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North Kandel

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Present-day Kandel was the original site of the Catan landing, which marks Year 1 in the Catan calendar. In 700, the kingdom of Kandel was declared, as was the capital city of Ttarren. Disagreements among the ruling body led to the splitting of the kingdom into Kandel in the north and Catah in the south. Several wars were fought between them until Catah was finally conquered and absorbed into Kandel in 935. Kandel helped create the nation of Partika in 948 and the province of Ceenta Vowei in 1115. In 1731 the Ttarren Trading Network was formed, the first all-encompassing trade network on the continent. All but Arkijt, Carolinnea, and the island nations of Rona and Murrynt are members of the TTN. In 1811 Kandel entered the Fifty Years War, the largest war ever fought on the continent. It was ultimately victorious.

The image of Kandel shining gloriously in the darkness is one that persists to this day, and the nation is known as the largest and wealthiest on the continent, though that's not entirely true everywhere.

Government:
The High Empress, an inherited position, is the head of the Kandelian government. Kandel is a matriarchy, so although it is common to see men in lesser ruling positions, very few times in the nation's history has there been an Emperor. Attending upon the Empress is the High Council, a group of five Senior High Lords (a gender neutral term). The High Council is an appointed position, and the Empress chooses her Council. Kandel is divided into fifteen provinces, each ruled by a Ryn(a). The proportion of male to female province rulers is fairly equal. The position of Ryn(a) is inherited much like the Empress. Each Ryn(a) has five High Advisors, who must be Lords or Senior Lords. These are appointed positions, chosen by the Ryn(a). Each city in Kandel is ruled by a Lord Councilor. This is also an inherited position, and one usually held by women. Each Councilor has a group of five Advisors, who are appointed to help the Councilor with her decisions. The Advisors must be Senior Knights.

Defense:
The High Empress controls the national High Army, which is lead by a chosen High General who is usually a Senior High Lord but can be a Senior Lord. The High General is most often a woman. Each Ryn(a) controls a provincial army, which can be called upon by the High General or the Empress to supplement the High Army. Each provincial army is led by a General, who must be no lower than a Senior Knight. The Councilors of the separate cities can keep a city guard and may be called upon to volunteer soldiers, but they cannot keep standing armies of their own.

The Kandelian army is divided into two factions, and most of the time two Generals lead a provincial army, one for each faction. There is always only one High General. The Knights are one faction, the section of the army that fights with swords on ground and on horseback. The Archers are the other faction, who fight with bows and arrows on ground and on horseback. There is no distinction between gender on the battle field. Kandel has the most feared archers on the continent, and they are the only nation that makes a large part of its army archers.

Military Training:
Knight training is expensive and thus usually only available to the sons and daughters of nobles or wealthy merchants, though sponsors and benefactors for poorer citizens is not uncommon. Training begins at age seven. Children become pages at this age, but are trained at home for the first couple of years. Then they are taken to another noble’s estate where they can gain experience away from home. At age thirteen the child’s worth is determined, and if (s)he is worthy (s)he becomes a squire. (S)he may stay with the present noble or move to another one. It is not generally acceptable for a child to return home permanently at this point, since squirehood represents a crucial part of training and coming-of-age.

The squire learns fighting techniques, politics, academics, and other sports. This is also the time to decide whether to pursue a mastery in swordplay or archery. This continues until (s)he is nineteen, and then worth is determined again. If deemed worthy, the squire is dubbed a Lower Knight. Prowess in battle may earn them the rank of Senior Knight by their Ryn(a) or the Empress, depending on who is the commanding leader in the knight’s army. The Senior Knight becomes a Lord if (s)he comes into property of their own, or if (s)he marries a Lord. The property can be bought or given as a gift from the Ryn(a) or the Empress. Once the Lord status is obtained, they can begin to teach squires and pages. Only the Empress has the power to bestow the title of High Lord, and this is also achieved either through prowess in battle or service to the Empress and the nation. The title of Lord is also inherited and does not require military training, but a commoner can theoretically become a Lord through exceptional service to the Empire.

Exceptions to this general path of ascent is in the case of some governmental heirs, especially the daughters of highly powerful rulers. To protect the heirs from enemies or disgruntled subjects, they complete all of their knight training in their own home, if knight training is what they desire.

Religion:
The predominant religion in Kandel is Modern Catah, with a few people near the coast still practicing Primitive Catah, and some southern citizens practicing the jungle or desert religions. Kandel is necessarily tolerant toward religious beliefs, and there is no official government religion. Modern Catah is similar to Primitive Catah except that the Catan Scrolls have been dropped as a true religious text. The Jurnw’ai Scrolls are used instead.

The number eight, which is the number of directions, is highly regarded as sacred. Each direction is represented by a god or goddess, who are denoted by symbols:

Swyn Matkej is the Mother Sun (the larger of the two suns in the sky). Her place on the compass is East, the direction of rebirth. She is reborn in the east sky every morning.

Nur Patkej is the Father Moon. He is in the West, the direction of resolution. He waits there for Swyn Matkej to finish her rounds each day, and then takes over the watching of the world.

Swyn Farrou is the Child Sun (the smaller of the two suns). Her place is the Northeast. She is in the East because she is a child of Swyn Matkej, but according to the religion, she has been pulled north as an eternal reminder of her near-corruption by an evil god.

Marranto is the Chaotic One, the evil of the universe. His direction is the North, the direction of death, chaos, and hopelessness. The North is the end of all existence, and Marranto was banished there after he tried to corrupt the Sun Child and her brother to the side of evil.

The Keeper of the Stars, or the Mystical One, is in the Northwest. He watches over the souls housed in the stars, to protect them from Marranto until they are born on the earth as living beings. He is in the North because he watches for Marranto’s escape, and in the West because his job begins after Nur Patkej has begun his nightly round.

