Thyllanorian government

See also: List of Thyllanorian government officials

Although at its core a monarchy, Thyllanor is far more liberal and political than its peers on Andoras when it comes to how it runs the nation and who gets authority on certain matters; Dalan II Karthmere, as Highlord, receives final say on most matters at and above the ducal level, but for others, special committees of lords, noblemen, and commoners alike exist to delegate and ease the burden of Thyllanor's relatively balanced (not centralized nor decentralized) government. As of 350 AC, there are 17 active branches of the government; 4 primary and 13 secondary.

Primary branches

Listed below are the four main partitions of the Thyllanorian government. Once every month, these branches will convene alongside the Highlord, discussing the matters of the kingdom. While nothing nearly as large or influential as a Dealing, this system was certainly inspired by it, and Malveus II Karthmere further implemented it in the year of his death, putting it into written law and sanctifying it in his will.

Upper Chamber of Lords

The primary council for Thyllanor, the Upper Chamber of Lords usually consists of six to twelve core members, all of whom are noted for their particular talent in a field; one title, for example, is the Lord of the Treasury, who has the prestigious title of managing economic affairs within Thyllanor, including the excavation of gold mines, trade, and managing imports and exports, just to name a few. Due to the unique nature of this title, if one is a commoner and has been given any formal titles or been knighted, they automatically become a lord due to joining the council. This noble status becomes irrevocable and can only be removed if they commit treason or a similar crime against Thyllanor. In the past, when Thyllanor was a vassal of the Kingdom of Andoras, the head of the Upper Chamber would also become a prime candidate for choosing of the King's Hand, if there was a need for one.

Lower Chamber of Lords

As a lower council, the Lower Chamber is mostly regulated to serve the needs of a more regional kind, and as such rarely take on issues that revolve around entire duchies or the paramouncy itself. Seen as something of a 'rung' in in the political ladder, being on the Lower Chamber is still quite prestigious in its own right, and like the Upper Chamber, the same auto-nobility rules apply for commoners and non-knighted men.

The Council of Caridre

Named as such because of Caridre being the Paragon of Justice in the Five Paragons, the Council of Caridre is a judicial branch of the government which creates and observes the primary law of the land in Thyllanor. As far as judicial ranks go, being counted among the Council of Caridre is a great honor; the Council is also known for its secrets and forbidden knowledge, with informants and double agents aplenty. They will be quick to reveal the flaws in an argument if it does not abide by the law, or if it is impractical for Thyllanor to do so on the greater scale of Andoras's laws.

Thyllanorian War Council

Although at one time being in service only in times of war, the Thyllanorian War Council became permanent following The Mournare Nights. Malveus III Karthmere, noting the lack of preparation for war following the Daerod di Piazz, convened with the Thyllanorian government (at the time only composed of the other three partitions) and put the War Council into indefinite service -- as of 350 AC, they have yet to be officially disbanded, and they have become something of their own important branch. The Thyllanorian War Council is composed of the highest ranking men in both the Thyllanorian Army and the Navy; i.e. for the Army, the Generals Inferior, Superior, Major, and Auxiliary, including the Commander of the Armies convene, and for the Navy the Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral, and Supreme Commandant would convene. Often included is the Marshal of the Armies, who is officially part of the Upper Chamber but is often brought into (or is also in) the Thyllanorian War Council.

Secondary branches

These branches of government, while perhaps not as important or influential as the primary branches, are included here because of their purpose in the Thyllanorian government. Most secondary branches have been founded to manage specialized tasks, most of which would usually be delegated to the primary branches if the secondary branches did not exist. While not required to attend the conventions that are held once a month, most usually attend either way.

Council of Foreign Affairs

Typically ranked as the highest of the secondary branches of government, the Council of Foreign Affairs, as the name suggests, deals with the other nations in Drakonius that are not Thyllanor or in Thyllanor's sphere of influence. This council is notable for being mostly anti-war throughout its history, siding with other likeminded councils or representatives if it is deemed necessary. They are in firm disagreement over the government on how to deal with the War of Embers, and were instrumental in helping draft and issue an armistice agreement that temporarily called for a ceasefire between Thyllanor and the Realm of Raunerre.

