Vana
The Vana (vɑ:nɑ:) are the highest three castes of Danaij society. They all have carefully documented bloodlines and maintain the purest heritage of all Danaij. The Vana’Maraet are the highest rank, followed by the Vana’Malir, and then the Vana’Melal. The ranks are determined by a combination of bloodlines, wealth, and land holdings of each family and each caste can be correlated to ranks of royalty and nobility.
All three Vana castes are truer to the original Danaij form, though some traits have changed through selective breeding. Heights, for one thing, have trended toward taller for the Vana castes with a current average of 6’ to 6’2” (182-188cm) for males and 5’6” to 5’9” (167-177cm) for females. They are considered the most beautiful of their race. Skin colors are predominantly blue-black or violet-black. Red eyes are most common, but blue and violet occur as well in this caste. The Vana castes also have the longest lifespans, with the potential to live the full extent of the thousand years that the original Danaij were given.
With the sexual proclivities of the Danaij, it is not uncommon for slaves or lower-class concubines to become pregnant through affairs with members of the Vana, but children born of such unions will never be considered legitimate, and will remain at their lower class parent’s station unless they rise to the Shan, Shuri, or Chau of their own effort. Though, financially they may be better off depending on their higher class parent’s affections for them.
Vana’Maraet
The Vana’Maraet (vɑ:nɑ:.mɑ:.reɪt) caste is the caste to which the royal families of Kiran, Mairax, and Nalxad belong. These houses can all trace their ancestry to the founder of their nation.
Members of the Vana’Maraet typically marry from the Vana’Malir or between other royal houses to avoid significant inbreeding, as the three royal houses have been crossed multiple times (in truth, each royal family can claim descent from all of the founding monarchs, but they only focus on the one relevant to their nation). Marriages to the Vana’Melal are rare, though the Vana’Melal have the same bloodlines as the other two Vana classes, it is a question of political worth and honor as the Melal are at the lowest end of political pecking order.
As the Vana’Maraet are the royal families, they have strictly defined lines of succession. The eldest children of the current monarch have the first claim to the throne and push down offspring of the previous generation. Those low in the line of succession often end up removing themselves from the line and joining a Vana’Malir house.
Successions can be violent, however. It is not atypical for elder siblings to be killed by more ambitious younger ones--or more removed relatives. Regardless of how the line of succession is climbed, it is followed none-the-less and the royal houses have a wide pool of heirs to choose from (or murder one's way through).
Vana’Malir
Second to the Vana’Maraet, the Vana’Malir (vɑ:nɑ:.mɑ:.li:r) are high ranking nobility. They are the equivalent of dukes, marquis, earls, and other high ranking noble titles in human societies. They maintain areas of land within their nation and are sworn in loyalty to royal family.
Vana’Malir are intertwined with Vana’Maraet, and Vana’Malir families provide spouses to the royal families. Aside from marrying into the Vana’Maraet, Vana’Malir houses marry between each other, and bring spouses up from the Vana’Melal.
Due to the intertwining bloodlines, there is little risk of a Vana’Malir overthrowing the entire royal house. Ambitious Vana’Malir instead look to marry into the royal family, or throw their support behind heirs in the line of succession they favor. Vana’Malir houses do fight between themselves, claiming land or favor from their sovereign. However, it is not impossible for a Vana’Malir to attempt to overthrow the royal house, or attempt to establish their own state, in which they would then become Vana’Maraet.
Vana’Melal
The third ranked caste, the Vana’Melal (vɑ:nɑ:.me.lɑ:l) are lower ranking nobility that is equivalent to barons, viscounts, and other lower noble classes. They owe loyalty to a select Vana’Malir house and own rights to smaller tracts of land within the domain, while paying homage to their Vana’Malir superiors.
Marriage unions between Vana’Melal houses under the same or allied Vana’Malir dominion are common, and many Vana’Melal marry up. There are rare instances of Vana’Melal marrying into the Vana’Maraet. While they are subject to the same regulation of bloodlines as the higher Vana castes, Vana’Melal houses are lower in status for a number of reasons.
One reason for a Vana’Melal house's rank is due to birth order or parentage of the founding ancestor. The Vana’Melal caste can be viewed as a starting point for a new noble house. A child born into the Vana’Maraet or Vana’Malir but low in the line of succession with limited marriage prospects may be only able to establish a new house, and thus begin as Vana’Melal. Illegitimate issue of a Vana union are also able to begin their own house if they are not legitimized by either of their Vana parents.
Another reason is the result of violent house politics or war. Conflict frequently arises between houses of similar rank, and in such situations, it is not uncommon for one house to attempt to completely wipe out their enemy. Any survivors have the opportunity to reestablish their house, beginning at the bottom of the chain. If, in such a conflict, one house surrenders, they will forfeit 75% of their holdings and be reduced in rank. Due to the value of Vana bloodlines, even losers of house battles are not fully forsaken.
Rare in house politics, but common in international warfare, members of Vana houses can be taken as slaves. While they are reduced to the rank of Vauth, their bloodlines still have value and they are only traded between other Vana houses, often as concubines. Any children born to a Vana-born slave and their Vana master is legally free and able to marry into or establish their own house in the Vana’Melal.
Vana’Melal houses can increase in rank by absorbing other houses of the same rank until their holdings match Vana’Malir, or supplanting a Vana’Malir house that has fallen out of favor or grown weak.
