Get is a powerful, relatively young empire. The people of Get live under a monarchal system. There are many smaller people groups in the Empire, but all are under the leadership of local lords. These lords are under the Emperor.

The current Emperor of Get is the iron handed Malcom Cantron. His is know as the Royal Lion and has a rampant lion on his shield. The hands of his great, great, great grandfather forged a mighty empire. This man's name was Merrick. The many small kingdoms are now one. Malcolm wears a simple silver circle on his head, when on his throne, but at other times wears no adornment. A secret branded birthmark identifies him and his heir, the Royal Prince Maximus.

Outside the borders of the Empire of Get, there is war. Get and Odeland are in direct competition for trade routes to the Tarabethian Islands. They are also at war over the actual control of these islands. The rivalry is especially bitter due to the religious differences between the two nations.

Get believes that all gods and goddesses are not divine, but merely saints. Merrick was an avatar, of a sort, but not a true incarnation of The Divine Father. He was a mouthpiece and held The Father's essence, but he was human when he was born and went back to being human in the afterlife. The theology is pretty complex.

Odeland not only believes in her own goddess, Odella, but also in The Divine Mother. She acknowledges the possibility of a father type figure impregnating The Divine Mother, but reserves worship for this Mother. She refuses to speculate on the nature of any father figure. Besides this, she also is a female centered society, as opposed to Get, which is male oriented. This is the cause of the many, many wars that have gone on between these two empires.

The People

The people of Get are varied in their looks, because they are from different stocks. The emperors have forced intermarrying and integration, so there are no set racial features anymore. All the people of Get support the Emperor and the State Religion. Most of the people of Get are farmers. There are also many craftsmen and merchants. Get controls the trade routes through the Desolation of Lester.

The people that were conquered to make up the Empire of Get worshipped different gods and goddesses. There were actually four for the various peoples who were conquered. These gods and goddesses were Peltan, Brock, Mendolin and Jasp'ta. They have been relegated to being saints. It is heresy to worship them as divine, though some still do. Still, they are respected saints of the church.

The Northern most people under the care of Saint Peltan are a short, stocky folk. They are a hardy and adventuresome folk.

The folk in the middle area under the care of Saint Mendolin are a very dark people, with curly black hair. They are tall and lean as well. These people are somewhat nomadic and travel the deserts on camels. In recent centuries, they have become merchants, traveling the dangerous desert between the Northern and Southern half of the Empire. They also farm along the river that cuts through the desert.

The folk to the South West under the care of Saint Brock are a people of medium size, with generally light coloring. They are a quiet, contented folk.

The folk to the South East under the care of Saint Jasp'ta are a tall, muscular folk. Their skin is tanned and their hair is black or dark brown. They are fierce warriors and very devoted to the cause of winning The World for The Divine Father.

All of these folk have been breeding together for generations now. It is common to see the features of a Northerner on a Southerner and also the reverse. The Emperors have moved whole villages and towns to different parts of the Empire, in an attempt to create one people. It has always been thought that if the whole population is mixed enough, they will stop fighting amongst themselves. This seems to be the case, since even the most base and common folk are committed to the cause of converting all The World by the word or the sword.

The State Religion

The people of Get worship Merrick The Undying. They believe The Divine Father and sent only one true avatar of himself to The World, in the form of a man named Merrick. The Divine Mother worshiping nations of The World do not accept Merrick. He died leading a holy war against Odeland. Emperor Malcom Cantron is his direct descendant. They believe in "the Mother", but reason that she was merely the seed carrier for The Divine Father. She is divine and a goddess, but is not the Creator. The Holy Gettan Church supports prayer to many saints who have the ear of The Divine Father.

His followers believed that he returned to life and is now ever living. They believe he waits for all true believers in a better world. The Emperor of Get is the guardian of a sacred trust. He is commissioned to spread the worship of The Divine Father, through the worship of Merrick, to the entire World. This has traditionally been done by military conquest.

Some heretical scholars and monks claim that Merrick did merely was using prophesies of the one who would bring peace to claim divinity. They say he only used this claim to consolidate his Empire, in the name of peace, or the Peace of Get. These heretics are usually burned at the stake, or ripped apart by monster in the arenas.