Representation of the Principalities

Usually headed by one of the two Consuls of the principalities in Thyllanor, this branch has been founded to be dedicated to the fair treatment and equal representation of the principalities. It was founded in 293 AC, following an incident in which the principalities were forced to abstain from all matters of government due to their unique political structure and type of government. Although something of a black sheep in the Thyllanorian government, recent rulers such as Dalan I Karthmere have made an effort to stress their importance, especially when they joined the Farrowhalt Freehold and went to war in the 326 AC rebellion.

Council of Mayors

With the full title being The Council of Mayors, Barons, Baronets, Magistrates, Lesser Lords and Bishops, the Council of Mayors is a baron-level council which seeks to earn representation and support in the government. Due to the refined chain of vassalage in Thyllanor, the Council of Mayors is mostly run by a few independent barons who usually take one of two stances; to seek vassalization, or to break away from it. Both choices have their benefits and drawbacks for the government and the baronies themselves, and some higher-ranked branches of government, such as the Lower Chamber of Lords, will sponsor the Council of Mayors if reached in agreement.

Ministry of the Paragons

Although seldom invoked, three ministers -- all of whom are vicars of the Church of the Five -- are chosen every eight years (with replacements serving out a remaining term if a minister dies early) to help guide Thyllanor in a religious manner, giving spiritual advice and maintaining a direct link with the Pentarch for the paramouncy.

Order of the Red Lion

Formerly a brotherhood of knights, the Order of the Red Lion is something of a noble institute designed to give knights who have proved their worth in battle and wit a chance to make themselves heard. Membership in the Order of the Red Lion does not guarantee auto-nobility like the Chambers of Lords, but the title often comes with great prestige and recognition from nobles alike.

Institution of Scholarship

The Institution of Scholarship officially represents the Academia Faercrest and the Royal Universities of Morano, Lorton, and Vaerik. While they hold little political weight, they are often heeded well by all other branches of government due to their nature.

Ministry of Citizens

Rather than being dedicated to the rights or representation of any one social class, the Ministry of Citizens seeks to catalogue every citizen in Thyllanor, through something akin to a census. The Ministry prioritizes those of higher ranking, such as dukes, counts, barons, and so forth, and works their way down where it is feasible. An accurate count of peasants is typically not included, although the Ministry uses a relative ratio to calculate how many peasants there are per each citizen.

Council of Noble Houses

Though the noble houses often have their own conventions, they receive official representation through this council. Sometimes called the largest council in Thyllanor, it is populated of all nobles officially recognized as a House in Thyllanor (another branch, the Committee of Legitimacy, handles who is recognized and not), with membership numbering in the thousands. Most members do not attend conventions, but some often do to earn a chance to speak out for their House.

Committee of Legitimacy

The Committee of Legitimacy handles all matters of noble and royal recognition within Thyllanor. If a commoner was to earn himself a landed title or become knighted, he would be consulted by the Committee in order to further legitimize his claim and his newfound House. As for all preexisting Houses, they are regularly monitored and checked to ensure they have not gone extinct or breached the protocols that require a family to be recognized as a House; these protocols, while loosely defined, are usually considered to be extreme bankruptcy, committing treason, or loss of all prestige, e.g. the "House" name can no longer apply to them if a family has degenerated to the social classes of commoners within three generations of its founding. Longevity is also taken into account, and certain houses, such as the Greater houses, are viewed as permanent Houses due to their longstanding record of influence and power.

Mercantile Representatives of Thyllanor

These representatives seek to speak out for the merchant class of Thyllanor, who often teeter on the edge of the gentry and the commoners. They argue that the merchants are their own social class, and not bound by the limitations of the commoners. Another sub-branch of the mercantile representatives also argue that the merchants are not allowed some of the privileges that the gentry are, but this argument is unpopular due to a perceived bias by the popular party in the Mercantile Representatives. As of late, they have won several political battles for the merchants, allowing them to sell their wares anywhere in Thyllanor, and to be given proper legal representation if they are accused of smuggling or selling illegal goods.

