Throneworld Court Society: Difference between revisions
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* [[Cirrus]] | * [[Cirrus]] | ||
Revision as of 02:29, 8 November 2020
For the location, see Throneworld Court Palace.
The pinnacle of Chatcaavan society, in terms of concentration of power. Only the lords with the most wealth, status, and personal prowess congregate at the Throneworld court, there to fight for dominance. They gather at the palace in the guest towers.
Customs
Honor and Favor
The Chatcaavan concept of honor is orthogonal to that of the Pelted, the humans, or the Eldritch. Thus the "honor set" of wounds, gained by being raped by the Emperor, is indeed an honor: the Emperor only bothers to test, by violence and rape, those who he considers dangerous enough to be a challenge but useful enough to not kill outright. To be raped and given the honor wounds is to be recognized as important. The Queen assures Lisinthir that everyone at court has been raped by the Emperor, except the insignificant. "Those the emperor has personally dealt with become either his most bitter enemies or his most trusted confidants, or his most useful tools." The Emperor tailors the method to the individual; for example, he fairly rapidly discovered that he could test Lisinthir by threatening to harm innocents if he did not submit. In addition, to be judged worthy of testing, someone must insult the Emperor personally, which is inherently dangerous. The testing can easily kill the person being tested. On the other hand, one who falls in his regard will not be tested in private but will be humiliated in public.[1]
Humiliating or dishonoring a male in public is used as a lesser punishment than death, but for one who is not respected enough to be dominated or humiliated in private. Chatcaava are most likely to be punished in this way if they submit voluntarily and publicly to the dominance of the one offended, and if they do not submit, they will likely be killed outright. A common way to humiliate a male is to break off horns; two horns (one on each side) is the minimum punishment dealt in this way. Most Chatcaavan males have lost at least some horns.[2]
The Emperor has been known to spend a long time with those he wants to break. Lisinthir is an obvious example, but there have been others: a fractious noble who required several weeks to mend his way, a lord who refused to accept the Emperor's sovereignty and was tortured publicly on a regular basis until he yielded--and then died, female alien slaves who were tortured over long periods out of a curiosity about their bodies, and randomly-chosen victims from among those who have already submitted to him. The latter was considered perverse, as testing the loyalties of those who have already been tested and have submitted is gauce. Various tools are used in testing: public humiliation, private humiliation, violence, breaking of horns, various racks and bondage equipment, and tools of sexualized violence such as clamps and a knobbled leather device called a whip-tail.[1]
Being a favorite of the Emperor is dangerous; according to Third-Who-Was, the "second-pillow life" is dangerous and people who are respected enough to hold that role usually become dangerous enough to be killed. Second is a notable exception, having been the Emperor's Second for his entire time on the throne, up until the arrival of Lisinthir.[1]
Justice
At court, there is a distinction between a duel--which can be declared between any two members--and the Emperor's justice. A duel may be called at any time, with no evidence of the wrongdoing. The Emperor's justice requires the gathering of evidence, though the evidence does not need to be presented at the accusation. Both issues are raised at supper in the Fields of the palace. The Emperor's justice is also subject to certain rules. A sole Heir can evade justice, but an Heir with another viable sibling candidate cannot. The condemned can choose to fight the Emperor, or to be executed.[2]
Duels
Duels take place in the same place as Imperial justice, but require no evidence to be brought.[2]
Strength is respected among the Chatcaava, but only strength inherent in the body, hence the focus on hand-to-hand combat for duels. Strength that "must be borrowed from steel and riches" is not respected; if power "is not inside a male, it is not there."[1]
Communication
Males signal their willingness to be visited by flying their flags; it is not an imposition to land on the balcony of one with a flag flying. As Lisinthir cannot raise and lower his flag, he instead signals his willingness to be approached with a red scarf tied to the railing.[2]
It is outside the bounds of court protocol to send messages via comm or electronically. Physical or verbal communications brought by messengers are preferred. Exceptions may be made in emergencies, such as the need for critical medical attention.[1]
Dining Customs
The court eats its evening meal at the Fields, outdoors. Tables are set in a horseshoe shape with the Emperor at the top of the horseshoe and the least favored (traditionally including the Alliance Ambassador) at the ends. The tables are low, and diners sit at them on pillows atop mounds that indicate their status. A sure sign of rising favor with the Emperor is being 'promoted' to a seat closer to him. Duels, and the Emperor's justice, both take place in the space bounded by the horseshoe.[2][1]
