Dwilight University/Political Studies/Aedificum Ordinatio: Asylon

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Aedificum Ordinatio: Asylon


An Essay on the Structure of Government of the Kingdom of Asylon

Introduction

The Kingdom of Asylon is the dominant realm on the Far West. Ruled by a monarch, it has since expanded to include most of the coastal regions. Its largest city is the coastal city of Echiur, although its capital is the inland city of Via along the mountains. Its proximity to the Zuma Coalition has led Asylon to treat with its supposedly powerful neighbor for lands with food. The nobility of Asylon are diverse religiously and culturally, with immigration of Sanguis Astroism from the old Kingdom of Thulsoma to the addition of the duchy of Via from the old Republic of Caerwyn.

Although many other realms are ruled by a monarchy (six, as of this essay's writing), none have manifested completely identical structures of a monarchical government. The Libero Empire, for example, provides a majority of its power to its nobility, while Pian en Luries (and its seceded kingdoms) offers power to its duchies.

This essay aims to identify the monarchical structure of the Kingdom of Asylon, with its centers of power, the benefits and limitations of these centers, and the hierarchy upon which the centers function.


Codified Laws

The Ducal Accords is the unifying and highest legal document that governs the Kingdom of Asylon. It houses many of the centers of power (see below) as well as each center's powers and limitations.


Centers of Power

A center of power is defined as a group of nobles which exerts a notable amount of influence upon the realm.

The Crown

The Crown consists of the Monarch solely, and he or she has considerable power as the power to appoint the Treasury Logothete and the Storm General rests on this center. The Monarch is elected once by the Nobility with each holding one vote, although he or she may name an heir to succeed the Crown. He or she also has the power to install dukes and duchies. The Crown's sole limitation is that it must work for the welfare of the Kingdom of Asylon.


The Magistracy

The Magistracy consists of the High Magistrate, who serves as the Judge of the Kingdom. He or she has the power to enact laws and is the main counterbalance to the power of the Crown. The Magistracy is limited by the Duchies, who have the power to define certain local laws (such as religious rights), and the Crown, which is the nominal head of the Kingdom.


The Duchies

The Duchies consists of the individual dukes and the regional lords. Dukes are appointed by the Crown, while regional lords are appointed by the dukes (with the exception to cities, whose incumbent lords can choose heirs). The Duchies are limited by the Crown from which their positions derive, but they have rights to levy taxes, direct the movement of food (unless a famine is declared by the Trade and Administration COuncil, in which case the Monarch has the right to direct the movement), form estates for the Nobility, and create armies for their regions.


The Nobility

The Nobility consists of the nobles, landowning or otherwise, who do not command a region. They are the numerically advantaged center in the Kingdom of Asylon, although structurally at the base. They may elect the Monarch and the High Magistrate, though only once, and they have the unwritten capacity to shift the entire structure, should they be united in doing so.


Minor Centers

The Storm General, the marshals, and the armies exert little influence in the affairs of the Kingdom. Their orders generally derive from the Crown, and are then distributed to the different armies.

The Treasury Logothete manages the coffers and administrates the supply of finances to the different powers, but has traditionally held little influence over the affairs of the Kingdom.

The religious orders, while given certain dimensions by the Ducal Accords, nevertheless exerts little influence. Despite the multi-religious makeup of Asylon (mainly between Sanguis Astroism and Verdis Elementum), the Kingdom nevertheless opts not to focus on its religions.


Hierarchy and Bureaucracy

The Crown is the clear head of the Kingdom, but acts in a complex fashion with the Duchies and the Nobility in a system established by the Magistracy (legislation). The King has the right to proclaim Duchies, who in turn, have rights to vital realm resources: food and gold. The Nobility are privileged with the option to define the identity of the Crown and limit the identity of the Duchies (see: Article I of the Ducal Accords), though the are directly subordinate to their lords.