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The Entente
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:14 pm
by Tyranny
The Entente
Introduction
The Entente are the ruling elite of Daravin. While the military and faith of the Empire both hold immense power, unlike in Lorien, Daravin does not border on theocracy. Instead, power remains in the hands of the aristocratic class, and while they are renowned for many things, the Entente are not known for their mercy or decency or any semblance of humility in the face of greed. The Entente are paragons of decadence and exploitation. Unlike in other societies, this exploitation is not carried beyond a thin veil of platitudes and deceptions. Rather, the cruelty of the Entente is openly laid and bare, and is celebrated.
All that is revered in the Empire ultimately draws a common line through power, and power is certainly held by the Entente. So wide is the gap between them and their subjects that their rule is total; concessions are a whisper, revolt an impossibility, and all but strict adherence to their arbitration is a plea for death.
Influence
There are a few ways in which the Entente hold power. For one, the Entente hold the sole loyalty of the Valran, who tend to owe everything to the particular Lord they serve, viewing their liege with admiration verging on reverence. Considering the leadership ranks of the military are solely operated by Valran, this results in an armed force that is not only legally obligated to serve the Lord of their specific locale (which they are), but also one that is deeply loyal to said Lord.
The Halamire, then, despite being formed to serve in the interests of internal peace, border patrol and service during wars and national crises, becomes - and has become - a direct extension of the Entente's will. This military corruption is so deeply rooted within the Halamire that the supposedly Imperial military often wars with itself, due to loyalties to specific aristocrats who wish to expand their base of power. In fact, these internalized wars have become so common that it is largely a forgotten factoid that the Halamire are intended to act as a unified Daravinic force.
Of course, then there is the Entente's wealth. This also relates to the Valran, who act as middle-management for the Entente and their business operations. The truth is, the Entente are the true benefactors of all industries in the Empire, and the overwhelming majority of them are directly owned by them. The few businesses not owned by the Entente are instead owned by Valran, and with the Valran acting as the direct vassals of the Entente, there is scarcely a difference. Despite being less than half a percent of the Daravinic population, the Entente hold ninety-four percent of the Empire's wealth, with the Valran - a much larger group - holding four percent. The ninety or so percent of the population with limited or no magical ability hold less than two percent of all wealth, and much of the wealth that is "owned" by them is actually state property that can be seized at any time.
And there is another source of this imbalance of power: magic. The Entente, and their Valran, are not only mages... they are very powerful mages. In fact, they are not only powerful mages; the Entente tend to be the greatest mages in the world, surpassing magical talent from other nations without challenge. Considering the Entente are harrowed en masse throughout their youth, with the majority of them dying to initiation and arcane backlash, only the most innately skilled and dedicated among them survive to administer their family assets. What results is not a class of fragile Nobles unable to contend with a peasant's wroth. Instead, the Entente have been known to put down entire mobs of rioting peasants single-handedly, their class at large being viewed as the terrifying arms of a punishing God. And, considering that in Daravin magical power is considered a sign of divine providence...
With all of this being said, the Entente hold nearly all wealth and power in the Empire. All institutions are either arbitrated directly by them or are compelled by their influence. Considering Daravin's power itself is vast, due to their magic and militaristic culture, the greatest of the Entente act as quasi-Kings and are free to terrorize their neighbors or one another as they wish.
House Artifacts
There are five major artifacts in Daravin, known as Precepts, one belonging to each of the Treveyn and one to the royal family. These artifacts are ancient, most being developed at the apex of the Age of Man and two by the Ald’norai, dating back thousands of years. While their origins are often shrouded in mythology, it can be stated with fair certainty that each of these artifacts carry with them a celestial Providence: that in some way they have inherited Godliness either by blessing or mischief. Considering even the greatest World Mages of the current Age cannot seem to replicate artifacts of similar greatness, divine assistance seems the most logical conclusion.
