Cielisono Royal Family
Cieliso is a kingdom ruled by a single individual—the "rey." Alongside the rey are various advisors and overseers who aid in certain branches of government. These advisors are appointed on a case-by-case basis by the rey themself. Oftentimes, the rey will also work closely with their consort on government duties. For this reason, it's not uncommon to see marriage based on the potential to contribute to the kingdom's interest, rather than on any other merit.
The referral-based system for staff appointment seems rather difficult to break into, but it's the only way to ensure the safety of the royal family. Anyone with good enough standing can easily earn the rey's trust and work directly with them.
The De Luna family has ruled Cieliso since the kingdom's conception, beginning with Loniles de Luna.
Castle Staff
Castle Cieliso is kept afloat by dozens of personnel that tend to duties such as meal preparation, cleaning and maintenance, medical treatment, and counsel. If needed, housing for castle staff is available in a special neighborhood nearby Castle Cieliso, but most attendants have their own homes already.
Generally, attendants are hired based on referral or recommendation, but some citizens of Cieliso may be scouted and offered a position if they are of particularly high standing and skill, regardless of reference. The exception to this trend are the Windknights, which any citizen may apply to train with.
Windknights
The Windknights are a special force that directly serves the rey and the kingdom. As the name suggests, they primarily serve as soldiers, but this isn't always the case. Although every windknight is trained in combat, some units are never sent into battle. In fact, becoming certified as a windknight is necessary for many castle staff positions that don't involve violence at all, as the self-defense and discipline principles present in windknight training are highly valued. Additionally, many upper-level employment positions outside of Castle Cieliso also prioritize candidates that are windknight-certified.
Most enlisted windknights are positioned in San Ven (and other parts of Cieliso), but there are some occupying the various Cielisono embassies across Luxos.
Despite the volume of windknights positioned in San Ven, some pirate activity still takes place in the Skysea Port and Tradewinds areas. It's assumed that the windknights and pirates in the area have some kind of deal in place.
Shadows
Every heir to the Cielisono throne is appointed one primary knight-attendant, also known as a "shadow." This individual is tasked with safeguarding the heir from danger and addressing to their needs. Once the heir has succeeded the throne, the shadow is presented with the choice to be relieved of their duty or not—those that have stepped down usually remain part of castle staff in some way or another.
In the case that the shadow does not step down after the heir succeeds, they continue to fulfill the same responsibilities to the rey. In these cases, the rey's child (aka new heir) will sometimes "inherit" their parent's shadow.
All shadows are bound by a strict oath and undergo specialized training for their role. During this training, the shadow is isolated from their family and friends for an extended period of time, and is given a basic education and taught advanced combat techniques. Most importantly, the shadow is repeatedly tested on loyalty to the heir they are assigned to.
The role of shadow is deeply rooted in tradition, beginning with Loniles herself. In order to ensure the safety of her lineage and kingdom, she personally trained a guardian for her child. This was the first shadow, and every heir afterwards would be assigned a similarly-trained companion!
Ties to Loniles
Loniles was the first ruler of the Cieliso Kingdom, and her descendants have inherited the throne for countless generations. She was the one to seal away Fenrir, the Luminescent Devourer. Her legacy is well-honored by the people of Cieliso, and her spirit continues to live on as a Champion—her posthumous title is "Champion Loniles of Tenacity."
In the center of San Ven lies the Church of Loni, one of the largest buildings in the entire kingdom. It is frequented by locals and tourists alike, most of whom offer some small contribution of light to the Champion. In addition to these offerings, a congregation of acolytes devote a greater portion of themselves to Loniles in exchange for her strength and guidance. As a tradition, Cielisono heirs also pact with Loniles shortly before succeeding the throne. The only exception to this pattern is Araceli, who pacted with her extremely early as a desperate attempt to alleviate her curse. Evidently, it would seem that Loniles is completely unable to communicate with Araceli.
Loniles is represented primarily by a symbol of a four-pointed star and crescent moon intersecting, often referred to as "Loni's Crest." She is also often associated with lunar or celestial imagery. Loni's Crest is seen on most articles associated with the royal family. Members of the De Luna family who are pacted with Loniles will also have a mark resembling Loni's Crest somewhere on their body.