Classes
There are several classes on the planet of Ionadis. In order from highest to lowest are:
Nobility and Royalty
The nobles of Ionadis hail from many different houses, with their own lands, that hold fealty to the Mother Empress of Ionadis. They pay yearly dues to her, which they take from their own subjects. Nobility follow matrilineal lines, however within nobles men and women are both able to rule over their subjects, as long as they are of direct descent of the rulers of Ionadis. They are free to do as they please as long as they do not step on the toes of the main family, and the clergy, only within their own domain. This means some kingdoms are quite liberal, while others are very conservative. Kingdoms tend to get more religious and conservative the closer they are to the capital.
Clergy
Clergymen and women are taken more seriously on Ionadis because on Ionadis there is actual contact with the divine. Clergymen and women have much influence all over Ionadis, and are revered. They are said to get prophecies and insights through dreams from the gods. There are five advisors that make up a council that advise(or more like control or manipulate) nobility and royalty. They are simply referred to as The Insightful. Only women who take a vow of celibacy or lesbians are part of the Insightful. Their leader is called The Messenger.
Warriors/Knights
Strength is highly revered on Ionadis, making those who join the military seen as respectful, and honorary. Those who come from rich families sometimes marry into nobility. When they retire they usually get roles in government and administrative roles, however if one lives that long from the constant campaigns the Empire creates, to live that long is a feat in and of itself.
Artisans, Merchants, Tradesmen and Farmers
This is basically the middle class of Ionadis. Many of them range from the lower middle class to the rich, however what they all lack are noble titles. Only the very rich catch the ear of the nobility, and to influence the clergy they make many donations to various temples of their choice.
The Laboring Class
The poorest of the poor, they are mainly born into poverty and die in it. Through bad luck, conflict, bad choices, or a mixture of all three, these in this section will forever be pushed into a life of poverty, working the worst of jobs for bare subsistence wages. Many of them try to improve their lot in life by working for nobles on their estates as servants for at least a guaranteed place to sleep.
Slaves
Slavery is allowed, accepted, and sometimes even encouraged on the planet of Ionadis. Many of the slaves are imported from conquered planets, and are mainly used for laboring tasks, rearing their young, organ harvesting, as soldiers, and mostly jobs or things that no one would ever want to do. Because of the widespread use of slavery on Ionadis, the Empire enjoys great wealth in many areas. Some groups champion for the end of slavery of Ionadis, but it is unlikely to happen. This is because of the great wealth that Ionadis receives from their constant influx of slaves, that they use them to win their many wars, and since many of them come from foreign planets they are seen as subhuman or hard to relate/understand. Many slaves enlist into the military because one is given freedom if they fight in a war and Ionadis wins. Many Knights and Warriors are former slaves.
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Race
DayWalkers and NightWalkers
Ethnicity and Race play a huge role in Ionadis, just like many other nations. Most of the Clergy, Nobility and Warriors are DayWalkers, in fact it is almost a requirement. People who are both Day and NightWalkers make up the middle and labouring class. Most Slaves are from other planets, or are NightWalkers.
Most, if not all DayWalker slaves are criminals, forced into servitude either temporary or permanent as punishment. Because of this DayWalkers are generally viewed in society as better than their counterparts. Most of those who reside in Masona are NightWalkers, and follow the sect of Lunaria, while the rest of Ionadis are mostly in the sect of Solaria. Division by religion further heightens the division of race in Ionadis.
Many NightWalkers converted to the sect of Solaria and avoided areas near Masona for fear of prejudice. Lunarists are an extreme minority, the smallest in fact of all the different sects on Ionadis, and are seen as heretics.
Those of Ionadis refer to themselves to the kingdom they hail from, or the city.
DayWalkers are pale, have light skin and light eyes. NightWalkers are dark, have dark skiing and darker eyes. DayWalkers tend to be shorter and smaller than NightWalkers. They both have ears that range from slightly pointed to protruding, with the latter being the most rare. DayWalkers are more attuned to subjects of the mind, while NightWalkers are attuned to subjects of the body.
DayWalkers in the time the story takes place, claim to be descendents of Solara, when they are actually descendents of Lunos. NightWalkers are descendents of Solara, while they claim ancestry from Lunos. Some NightWalkers refuse to believe the new dichotomy that the Empire created years ago and know the truth of racial obfuscation. That the terms were switched centuries ago and very few know the truth.