To begin with is the royal artifact, the Sunstone. With the sun one of Daravin’s key national symbols, along with a moon crossed with a key and the shadow of a dragon, it is no surprise that the royal artifact closely correlates with this symbology. The Sunstone is seen as the symbol of royalty, the signifier of the legitimacy of the Imperial dynasty and the Precept that most uplifts Daravinic society. It is, without uncertainty, the most powerful of all Precepts due to its ability to subdue the rest. The Sunstone is a golden, mechanical looking orb with golden ridges run in a pattern across its circumference. It warmly reflects the sun’s glow and generates a dim and comforting light while in use, and appears in good condition despite being nearly four thousand years old.
The Sunstone’s power is the seemingly limitless amount of magic that it can absorb. While this magic cannot be recycled or repurposed by the mage wielding it, the ability to nullify nearby magic is an extremely potent ability, particularly in a magocracy. The Sunstone is mostly used by Emperant Justane to cleanse Daravin’s anti-magical corruption infrastructure, which helps to protect the Empire from post-Bleeding pollution. When the absorbing machines are overwhelmed with corrosive magical energy, the Emperant will come to them with a troupe of Halamire to cleanse the machinery so that it may continue to protect Daravinic crops and settlements. With few plotting militarily against the Emperant, it rarely otherwise sees use.
Following the Sunstone is an Unbroken made artifact, the Rathrouen Gravemail. A gauntlet crafted in the mid Age of Man, it has served synonymously as a badge of leadership over the Halamire, a role typically falling to the Treveyn of Verdiven or one of his or her constituents. An artifact of purely military purpose, the Gravemail can rapidly siphon vitality from those around it even merely by proximity, feeding it to the wielder. This range is limited to around ten feet, but makes battling the owner of the artifact incredibly dangerous, turning every close interaction into a timed encounter. Those with more strength and experience can possibly survive this effect persistently for over a minute, but the common foot soldier tends to last mere seconds before death. This effect even appears to work on automatons and non-living entities, specifically altered to fend off Hollow invasions by Lorien in the late Age of Ashes. In terms of appearance, the Gravemail is a clawed, bronze-colored gauntlet with ruby-like magical gems adorning the joints and edges like a trim.
After is the Riftwick, another Ald’norai artifact belonging to Brilan Ald, and historically the Treveyn of Couronne. A simple description would label it as an extremely powerful portal generator, capable of opening and shutting near instantaneously to vastly changeable proportions. More than this, the Riftwick can control speed, pressure and velocity in and around it, acting as a terminal slingshot or a vacuum; or even a font by which one may pretend to veer gravity. While it is limited in these senses, it is an extremely powerful tool, though it can only be properly harnessed by a mage already expert with portals.
The Riftwick appears as a key with a circular fixture around the top portion, and is silver in color. There are theories of what the key might unlock, and some of those theories are that it unlocks nothing.
The next of these artifacts is the Charlatan’s Guise, a masque belonging to the Treveyn of Ostigen. With a pearly white tone and texture, intricate and sharp contours along the edges of the mask and a colorful vibrancy through many well-cut gems inlaid, the Guise is the envy of many ball-goers. More than this it does not fall short of its legend; the Guise does well to serve the interests of a Mesmer, allowing near total control over the perceptions of those around it.
The Guise deepens illusory compulsions, making their only release the infliction of injury and physical pain. For this reason it is sometimes called the Bloodletter’s Masque, a terror for any mage and especially untrained to face. The significance of these illusions appears to be considerably heightened as well, playing all five senses into them in a smooth blend. Considering they are as seamless as reality itself, it is difficult to determine the extent of these illusions, as their victims even years after have difficulty differentiating them from reality. Thus, another infliction: the degradation of one’s sense of what is real.
The final of these artifacts belongs to the Treveyn of Indories, currently Uriel Valent. Uniquely gruesome in its acquisition, the Discordant Vessel is a dimly glowing blue coil carved into the flesh of its wielder, visible as a pulsating and alien-like hunger through the skin. It is uniquely attached to its owner in this way, and is passed on only upon the coronation of a new Treveyn. As a result, Indories has yet another stipulation embedded into its ruling family: even after ascending to its throne, they must survive the embedding of the Vessel, with many dying in the process.
