Bourlés

One of the most powerful and storied human kingdoms in history, Bourlés is the center of chivalry, knighthood, and honour within the human world. Ruled by its king out of The Royal Court, it has long been considered one of the most reasonable and peaceful human kingdoms and is closely allied with Cziskilamonia. In recent years it has lost a great deal of land and had many defeats inflicted upon it by the rise of Sancterram.

History
It is said that the first of the kings of Bourlés, whose line still rules today, was a son of Milvertus himself and ruled by his blessing and authority. For the longest time its domain ranged from the northern coasts all the way down to the sandy dunes of Wransia, sharing much of the land of Linnath with the religious authorities in Cziskilamonia. In recent years Bourlés has fallen on hard times, the rise of Sancterram stealing away almost half of its land and inflicting shocking defeats upon its once storied military.

Boasting a massive nobility, with over 5,000 families at least being recognized by the kingdom, Bourlés has often been wracked with petty squabbles between minor lords as to who owned what bit of land and how thoroughly they did so. Through all of this though, the authority and right of the king to rule has never been challenged, though it has been known that certain kings have been reduced to mere puppet-heads serving the interests of whatever noble families held power at the time.

The Royal Court, the capital of Bourlés, is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the land, kept magically devoid of any filth or stain. Much of Bourlésian architecture is grand and sweeping, white stone towers and castles dotting the countrysides, rustic villages springing up here and there, always with the permission of the local Lord.

Bourlés also has had a reputation of being one of the more friendly human kingdoms towards the elves, going so far to have officially allied with the beleaguered elves of the Red Woods. Still, problems between the races, especially dwarves, still exist within the realm of Bourlés.

Government
Originally claiming to be descendants of Katelikessar himself, Bourlés was for the longest time a Divine Monarchy, whose king held unlimited power and was worshipped as a god himself. The Katiskans of Katelikessar often spoke out against this teaching, but as they were under the protection and rule of the Bourlésian kings at the time, it did not have much effect.

After the War of Divine Music and the establishment of Cziskilamonia, all of this changed. The Katelikessan Church came out strongly against the divine claims of the Bourlésian kings and, although the royal statement of divinity has never been retracted, it has fallen into essential disuse and disbelief in the centuries following the war, with only one Bourlésian king making an ill-fated attempt to take the cause up once more.

Bourlés is still an Absolute Monarchy, though in recent centuries powerful nobles have begun to wield more power and influence in the realm. The recent War of the Nobles established a council of nobles selected for life which essentially has the power to veto initiatives of the king, though publicly it is still said that he holds complete power.

The Katiskan has the power to overturn any Bourlesian law which he finds goes against the principles of the Faith. Though rarely used in the past, the power has come into great use since the weakening of Bourlés after the Unholy Revolt.

The Commonfolk
The noble and aristocratic society of Bourlés has rubbed off on even its lower classes, its common folk often thought to be the most civil and well-mannered, if not educated, folk in any of the human realms. Living the feudal life, the quality of a commoner's life depends greatly on the quality of the man who rules over them, meaning it has fallen in recent years in many duchies across the kingdom.

A peasant from Bourlés can expect to work 6 hours a day (Down from 10 by order of the Katiskan), spend an hour in worship, and an hour in meals. The rest of the day leaves them to their own devices. Their meals often consist of bread, cheese, and vegetables, and they are well-fed.

The Nobles
To be a noble in Bourlés is to live either the easiest, or the busiest, life in the realm. A good noble is constantly travelling to The Royal Court or throughout his lands, tending to issues confronting his people and making their cases to the king. Yet recently many have begun to shirk their duties, living comfortably and idly within their castles and enjoying the fruit of their people's labour.

A noble from Bourlés can expect to work anywhere from 0 to 12 hours a day, spend an hour in worship, and three hours in meals. Their clothing is very expensive and often gilded in gold or silver, wigs are currently in fashion. Their meals consist of a wide variety of foods both local and foreign, and are often considered to be some of the finest meals in the realm.