Race Relations in South Surov

Race relations in South Surov are perhaps the most tense in all of Mytas. South Surov consists of an enormous variety of ethnic groups, notably the Surovki, Rudnyiki, Chustikki, Ivornyiki, Mutverki, Duvdiki, Kerevki, Akwairi, and other smaller groups. Due to the differing rights given to the various ethnic groups, resent and envy of the Surovki and Rudnyiki by the lower castes is extremely prevalent, while the lower castes are disdained by the Surovki and Rudnyiki, and are generally thought to be stupid and incompetent.

History of the Caste System
From the inception of the Kingdom of South Surov, the different ethnic groups comprising the Kingdom were treated differently. The Surovki, the rulers of the Kingdom, held the majority of political power, and their Rudnyiki allies were a close second to them in terms of influence. The Mutverki were treated as conquered peoples, and the Ivornyiki were seen as bastardizations of the purity of the Surovki and Rudnyiki, and generally shunned. Nevertheless, the strict legal differences present today were not yet developed. It was during the reigns of the Murikovivi that the beginnings of the official caste system were developed. The colonized peoples of Keres and Khulkudir were oppressed, and to legitimize this treatment, Alekir Mikhul declared them to be second class citizens, stripping them of many of the rights enjoyed by other Surovik citizens. During the reigns of the subsequent kings, these policies of racial superiority were extended to the mainland, and soon the Mutverki and Ivornyiki became only partial citizens of the Kingdom. Despite resistance to these new laws, the caste system remained intact, mostly due to the army consisting of overwhelmingly Surovkav and Rudnyikav soldiers.

The Caste System Today
South Surov has a rigid racial caste based on the dual primacy of both the Surovki and the Rudnyiki ethnic groups. This sets it apart somewhat from other similar systems, which tend to have only one group in the top caste. Both Surovki and Rudnyiki enjoy the full rights of citizens of South Surov, and due to this, they make up the vast majority of the government apparatus. The Chustikki, while legally at the same level as the Surovki and Rudnyiki due to being a mix between them, are de-facto blocked from some of the more exclusive privileges afforded to the Surovki and Rudnyiki. The Ivornyiki, on the other hand, are legally treated as lesser beings. A mix of either Surovki or Rudnyiki and Mutverki, the Ivornyiki are banned from holding anything other than local political posts, and are unable to advance beyond the rank of Captain in the Surovik Army. Aside from this, they are at a disadvantage in legal cases against the higher castes, and almost always settle in cases against them as they are nearly assured of losing. Following the Ivornyiki are the Mutverki, the descendants of the native peoples who resisted the Surovki upon their arrival. The Mutverki cannot hold political office, are not allowed to be anything more than Sergeants in the Surovik army, and are taxed more heavily than their fellow citizens.

The Kerevki, Duvdiki, and Akwairi are all colonized peoples, and, though treated equally under the law to each other, they are nevertheless viewed differently by the mainlanders, with the Duvdiki generally thought to be the worst of the three groups. Each of these castes is blocked from any promotion at all in the army, are subjected to punitive taxes, and are unable to hold any political position, no matter how unimportant. They are punished much more severely for small crimes, and offenses such as insulting a Rudnyikav or Surovkav man results in several years of jail time or hard labor.