GOVERNANCE
A sovereign king, though there's no dead-set rule against a queen being in place. It's just harder for a queen to gain sovereignty because of gender dynamics and debates, and for a king or queen to "work out" the people have to mostly believe they will. Political grumblings can be quite damning, especially when the people themselves are the country's "army".
Thus, to help keep the general populace satisfied, the country is divided into prefectures, overseen by a Magistrate. These Magistrates are elected into place by the people themselves and then given royal blessing to make it official. They're more or less in charge of their given prefecture, and the daily goings-on within the populace that lives there. More importantly, they're responsible for the local militias, for keeping them fed and armed, because without them there is no doubt the entire area would soon fall prey to the creatures of the night.
Passing laws on a national basis is difficult as hell. While local laws are all well and good, getting a law to spread to other prefectures often requires vast time spent locked in debate with other Magistrates, and only when five or more Magistrates come together in agreement, can they then approach the King or Queen about making the law official. Meanwhile, opponents of said national law may also debate and argue their side.
MILITARY
While there is no "standing army", each prefecture has a militia who are always prepared to take up arms when the situation calls for it. Joining the militia means that on top of a citizen's normal duties at home, farming or fishing or what have you, they are also required to report for regular training. This incredibly taxing schedule is rewarded by either food or land or prestige, as a reliable militiaman is usually seen as the epitome of honor and moral goodness.
Militiamen are often not heavily armored, if at all, but are typically armed with long, thin curved blades, either as swords or a polearm. These blades are laced with silver on the edges, making them deadly effective against the bat monsters that hunt for prey in the night. Some militiamen who show a prowess for archery are given guard duty in the towers, and silver-tipped arrows to fell the beasts before they have a chance to swoop down for an attack.
The largest militias are found in the southern end of the country, where Rulastinia borders Nhoplan. The two countries hate one another with a deep passion, and skirmishes are common whenever one strays too far over the border into the other.
THE HUNTERS Overseeing the militia are the Hunters. These are not part-time fighting farmers, but those who are wholeheartedly dedicated to warcraft. A kind of warrior-priesthood, they are responsible for training the militias, for scouting out potential monster nests, for maintaining folkloric knowledge on how to defeat certain monsters while keeping the general populace as ignorant to their presence as possible. Theirs is a lonely existence, for they're sworn to secrecy regarding everything they know, and it's often difficult for them to maintain family ties when they're given missions that take them out into the marshes for weeks at a time and they can't even explain why.
Unlike the militia, the Hunters are always armored, with layers of interwoven lacquered plates set over thick padding. While they can't be too heavy, lest they sink into the marshes, their armor is strongest over their chest, and any of the major arteries, with thick gorgets over their necks. Often, the Hunters will wear fearsome masks over the lower half of their faces, both to ward off bad spirits as well as to potentially intimidate their prey. A Hunter is expected to be proficient in most weapons, though they typically favor a set of swords for close-quarters combat.
LAWS
There are the standard crimes-- theft and murder-- that have their tolls. Depending on severity it might be something as simple as a fine, though if the perpetrator of the crime is incapable of paying their debts, they may be expected to pay in a more symbolic and bloody gesture.
However, there are certain things that are absolutely forbidden, and result in the worst punishments available. Demonology, or trafficking with evil spirits, is an executable offense. Performing such diabolical magics, or even possessing books to do with said magics, often results in a public burning at the stake, so that even the perpetrator's soul is burned away. Investigations and executions of these offenders are all conducted by the local Hunters, to be sure that the threat is real and not just someone pointing fingers at their rivals. False accusations are considered incredibly disgraceful. It is considered only polite that the accuser then offers the accused the right to cut out their tongue. It's entirely up to the accused whether they'll accept.