DayWalkers and NightWalkers coexist peacefully in some parts or are de jure segregated in others. In some provinces one or the other subjugates the other through institutional or socialized racism and prejudice.
They refer to themselves as Empirials, Ionadians, DayWalkers, NightWalkers, followers of Solara, Novites, or Regalians.
People of the Sea
Descendents of the King and Queen of the Sea. They range from people who live near the ocean, on islands, peninsulas, to the fishfolk that live in the rivers, seas, and oceans. Their skin is pale blue in tint to purple, and their hair is dark. Those more aligned to humans than fish have an affinity for water, and can breathe longer underwater. They are also sometimes referred to as Subjects of the Sea. The only giant schism in their race are the human types and the fish types. They both understand they have a common ancestor but their genes have drifted so apart over the years they are almost different races entirely.
The Hidden Kingdom
Descendants of Feur, Protector of the Lower Creatures, called the Feurites. They have their own kingdom hidden from that of others, for they do not trust them after the war.
Many of them take the shape of humanoid animals. The other races see them as fancy pets, and capture or enslave them, even though they are of higher thought.
Many who go looking for the Hidden Kingdom never return.
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Ethnicity
Sons and Daughters of Stars
The descendants of the gods and demigods. They refer to themselves as astrals. Many of them possess abilities, and their abilities are all genetically obtained. Women more often than men have abilities, but men are more likely to have rarer abilities. The center of their abilities is a spot near the pituitary gland, so abilities are connected to the onset of puberty, and sometimes fade in old age or disappear entirely. The proximity of the control center of their abilities in their brain can cause insane growth spurts for people who don't use their abilities for quite some time.
The astrals are an elitist society because their abilities are passed down through genetics, so marrying outside of your ethnicity is generally frowned down upon.
They are spread out throughout almost all social classes and culture, but most if not all of those in the highest parts of society are astrals.
Any astral can use the celestial objects.
Masonans
Many Masons are descendents of Glaciei or are NightWalkers. They do not have as many hang ups about miscegenation compared to those in the rest of the Empire, so not many of them are left with genetic abilities.
The royal Masona family is very small, and to keep their line alive they married those without powers. In the long run it ensured their existence, but took away almost all their power. The only Masonans that can use Celestial Objects are those of pure soul.
Sunmirans
They hail from the island of Sunmira. Sunmira is the birthplace of Unas, god of fire and revenge, and his daughter Debella, goddess of war and strength. Their island is mostly independent, and many of their descendents are of Unas, so they get along great with the metropole at the state of Regis.
Their culture is even more hyper focused on strength and power than most of the Empire, however they tend to be more egalitarian in the scope of gender, because both Debella and Unas are depicted as being strong and powerful.
Sunwalkers
Sunwalkers are the descendants of the group that took no side during the war between the des Regalis and the Masona family many years ago. After the war raged on they attempted to create their own empire, but it failed.
Many of them inhabit the desert strip between the Masona Kingdom and the state of Regis. The states between them act as natural buffers between the two, and as intermediaries for political and domestic issues.
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Culture
The people of Ionadis like to borrow (or appropriate) their favorite parts of various cultures they conquered or briefly colonized. They are brought over by warriors and knights who mingle with the nobility and pass it on to them. It is also spread through the lower classes by slaves who are from different lands. The middle class tends to copy what the higher classes do, and adopt aspects of culture that way.
Because strength and power are seen as one of the most important things on Ionadis, it affects almost every aspect of their culture. Warriors have helmets depicting scary faces and beasts. One of the most popular forms of entertainment are fighting and sports. People love to watch warriors and slaves fight in death matches.
Clothing is loud and bright, catching attention. Umbrellas are carried often and are the most used accessories because of the constant rain on Ionadis.
Diet is varied in the area in which people live, for instance if one lives near the ocean, fish, if one is a farmer, grains and meat, etc.
Hobbies that stimulate the mind(reading, writing, science) are seen as "soft" and are thought of to be only for those of the higher classes, because they have the time to focus on such luxuries. Science is not explored often outside of medicine, because there is magic on Ionadis. Those who explore are seen as investing a topic in vain. The arts are only explored in areas that celebrate the gods, so there are many religious objects, paintings, and the temples are extremely beautiful.