What is gained from this artifact, however, is a great deal of power. It allows one to become an Ether Leech, a phenomena once reported in the Empire of old. Not only does the carved gain a great resistance to magical damage, but they become capable of physically materializing ether around them and feeding on it like prey. They bite, gnaw and chew upon the ether, drawing it into their chest and neutralizing it upon their palette. While it is not an end-all nullifier like the immensely powerful Sunstone, the Vessel allows its owner seemingly limitless arcane stamina in battle, and increased physical attributes as well. The brutal ferocity of Indories’ Treveyn is known to the Entente, and he is given these compulsions by the ether on which he feeds.
NOTE: These NPCs are all Story NPCs. All players have 0 Influence with them unless otherwise granted.
Re: The Entente
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:18 pm
by Tyranny
The Royals
Introduction
Royalty in Daravin is synonymous with House Blancéford, the dynasty that once united the Empire some four hundred years ago. While there are often schemes dancing around the Imperial dynasty, few would dare whisper of their removal, even the most ambitious of the Ententen. Perhaps a core aspect of this is the fact that Daravin's monarchy holds little of the power that it once did; the strength to make unilateral decisions has gone with the times, and Blancéford can no longer claim self-reliance. As such, 'royalty' has become the role of managing aristocratic lobbies, whisperers of a thousand different agendas that all weigh against one another and wage war through policies if not by war itself.
Still, the Royals of Daravin - the Imperial Estate - do hold power. Their symbolism offers them strength, and not only strength, but survival. While the houses of the Montese and Treveyn rise and fall, often dying bloodily to the politics of the Candor, Blancéford remains and retains its hold - particularly over the Empire's north.
History
House Blancéford unified the Empire in the year 4113, three years after the Conventions of Carine that saw the Omen truly founded. While the simplistic explanation of their acquisition of power is that they were formally endorsed by the Pontifex of that time, the steps that led to that endorsement and religious coronation were more nuanced and complex.
Before House Blancéford unified the Empire and declared it 'Daravin', its ancient Elven name, the region that makes up Daravin now was known as Ectahl-Prior. It was actually the third wealthiest province in the Unbroken Empire, behind Ectahl and Sil-Elaine; while Ectahl-Prior held a population of over a hundred million people before the Bleeding, the vast majority of its populace consisted of rural farmers and laborers, as well as recruits for the Unbroken war-machine. And so, while the province was in many ways the life-blood of the Empire, providing it food and manpower... it did not hold particular influence in Unbroken affairs and was generally managed by a provincial governor from Daigos Kaitel, disconnected from the uneducated populace he or she managed.
When the Bleeding occurred, the delegates chosen to lead Ectahl-Prior largely died from the initial blast, with many of them dying shortly afterwards to starvation, disease or mob outrage. The Daravinic Entente of today are largely those popular community leaders who capitalized on the carnage to acquire influence and prestige. Shortly after the fall of the previous system of Unbroken government, the Entente were declared; initially an alliance of quasi-revolutionaries, they quickly became formal Nobility who ruled the men they once led against the powers that were.
Insignificant among them was Blancéford, a House that did not hold the same level of millennia-long prestige like Valent, Challions or Verais. Blancéford was a house purely of revolutionary grit: obsessive, authentic ideology that spoke of the downfall of Unbroken globalism (a belief system that was dominant among Ectahl-Prior's elite even after the Bleeding), an end to the domineering of industrial trade companies, and the unity of the people of Ectahl-Prior. This movement, even including the Empire's Elven minority and speaking of a unified 'Daravin' at its end, inspired the masses to rally behind Blancéford and the Entente were quickly made to fall in line.
Ironically for Daravin, the Empire was unified not by war, but by belief. Hope in a future, idyllic view of what the nation could become. Blancéford was, in its time, a name attached to a notion of progress and unity and to some extent, the name retains its symbolism today.
*Note: None of these lists can be seen as all-encompassing rosters of the Nobility at any level. These lists often do not include ruling spouses, children, or extended family, or even many of the important Houses of Daravin that may hold Montese or prominent Veir. This list is merely meant to provide players with insight into some of the most prominent political figures of Daravin, while also offering a list of Nobles to be employed in plots and modded threads.
