Arondor

From their tall spires and colorful palaces, Arondor watches Telumar as if it was their property with a sense of cosmic responsibility. Outsiders look at Arondor and don't see past their shallow displays of elegance; but the Arondorian elites know they are the custodians of this world, charged by the Wandering Gods themselves to preserve it and prepare it for their return. Their gilded halls, endless layers of titles, and ritualized protocols are simply expressions of their devotion for their ultimate purpose.
In Arondor, devotion is a virtue, and devotion is expressed through wealth, rank, and power. For, if they are to be the servants of the Gods, they should strive to be worthy of their glory. And while most people won't get to the top of the social hierarchy, it is their belief that those that fullfil their maximum potential will become Faint Divinities after their mortal form passes away.

Social organization

Arondorian society is divided into a strict caste system determined by birth, although social advancement is possible. Every year, during a public ceremony, Arondorian citizen have a chance to move up (or down) a level based on the amount of respect they accumulated during the year.

The Exalted: These are at the top of Arondor society and consist mostly of the leaders of the ruling houses. Becoming an Exalted implies becoming part of the ruling council of the country, and they are considered to be inherently superior to everyone else in every single way. In most cases, the only way to become an Exalted is being the heir of one. When an Exalted passes away, it is believed they become a Faint Divinity.
The Illustrious: The direct families of the Exalted, as well as most wealthy people in Arondor, form the Illustrious caste. This is the highest caste anyone can realistically aspire to and are roughly equivalent to the nobility of other nations. The Illustrious have lands of their own—always overseen by an Exalted—and the most influential ones can be responsible for thousands of people.
The Esteemed: Arondorians in this caste usually have a stable source of income and enough wealth to have their own house, even if it's small. This includes merchants, high-level workers, small to medium business owners, and most members of the clergy.
The Blessed: The lowest caste of all includes servants, low-level workers, and generally people who can't afford to have properties. Arondor doesn't have slavery, and therefore the Blessed have rights and are considered full citizens, at least in theory.

When people of other lands visit Arondor, they are generally treated in accordance to their wealth and power. In general, the Lendari are always considered to be of the Blessed caste.

The danger from below

Arondor has an uneasy relationship to Grothon, the underground kingdom that exists within its borders. The surface nation accepts Grothon's sovereignty because—just like their undeground neighbors—they believe great danger lies beneath the surface, and they'd rather have someone else deal with the problem. However, unlike Grothonians, Arondorians don't believe the dangers beneath have anything to do with the Gods.

The Silver City

Daurda, the city of silver and shadow, used to be part of Arondor, but its current situation is complicated. The militaristic nation of Liyume occupied a significant portion of Arondorian land, including Daurda. When Liyume realized how difficult it would be to enforce their laws in such a place, they offered it back to Arondor. However, Arondor refused on the same grounds and claimed that, since Liyume had taken the city, they should now deal with it. Nowadays, then, Liyume claims that Daurda is part of Arondor, while Arondor refuses to acknowledge it, leaving the city as a technically self-governing nation.

The Chosen Nation

Centuries ago, during the period known as Time Immemorial, the Wandering Gods left Telumar. And when they did, they gave a series of commands to the group of people who would later found the nation of Arondor. These commands were written in the Codex of Divinity, a book that is displayed to the public once a year but the contents of which are completely secret to anyone but the Exalted. Allegedly, this Codex explains in great detail everything Telumar will need to know to welcome the Gods when they return.

Neighboring Nations

Communities

Arondor is inspired by the Highborne community, but an Arondorian character could easily be from a variety of different communities too.
Orderborne characters could come from military or religious backgrounds—maybe even related to the Codex of Divinity. Underborne characters could originate from Grothon, Ridgeborne could come from the neighboring Voronta, and Slyborne could hail from Daurda, the Silver City.