Slavery

Throughout much of the world of Avaria, some form of slavery exists as a part of many different societies. Enslaved peoples perform important roles in many of these societies, from agricultural labor to teaching to military service. Some forms of slavery are harsher than others, just as some the jobs are more difficult and demeaning. Some slaves can rise to positions of prominence and even power in their societies, while others remain condemned to a life of drudgery. But while the burden of some enslaved persons may be lighter than others, there is little doubt that most would prefer to be free, and that ultimately, even in the best circumstances, the relation between master and slave is an exploitative one. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that in Avaria, slavery is not related to race or skin color.

Slaveholding Societies

Within the playable game world and its immediate surroundings, the Sirdabi Caliphate and the Kalentoi Empire are the places that practice slavery on the largest scale. Both societies generally frown on enslaving other people of the Song, which is to say, followers of The One True God -- those peoples who practice the Kalentic or Azadi faith, as well as the Yehani. In practice, Kalentians are sometimes kept as slaves in the Sirdabi Caliphate, and Azadi are sometimes kept as slaves in the Kalentoi Empire, though this is not terribly common except during times of especially bitter conflict between the two peoples.

Most commonly, enslaved people among the Kalentoi and Sirdabi are pagans of various heritages. Typically they are captives in battle, so they tend to be drawn from the population of those peoples who are longtime enemies of the Empire and the Caliphate. Since the Kalentoi are often in conflict with the pagans of Jadniez and nearby regions, Rusalvi slaves are commonly taken in the Empire. The Sirdabi, having a greater expanse of pagan territory at their hinterland, take slaves chiefly from southern Idiri and central Ruleska, as well as from the Angrosh of the Great Hazari Desert and often purchase Irulao from their Jalanit trading partners. But slaves are a commodity widely in demand through the region, so they may be sold and traded far afield from the lands in which they were originally captured.

Outside the Kalentoi Empire and Sirdabi Caliphate, slave raiding and trading is still common, but is generally not undertaken on so large a scale or so wide a geographic area. Most other societies that practice slavery will enslave neighboring rivals during times of war, but their servitude is less likely to be heriditary, and there is also a somewhat greater chance of being released within their lifetimes or liberated in retaliatory raids.

Attitudes Towards Slavery

Being both widespread and vital to society as most people know it, slavery is accepted as an institution without much thought. From an ethical standpoint it is considered important to treat slaves kindly if not leniently, but actual treatment of enslaved people varies as widely as the individual temperaments of their owners. Many people consider slaves to be inferior to themselves in some key aspect, whether in intelligence, morality, honor, or some other quality, just as they consider the original culture of those slaves to be far less enlightened and civilized than their own. As in the real world, cultural prejudice is alive and well in Avaria! At the same time, the slaveholding societies often assign certain attributes to enslaved peoples in which individuals from this city might be considered excellent tutors, or that tribe to be the most wonderful dancers or musicians, or this kingdom to be superlative warriors. In this way the enslaved are seen as having their own particular virtues and value, while still being in overall character inferior to their owners.