>The Impression the Third Age book gives (to me at least) is that pretty
>much the entire West uses the Abiding Book as its core text.
This was once thought to be the case but no longer.
>I
>think the Stygian heresy might be the only one specifically mentioned as
>predating the Book.
The Stygians, the Loskalmi, the Carmanians and the Aeolians all predate the Book.
>As for Caste among the the Malkioni in general, it is always described
>differently, but we never here what they are basing this on. It seems to
>come from Malkion, which means regardless of book, there should be
>something about it in all the Malkioni texts.
Caste Law is like feudalism - a construct created by historical Malkioni to make sense of the baffling and fragmentary accounts of the lives of their mythical predecessors.
There are myths and legends of how Malkion created and ordained each of the castes _but_ he didn't call them that and there's no sense in the surviving myths of how the castes were meant to work with each other. The best account of Malkion ordained government is perhaps the Republic of Vani which was before the castes really came into being and hence envisages its inhabitants as social equals.
The Malkioni do have a good idea of how Caste-run society is supposed to work by recourse to the traditions of the Old Republic of Zerendel. Embarrassingly for the believing Malkioni, the Old Republic was created by Malkion's sons after they excommunicated their pa and sent him into exile. So the best tradition of caste government that they have was never endorsed by Malkioni and hence suspect.
>The names keep shifting around, and it isn't clear whether there is a
>"Sorcerer" or a "Priest" caste - a "soldier" or a "knight" caste.
There are only four castes - ruler, magician, warrior and citizen. In atheistic societies, the magicians are sorcerers whereas in believing societies, the Church occupies the magical caste.
Knighthood is slightly more complicated. This was a fifth case founded by Hrestol by combining all the other castes in an effort to become closer to god. Such knights are seen by sorcerers, wizards and respectable clergy as deranged madmen.
Some religious movements have attempted to bring the religious tradition of knighthood by handwaving it away as bastardization or reinterpetation of the warrior caste (the exact words depends on their attitude towards Hrestol). This has proved less than successful in stamping the institution out, even in Rokari lands.
>It
>seems some interpretations are that you are born into a caste and cannot
>change, which means magic is basically inherited.
No. Some forms of magic are restricted to caste in Rokari lands but this is not the same thing as being inherited. A yeoman can move to the city and learn a different magic for his job without offending against caste.
>I'd include
>women there, with it unclear whether they are supposed to be treated as
>the caste of their father or brother or husband, or whether they outside
>the caste system entirely in a way.
Women have their own caste. In certain circumstances, a woman can transmit her father's caste to that of her son (the best example of this was Arkat who was raised as a soldier in Brithos because that was the caste of his maternal grandfather).
--Peter Metcalfe
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