This page is about the rule and law of the Dominion. For the Dominion's parts see Tretallë (Empire). For other uses see Tretallë (Disambiguation)
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Table of Contents
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As the most powerful and most expansive empire of the ancient world, the Tretallë would have needed an even more powerful, more authoritative government than most just to cope. While they absolutely despise the arcane, blood magic is divine to them, and they do not hesitate to use it. Regardless, the Ivory Imperator and the Council of Ravens have enough authority to single-handedly rule the majority of the Dominion.
The Absolute Ruler
If and when the Ivory Throne is filled, the Dominion has an absolute ruler whose word is final in all cases save for when the Council of Ravens votes unanimously with the Court of Crows to veto him during times of war. Seeing as how the Ivory Imperator is raised from one of the houses of the Council, this rarely happens as the Blood is strong and houses will not move against themselves unless the need to do so is dire.
The Ifatallë Cilthe
An artifact older than the Dominion itself, as powerful as it is shrouded in mystery, few people know the true extent of the blood magyk of the Throne and what little is known by the Dominion is stored in the old libraries underneath the Ivory Palace containing forbidden magyks, the Old Lore of the world, accessible to only the Imperator. The throne is a massive thing, unearthed at the site of the Capital of the Dominion, Kevvë d'Ifatallë and taken by the original Bone Elves as a sign of their divine right to rule. When the Cloister of Trials was discovered in the Mountains of Mist they knew then that the Imperators of the future must face the cloister to gain the divine right to dominion.
Despite its appearance as a throne and the relative comfort of sitting on it, most Ivory Imperators have elected to have another throne lower on the dais with the Ivory Throne looming over it due to the Old Lore magyks of the Throne making them uncomfortable. The most prominent of the Imperators that wore the Ivory Crown and sat on the Ivory Throne at once was Ifanarien a'Callen the Ruthless, an Imperator known for expanding the empire faster than any other before him and any others that followed.
The Ivory Throne is a massive thing, stretching ten feet off the ground, it is made of a material that seems and feels like ivory but is infinitely stronger. It is gilded and inlaid with silver and it glitters in the light of the throne room. It sits atop a marble dais and behind it sprawls the Imperial Bone Tree, a similarly massive thing that has continued to grow in the presence of the throne despite the fact that it no longer produces leaves. The seat of the throne seems to fit any and all who sit on it who have the right to do so regardless of build or height. Brambles and roses carved into the bottom of the throne stretch up, eventually fading into raven feathers and etchings that seemed to depict the wind. These carvings were so lifelike that any reference made to the Throne often included the phrase "it seemed as though an unseen wind stirred the carvings, giving them the very semblance of life" or something to the same effect.
The Ivory Throne works in tandem with the Ivory Crown and their magyk is incredibly strong. Only the blood of someone who has the divine right to claim the throne who has succeeded in the Cloister can sate the crown or the hollow in the highest recess of the Throne. Both the crown and the throne have a hollow in their highest point where a crystal vessel can comfortably sit. One of the duties of the Imperator is to fill the vessel with his blood each day which renews his connection with the Crown and the Throne. While the vessel is filled and the giver of the blood still lives, they remain the Imperator as neither Crown or Throne will accept anyone else.
The Tallarë
Literally meaning blood-bone, the Tallarë is an oath that is required of all sexually mature individuals in any territory of the Dominion. Some people make the journey to the Ivory Palace to make the oath in person, a sign of devotion to the Dominion. The Tallarë is absolutely binding and to break the oath is to forfeit one's life to the Old Lore blood magyks of the Ivory Throne.
When it is performed in person, the oath-takers kneel before the Iron Throne and supplicate the Imperator. After a short monologue by the Imperator, the Prince of Ravens takes the sacrificial shard from the where it sits on the Throne which normally sits on the back of the chair above the head of the Imperator while the Prince of Lances takes the blood-bone, the Tallarë after which the oath is named after from where it sits right along the back of the Imperator. The Tallarë is the only red-stained object on the Throne as a result of the blood that had been spilled on it countless times.
The shard is handed out to the oath-takers and they prick their fingers with it. After declaring their love for the Dominion and the Words of the Oath, they allow their blood to drip onto the Tallarë which then pulses and sizzles as it absorbs the blood. Once this is done, the Tallarë is returned to the throne with the shard and the oath is completed. From that day onward, any of the descendants of the oath-taker will also have to abide by the same oath, though it is customary for any children to give their blood to the oath to keep the magyk fresh. For oath-takers unable to travel to the Dominion heartland due to obligation, finance or illness, they take the oath and prick their fingers with ivory knives. The blood is collected in a crystal vessel and it is taken back to the Ivory Palace, where it is then poured into the Tallarë.
Id <name> permo d'Ifatallë Cilthë und'Ifatallë Ragallë, vissë perterrë, un'suffellë. Id perfida en'verra un'vissë d'avarrë un'vissë d'Nennë, t'nilla ta'arra catrë d'Tretallë ur'Irterrë t'seqqë nilla interrë d'Ifatallë Cilthë, und'Ifatalle Ragallë, und'Tretallë. Id eti'perfida t'dorterrë id'vayyë, id'rommë un id'onnë suddë d'Tretallë dorrë id'etta.
I <name> come before the Ivory Throne and the Ivory Imperator, eyes downturned and supplicant. I vow in truth, in the eyes of the Gods, and in the eyes of the Nine to never bear arms against the Dominion or her Lands and to obey without question the Ivory Throne, The Ivory Imperator and the Dominion. I also vow to lay down my life, my love and my honour should the dominion ask it of me.