Poison tasters taste the food and drink for prominent members of the Court. The Emperor's most trusted male--the one who, it is said, values the Emperor most (and the feeling may be mutual) serves as his poison taster: until Lisinthir Nase Galare took over this role, he had always had his drink tasted by Second-Who-Was. The Emperor's drinking vessel is a heavy metal chalice.[2][1]
Harem Customs
There are two harems in the Imperial Palace: the gift harem, containing females the Emperor lends or makes available to males in the court or visitors, and the Imperial Harem, used only by the Emperor and those in particular favor with him, at his express permission. In addition, permission must be sought to "damage" or kill his harem members. Females in the harems spend their time waiting for the visits of males. In the interim, they recline, converse, play games, and help one another bathe and groom themselves. They are not supposed to pleasure themselves in the absence of males. Harem members come together in joyful solidarity at the successful birth of one of their members' children.[2][1]
The Slave Queen's few duties included assessing the health of a female who wanted to conceive and then giving or withholding permission to do so, placing the face-jewels on the current Mother, and bringing new slaves to the Preparation Room. She is generally resented by harem members, though they treat her with deference as she has a title. "They did not love her. They did not love themselves. But the possibility of better treatment--that they understood."[2][1][3]
Harem members, along with the prettier slaves, may be used as living statues for fêtes and important events, or privately.[2][1]
Pregnant harem members who have difficulty giving birth do not habitually get medical attention, even when the lack would result in the death of them or the child.[1] The mender, however, will give them advice on conceiving.[3]
It is still considered proper to approach the Slave Queen by flying into a lower harem and then walking up; this custom dates back to when the Queen Ransomed was a respected figure, and has not died out even in the modern era where females are nonpeople.[1]
Death Rites
The noble males, after killing one another, show no respect for the corpses, which are often heaved off balconies and left for carrion eaters, or dropped in the sea. The servants of the palace observe their own death rites, however, which involve wrapping the body in fragrant linen strips, wetted with oil that would speed the burning of the corpse when it is placed on a pyre. [4] These bodies are burned in the morning, before the court woke, and when the light would not be as likely to be noticed. Sprigs of the everdawn herb are arranged somewhere near the face, as a symbol of the Living Air's promise that all Chatcaava will go where it is always morning. [5]
Members
Courtiers
- Lord of the Jeweled Reaches (he has poor distance sight)
- Lord of the Marchward Flight (deceased as of Worldlord-Second's acclimation)[6]
- Spinward Western Marches (tan with gray mane)
- System Apex-North
Servants and Staff
Description here of the hierarchy of servants.
Staff Outside
Servants
Castrates can have names like descriptive names or normal names.
Females
The Queen Ransomed, just prior to the palace coup, reports that there are "thirty-odd children" and that many females, about, in each of the harems. [7] Laniis later estimates the totals between 100 and 150. [8]
Queen's Suite
- Slave Queen, the most exalted and most debased. Has her own suite above the Imperial Harem
- Temporarily, alien slaves
- Khaskha/Laniis
- Bethsaida Emil Galare
- Unnamed Malarai and Tam-illee, captured along with Bethsaida
- Sixteen unnamed aliens
Imperial Harem
- Pretty (not a pain lover), [9]
- Song (not a pain lover) [9]
- Priestess (Stripes) (solid-colored body) [9]
- Emerald, later the Mother, mother to one of the Emperor's children[9]
- Stripes, later the Priestess
- Flower, not a pain-lover; killed by Third-Who-Was and his Hand[2]
- Firemint, a pain-lover[2]
- Black Rose, a pain-lover[2]
- Moon, a pain-lover[2]
- Sun's Kindness, a pain-lover, killed by Third-Who-Was[2][1]
Gift Harem
- An unnamed bronze-skinned female sent to Lisinthir Nase Galare[2]
Nursery
- Lead Attendant, assigned name Sojourner Stars; self-titled
Children
Alien Slaves
- New alien slaves are quartered in the Palace catacombs until they are released to the Slave Queen, who has them collared and decorated in the Preparation Room.
Trivia
- The Emperorship is referred to metaphorically (and perhaps literally?) as the Thorn Throne or the Throne of Thorns.[2][1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Even the Wingless, Part Two
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Even the Wingless, Part One
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Major Pieces, "Opening Maneuvers"
- ↑ From Ruins, Prologue
- ↑ Major Pieces, Legacy
- ↑ Major Pieces, "Deserving", Chapter 3
- ↑ Amulet Rampant, Chapter 3
- ↑ Amulet Rampant, Chapter 7
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Amulet Rampant, Chapter 11