Culture
County MASS is multicultural, feudal county that ultimately owes its allegiance to the kaiser of Shireroth. The culture of the county is split between Amity and So-Sara, which practice a straight-forward Manorialism, and Mirioth, which practices a clan system.
Manorialism in So-Sara and Amity
Amity and So-Sara are extremely divided by class. The lowest rung of society in MASS are the prisoners, which are exclusive to Amity. Once you have been arrested and convicted, you are sent to the Amity Prison System, where you serve your time in the fields or factories. These forced labor camps are watched over by hired prison guards, who are a mixture of freemen and serfs, and also watched over by prisoners with elevated status called “Keepers”. Keepers are prisoners who are given the responsibility of watching other prisoners, and are in exchange given reduced sentences and better living conditions. This system ensures that the keepers always side with the guards in a riot, gives the guards an extra hand in keeping order, and that a quarter of the prisoner population stays docile.
Once felons serve their sentence, they are sent before a parole board who determine if he has learned his lesson, and reformed his ways. If so, they are released back into the care of his lord, or if he came from Mirioth, then he is released back to his clan.
The next rung of the social ladder is the serf. Other countries find serfs to be disgraceful, the result of a social system woefully out of date. Serfs themselves find the system to be wonderfully safe. They never go hungry, they always have a job, never have to worry about homelessness, and they always have a guy (the lord) who is required by law to make sure their needs are met. When serfs go on vacation to places without feudalism or manorialism. They often come back with a hearty appreciation for their status, especially after encountering bums for the first time.
Serfs are tied to their lords for life, unless traded out or bought. They work for their lord in whatever business he has, and in exchange are clothed, fed, housed, and given a small amount of money. They must abide by the rules of the lord (who must abide by the laws of the land themselves), and must do as he says (within lawful reason). If they want to get married and have kids, the lord must pay a small fee to buy the serf from her previous lord.
After the serf, is the freeman. These are citizens of Yardistan who are beholden to no lord. They may come and go as they please, so long as they have the money and it does not violate any contract they are under. Some serfs have won their conditional freedom due to unusual circumstances, which means that they can quit working for their lord. This is a double-edged sword though, because it also means that they are no longer under his protection either.
Continuing up the ladder is the free-landholder. These are freemen who own their own land, but are not able to own serfs. The are not ennobled, but are not under any oath of fealty to a lord either. This social class is the smallest of all the classes.
Once a citizen has reached the status of a Lord or Lady, they have become a part of the lesser nobility, having received a Title of Nobility from the kaiser. They are now not only allowed, but required to own at least one manor. They may now vote in local elections, and may hold leadership positions in their town or county. Children of lesser nobility also retain that status, but may not live off the property of their parents until they themselves have a manor to rule (unless they live in a part of Shireroth or the world where manorialism doesn't hold sway, or are currently attending a boarding school or a university). Some never leave, simply living a rich life off their parents.
The Clans of Alejia
The Clans of Alejia are composed of thirteen different clans, each given a specific blessing and ban by Alejia. They have always resided on Mirioth Isle, and are known far and wide to be a stubborn and fiery lot.
Name: Clan Athenry
Nickname: “The Clan of Nature”
Blessing: Affinity for nature
Ban: Must not tolerate the undead.
Info: Clan Athenry can turn a desert into a thriving woodland of plenty. It was this ability that allowed the Clans to reclaim Mirioth after Mt. Mirioth erupted. They are excellent farmers, but they also make strong warriors too, especially when the undead are involved.
Name: Clan Armstrong
Nickname: “The Clan of the Inner Fire”
Blessing: strong willpower
Ban: To not betray their clan
Info: Clan Armstrong is known for its physical strength, and their activism in many controversial fields. More rebels with and without a cause come from this clan, then from any other clan. This passion for controversy often polarizes the Clan Council, and leads to a lot of bickering and infighting.
Name: Clan Colleen
Nickname: “The Gypsy Clan”
Blessing: Illusion magic
Ban: Cannot murder
Info: Clan Colleen are the gypsy tricksters of Mirioth. Their shady exploits are legendary in County MASS.
Name: Clan Crane
Nickname: “The Workers Clan”
Blessing: Superior physical strength and stamina
Ban: Must not shirk your burdens
Info: Clan Crane are the perfect workers. Strong and hardy, they could outwork any other clan hands down.
Name: Clan Darcy
Nickname: “The Clan of Darkness”
Blessing: Natural Affinity for mundane knowledge
Ban: Must use the knowledge for the benefit of the Alejian Clans
Info: Clan Darcy are the counterparts to Clan Strange. While the Clan of Secrets work to uncover occult knowledge and defend the clans against it, The Clan of Darkness works to uncover and protect against the mundane secrets. They are the creators of the Noir, and are said to be very connected to SHINE.
Name: Clan Darkrose
Nickname: “The Clan of Destiny”
Blessing: The power of prophecy
Ban: cannot see their own future
Info: The mark of someone from Clan Darkrose is the ability to tell the future in some way. Tea leaves, Octocluck entrails, tarot cards, dreams, omens in the stars, these are all different ways in which they can tell the future.
Name: Clan Duncan
Nickname: “The Clan of the Sea”
Blessing: Affinity for the Sea
Ban: No Duncan may ever escape the calling of the sea.
Info: No Duncan has ever drowned. Ever. They are the consummate men and women of the sea. They are also superior warriors on the sea. When a Duncan joins the Marine Corps, he usually very quickly rises in the ranks.
Name: Clan Gunn
Nickname: “The Fighting Clan”
Blessing: Superior fighting ability
Ban: never fight anyone who is not worthy
Info: Clan Gunn are superior warriors in almost every way, and it comes naturally to them. Even the smallest Gunn can boast that they have bested those who should have easily bested them.
