The Rhoswenii Dream

[Draeris 3124]

The Valley of Cathalon, a painting of 1765

 

THE RHOSWENII DREAM

A PUBLICATION FOR THE RHOSWENII BOOK OF CULTURE, 1766

 

AUTHORED BY:

PREMIER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF KAEDRIN

ARCHBISHOP & CARDINAL OF ALBAROSA

Laurence August Pruvia
 

PRUVIAN HOUSE OF LITERATURE

Pruvia District Nr. 5, Owynsburg

Commonwealth of Kaedrin

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. PREAMBLE

II. DEFINING RHOSWENII

III. FACETS OF THE RHOSWENII DREAM

IV. MODERN FORMULATION

V. THE RHOSWENII DREAM

 

PREAMBLE

 

Mankind is familiar with the concept of symbolism behind terms: vocabulary that, due to a historical context, transcend their literal definitions. The Rhoswenii dream is such a term, as it refers to a set of  extremely abstract and esoteric worldviews that has defined the Kaedreni ever since the foundation of The White Rose. 

 

To define and analyse an ‘aesthetic’ and ‘feeling’, is a challenge that requires ample hands and great care. Those that partake in The Rhoswenii dream don’t necessarily reflect on the way it influences their lives or what its definition even is. Yet the Kaedreni can make a distinction between a Helenite and a Kaedreni purely on the basis of lifestyle and values.

 

In this publication, I will use my unique duality of clerical and governmental insights to pen a proper analysis of the components that found The Rhoswenii dream. It would be a welcome benefit if the newcomers to the Commonwealth can profoundly understand its cultural heart, and its natives can see their fabric defined and explained.

 

This publication is a part of a greater cultural work: to be known as ‘The Rhoswenii Book of Culture’, wherein the many facets of Kaedreni culture shall be enshrined and further elaborated upon. Ending generations of word-to-mouth continuation of this particular identity.

 

DEFINING RHOSWENII

 

The term Rhoswenii is often used interchangeably with Kaedreni, even though there is a crucial difference between the two. Kaedreni is an all encompassing term for residents within the Commonwealth of Kaedrin, while Rhoswenii refer to lineages that originated from The White Rose - whose capital county in ancient Anthos was, quite obviously, named Rhoswen.

 

Houses such as Helvets, Marna & Reden have branches that go back to the genesis of Kaedrin and this esteemed military organization. This is deemed important due to the frontier nature of previous Kaedreni statehoods, where military hierarchies and the aristocratic families behind them embodied all that these states were. 

 

FACETS OF THE RHOSWENII DREAM

 

The Rhoswenii Dream consists of various facets, from political to spiritual, that shapes a cohesive worldview that the Kaedreni adhere and aspire to manifest. When classifying each individually, one can trace back the individual origins of something that now encompasses each Kaedreni life entirely. 

 

THE FRONTIER 

 

Militarism

The first renditions of Kaedrin as a nation were placed as a frontier between the realm of mankind and that of the Elves. The perpetual conflict with the Elves, and the reliance on military structures, established a fair degree of militarism in the day to day lives. A family that resided in the older Kaedrins relied on military salaries, business and employment to survive and thrive. Titles of peerage or capital were less relevant in comparison to holding high office within the White Rose, who went as far to attach a title of King to that of Grandmaster of the Order.

 

Understanding this, one can argue that the prominent presence and reverence of troops creates an extensive romanticization of professional military careers. A young Rhoswenii has plenty of reason to, and is exposed to large quantities of influence, that makes him aspire to be a military hero from early on. To be able to serve your nation and expand it is the greatest manifestation of Rhoswenii destiny, and lives on as popular folktales and memorials in eras of peace.

 

Agrarianism

Rhoswenii ancestors had lived and prospered in a frontier state. But what this exactly meant depends on what you perceive as a ‘frontier’. The early renditions of Kaedrin were marked by a collection of estates granted by soldiers, and recently settled hamlets in conquered elven lands. The lack of infrastructure and urbanization was compensated by the strong presence of nature, in the forms of vast plains and strong agrarianism.

 

This way of life dominated Rhoswenii history, being only shortly interrupted by the days of the Veszian metropole in the Republican Era. It has instilled a cultural need to live spacious and to have your own crops, with various Rhoswenii families growing from their autarky to large commercial enterprises. Even though the days of an endless frontier, conquest and decentralization are over: the modern Kaedreni still prides itself with estates and their agrarian lifestyles.

 

ARISTOCRACY

 

Schmoozing

The Rhoswenii enjoyed a stark duality in reputation and perceived lifestyle: either being the warrior-kings of yore, or the wealthiest peers of the Empire. It should be to no surprise that the modern aristocratic trends such as wigs and cigarettes find their origin in the Commonwealth, much like how  ancient pastimes such as hunting were reformed to indulge the modern Rhoswenii. 