The Nobility and Army

Many Lords and Under Lords govern the Empire of Get. The Under Lords also have Knights under them. The Knights are charged with the defense of the Empire of Get. They form militias and train them whenever they are not farming or fishing or what have you. The Knights are also excellent heavy cavalry. There are also some standing armies and a massive standing navy.

These knights are all male. The first-born male son will inherit his father's title and lands. Daughters can heir if there is no male son, but when they get married (and they are expected to get married) their husbands become the new heir.

Every man is considered a part of the army. All carry long daggers or short swords at all times. All of them are drilled during the winter seasons in formation fighting.  The entire Empire is an army. Most men receive a long fighting knife when they turn fifteen and are of age.  It is common for them to receive quilted armor and a shield as well, since most spend a few years in the army.

Those who serve in the actual armed forces are heavily trained in formation fighting and are trained to use short swords, pole arms and crossbows. These forces commonly have quilted armor.  The upper level sergeants sometimes have studded leather.  A far few may have some simple chain elements to their armor.

The knights and other nobles use swords, spears and lances, excellent chargers and various other hand weapons.  Plate armor is virtually unknown as of yet.  Most knights will wear chain mail or some variant.  Small bits of plate mail are just starting to be used, but would only be available to kings.  Many young noble lords do little else with their time than train for battle. They travel around the countryside fighting each other in brutal mock combat, looking for gallant quests to complete, each one hoping to make a name for himself. They have their own code of chivalry that extends to fighting for The Father, protecting the weak and the innocent (or at least those who acknowledge the Father) and using any excuse to initiate combat with other noble knights.

Cities

There are three large cities in the Get Empire. To the North is Barkus. To the South West is Kent. To the South West is the capitol of Mogg. All three cities are surrounded by massive stonewalls that contain throngs of humanity. The poor, the sinners, the holy, the rich and the insane dwell within. Each city has a palace of the Emperor. He travels from city to city every year or two. His chief residence is in Mogg. It is an ornate golden palace covered with angels, saints and gargoyles.

Economy

The economy of Get is built on the backs of her surfs. Most of the population is dirt-poor farmers, working the lands of the landed nobles. There is some sea trade as well, but not to the extent that Odeland trades. It is virtual slave labor that makes Get mighty. Get also uses actual slaves. Gobyns, Tarabethian Islanders and captured Odeland citizens are used for dangerous and backbreaking tasks such as mining and monument building. Even the surfs can look down on the slaves. Some of these slaves are also used in the households of the nobles. Some of these slaves can read and write and are treated almost as members of the family, though they are not truly free.

There is a skilled merchant class in the cities and the large towns. These merchants have their own guilds and can grow quite rich. There is distinct gender separation when it comes to professions. No one "crosses over". Even skilled female weavers are under the direction and control of the males of their family.

Young boys are often apprenticed to their own fathers, but second and third sons are apprenticed to men of other professions, if they family business will not support the extra workers. There are new businesses starting all the time though. Some of these young men go to sea as well. When a boy is apprenticed to another man than his father, he actually becomes a part of the other man's family. The other man pays a substantial price to the boy's family and adopts him as a son.

There is a major trade route from the North to the South, through the desert. Metals come from the north and fabrics and spices travel north. The trade route through the desert is controlled by the dark nomadic desert folk and is a safe route for the most part.

The South grows many warm weather fruits and crops. The South also produces spices and good fabrics. The minerals and metals that the expanding Empire need come from the mines to the north.

Women and men can mix with each other in the streets, but it is men who do most business dealings. Women do dealings with other women in secret, by sending their children as go betweens. They could not do it openly in the street. They can walk the streets, but there is little point.  When walking in the streets, the women avoid looking at or talking to men. Even in buying food for the table, the women must rely on their children or their men. Girls can do business until they are about twelve, and then they have the same restrictions as the women.