Re: The Entente
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:18 pm
by Tyranny
The Treveyn
Introduction
While the obvious parallel to the Treveyn would be to compare them to Dukes, like those of Lorien, many believe that through their sheer influence and autonomy, the title of Treveyn bears closer resemblance to King or Queen. So defining are these Entente that they make and unmake society around them — shifting laws to their whims, plunging their border lands into anarchy for their ambitions, and seeking after their hubristic aims without recourse. The Treveyn of Daravin tend to be some of the most powerful mages in Atharen, forced to compete bloodily alongside their peers. They are the defining point of reference for Daravin’s most compelling cultural myth: the idea of meritocracy, even among the Nobility. For this reason, they must be greater than simple men, redefining what magic can accomplish upon the easel of flesh.
Members
There are four great Houses of the Treveyn, though this number has fluctuated before and even recently, with House Ald joining their ranks to the tune of extreme controversy. The remaining three are Valent, Challions and Verais, all three of these Houses existing from the early Age of Man as powerful families in Daravin’s south, influential to the political and business landscape. Valent, the oldest of these Houses, has held a business monopoly over Indories and the city of Arlain since the fall of Silor and has maintained an extremely prominent position in Daravain affairs for nearly fifteen hundred years. House Challions is similarly old, and has managed Daradan's trade for a millennia. Verais is renowned for its generals of past eras, having participated in the brutal subjugation of countless peasant and slave revolts during the Age of Man, and - on the inverse - allegedly being a contributing force to the downfall of Silor. Verais now rules Verdiven, the Trenorant of Rathrouen, the House closely attached to the ruling House Blanceford.
With all of these ancient families, House Ald is an outlier in more than its Sil'norai heritage. Ruling the wealthy and prestigious city of Amoren, it is disgusting to some that a Silver Elf would command the Trenorant most defining of Daravinic culture, yet in this way the idea of Daravinic meritocracy is most perfectly displayed: Brilan Ald is one of the greatest mages in documented history, reminding her resentful peasantry of the Elven power of old.
Re: The Entente
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:18 pm
by Tyranny
The Montese
Introduction
The Montese are often called the 'Princes of Daravin' in other nations, due to their autonomous nature and their domains that roughly equivocate to principalities. In fact, it is not uncommon for Montese' to be called 'Princes' at home, as a sort of self-aggrandizing formality, one that has risen as a result of Daravin's increasingly lower centralization. While the Montese were once the core of the Empire, with no Treveyn at all to speak of, they have become increasingly low in number and have been pushed to the outer fringes of the ever-enlarging unified Trenorant. The Montiens they rule have also begun to consolidate, with more powerful Montiens dividing their smaller neighbors between them. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Ciseperant, which was once divided by four different Montese.
Despite their much more powerful neighbors, the Empire's Montese maintain a great degree of influence and authority, and in the last decade vast shifts in the Imperial borders have begun to decrease. This is a result of coalitions formed by the Montese in order to maintain their independence; there are several of these large coalitions across the Empire, each named and holding considerable influence within the Candor. These coalitions are as follows:
The Vouer-Roche, located to the east of Indories and the southeastern corner of Ardon. The Montese' of Ardinoe, Ulendris (the Pontifex), Valtoria and Nevise are all in a defensive pact to retain their independence. In the case of Valtoria and Nevise's rulers, the purpose of the pact is to avoid the growth of Indories, an endeavor directly subsidized by the Emperant.
The Vernegarde, comprised of the four Montiens bordering Indories and Northern Couronne; Lyonesse, Adienne, Ciseperant and Chalis. This is largely a defensive alliance against Indories, as well, as Couronne seems disinterested in the conquest of any of these Montiens, despite their riches and large populations. Ciseperant's ruler acts as the de facto speaker of this coalition, advocating for their interests in court.
The final coalition is Cardovarranca, built from the three Montiens between Ostigen and Couronne: Railon, Verant and Lethon. Indories appears to fund Railon and Verant, defending them against Couronne's expansionist forces. However, among all of the coalitions, Cardovarranca is the most fragile as their internal strife has led to armed conflict and winnowing embargoes in the past.