The very words of the oath are charged with blood magyk and are carved into the Tallarë. That an oath written onto the Throne, spoken, and given blood would be wholly binding, was a fact that the highest priests of the Dominion during its old days discovered. It is Old Lore now, and the art is forbidden throughout the Dominion. Knowledge of it is mostly sequestered in the Old Library, buried deep underneath the Palace.
The Ifatallë Ragallë
The absolute ruler of the Dominion, there are none with authority higher than him save for perhaps the Stranger. The full title of the Imperator is "d'Ommë Ragallë d'Tretallë, d'Sacdavëa, d'Vardë d'Tretallë, d'Ommë, und'Tateriamfë't" which stands for "The Absolute Ruler of the Dominion, the Divine, the Guardian of the Realm, the Absolute, the Ever Victorious." For all the thousands of years that the Dominion has existed, it has had precious few of these rulers and rightly so, the Cloister is a terrifying place and many who try their claim never return, ensuring that only the most disciplined and most authoritative will be able to control the entirety of the Dominion.
Rights
Following the doctrine of the Faith, the Imperator, once he succeeds in the Cloister, is granted a number of divine rights by the Stranger. These are rights that are given only to the Imperator and may only be taken by the Stranger.
The Rights of the Imperator:
- The Divine Right to the Throne
- The Divine Right to be a God among Men
- The Divine Right to Hold Dominion above all Lands
- The Divine Right to Strike Down all Opposition
- The Divine Right to Hold One's Eyes Above All Others
- The Divine Right to Bring Forth the Words of the Law
- The Divine Right to Proclaim to the Dominion
- The Divine Right to Not Be Addressed by Common Man
- The Divine Right to Absolute Truth
Lineality
The Divine Right to Lay Claim to the Throne is bestowed upon a highly specific and immensely tiny fraction of Tretalleri society. Because Tretalleri society is matrilineal1 the line of succession is traced through the mother's side of the family. However, only males are given the Right. Females are considered too emotional and too unfocused because of their sexuality relative to the males, thus they are not allowed to take charge of all the Dominion's workings. However, this has an interesting effect on the claim to the Throne of the Nine Houses. Because the Throne is only ever taken by a man, the Crown can never be passed on to heirs of the ruling Imperator. As a result, none of the Nine Houses can monopolise the Throne.
However, the stringent requirements to even be able to lay claim to the Throne often make sure that the Throne cannot be succeeded by generations of the same House. ve'Carra d'Avarrë kad'sacdfarrë t'dorterre vanna t'Ifatallë Cilthë e'dorro entë ind'unnë parmë ura'thirri parmë ura'sennë parmë ura'ennë parmë un'nilla utharra, un'saqqë nommë'nnë d'Suragalli Imannannë2 "[It is] by decree of the Gods that the Divine Right to lay claim to the Ivory Throne is bestowed only upon the first daughter of a third daughter of a seventh daughter of a ninth daughter and none other and must be named the Heirs Apparent."
Upon reaching the age of 27, a viable Blood-candidate for the Throne must put forward a claim within three years of their name day, otherwise, their claim is no longer considered valid. For the next 36 years, the Heir/s apparent are to reside within the Corveforrë, or the Grand Rookery, a structure stood beside the Ivory Palace that is home to the Prince of Ravens when the throne is occupied. After the 36 years (or less if the Heir Apparent in question does particularly well) of training to be good governors and generals, they are moved to the actual quarters of any Heirs Apparent in the western wing of the Ivory Palace. They may choose to stay there or to return to their homes of choice, but it is at this point in time that the Heirs must decide whether or not they are willing to brave the Cloister to complete their claim to the Throne.
Should there ever be more than one Heir Apparent to complete the Cloister, they must return and a secret room will open to them where they will be confronted with their worst fears and their greatest delights. In a battle of wills, they must be the last to succumb to the visions lest they lose their claim to the one that remains after all is said and done. Once an Heir Apparent has either completed the Cloister or defeated his rivals in a battle of wills, he is free to accede to the throne.
Mordcorvë
The Council of Ravens in the common tongue, this is the second most powerful political body in the Dominion, deferring only to the Throne. The Council is made up of the Lords Superior of the Nine Houses. The Ladies Prime of the Nine are the High Seats of the Court of Crows. The nine Lords Superior elect a Lord Invoker from their midst to be the Voice of the Council, the only one of their midst able to address the Imperator in public forum. The Lord Invoker is also in charge of presiding the Summons of the Council as well as reading laws that are passed to the Council for debate. Laws that colonial authorities want to enact in their specific jurisdictions rarely make their way to the Council, but it has happened on occasion that the laws are well-written and considered a good idea by a large portion of the populace and it follows the normal legislative process for dominion-wide law.
Because the Divine Right to Strike Down all Opponents is given only to the Imperator, the Council cannot simply dispose of any political dissidents. Anyone who has a bone to pick with the Dominion has the right to be brought before the Council, if the Throne is vacant, and have his/her opinions heard and given fair trial and judgment. The judgment is done by a jury of heartland Tretallë with an even distribution of left and right-winged as well as moderate political alignments. Though it is often a strenuous, tedious and lengthy process, political dissidents often get off with an appropriate judgment during the times that the Throne is vacant. However, when the Throne is filled, the Imperator can simply order them executed and none would think twice about it. Similarly, as the Council lacks the Divine Right to Absolute Truth, but possesses the Divine Right to Truth from the Accused, people brought before it are not compelled to say absolutely everything that is true, only that which is asked of them as all subjects of the dominion have the basic right to prevent self-incrimination.
While being a legislative and executive body, the Council is also a judicial body. However, it does not handle everyday cases in the heartland, that is the duty of the Court of Crows and regional courts for other territories of the Dominion. The Council is charged with hearing the crimes of Treason, Insurgency, Murder, Blood Feuds and Sacrilege of the Highest Order — Sacrilege of the Stranger's divinity.