Politics:

Darokin is a plutocracy - he who has the money makes the rules. In fact, it is expected that people who can make money are obviously good at management, so they are the ones that have to run the country.

Darokin is divided into the Heartlands and the Borderlands. The Heartlands (or just heart) is the civilised part of Darokin - the countryside is mostly farms, croplands and pastureland. This area is run from the largest nearby town or city; each of which has a city Council, made up of the most wealthy nobles.

The Borderlands, on the other hand, are far more feudal. Each area is called a Magistracy, run by a magistrate (effectively a Baron). Armstead, where you live, is a Magistracy. The magistrates have almost absolute authority over their area, as long as they do not break the laws of Darokin, and they swear fealty directly to the Inner Council.

Society:

Darokin society breaks up into vague classes, colliqually called Copper, Silver, Gold and Elite. Most country folk are copper class, most townsmen are silver. The upper class, rich merchants, those from the major Houses and Magistrates are usually gold class, whilst Elite is the members of the Great Twelve Houses who dominate Darokin society.

Darokin has a strong work-ethic; the story of a young copper man who rose to become a gold merchant is trite in Darokin. It is generally believed that anyone who puts their heads down and works hard is certain to better themselves. To some degree, those that join Companies are held in a mixed respect and contempt - respect for their ability and renowned bravery, and contempt that they have tried to buck the system by 'get rich quick' methods.

Culture

Darokin's culture is a mishmash of the various surrounding cultures, plus its own individual feel. The actual feel of the culture is a mix of renaissance Italy and Switzerland.

The culture leans towards finesse and negotiation over brute force and strength. The members of the Darokin Diplomatic Core, one of the most important and pervasive parts of the government, act as mediators, diplomats, judges and an intelligence agents.

Economics

Standard D&D economy - miles too much gold. There are a series of coins in Darokin - daros (gp), half-daros (sp) and tentrids (cp) are the most common. Amongst the great merchants, and quickly filtering down is the idea of the 'Certified Letter of Credit' (cloc) - half way between a cheque and a bank note.

Darokin's economy is based on food production - the western plains are some of the most fertile in the world. Exciting? No. So I will dwell no further.