All of these coalitions frequently still enter conflict with one another, both in the Candor and on the field of battle. While they often maintain enough of their strength to form together in defense against larger Imperial Lords, the coalitions have - in many ways - begun to submerge into the spheres of influence of those same powers, relying upon one Treveyn neighbor to protect themselves against another. It has, then, become a negotiation: the Treveyn more merciful and more willing to compromise essentially holds authority over the fate of the Montien they defend.
As a note, Raillén men, specifically, take on the title of 'Montér' rather than Montese if succeeding the mantle.
Members
The Montese are as changeable as their borders; they rotate out frequently, with few families lasting longer than a hundred years, and just as few lasting even half as long as that. Due to the vicious nature of the Candor, houses are often felled by scandal, and many Lords die in conflict with other Imperial States. Few can be said of the Montese' members other than this, though as a common trend they tend to come from the business class of the old Unbroken Empire, despite the Empire's initial founding principles. Many are also born of powerful mages throughout the Empire's history, being suspended to international renown by a particularly skilled ancestor. One such living example is that of Lieril, of House Lorraine.
Re: The Entente
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:18 pm
by Tyranny
The Veir
Introduction
Veiren (the plural of Veir) are the Empire's common strain of Nobility, often regarded as 'lesser Nobles' though many of them still hold considerable wealth and power. They generally work in the courts of Montese or greater Entente, manage their own large business enterprises and hold the loyalties of a select few Valran. Many Veiren are also in the Empire's military, and it is from their military endeavors that they often gain greater prestige and public position. In general, the Veir are managers, running estates, plots of land, Noble affairs for their liege...
The Veir participate in the Candor just as often as the greater Entente, particularly due to their nature as climbers and the intense social pressure laid on them to perform well in social gatherings. Interestingly, Veir often avoid flaunting their wealth and privilege in public spaces, as they tend to come from more experienced wealthy families seeking to avoid the envy or ire of the peasant class. It is in soirees and on the field of battle that their true eminence emerges, and certainly within the lavish interiors of their fine estates, though they may be hidden behind a thick wall of forestry and brush.
The Veir are capable of achieving a higher position than the one they were born to. They are, however, also capable of being exiled from the Entente; often as a result of failing their liege Lord in the Candor, resulting in their humiliation or embarrassment. In general, it is Veir who tend to be chosen to marry more powerful Entente, as Lords of more equal station tend to conspire against one another almost as a default.
Members
The Veir, like the Montese, tend to come from Ectahl-Prior's old business class though many of them have also become Entente through time. Many Veir families were specifically given their Nobility by House Blanceford, as a reward for their service in uniting the Empire. Many others acquired their Nobility as a result of one particularly powerful mage-ancestor; in general, the same trends as with the Montese are followed.
The Veir make up the vast majority of the Entente. While some of them are relatives to reigning Montese and Treveyn, the vast majority of them are independent of any major dynasty. However, they all have 'Houses', those Houses all have a Coat of Arms, and they generally all hold businesses as well as lands held by them through hereditary titles. While Veir may not equate to 'Counts' in Lorien, for example, they often do dwell in large estates - and even castles - and preside over tracts of land in a way similar to Barons. Of course, not every Veir can hold such prominence; most do not.
Though, most do hold some degree of influence, often deeply rooted in the locale in which they live... or even in institutions that affect the Empire as a whole.
Re: The Entente
Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:31 pm
by Tyranny
The Candor
Introduction
The Candor is very broad in how it is applied. Generally, members of the Entente have their own way of participating in the Candor. This is typically called 'Performing', with a display of skill in a soiree often called a 'Performance.' In general, the rules of the Candor are:
1. Do not reveal information without a price. This can even be small information; anything that may lead to the improvement of a rival's position, or dangerous speculation. If one asks, at a soiree, for one's plans for the evening, it is unwise to inform even a friend that you intend to meet with an ally or a potential suitor. It is unwise to reveal one's plans or goals, or their next move, or even their opinion on a friend or enemy. Soirees in Daravin are often privately mocked for their shallowness; they scarcely involve little more than small talk and pleasantries. Any information that is mistakenly revealed, whether by actions or words, quickly consumes the ball as the participants involved will gossip ruthlessly in some way that may favor them.