Order of St. Malveus

The Order of St. Malveus was established in Dormendell, Thyllanor in 28 AC, and is considered one of the oldest of its kind post-Dragomyr invasion. While often grouped together with the Order of the Red Lion, the Order of St. Malveus has its own privileges that separate it and mark it higher than the Red Lion. Members of the Order are granted a 'clause of equality', meaning that regardless of internal rank, all members are allowed to speak relatively freely at conventions. This has lately been curbed due to times of war; many younger members are disillusioned by the state of war with the War of Embers, but the Thyllanorian government officially takes a stance favoring the war.

Free City of Emeleth

Unique in Thyllanor for being an independent internal state only within the walls of Emeleth, the Free City receives its own representation, ensuring that it is not infringed upon due to its size, especially by the Duchy of Delathane which it is enclaved by.

Ministry of Conventions

The Ministry of Conventions is really neither a primary nor secondary branch; they are the ministry that oversees and runs the conventions themselves in Thyllanor. They make sure that all topics of discussion are accounted for, and they are in charge of approving, rejecting, or removing branches of the government, such as those currently defunct or outlawed.

Currently defunct or disbanded branches

Thyllanorian Interregnum

Considered a political branch in itself, the Interregnum was made up of a mixture of all men from previous councils, in an effort to run Thyllanor as stable as possible without House Karthmere officially ruling the nation. It existed from 330 AC to 332 AC, and laws passed by the Council of Caridre dictate that another one must go into effect if a ruler is younger than 5 years old when he takes the throne.

The Black Lions

During the early 100s AC, when House Asmere threatened to overthrow the Karthmeres and ushered in the War of the Lions, a faction lingered for many decades after called the Black Lions, whom were still in firm support of House Asmere and sought to earn support for them in the higher echelons of Thyllanor's government. They were outlawed in 304 AC; by that point, the Black Lions were extinct, and the last member of government to identify as a Black Lion died before the conventions became commonplace in 267 AC.

Thyllanorian Loyalists of Andoras

A small minority of politicians in Thyllanor supported the Kingdom of Andoras throughout both civil wars of the 300s AC. Although never outlawed, they were typically looked down upon, especially during the 346 AC rebellion. Following the dissolution of the Kingdom, the branch officially no longer existed.

Farrowhalt Freehall

The predecessor to the Farrowhalt Freehold, the Freehall was given a place in the government, and was even a considered a primary branch of government before they peacefully seceded from Thyllanor and declared themselves the Freehold on January 21st, 326 AC. The Freehold was of course dissolved with the execution of Veddel Markwell and Michael Avleston, and thus the Freehall has no chance of returning -- it lives in through the principalities.

Political alignments in Thyllanor

In a much broader sense, there are several political alignments in Thyllanor that do not officially receive representation due to a law that prevents a branch being formed just to speak out for one's political ties. These do not have official names, but are often given nicknames by those who are members of it. In Thyllanor, these are not referred to as alignments or parties, but as "movements" due to their inability to be established in the government proper. There are no limits to how many movements one can be a member of, but two is usually considered the maximum. Note that these are loosely defined, and many may just follow the direction of the Highlord to make their political ties less tangled.

Some examples of political movements in Thyllanor are:

The Integral Movement - Members of this party claim that Thyllanor's longevity, strength, and integrity must always come before everything and everyone else. They are firm supporters of autarky, and believe that Thyllanor could sustain itself without outside influence. As a result, they are also usually isolationist, with some calling for the end of war.

The Prosperous Movement - Members of this party believe that Thyllanor must always advance and adapt to come first in the world. For more than one reason, this movement is the largest, garnering the support of most members of the government. They support free trade, war in the name of reconquest, and also tolerate shady actions such as forging claims and garnering espionage if it means that Thyllanor can truly prosper and be where these members believe it should be.

The Imperial Movement - Somewhat detached and yet all too similar to the Prosperous Movement, the Imperial Movement believes that Thyllanor should put all of its focus into restoring its ancient legacy and subjugating its ancient vassals. They view Thyllanor's history as one of pride, but unlike the Prosperous Movement, they tend to look back far more than they look forward.

The Agrarian Movement - Those in the Agrarian Movement believe that there is inherent corruption and nepotism as Thyllanor currently stands, with most Houses ruling their land for generations unchecked. They believe the land should be redistributed; among other things, they are typically also citizens of a principality, and/or former members of the Farrowhalt Freehold, due to the democratic and liberal nature of that region..

(More to come soon)