majority of it.
Culture
The kingdom values power in starcalling (magic) and knowledge, since this is largely what the kingdom was built upon (see #History). Most of the kingdom's class or hierarchy system is based upon starcalling ability, with the most powerful starcallers being at the top. Each city is ruled by some of the most powerful lines of starcallers, believed to be descendants of the first starcallers. This is also how the Soraya family, as the most powerful starcalling family in the world, has been able to maintain their rule for generations.
This value in power makes it possible for those coming from lowlier families to rise to higher ranks through skill and education, given that they have enough starcalling ability. Those with high raw tolerance to alvanos (high potential for skill in starcalling) are regularly sought out from around Selecia to attend the Royal Academy.
Starcalling is a largely academic skill, with studying constellations and experimenting new ways of honing its power being a large part of this discipline. As such, knowledge and curiosity are also traits highly valued by this people.
Academia and the sciences make up a large part of the kingdom's most valued sectors, and one of its most famous monuments is the Royal Academy. This is a large school connecting to the back of the Royal Palace, hosting not only classroom facilities, but also a large, public library and plenty of research facilities.
Religion
Selecians primarily worship the Alvanian gods as this is what their society was built upon, and where their magic system is drawn from. Due to Selecia's size and prominence in the rest of the world, this is also the most widespread religion in Aklaesia as a whole.
It is believed that the stars are the most powerful entities in the world that watch over Aklaesia. In their creation myth, Aklaesia was once a rocky wasteland until the Night of Falling Stars. Stars fell onto the surface, and life was created from the resulting stardust. In areas with more concentrated stardust, they pooled together and merged into beings that are now known as the three suns and moons. These beings would become the gods that governed over Aklaesia; While the stars take a more passive role, watching over Aklaesia and only taking action under extreme circumstances, the suns and moons took an active part in helping create the world we know today.
This religion worships the stars, and the three suns and moons, primarily the moons as they are the ones who gave them magic (they draw power from the moon) and are seen as patrons of the kingdom.
Each city is descendent from ancestors who were given starcalling abilities from a different moon: Selecia from the first moon, Athedria from the second moon, and Kythira from the third. This is also the moon that most people born in these cities draw power from. As such, this is the primary moon of worship for each of the three cities.
- Slight caveat for Kythira due to the third moon's poor reputation. Some Kythirans have pride in their culture and moon, and continue to worship her. Others turn to worshiping the first or second moon and try to pretend that they weren't born a child of such an "evil" one.
Structure
Selecia is split into three cities, or "mini-kingdoms". Each one is ruled by a High Lord and a High Lady. Selecia, as the capital, rules over all three cities, with its rulers bearing the title of High Lord and High Lady. All ruling families come from a long line of the most powerful starcallers.
The eldest child of the ruling family will become the next lord / lady (since they are known to produce children with similar high amounts of power, age rather than power is the defining feature). Once the heir reaches the age of 17, The Ceremony of the 17th will be held where suiters from around the kingdom will come and show off their starcalling capabilities. The one with the highest power and skill will be wedded off to the heir to keep the bloodline powerful.
History
Selecia started as a small village settlements in the northern regions of the first continent. It was the first major human settlement that functioned independently in a world primarily governed by Alvans.
After the Cataclysm, the humans who fought were given the power of Alvanos from the three moons as a reward for helping fight in the war. They were promised the ability to draw Alvanos power from these moons for both them and future descendants. Each tribe was given the gift by a different moon.
Larger, permanent settlements began forming around these new starcallers as people came to learn more about their new abilities, as well as the stories and religion that they shared. Settlements with the most powerful starcallers who continued to hone their skills and learn more about the art lasted. These people and their children were seen as the "heads" of the tribes as they are who the tribes were built around. They were the ancestors of the current royal families.
As time passed, three settlements grew the most and eventually became large cities, then kingdoms: Selecia, Athedria, and Kythira. Smaller cities persisted around them, but they were the most prominent ones.
These separate cities and kingdoms were united into one Selecia at around the same time as when the Sun war ended. The smaller cities were given rule under the mini-kingdom that was closest and worshipped the same moon as them.
Daily life
Due to the kingdom's worship of the moons and their value of starcalling, their people is largely nocturnal. This provides their citizens to reach their full potential in power and do tasks more efficiently, especially important since much of their economy and society as a whole relies on starcalling.
Selecians wake up at mid-afternoon (around 3-4 pm Earth time) and most jobs begin at sundown. They sleep right before sunrise. Certain clothes that are able to fully block sunlight are used as sleeping masks to help them sleep during the day.
Most Selecian architecture have large glass windows and ceilings to let in maximum light from the outside world (since starcallers need access to natural light, especially moonlight or starlight, to starcall). Most buildings, especially the royal palace, have at least one large window without curtains, since the ability to block outside light can be considered a threat and could potentially be used to leave the starcaller powerless (eg. assassination attempts).
For the same reason of needing natural light for starcalling, a lot of Selecia is outdoors, such as open marketplaces.
Education
Schools are spread throughout the three cities, with Selecia's one as being the most powerful and prestigious in the world. It's situated behind the royal palace, giving the royal children an easy path to attend school. Most of these schools are boarding schools, though children living close nearby are welcome to sleep at home.
Education is free for all children between the ages of 6 to 14, at which point they will be expected to begin working. Children with starcalling ability are sent to more prestigious starcalling schools that teach this skill, preparing students for higher paying jobs in the future. Most families will already have tested their children for starcalling abilities when they are young; those who do will have likely attended these schools their whole life. Regardless, regular schools will test for these abilities in the first and second years- those who have them will be transferred over to starcalling schools.
Each city has one school that is the highest ranking and most prestigious option, with Selecia's being the best of the best. These serve not only as schools, but also as universities where those in academia or science reside. They each have a public library, with Selecia's being the largest (Selecia's library is one of its most famous landmarks, with travellers from around the world coming here just for that library).
Most students from these schools are from high class families, since these are the families with highest starcalling potential in their blood. However, this is not exclusively the case. Officials from these schools will regularly seek out children with high starcalling ability among commoners from all classes and backgrounds, who are then often sent to (and welcomed at) the school. If the child is powerful enough, members of the staff have the ability to forcefully enrol the child into the school to be able to work high ranking jobs for the kingdom in the future (though this is rarely the case since parents from these families are often overjoyed that their child will get a chance at a better future).
There are also non-starcalling students at these schools, though these make up the minority and are students who are either quite exceptional in a different discipline or those from very high status families.
Royal Family
Known rulers
- Alistair the first
- Micah Soraya
- Marilyn's parents
- Valerie's parents
- Valeria (Valerie) Soraya