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Utopique is set in Arden Grove, a city in the Kingdom of Butterwick, in the world of Merriwynne. Information about the government system here can be ICly obtained via speaking to NPCs or requesting books be sent to Crepe's library, but for OOC purposes, we'll go over it here. More information will be added to this page as the metaplot progresses.
► Who are the royal family?
The Kingdom of Butterwick is a monarchy, ruled by the same royal family line for hundreds of years. The Palace of Roses, in the capital city Fairflower, houses both the royal family themselves and many offices of official governance. Currently, the reigning monarch is King Michetta, along with his consort Queen Baguette. They are in their early 40s and have 5 children, in line for the throne according to age.
► Who are the council?
While the monarch's word is law in Butterwick, he or she has been traditionally advised by a council representing the various regions and social factions of the country. The makeup of the council has been the same for centuries, and most civilian positions have been passed down from parent to child in the same way as the monarchy itself. Due to this, the council now has a heavy influence on the King, and decisions are not often made that directly contradict the advice of the council. There are 15 total seats on the council, as follows:
- The Captain of the Royal Guard
- The General of the Rose Knights
- The High Constable of the Military Police
- The Minister of the Interior
- The Minister of Finance
- The Master of the Fairflower Merchant’s Guild
- The Master of the Fairflower Artisan’s Guild
- 8 appointed councilors from major cities across Butterwick, to represent the interests of their home areas
► How exactly does the military work?
The military in Butterwick is made up of three major factions:
- The Royal Guard - The guard is a small, elite force of knights who protect the palace and other important sites across the country. They are sworn directly to the monarch and answer only to him and their captain. The position of Captain of the Royal Guard, de facto military leader of Butterwick, isn't easy to win, and has historically kept loyal to the royals even in times of social unrest. The Royal Guard also employs 3 special knights, the King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and First Knight, personal protectors of the king, queen, and crown prince or princess respectively. Though they answer to the captain, they hold no rank within the guard, in order to prevent conflicts of interest.
- The Rose Knights - The main military force of Butterwick is the Rose Knights. Including army, navy, and special forces, they are the bulk of the country's military might. With the end of long-term war 50 years ago, the knights have been cautiously scaling back their numbers.
- The Military Police - The military police, while not technically a combat force, are the basic guards and detectives of settlements in Butterwick. Each town of significant size has a local captain, all of whom report to the High Constable and his deputies in Fairflower. Many ex-knights, either retired or laid off due to peacetime, have joined the police in recent years. In wartime, police officers and other staff are army reserves, and to join the police one must agree to be drafted in case of emergency.
► You mentioned a war. What happened there?
For generations, Butterwick was at war with its southern neighbor, the desert kingdom of Lorlea. The war continued on and off, and even peacetime came with political tension. In some ways, the war provided jobs and increased production and discovery in certain sectors. But it also took many, many lives.
50 years ago, the King of Butterwick took a mortal wound in battle. He was succeeded by his daughter, First Princess Challa. While her father was traditional and warlike, Challa was more forward-thinking. The people were tired of war, and she was ready to end it. She began correspondence with the crown princess or Lorlea, Arepa, while her father lay wounded. Shortly after his death and Challa's coronation, the then-Queen of Lorlea died of a sudden mysterious illness. While some suspected foul play, Arepa's promises of peace meant her succession was largely unchallenged. Together, Challa and Arepa put the war to (what appears to be) its final rest, with a true peace treaty. Since then, trade and industry have been flourishing, as the new Queens put forth plans of financial recovery and social progress.
Unfortunately, Queen Challa died young of natural causes, when her eldest was only 16. King Michetta's early rise to power has played a part in his comparatively high reliance on the council, and the shift of power in their favor during his now 26-year reign. Advancement of social change has also slowed, as the council is largely opposed to quick of extreme change, leading to the current climate of stirring unrest.
Four years ago, there was an attempt by a small group of people to revive the war by assassinating key political figures and distributing false information. They were defeated before their plans could come to fruition, but the incident cost the life of a 15 year old girl. Strangely, the identity of that girl seems to be unknown, and there are a few people involved at the time who carry conflicting memories of being seriously wounded despite knowing that they were, in fact, not wounded at all.
► Who are the main NPCs?
While other characters may appear now and then in the background, there are six major NPCs in Utopique with whom characters can interact mostly during metaplot events. If you'd like to include any of these NPCs in a player plot, contact the mods and we'll see what we can do!
 | Crepe
Age: 17
Features: Cat
Talent: connecting doorways
Journal: ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) ohcrepe
Contact: here
Crepe is the person responsible for PCs' coming and going in Arden Grove. At age 14 she left her village and mother to use her Talent for the benefit of the military police. A few months prior to the start of the game, her ability began to run out of control, eventually resulting in the arrival of your characters. She resides now in a large house in Arden Grove, where she runs both a private library and a clinic for the visitors brought in by her Talent. She isn't exactly in favor of the class system, but she isn't in opposition either -- she's lived a sheltered life for the most part and doesn't give much thought to political things.
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 | Filone
Age: 20
Features: Lion
Talent: talking to animals
Journal: lioff
The eldest child of the king, Filone is the current First Prince of Butterwick. While this means he's first in line for the thone, Filone is not particularly politically minded. He is, however, kind and good with people, and is very popular among the wider population. He's eager to help PCs, but as he's needed at the palace, he can only be contacted via long-distance means. Filone is skeptical of the class system, but sees it as his duty to introduce progress according to protocol, with care for the potential fallout.
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 | Brioche
Age: 21
Features: Osprey
Talent: "loyal sight"
Journal: ospreyes
Brioche is the First Knight, personal bodyguard to First Prince Filone. As a young child with noble parents, he was selected as one of Filone's playmates. They lost touch at they got older, but rekindled their friendship during secondary school. Brioche's Talent gives him the ability to see, at any time, the location and general well-being of his most important person. Given that person remains Filone, as it is now, it makes him especially valuable as a bodyguard. He's not particularly invested in social change, but since Filone wants to do it, he's behind it.
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 | Eclair
Age: 26
Features: Wolf
Talent: deductive scent
Journal: howlsitgoin
Contact: here
Eclair is the captain of the military police in Arden Grove. His family traditionally served as knights for generations, but along with other crown loyalists, they've recently been elbowed out by the council in a bid to cement their influence. While still loyal to the royal family, Eclair is greatly cynical about the intentions of the council. He sees the corruption of the current class system, but is concerned about the loss of peace and prosperity that a social revolution could cause. Thus he hasn't made a big effort to change his own biases -- it's more important to him to keep things orderly and safe. His Talent gives him the ability to identify, by smell, anyone who's touched an item in the past 24 hours.
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 | Ciabatta
Age: ??
Features: Crow
Talent: ???
Journal: cawnflict
Contact: here
Ciabatta is the leader of the White Lilies, the primary underground faction in Arden Grove. The Lilies are a criminal organization that deals in smuggling, prostitution, and the drug trade. However, they consider this a means justified by the end. Ciabatta and his men have a sort of Robin Hood idealism, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. They protect bad neighborhoods where the police are unwanted or ineffective and campaign for the end of the classist social order, funding their overt cause with dirty money.
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 | Naan
Age: ???
Features: ???
Talent: ???
Journal: hissoff
A shady merchant of mysterious origin and features, Naan is the proprietor of the Dragon Wagon, generally found parked in Bluebird's Bazaar. Whether he's just capitalizing on the arrival of the visitors or carrying a secret agenda has yet to be seen.
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