THE PRELACY OF CAMON [ORANGE] Banner - Red upright Sword on
a Golden Shield on a White Field

FACTS IN BRIEF - Human church-state run by the Church of Archanon. 
Ultra-conservative, restrictive, heavy emphasis upon order and
discipline.  Racial policies border on fanatic; non-humans clearly
unwelcome.  "One True Church" dominate the entire culture.  History
resplendent with "class and style," elements of the culture which
struggle to be maintained.  Large mining operations that are used
to trade with the Empire on a limited basis.
     Role-playing Notes - This area is patterned a great deal off
the "worlds" depicted in Ladyhawke and The Three Musketeers.  The
Church is a dark, sinister, ominous presence full of corruption. 
There are "freedom fighters" that are very much like the Musketeers
(the Cavaliers).  All in all, the Prelacy is another place full of
"Bad Guys."

     Not all the people who fled the Warlords came under the banner
of Galea.  Various warring tribes, bent on destroying themsFae,
first found the Light of Truth, the Justice-Bringer, the One True
God - Archanon.  Deep within the Great Valley that lies between the
Northern and Southern Fangs, the Church of Archanon (also known as
the One Church) was founded in Camondel.  No one is quite certain
exactly when or how the worship of Archanon began, although the
Church claims its existence to be since the dawn of time. There are
estimates that the Church came into being around 700 years ago. 
Some speculate that a man of some influence must have misunderstood
some supernatural event he witnessed, or else another used magic to
fool those around him that a true god existed.  Still others
speculate that Archanon was fabricated for the sole purpose of
uniting the warring tribes under one rule; a shrewd move that led
to a select few obtaining great power (this theory is widely held
by both the Druids and the Elvish Nation).
     Whatever the origin, the Church has always determined the fate
and direction of Camon.  At first, the Church merely backed the
feudal lords they thought most capable of bringing stability and
order (the major precepts of the Church, as commanded by Archanon).

With the support of the church and the firm belief that these lords
were ordained to rule, the Kingdom of Camon came into being shortly
after that of Galadrea.
     Like Galadrea, ruling families became Houses.  However, Camon
took on a more "traditional" feudal structure; the land only
belongs to the nobility, and all those who live and serve on that
land are serfs, in most cases little better than slaves.
     Over time, the Church became more and more powerful.  Laws had
to be brought before the leadership of the Church before they could
be enacted (to ensure that no holy dictates were being controverted
or ignored), and all appointments had to be approved as well (to
ensure that no one unblessed by the One True God received unjust
rewards).

     Finally, the perfect moment came for the Church's next move. 
In 2835, King Warick Devane died with no direct heir.  Normally,
the Church would oversee the succession by receiving petitions from
all comers.  However, the Grand Archcardinal declared that Archanon
had spoken to him in a vision.  Archanon was displeased; secular
factions could not rule the Children of Archanon properly, and
chaos and corruption abounded in Camon (never mind that most of
this corruption stemmed directly from the Church itsFae). 
Therefore, the Holy Archcardinal had been ordained to rule, and
Camon was to be converted into a church-state.  Thus, the Prelacy
was born.
     The heads of each House became the Noble Council, and their
role is (tacitly) to provide administration over the lands and act
as an advisory council for the Grand Archcardinal.  In actuality,
they are little more than figureheads; even their land belongs to
the Church first before them ("as is our God's due").  In addition,
the state of a house can change upon the whim of the Church
leadership.  One angered bishop can lead to the second cousin
(once-removed) of a major house suddenly becoming its head and
master.
     By design, the nobility is fractured and manifold; there are
37 recognized houses.  Of those houses, only seven are considered
Greater Houses; the remaining houses are (naturally) referred to as
Lesser Houses.
     The Prelacy of Camon's policies are dictated by the belief
structure of the Church.  They are very oriented towards absolute
order and discipline.  Traditions and conservatism are highly
respected.  Women have little opportunity for advancement and can
hold no major positions; they certainly cannot serve in the
military.  Humans are the only "blessed" race; all others are
either cursed and to be pitied (such as the dwarves, who the
Prelacy must maintain civil relations with to survive) or the
children of Evil (especially Fae).  Obviously, bigotry and racism
are rampant in Camon.  In addition, anyone practicing magic or
essence channeling of any kind is touched by demons and necrolords
and therefore must be brought before the Church to answer for their
crimes (almost always punishable by death).  Obviously, mages and
druids have little love for the Prelacy.