2. Appearance matters. The Entente are meant to convey some level of divinity within them, as their magical gifts are supposedly directly from Ulen. As such, not only does attractiveness matter more than among the nobility of other nations, but individual details of one's presentation are often focused on and criticized. One must always show up to a soiree with a complete look; no button can have its string frayed, no blouse can be marred by a stroke of ink. Tailors working for the Entente are seen as some of the greatest of their trade in Atharen, coming from all over the world to acquire vast sums of wealth from their discerning, demanding clientele. Similarly, magical surgeons - Necromancers - who work on the Entente are artists, tending to focus on refining certain characteristics perfectly, while retaining a natural look that does not alter or take away from the Ententer's heritage.
3. Get to know one's rivals. The more that is known, the more that can be exploited; to be an Entente is to form an intricate weave of knowledge on one's peers, their relationships, their weaknesses, their actions... their magical strength, their family history, their relatives. Their lovers, friendships, all inter-woven and between one and hundreds of other individuals. This can be done personally or indirectly, through others. Either way, to master the Candor one must manage a network of information, often stored within one's own mind so as to avoid the compromising of knowledge and secrets.
4. Choose alliances well. Alliances in the Entente often begin sweetly, with mutual favors done for one another, but those who do not keep in mind the motivations and interests of their ally are often betrayed. Entente rarely coordinate with their allies over-much, tending to keep something of an arm's length, particularly given that they will likely be competing with them for the scraps once a mutual foe has been destroyed.
5. Be valuable; in some way, be necessary. Have something that others want -- if there is nothing for others to gain from you, then you will not be allowed to play. Others will avoid you, or shirk conversation with you. While the Montese and their family are the centerpieces of every gala, nameless Veir are often ignored. To gain from the Candor, one must have something of worth, and it is unwise to play one's cards early. Prestige and recognition are important; the best players are recognized, and they are often the ones who gain the most, though to do so they must also risk loss. Losing that value is destructive, often resulting in the loss of all wealth and recognition gained, and perhaps one's life by a stroke of betrayal.
6. Do not break the taboos; to do so is to invite long-term damage, or even ruin.
Taboos
Taboos are the actions never to be performed by members of the Entente, particularly those who wish to be successful at the Candor. This is a list of the most common and integral of taboos, though political mistakes of many other kinds exist and may be exploited.
Contra-Jingoism: Perhaps the greatest taboo in Daravin is the admonishment of war, and by extension, making clear a desire for peace. Any and all treaties made between the Empire and external nations are spoken of as surrender, with the other nation supposedly offering the Empire great riches and a bent knee. Strength matters above all in Daravin, and this strength must not only be projected by the people, but the Empire itself. Patriotism is drawn from this strength, and this patriotism is used to enforce the cultural norms of the Empire. Aside from this, there is also a religious aspect to war that is undeniable: in order for Ulen to return, Daravin must conquer the entire world. Calling for peace, if premature, is essentially a form of heresy that goes against the will of the Returning King.
An Ententer who speaks against war, and calls for peace, is one whose days are numbered. Even within the Entente, for all the taboos they break behind closed doors, speaking of peace within a soiree is viewed as wrongful and leaves one ripe for blackmail. Perhaps the one exception is in wars between members of the Entente, but even these conflicts are typically resolved only by the involved leaders, without calls for peace within their court or across the realm. Peace treaties may be extensively negotiated, but no Montese would ever accept the word 'surrender'; it is always a renegotiation of the current circumstances. Peace and weakness are synonyms - the Empire must always be at war.
Class Betrayal: While the greatest public taboo may be Contra-Jingoism, Class Betrayal is likely the most lethal taboo to a member of the Entente. It is the act of selling out, diminishing, questioning, or criticizing the Entente as a class, or Daravinic class dynamics. To call out the Entente as a whole as being wicked, exploitative, or vile is to invite ruin. To vie for the rights of the lower classes, and certainly of slaves, is in a similar vein of indignity. Further, Entente are expected to protect class even in the case of their rivals. While it may be fine to encourage the death of a Montese as a result of a scandal, to do so by feeding into revolutionary sentiment or other trends destructive to the Daravinic power structure is likely to result in death or at least violent reprimand.