 

The common comfort with weaponry and access to vast swathes of nature and plains made hunting an elegant pastime for the family, but also promoted space-demanding hobbies such as golfing or horse riding. The Commonwealth always was a complex pile of statecraft, which made these pastimes the perfect occasion to resolve matters of state: avoiding the bureaucracy and complicated relationships between jurisdictions in the process. Schmoozing, as the Rhoswenii call it, is the coal that burns the furnace. Specific cultural circumstances made it as essential as it is.

 

Tradition

The Rhoswenii had faced near extinction in more or less dramatic ways throughout their centuries of existence: from the all-or-nothing siege of the Dreadfort to the tough restoration after the burning of Ves. In every instance the Rhoswenii managed to persist, reunite and restore a successor to the infamous White Rose state. 

 

This reverence of the old ways and lineages manifests in traditions that might seem arbitrary to the outside: why must gatherings to drink wine be so formally initiated? Why do they address folks by titles instead of names? Why is violence frowned upon, until it involves honour? Because this is how it has always been among the Rhoswenii. The old ways are what binds the Rhoswenii to a social contract that transcends their nationhood.

 

MODERN FORMULATION

 

The Commonwealth anno 1765 is a unique rendition of Kaedrin: for the first time, newer lineages and cultures have taken a dominant place in government and society. With most Rhoswenii houses either extinct or low on offspring, the heritage of the Rhoswenii dream now is placed in new hands with new interpretations. We consider this the modern formulation of this concept: one that takes into account the different cultures and histories of the beholders.

 

THE OFFICIAL FORMULATION  OF THE COMMONWEALTH

 

Interpretation through policy

In an attempt to restore the Commonwealth to its former glory, and in turn attract migrants from other corners of the Empire: the Commonwealth government repetitively advertised to migrants to ‘come to Kaedrin and chase the Rhoswenii dream’.

 

This advertised version removes the ethnic component that most Rhoswenii ideologies have, being oddly Josephite in universality and accessibility to all. Instead of focusing on the historical status quo of the rural frontier and aristocratic, it rather shines a light on the opportunity and value that an individual can enjoy in the Commonwealth. The narrative goes that if you are competent and civilized, you too can sip champagne in the estates of the Rhoswenii upper echelon. The dream isn’t tied to lineage, as much as it is to your own excellence. 

 

The many versions of the Residency Bill by the Alderman of Civil Affairs, the State of the Commonwealth speeches and Mayor Bren’s housing policy reaffirm this: with a variety of cultures and lineages being closely involved in governance due to their sheer excellence. They too are now a part of Kaedrin’s fabric, with its dreamy landscapes and excessive wealth. 

 

CLERICAL FORMULATION

 

Interpretation through God

The Commonwealth is remarkably symbiotic with the Holy Church of the Canon, in that most of the Albarosian and Veszian clergy simultaneously hold a variety of government offices in Kaedrin. Although they do not necessarily stray from the official rendition by its government, the clergy experience and describe the Rhoswenii dream differently from their contemporaries.

 

Primarily, it links the clerical offices of the Church in Kaedrin with its echelons and wealth, Bishops and Archbishops being treated similarly to Counts and Dukes respectively. On top of that, the clergy plays an essential role in realizing the ‘aesthetic’ of the Rhoswenii dream: either through their vineyards, attraction of dignitaries or many experiencing a rags to riches story. The (former) Bishops of Ves are a good example: men who started as a poor farmhands and now schmooze with the Rhoswenii elite. This is a consistent occurrence among the clergy, rendering it a strong influence on how they perceive the Commonwealth as a society.

 

They furthermore emphasize the divine precedents of extravagant living found in the Holy Scrolls, rather than focusing on economic opportunity like the government does. The good are rewarded with wealth in capital, friends and family: and showing these off is a form of gratitude to God. This paves the way for the extravagant, socialite lifestyle that all in Kaedrin aspire to have to find its way in the clergy as well. They can participate in it too, despite their vows to God and His Institution. 

 

THE RHOSWENII DREAM

 

In summary: the Rhoswenii dream is both a goal and a reality in which the many citizens of the Commonwealth adhere to. It describes what success is: the ability to reside in a spacious estate where you own its land, where you can live extravagantly and self-sufficiently: finding yourself among socialites and the opportunities they offer. Achieving this would be the greatest emancipation and indulgence a human can achieve. It serves as a goal Rhoswenii and migrants can aspire to achieve during their lives in the Commonwealth, as much as it defines who is accomplished and who is not for Rhoswenii standards. 

[Sliw 226]

“Life could be a dream, if only I could take you to Kaedrin up above” Edmund hums as he reads the publication

[BigMacMoMo 214]

Erasmus leans back in a chair after a long day of work, champagne glass in hand. “Truly the Rhoswenii dream is possible for all.”