Titles and Ranks of Camon

The Grand Archcardinal (The Most Holy, Anointed and Exalted Lanier Fareneux) - This is the highest office in all of Camon.  He is both
the leader of the nation and the highest authority in the Church of
Archanon.  The current Archcardinal was at one time the Cardinal of
State; he was instated after the passing of the previous
Archcardinal, who named him as the chosen successor.  This is the
most common means of determining who ascends to a particular
position of authority within the Church; the current holder names
a successor.  The successor is ratified by a body of peers, which
is normally only a formality.  The proper form of address for the
Grand Archcardinal is "your Excellency," "your Worship," or "Most
Highness."

The Cardinals - The next highest tier of authority in the Prelacy. 
Technically, they are peers, but there is certainly a "pecking
order."  The following are the Cardinals, in order of their
influence and perceived power.

     The Cardinal of the State (His Excellency, Davon Ord) - Early
     on, this was the only office in the Church that was directly
     and overtly involved in Camon politics.  The Cardinal of the
     State directly interacted with the King and his councilors,
     representing the Church's interests.  Now, this office
     oversees the day-to-day administration of the government, as
     well as all diplomatic issues.  It is, therefore, the direct
     government for the people of Camon.  Davon Ord is a competent
     and capable administrator, but he has a very non-aggressive
     personality.  He is very much Fareneux's man.

     The Cardinal of Judgement (His Excellency, Harken Lorre) -
     Probably the most reviled office in the Church, it is also one
     of the most powerful.  The Cardinal of Judgement is
     responsible for ensuring that all the laws of the Church (and
     therefore, the state) are kept and enforced.  The Holy Courts
     are his jurisdiction, and he has absolute autonomy in pursuing
     the truth of matters.  This means that his servants may use
     coercion, torture, and subterfuge to seek truth and enforce
     laws.  Harken has lived up to the very image of the
     office; he is easily the most feared man in Camon, even next to Fareneux.

The Supreme Paladin of the Holy Sword (His Lordship, Sir Nedderik Juneau) - In the early days, the Paladins of the Holy Sword
     were strictly the protective guards of Church officials.  At
     best, they supplemented Camon military forces, and then only
     in defense.  However, as the Church gained prominence, the
     Paladins became the enforcement arm of the Church, acting on
     the behalf of any of the Cardinals and, eventually, almost any
     church official.  When the Church took over, it took control
     of the Camon military.  The commander of the Paladins became
     the supreme commander of all Camon forces.  The Paladins
     remain the elite force that serves the Church directly, and in
     recent years they have been particularly active in assisting
the Cardinal of Judgement's office.  Sir Nedderik has no equal in single combat and is a monstrosity of a man.

     The Cardinal of the Treasury (His Excellency, Charles Quarrels)
     - The running of a church, especially of one of such large
     proportions, requires an extensive and well-run treasury.  In
     the early times, the duty of overseeing the treasury fell to
     the office of the State, but it grew to such proportions that
     it ultimately justified its own office.  The Cardinal of the
     Treasury now must be a man of particular business acumen, as
     trade and economic issues are his purview.  Quarrels is
     a meticulous man of exacting nature.  He is excellent at
     administering his office, but he is a less-than-popular man. 
     He has little care for politics outside of his office.

     The Cardinal of Holy Records (His Excellency, Wenford Jenkins)
     - The Library of Camon is one of the largest repositories of
     knowledge in all of Shaintar.  Unfortunately, the practice of
     suppressing knowledge is alive and well in Camon, and a large
     percentage of what is stored there is kept from public
     consumption.  This office is the lowest of all Cardinals for
     a reason - it has very little to do with the operation or
     function of the Prelacy.

