In a new series, drawing on DDS, Sirikwanese and Dino intelligence resources we will examine the mysterious Bolitic Confederacy and attempt to draw light on this aggressive faction.
The Bolitic Confederacy are a warlike people descended from Dino settlers in the now little known original technical civilisation on Dino-Land millennia ago. The Bolitic are very different to the Dinos and hate them very much. The Bolitic Confederacy is a collection of hundreds of baronys all competing with each other for influence and resources though in reality only around 12 baronys are strong enough to have any real influence and maintain a space fleet, other baronys subcontract their resources and manpower to these elite.
Each barony is headed by a Baron who has an official residence and territory somewhere usually on the capital planet Castarian (though some recent baronys have set up on other worlds in the Confederacy). Bolitic society is rigidly hierarchical though money can provide a shortcut (see below). Baron titles are hereditary though the Baron's heir can (and increasingly is) passed over in favour of someone else. Murder is considered an acceptable way to replace the Baron but only by a legitimate heir, which is why most Barons send their sons away to seek service with other Barons as soon as they can hold a blaster.
The Bolitic Confederacy itself is headed by the Baron with the most powerful army and fleet, informally he is known as the Emperor though this title is unofficial. Currently Baron Aliowati has this position. He has survived at least 42 assassination attempts over the last few years, in fact it is over 200 years since the last "Emperor" died peacefully.
Other barons are often in combat against each other though the Emperor can order them to cease hostilities if he wishes, for example if the Bolitic have to pool forces against a common foe or the battlezone is close to where the Emperor wishes to play golf as happened recently.
Below the baron are the knights, who are the commanders of his army. These are freemen who are knighted by the Baron or are the sons of other knights. A knight cannot serve the same Baron as his father though and young knights when they come of age must leave the barony of their birth and seek employment elsewhere. Many, especially those not so good at fighting, do not succeed and instead are employed by the Central Facility. Knights who do find a new baron however then tend to remain with the barony for the rest of their lives, no matter how many times the baron himself is replaced. Trusted knights can hope to be chosen to succeed the baron though of course many just live out a life of service and then retire. A few knights do assemble the money they need to set up their own barony though as the amount needed is huge (5 million zarks alone for the various fees, probably 3 or 4 times that to actually set up a barony).
Knights (and barons for that matter) cannot be stripped of their titles though sons of knights in disgrace can be stripped of the right to inherit their father's status. Knights in disgrace are kicked out of their barony and often end up as outlaws, or enter civilian life. Selling insurance is a common occupation for them for some reason.
Below the knights are the freemen, civilian and military. The military are the footsoldiers of the Confederacy. Each owes allegiance to the knight first and then his baron second. Civilians tend to have allegiance to the baron in whose territory they live. For inhabitants of the major cities which fall outside of any barony allegiance tends to be to the Emperor. Freemen who excel in service can be knighted by the baron though there is no money shortcut to become a knight. Soldiers who cannot find the service of a knight are in a kind of limbo and many join the Central Facility.