Name: Clan Lockhart
Nickname: “The Hunter Clan”
Blessing: Superior stealth
Ban: Do not steal
Info: The “Hunter Clan” are renown for their affinity for the hunt. They often compete with the Hunters of the Stag. They make superior trackers and snipers in the Yardistani Marine Corps.
Name: Clan Riordan
Nickname: “The Blacksmith Clan”
Blessing: Affinity for creation
Ban: Must always put your heart into your work
Info: Clan Riordan were the blacksmiths of Mirioth since the very beginning. With the advent of modern foundry technology, they expanded their role to more than just weapons and armor.
Name: Clan Russell
Nickname: “The High Clan”
Blessing: Natural leadership
Ban: Not to traffic with daemons
Info: The Russell Clan have ruled Mirioth since the very beginning. They are known by reputation to be strong, natural leaders, but are also known to be haunted by daemons.
Name: Clan Serenus
Nickname: “The Clan of Serenity”
Blessing: The ability to calm their surroundings
Ban: To never lie
Info: Clan Serenus have the ability to calm their surroundings. Indeed, their island is eerily serene to those who first come to visit. After a few hours though, it begins to calm their nerves, and soothe their pain. It might seem odd, that a Clan of Alejia would be known for being calm, but a closer examination reveals that it actually makes a lot of sense. Just because one is calm, does not mean they are not passionate about what they believe in, or furious about their calm. They are marked by their stark-white eyes.
Name: Clan Strange
Nickname: “The Clan of Secrets”
Blessing: natural affinity for occult knowledge
Ban: to not use occult knowledge for personal gain.
Info: The Strange Clan are known for their eccentric behavior.
TV
Television in County MASS is the usual mix of everything, with the major stations broadcasting free of charge. Anyone with a set of 'rabbit ears' can tune in and be entertained. For a small fee, one can buy a 'cable box', which broadcasts over 200 stations. The most watched television show of County MASS is the eight-seasons-long fictional drama, 'Lords and Ladies', which tells the story of the aristocracy of Shireroth, and all the drama that ensues. The longest running comedy show has been, 'My name is Kaiser Mog', and tells the story of kaiser Mog and the ensuing rebellion in comedic fashion.
Film
The film industry in Yardistan grosses more than 5 billion erb a year worldwide. While this is not as great as their neighbors to the north, it brings a steady stream of money, as well as a rabid fan base, to Yardistan every year. The top grossing film of last year was, 'Starlight', a fantasy film about vampyres of Storyville.
Music
Music in County MASS ranges from modern rock and pop, to traditional music that has been here for thousands of years. One of the most beloved folk songs of Mirioth is entitled, 'Black Velveteen Band', which is a cautionary tale about men who get fooled by pretty women, then go to jail.
Literature
County MASS literature is broken down into six categories. The oldest category is the 'Ancient' classification. These are the earliest works of the islands, and go back to around b4205. Two of the most popular works are, “Moon and Star”, a story about tragic love, and “The Taming of a Mountain God”, a story about one heroes quest to destroy a tyrannical mountain god.
The next oldest category is the 'Classical' classification. These works date back to b2600, and vary in theme and length. The best example of 'Classical' literature is the story, “Star of the Sea”, a fictional story about a star which fell to the sea near Mirioth. Upon surfacing, the star assumes the body of a beautiful woman, and must struggle against gods and man to return to the heavens.
After Classical literature, comes 'Medieval' literature. These works date to around 100 ASC. Two excellent examples include “The Lord and Lady”, on which the television show is based off of, and “Dark Castle”, a re-telling of the tragic circumstances that led to the destruction of Mirioth City.
The Medieval literature classification gives way to the 'Renaissance' literature classification around 1000 ASC, and is generally 'enlightened' in tone. The best example of Renaissance literature is the book, “Musings on the Cedrist gods”, an autobiographical story of a Cedrist monk who gives up his faith for logic and reason.
Following the Renaissance literature era, came the 'Industrial' literature era. As the Renaissance era began to stumble and fail, many writers of the era became disillusioned with the new, 'enlightened' ideas when they failed to prevent the island's fall into pollution and crime. The greatest example of Industrial era literature is, “Twilight to Starlight”, a semi-autobiographical tale of one man's descent from enlightened renaissance thinking, into drugs, alcohol, and homelessness.
The gritty, dark tones of the Industrial era finally give way to the 'Modern' literature era. The best example of this is, “The War of the Shades”, a fictional tale of the battle between the Cult of the Descendi, and the Noir.
Philosophy
County MASS has the dubious honor of being the birthplace of the 'Enlightenment' (described in more detail elsewhere), which almost destroyed Yardistan. Other than that, they are known for their rebellious and contentious attitudes. They fight others, themselves, and the police don't even bother breaking up street fights most of the time.
The Arts
The Art scene is to die for in County MASS. No, literally. People have died for art in County MASS. From the filchers in the Beautiful Thieves, to independent artists who kill others over perceived slights, County MASS takes their art seriously. The history of art in County MASS follows the literary path described above, and is featured in museums the world over.
Food
Yardistani food is hot. Really Hot. The citizens of County MASS like their food spicy, and routinely heat up their food with levels of heat that outsiders consider crazy. Seafood is the specialty of the county as well, with the whole of Yardistan accounting for half of Shireroth's seafood consumption.
Sports
Soccer is the most popular sport in County MASS by far, with rivalries regularly leading to riots and bar fights. Other sports practiced to a lesser extent are Baseball, roller derby, and boxing.