The Ronsenferg Shogunate
Raijin: The top political power. Oversees all national affairs. Can name an heir. Position typically stays with one clan for generations. Family known as the Raijinate.
Raiju: The top military power. Answers only to the Raijin. Can name an heir. Position typically stays with one clan for generations. Family known as the Raijunate.
Raijyu: Leaders of the clans that own the most territory in each part of the realm. Operates as vassals to the Raiju. They are typically left to govern their territory autonomously so long as their policies do not interfere with decrees set by the Raijunate or laws passed by the Raijinate.
Raisen: Warrior class that serve the Raijyu, Raijunate and Rajinate. This class is seen as a profession so individuals from any clan can work to rise through the ranks to become a Raisen. While this title grants benefits to the immediate family of the Raisen, should the Raisen die or be stripped of the title, the family will lose all benefits granted to the position.
Rainin: An alternative warrior class that takes their talents abroad. This transition into an international warrior normally happens in one of two ways. The first, and most common, is for an argol to be bred with the purpose of imprinting on a newborn sypor in Trest. All argol seen accompanying a sypor beyond the borders of the Ronsenferg Forest are Rainin. The second main way an argol becomes a Ranin is by joining The Den. While both of these paths are viewed as honorable as serving as a Raisen, the fact that Ranin live most of their lives beyond the forest places the class as less valuable than its counterpart.
NOTE: The third way for an argol to become a Ranin is to become an ordinary sell-sword. This is viewed as the least honorable way to be a warrior, so it is a highly uncommon practice.
Raisho: The largest class per capita in the system. This class is basically the working class that serves as the backbone for society. They are the farmers, smiths, and artisans that produce the goods and services that every class in the system needs to survive and thrive.
Raiten: This is the merchant class that peddles goods and services across the Ronsenferg Forest and beyond. While they are responsible for much of the nation’s wealth, they are seen as the lowest class due to the fact that they do not produce anything on their own. Their value is respected and understood, but the intrinsic honor of being the one who created something that is of use to others supercedes the honor of being the one who transports items of value.
Raikin: The lowest ranked class in argol society. To be branded a Raikin is to be branded with shame and dishonor. There are three ways to become a Raikin, and the way an argol becomes a Raikin determines the suffix attached to the brand.
Raikin-Ryo: The least dishonorable variation of Raikin are Raikin-Ryo. A Raikin-Ryo is a Rainin who failed to honor a contract they accepted as a Hunter of The Den. Typically a Raikin-Ryo can reclaim their status as a Rainin by successfully completing several contracts without fail.
Raikin-Mas: Raisen who failed to protect the Raijyu, Raiju or Raijin they served. While the dishonor brought with this title is significant, Raikin-Mas can typically regain their honor by becoming Raisen for a new Raijyu, Raiju or Raijin. However, the specifics of the Raisen’s relation to their liege and their personal involvement with their lord’s death play a large role in both the severity of the shame attached to this title and the likelihood of finding a new lord to serve.
Raikin-Shi: Ranin who fail to protect their sypor partners. In argol culture their deity, Ronto the God of Lightning, values Vestale, the Goddess of Life, above all others and that value is transposed to the relationships between argol and sypor. It is for this reason that protecting the sypor population is the highest priority for the argol. However, beyond even that is an argol’s responsibility to protect the sypor that they imprinted on. The zealous intensity of this responsibility is a direct correlation to the severity of the shame and dishonor thrust upon an argol whose sypor partner dies for any reason. Raikin-Shi is a brand that will stay with the argol for the rest of its life. They are disowned and cast out from argol society, with most being attacked on sight by other argol.