The Prelates - Each of these individuals is "ranked" as an
archbishop.  There are other archbishops as well, but they do not
hold the same influence as the Prelates.  The Prelates actually
govern portions of Camon.  Technically, they are expected to
"coordinate" with the secular leaders from those areas.  This has
long since been virtually ignored or barely recognized as a
formality anymore.

     The Archbishop of Tyrene (His Excellency, Edwin Branard) -
     Territory includes Tyrene, Purity, and Zyel.

     The Archbishop of Lanier (His Excellency, Sharlon Toman) -
     Includes Lanier and Hart.

     The Archbishop of Furalor (His Excellency, Stephan Corlion) -
     Includes Furalor and Aladel.

     The Archbishop of Centerport (His Excellency, Randolph Evans)
     - Includes Centerport, Deloman, and Rampart.

     The Archbishop of Krinura (His Excellency, Ulric Nollan) -
     Includes Krinura, Branis, and High Port.

The Archbishop of Faraway (His Excellency, Gerard Devane) – Includes Faraway and Northface.

     Note - Citadel Defiance is directly controlled by the Supreme
     Paladin.  Camondel is the city-state of the Grand
     Archcardinal.

Archbishops - This is the level of church-state official that
oversees a particular church of some size and significance (for
example, the church in High Port).  They are also the
administrators of local government.  Still other Archbishops hold
offices as diplomats, judges, arbitrators, and advisors. 
Archbishops are addressed as "Excellency."

Duke - The highest secular title still permitted within Camon. 
Only the heads of the seven recognized Greater Houses may claim the
title.  The seven Houses are Travane (Faraway), Rhodes (High Port),
Baravold (Furalor), Moore (Centerport), Aldayern (Aladel; believed
to be related to the ruling house of Galea), Verrin (Gateway), and
Chantolier (Lanier).
     Only in the most formal (and least important) settings is a
Duke afforded his actual status over such church officials as
Bishops and Vicars.

Bishop - Well-respected and important, Bishops oversee much of the
high-level bureaucracy of Camon, as well as overseeing the mid-size
churches.  Bishops are afforded the "Excellency" address.

Vicar - The next level down, considered little more than a
"between-step" towards Bishop status.  The smallest churches that
still exist within a town are headed by vicars usually.  Vicars are
addressed as "Lordship."

Baron - The title afforded to the heads of the 30 Lesser Houses. 
Their rank has little meaning save to those within their families.

     The bottom ranks of the Church are filled by (in order of
status), Rectors, Curates, Deacons, and Monks.  Each of these is
normally addressed as "Father," although monks are also rightfully
addressed as "Brother."

Other Elements of Note

The Army of Camon - As stated, the Camon military is under the
direct control of the Supreme Paladin; he is functionally the Grand
Marshall.  The rest of the Army is organized in an almost identical
fashion to that of Galea.  The Camon army is about two-thirds the
size of that of Galea, but its discipline level rivals that of the
most crack units of House Olar (of Galea).
     In addition, there is the distinct and separate Paladins of
Archanon, an elite military force of much greater status and (it
must be said) elite capabilities.  Their prowess is matched only
with their fanaticism, making them dangerous foes indeed.

The Navy of Camon - For many years, there was not even such a
thing.  However, the last ten years have seen a dramatic
improvement in Camon's sea power.  They have only one major port
(High Port), but from there they can launch an armada that
certainly challenges the (albeit lacking) Kal-a-nar fleet.  They
still have no hope of meeting the Galean navy (the Northfleet alone
is larger and more capable), but they are certainly no
inconsequential threat.

The Cavaliers - The traditional house guards of the nobility of
Camon, the Cavaliers were all but disbanded when the Church assumed
power.  Their numbers were forcibly reduced to a mere fraction of
their original size, and their role has been diminished to strictly
bodyguard functions.  It is said that the Cavaliers still exist in
greater numbers in an underground fashion.  The Cavaliers are the
originators of the Camon forms common in fencing schools, and their
swordsmanship is legendary.