6. The Landbound

Landbound society consists mostly of nobles, citizens, and crafters. The Warrenfolk tend to consider Landbounders inflexible prudes, and they in turn resent Warrenfolk with a mixture of digust at their unstructured, hedonistic tendencies and envy of their Dragons. Quite fortunate that both groups need each other.

The Landbound nation tends to have very "conservative" views of gender roles. Most leaders are men and almost no women are permitted in fighting forces. King Jaldor of the landbound has named a male line of succession typical of monarchical England, i.e. females can inherit positions of power, but only if there are no male children. This is obeyed by the higher nobles for the most part, though the lesser nobles often disregard it and name their own successors.

6.1 Nobles

The nobles are the ruling class of the landbound nation. They usually have the allegiance of several nearby towns and owe nominal allegiance to the crown. Most have standing armies and are pushing each other's territory boundaries. Periodically, skirmishes break out. The Dragonriders stay out of these conflicts, stating that it's not their business; moreover, the Contract forbid dragonriders from taking sides in Landbound political or military struggles.

For many years, Feldrik the Conqueror gathered territory in the South edge of the DragonLands. King Almaren became worried about him, and requested that the dragonriders intercede in his behalf. The dragonriders refused, siting their policy of nonintervention in Landbound affairs. Feldrik's territory covered most of the southeastern DragonLands. He eventually attacked Ralengarde, with the aid of some rogue riders under Roland, formerly of Falagand. Roland's forces were distracted by riders from Keldarra, but not before they had burned most of the city. Feldrik's forces were defeated by the royal army, under command of Prince Reolden Almaren, and a guerilla, anti-Feldrik group known as the White Hand, under the leadership of a mysterious figure called The Captain.

The royal family is also prone to intrigue. Lady Celeste, the king's grandmother is also the grandmother of the Lady Cecily making her King Almaren's cousin. Cecily was promised to Earl Ephriam Ravencroft but she fell in love with a penniless nomad orphan raised and educated by a professsor and his barren wife. His name was Edric and they left the city and she followed him into the wilds to help him set up his research settlement. They had one daughter Arideregh, who was proclaimed heir to the winterhaven lands, titles and monies. Cecily made a deal with the king that she would let Arideregh spend part time in court, learning her role, but when the time came for her to be presented to court and step into season she was rather wild, and spoiled. She was bethrothed to Earl Ephriam's son Nigel to help seal the breach from the earlier social faux pas. Of course the young Lady Arideregh was found to have taken several lovers, all of common background and the earl refused to allow the wedding to proceed. The king, who knew as well, bannished her, and she returned to the settlement in disgrace. Sadly, she died shortly after, (the rumors were she died of a broken heart from being kept from court, since she was the darling of it). Cecily announced that she carried, and had a baby girl whom she named after her dead daughter. She refuses to allow this daughter to know anything of court, which started a 20 year feud between Cecily and King Almaden.

The nobles are in charge of the yearly tithe to the Warrens that protect them. Some do so very willingly while others do so more grudgingly. This is sometimes a source of tension between noble houses. In some places, nobles houses have been implicated in plotting against the Contract.

6.2 Citizens

These are your standard farmers and townsfolk. Townsfolk elect their own mayors and local officials. They only report to the nobles on a community level.

6.3 Craftsmen

These are trained professionals in a variety of crafts. There are a large number of Guilds, each representing a craft and headquartered in a major city. Each Guild has a Master Craftsman that acts as the head of the Guild, or a council of Masters. The Guilds have a certain power separate from the rest of the Landbound power structure. That power is based on how important the craft is, and what disasters would happen if that craft ceased to be provided. The exception to this rule has the Bard's Guild, which is arguably the most powerful Guild in the DragonLands. It has this power because of the information it has gathered. The Bard’s Guild, headed by Master Cyrano DuBois, Mastersinger, is headquartered in Ralengarde, where the information gathered can be used to the greatest advantage.

6.4 Currency

Currency in the DragonLands is standard gold/silver/copper coins, often referred to as "Crowns". The coins of the DragonLands are minted by the Landbound and most of the warrens don't mint currency, or even use it very much. This is an important difference in their economies -- the Warren Nation is a communal, work-based barter economy; the Landbound Nation is capitalist, goods/money-based economy. Dragonriders, however, with other skills or additional sources of income, will often use this income to purchase luxury items.

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