The Keeper of the Gate is He Who Judges. He serves judgment over recently dead souls and determines their destination. Worthy souls become stars permanently. Good souls are sent back to the planet to live again. Bad souls are thrown to the North. He is in the Southeast, because the east is rebirth and a return to the gods, and the South is the direction of life and creation.

Arbeddis is the creator of life, so his domain is the South. He was a creation of the greater gods, who could not watch over the planet all the time. Bored with the dull planet, he created life upon it.

The Protector is a specific creation of Nur Patkej, made to watch over life. His job begins when the Mystical One’s ends. His direction is Southwest, because he protects life and because he is a creation of Nur Patkej.

Another way Modern Catah differs from Ancient Catah is in the use of Furryms, who can use their psychic powers to create spectacular effects at a religious ceremony. There are many significant religious ceremonies:

Naming Ceremony - Every child has one of these, even though the poorer citizens sometimes have a ceremony en masse, since they are too poor to afford a Furrym or priest by themselves. Some cities offer this ceremony free several times a year. At this ceremony the child is given a name and a birthright.

Man/Womanhood Ceremony - This is done when the child reaches the age of sixteen. This is also a very important ceremony, and even peasants find a means to have one for their child. In this ceremony the child is proclaimed an adult and allowed to take their place in society.

Knighting Ceremony - This is only given to children who successfully become knights. 

Master Proclamation - This is a ceremony given to merchants or artisans when they have fulfilled their apprenticeship and become masters and eligible to take apprentices of their own.

Lord Proclamation - Given to knights who become lords.

Ruler Proclamation - Given when an heir comes to rule. 

Ceremony of Priesthood - Given when a priest-scholar becomes a full priest, with all their powers and abilities.

Marriage Ceremony - A wedding.

Funeral Ceremony - Given at a person's death.

There are no specified worship days, though it is expected that practicing members of the religion go to a temple at least once every eight days.

Religious Training:
Training begins at age seven, like knight training. At this point the children are called apprentices. A religious apprentice is different than an apprentice for a trade. To be a religious apprentice means to have little or no knowledge of the priesthood, but to be studying it. There is no time restriction on this, unlike knight training. The next step, though, is usually achieved in the late teenage years, provided the child started at seven and has had uninterrupted training. This stage is the scholar-priest, which is characterized by heavy academic and religious study. Most people stop at the end of this stage and use their knowledge to become physicians, teachers, or take other occupations that require higher learning. A few go on to enter the priesthood and become Lower Priests. They are allowed to practice on their own, but most stay with more experienced priests (a gender-neutral term) until they have gained the title of regular Priest. There is no head Priest. Full Priests are encouraged to be celibate, but this is more from tradition and is not a specific requirement from the Jurnw'ai Scrolls.

Other Training:
There is a standard training for most other trades, such as merchants, carpenters, groomsmen, or any other standard "city trade". In each city several guilds exist, and within these guilds apprentices train. A person can become an apprentice at age twelve, and they train for however many years it takes for them to become journeymen. They then can train other apprentices while they themselves train under a master. When they become masters themselves, they can become functioning members of the guild and start their own businesses.

Banking:
There is a standardized banking system in Kandel, with the national bank headquarters in Ttarren. There are also small bank headquarters for each province, and most cities have a local bank. Bankers are usually scholar-priests, and the banks are overseen by one of the Empress’ High Council members, whomever is picked for the job. (S)he is not the same person who oversees trade and marketing. The High Council member chooses overseers for each local bank. The banks hold the people’s money, grant loans, and are also responsible for collecting taxes from the people. All loans must be approved by the bank overseer.

Monetary System:
Kandel makes precious metals into coins for their money. The coins usually have the Empress’ seal, the year it was minted, and its monetary value stamped upon it. The least valuable coin is the lettel. These are made of iron or some other common metal. It takes fifty lettels to equal the next coin in value, the Half-Copper. Two Half-Coppers equals one Copper. Two Coppers equals one Fourth-Silver, also known as a Quad. Two Fourth-Silvers equals one Half-Silver. Two Half-Silvers equals one Silver. Two Silvers equals a Fourth-Gold, also known as a Gold Quad, two Fourth-Golds equals a Half-Gold, and two Half-Golds equal a Gold, the most valuable coin.

Trade and Marketing:
Kandel is a member of the Ttarren Trading Network, a trade organization that strives for free trade. Kandel, Ceenta Vowei, Okkand, Seena, Partika and approximately half the nations on the continent of Maston are members of the Network. Arkijt, Rona, Murrynt, Carolinnea, and the remaining nations on Maston are not. Every three years representatives from each member nation meet in some major city to discuss trade. There is free trade with each member nation. Other nations may have tariffs imposed on them, depending how good diplomatic relations are at the time. There are also several independent provincial trading guilds, though each one must be registered with the High Councilor in charge of trade and marketing, and they must follow all imposed tariffs. All merchants wishing to sell wares in Kandel must be a part of the TTN or registered with a provincial trading guild.

Calendar:

There are 384 days in one year. Kandel, located in the temperate portion of the northern hemisphere of the planet, recognizes four seasons. Kandel follows a lunar calendar, so each season is distinguished by four moon cycles of 24 days each. Each lunar month is divided further into three periods of eight days, with the last day of these periods called "Lastday" and set aside for religious pursuits and reflection (so the eighth, sixteenth, and twenty-fourth days of each month). No one is expected to work or study on Lastday. 

Spring
Spring Moon
Whiterain
Seedearth
Flowerflood

Summer
Summer Moon
Greenbloom
Fire Moon
Middlewait

Autumn
Autumn Moon
Harvest Moon
Treesleep
Demonwind

Winter
Winter Moon
Ice Moon
Blackrain
Last Moon