THE SOCIAL CLASSES
Workers
The lowest class in the hierarchy of social classes in Astaidia. Although not always the poorest and the peasants, the workers remain at the bottom of the food chain. The workers are composed of both the skilled and the unskilled, and live in the rural areas of the empire. Workers are known to take up on any jobs, but has little to no job security and are very dependent on their employers.
Middle Class
Middle class families are those of average living. They are composed of the shopkeepers and other professionals. Although they are not known to be wealthy, middle class families get by with through the hard work they put into their living. They have the ability to move up the ladder and become merchants.
Merchants
Merchants are high paid professionals who gained wealth through their business (fields such as wool, banking, boat making, etc.). Although they are wealthy, they are not of noble status, thus the reason why they usually try to marry into noble families to climb up the ladder of social hierarchy.
Nobles
Below the Council is the class of nobles, the second most respected class in Astaidia. They are the wealthy families who lived on large estates and owned big businesses. The nobles include the military officers, politicians, and royal advisers.
THE SPECIES
Mortals
Though legends tell tales of how once upon a time, half of Astaidia’s population composed of the Blessed, at present, the population of Astaidia is composed majorly of mere mortals. These mortals do not possess special powers and lead normal lives; however, one cannot really say these mortals remain powerless, for they may be so depending on their social status, such as the nobles and their wealth.
Blessed
The Blessed are the diminishing number of individuals who possess unique, otherworldly powers. Although born mortals, most of those with the Blessing experience the manifestation of their abilities in early childhood; although there are cases whose abilities manifest in a later age. Due to the belief inspired by the ruling descendant of Amarille regarding their dangers, these unique individuals are considered a threat, thus hunted down. For being considered a threat and hunted down, families become afraid of the Blessed and, do they happen to have one in their household, would either never reveal them or expose them for the sake of receiving rewards from the seated Council member.
The Blessed, for having unique markings on their bodies that are usually related to the powers they possess, are easily distinguishable. Those who are Blessed but are not born of the Council became deemed as Cursed, as they are not descendants of the gods of Astaidia.
Powerful as they may be, however, the abilities of the Blessing are limited as it is tied to their lifeline as mortals. Excessive usage will have consequences. After all, great power comes with a price.
Affiliations
The Council
Composed of four seats, the Council are the leaders of the Astaidian empire. The first Council: Solana, Amarille, Alaion and Devan, now recognized as the patron gods of Astadia, were Blessed; thus, the reason why the following generations of the Council also possessed the same unique Blessing as their ancestors, allowing them to continue their jurisdiction in the land. Although it is historically known that the Blessing may skip generations, it has not been known to happen so for the families in the Council.
Silver Knights
Formed by Celeste Blackborne, the Silver Knights is an elite squad who have sworn to faithfully serve the descendant of Amarille and her alone. The Silver Knights, apart from being known as Celeste’s loyal servants, are also recognized as the knights who work alongside the law enforcers of Astaidia. Because of this, the Silver Knights are granted high authority to patrol alongside the law enforcers and perform the same tasks similar to them. However, the knights are widely known to be the ones hunting down the Blessed.
Members of the Silver Knights are known to have been born from noble families, allowing them to be easily granted the title as a knight. And, despite having known to hunt down Blessed, rumors have it that there are also knights who possess the Blessing.
Sacred Sword
A hidden organization formed by Sol Freyr, who hides under the false identity as the Swordmaster. The Sacred Sword is known to be a group of vigilantes, and although not every member possess the Blessing, the organization mainly seek the Blessed before the Silver Knights can. They believe that the Blessed are reappearing again not to serve as a threat but to serve a greater purpose, which is to protect Astaidia. No one knows where they are, where they come from, or where they may dwell, except for the members themselves. They are known to only perform activities during the night, as they find it easier to conceal themselves in the dark. The Sacred Sword all wear the same pitch black cloak and an iron mask, and, though not all are swordsmen, they all have the same iron double-edged sword in possession, as it is their symbol.