Fraternizing with non-magical peasants to a considerable degree is also a part of this taboo. An Ententer cannot marry a non-mage. It is common for young and rebellious members of the Entente to initiate their lovers, only to grieve at their untimely death amidst the initiation. To be caught extensively fraternizing with any non-mage is to be viewed as an act of extreme weakness and moral fragility, likely to reduce the legitimacy of the Entente in question, perhaps even diminishing their likelihood of inheriting power and wealth.
Finally, to put others of one's class at risk by revealing the details of private engagements is to invite death. For example, one may wish to damage their political rival by outing their participation in a gruesome sexual engagement. If this activity is commonplace among the Entente, it casts a shadow over the Entente as a whole, and ruins the confidentiality of the Entente and their ability to safely engage in hedonism. The Entente enjoy their debauched hobbies, and all members of the noble class essentially agree to allow one another to engage in these acts behind closed doors. To even out one member of the Entente for such actions is to put into question the safety of hundreds of other nobles, and can often result in the accusing member of the Entente being framed for far worse. Revealing others for violent or gruesome misconduct, sexual or otherwise, has a place -- but only particularly gruesome, and particularly against other members of their own class.
Immodesty: Modesty, in public spaces, is necessary due to the tenets of the Oaths of Carine. This is taken to the extreme in Daravin, particularly for those with class. While peasants and slaves can practically wear nothing if they wish, the elite of Daravinic society are expected to act as pillars of the God they claim to represent. This means that barely any skin can be revealed publicly; even in closed soirees, an Ententer dare not reveal more than their face, and perhaps ankles or wrists. In fact, many Entente go further and wear extremely impractical attire, embellished to reveal not only their wealth but their devotion. Massive, padded dresses and suits layered over with coats and other attire are commonplace in the gatherings of the truly rich. Those known to have publicly been immodest can be humiliated publicly, and may even be forced to strip down and reveal their unholy forms before a crowd, before being brutally flogged. Even the highest of the Entente are vulnerable to this outcome.
Imperial Irreverence: Displaying any level of criticism towards the Empire as an institution, even behind closed doors, is extremely precarious and likely to invite blackmail or decimation in court. This even includes criticizing the Emperor, and to some extent his or her family. Such actions are seen as undermining the Empire and its unity, as well as directly assaulting Ulen and the Pontifex for crowning Daravin and its royal family. This action can result in smaller consequences - particularly if levied against a lesser royal - but can result in harsh, fatal consequences if performed irresponsibly.
Heresy: An obvious taboo, heresy is not accepted in Daravin. While many peasants believe in the Living Gods, this belief is actively being uprooted and the Entente are expected to partake in this action. Worse is the worship of the Elven Gods, who are essentially at war with the Empire and have been actively viewed as enemies since the fall of Silor. All Entente are expected to swear loyalty to the faith of the Omen, and to worship Ulen. Any examples of heresy, even in the form of small idols, can result in death for the heretic. Even Summoning has been raised as a potential act of heresy in the past, particularly in the case of Intermediaries, who are strongly connected to either the Choir of Fog or the Elven Gods. The Omen has ruled that such actions are viable, as they are a sign of Ulen's true dominion over the heretical faiths, with Summoners supposedly dominating outside spirits to their will. The debate, however, continues -- largely initiated by Entente who wish to use anti-Summoning paranoia for their own benefit.
Ulendric Blasphemy: Another obvious taboo is blasphemy against Ulen, and the faith of the Omen. This also extends to criticizing the Pontifex, who is - like the Emperor - insulated from accountability and critique. Even pointing out objective facts such as the fact that the Achra are mythological beings inspired by the Living Gods of another religion is viewed as high blasphemy - the more factual the critique, the more deadly for the one criticizing the faith. Penalties for Ulendric Blasphemy are traditionally harsh.