Clothing

The people of the Get Empire dress in very similar clothing across the Empire. Men and boys all wear simple brown or black tunics and boots. Even the Emperor wears such attire, though the quality is vastly better than even that of a merchant class man. Adornments are not used. When armor is worn, black or brown cloaks are still worn over the armor. The only exception is the desert, where white is a common color. This is considered the respectful and sober uniform of a citizen of the Get Empire. All males over fifteen are considered a part of the military and are required to carry a long, curved knife at all times. Only knights and other nobles can carry long swords, but any man can carry a short sword and a buckler. Headscarves are also worn. They serve to cover the head in bad weather. The richest of men can afford the cloth needed to wear true wrapped turbins.

Women wear similar garb, but their tunics are longer, extending to below their knees. They also wear slacks under the tunic. They wear leather shoes or sandals, depending on the terrain. The women also wear the headscarves and keep their heads covered when in public. They do not hide their faces, but do keep their heads covered, out of respect for their men. Many carry short, lethal knives in their sleeves. Even the richest of women are not allowed adornment, but their clothing is made of fine silk and trimmed with lace. The richest of women can afford tunics that are almost sheer and weight next to nothing.

Slave wear whatever they were wearing when they became slaves, until the day that they die.  If their clothing was expensive though, it is taken from them and they are issued cast-offs of dead slaves.  Life is short for most slaves, so new clothing is not much of a concern.

Family

Family life revolves around the father. He is the lord of the household. Everyone obeys him. He is the first to eat and gets the best portions. The role of the wife and all the children is to obey and serve the father.

When the sons come of age, at fifteen, they are given the same respect as the Father, but they must still obey him. Until the father dies, his sons will still obey him. The oldest son becomes the new patriarch upon his father's death.

Extended families live with everyone in the same house. Quarters are cramped for the poor. When a girl gets married, usually before she is sixteen, she leaves her family and becomes the "burden" of her husband's family. Her family pays a dower to cover the "trouble" for her new family.

Inheritance always goes to the first-born son. He must watch over all his brothers and their families though. When a family gets to big, then usually send the extra sons off to be soldiers. These sons stay with the army, winning honor for their families, and hopefully dying honorably. This keeps the population down. It is a largely hidden practice, but it is legal for a father to kill an unwanted daughter if he has to many. It must be done before she is two weeks old though.

Slavery

The Empire of Get uses slavery. Slaves come from captured enemies, the Tarabethian Islanders and the Gobyns. Some Parkik clan members are also slaves, though they are a tough people to conquer or raid.  Criminals and outlaws are also commonly sentenced to slavery, if they are not executed.  These criminals are not slaves for life though, but are given sentences.  They still hold themselves above the other slaves and are still considered children of the Father.

Get is willing to free any and all prisoners, except Gobyns, who will swear allegiance to The Divine Father and His Avatar Merrick. They become brothers and are absorbed into the surf population if they are commoners, or the lower nobility if they are nobles. The same is true of lands captured by the Empire. If they will swear allegiance, they are spared and even allowed to keep their homes and livelihoods.

The Gobyns are not believed to be human and therefore do not have a soul. They are considered evil beings created by the monster Lister. The conditions that they live under are terrible and inhuman. Those who will not swear allegiance are seen as agents of evil and kin to the Gobyns. They are treated the same.

Some Gobyns are use by rich and idle noble houses as servants. This is not really approved of by the church, but for the nobles it is another amusement in their otherwise pointless life. Some even amuse themselves by educating these "beasts" and treating them like they belong to the family, but it can end at any moment, if the novelty wears off.

Slaves are considered fair game for rape, murder and any other amusement that the slave masters may cook up. On a boring winters night, many a master has been know to have his dogs and a slave fight to the death. On the rare occasion that a slave actually manages to kill or serious hurt one of the dogs, he is filled with bolts to protect the valuable life of the dogs.

Housing

Nobles and wealth skilled workers generally live in heavily decorated stone houses with good tiled roofs. In the South West, adobe is used, but the houses are still ornate. Despite still having simple unadorned dress, the rich have houses that are filled with marble, gold and silver. Get is famous for it's intricate tiled floors and skillfully painted walls.

The poor live in decent, but simple housing. Adobe is used a lot in the South West and sod is used in other places. The nomadic desert dwellers use well-constructed, heavy-duty tents that are large enough to hold whole extended families.