Speaker of the Highborn Assembly

Latest revision as of 16:08, 5 April 2024

Overview

The Speaker of the Highborn Assembly is an old title that fell into disuse some time ago. Historically, the Speaker for the Highborn Assembly served in a manner very similar to a cardinal of virtue, guiding the assembly and ensuring its traditions were upheld. With the formation of the Synod in the early years of the Empire, however, the title fell out of fashion and was eventually abrogated during the reign of Empress Varkula, allegedly at the request of the Assembly of the Nine (over the bitter protests of the Highborn Assembly). The actual role never really went away, however, although it rose and fell in prominence as the politics of the Highborn ebbed and flowed.

The title was reinstated shortly before the Summer Solstice 383YE following the refurbishment of the Basilica of Seven Doors by the Imperial Senate.

Responsibilities

The Speaker of the Highborn Assembly guides the Highborn National Assembly, ensuring its traditions are upheld. The Speaker has responsibility for chairing the meetings of the National assembly, encouraging the priests of Highguard to vote on judgements of the Synod and express the will of their congregations, organising the Day of the Dead memorial, and serving as custodian of the Basilica of Seven Doors. If the Basilica were to be threatened, it would be the responsibility of the Speaker to face those threats; likewise should any opportunity related to the Basilica arise the Speaker would decide how to respond.

Powers

A Portion of Liao

The sinecure provides 15 doses of liao to the Speaker each season, to be used as they see fit.

Donations to the Basilica

The Basilica of Seven Doors draws pilgrims from across Highguard; it is considered by many to be the true birthplace of the Way and making the pilgrimage to visit is seen by many Highborn as necessary to truly understand Pride in their nation. Some of these pilgrims make donations to help maintain the Basilica or for the Speaker to use as they deem necessary in Anvil. The Speaker of the Highborn Assembly receives 6 crowns and 15 rings each season from these donations.

Appointment Advice
To elect the position the morning after Day of the Dead would generally mean raising a judgement of appointment on Saturday evening no later than 19:00, with nominations closing at 22:00 Saturday and voting closing 14:00 Sunday. Alternatively, primacy would allow for the title to be appointed quickly on Sunday morning without requiring nominations. There is of course no legal requirement for the election to take place this way; the judgement could be raised at any time during the Winter Solstice.

Appointment

The Speaker is a national position which is appointed by judgement of the Highborn assembly.

The Speaker is appointed during the Winter Solstice each year. They can be revoked by the General Assembly, the Highborn Assembly, and the Assembly of the Nine.

Traditionally, the appointment of the Speaker takes place the morning after the annual Day of the Dead celebration, at the start of the Highborn new year, and there have been requests that this custom be maintained if possible - although there is no legal requirement for this to be the case.

Summit	Elected	Votes
Autumn Equinox 386YE	Nicodemus of Balthazar's Vineyard	210 Votes
Winter Solstice 385YE	Abraham	325 Votes
Winter Solstice 384YE	Isaac of the Silent Tide	261 Votes
Winter Solstice 383YE	Isaac of the Silent Tide	163 Votes
Autumn Equinox 383YE	Asher	315 Votes
Summer Solstice 383YE	Lev	364 Votes

Recent Elections

This title is currently held by Nicodemus of Balthazar's Vineyard; it will be reelected at the next summit. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.

Basilica of Seven Doors

The old meeting halls of the original Highborn assembly, the Basilica of Seven Doors, stand at the centre of White City. They are as beautiful and majestic today as they were when they were first completed. Seven chapels, one dedicated to each of the virtues, form an outer ring around a single great hall beneath a white marble dome. The great cathedral stands at the heart of a public park through which seven wide avenues extend, serving as the "spokes" around which the rest of the city was originally arranged. The Highborn still use the Basilica of Seven Doors for important festivities.

The Basilica was built explicitly for the use of the original Highborn Assembly in the years following the end of the civil war. It was constructed long before the foundation of the Empire, and long before the Way spread to other nations. At one point, it was perhaps the most significant building in Highguard - the centre of both spiritual and secular power, guiding the chapters and building a new nation on foundations of virtue and faith.

The Basilica is old, and while it is well maintained, it was built at an earlier time when there were fewer priests. In order to serve as the new heart of the Highborn assembly, it required some refurbishment. Following some discussion with Lev Unbound, the Custodes Clavium suggested that the building could be expanded without harming its unique history, and they were more than willing to oversee these refurbishments themselves. All they required was the permission of the Senate and the support of the Highborn assembly. Gaining support to refurbish the Basilica took time; it was eventually granted during the Spring Equinox 383YE. Once secured, the actual work was quickly completed with the work finished shortly before the Summer Solstice.

For many years the duty of overseeing the citadel and its grounds fell to the Custodes Clavium - a Highborn chapter named for the ring of keys they notionally hold, each one used to secure one of the gates to the citadel. In the Summer 383YE, following the completion of extensive refurbishments, the Speaker of the Highborn Assembly took over custodianship of the Basilica.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Category:Title]][[Category:Synod]][[Category:Highguard]]
+[[Category:Title]][[Category:Highguard]]
-{{stub}}
 ==Overview==
-The Speeaker of the Highborn Assembly.
+The Speaker of the Highborn Assembly is an old title that fell into disuse some time ago. Historically, the Speaker for the Highborn Assembly served in a manner very similar to a cardinal of virtue, guiding the assembly and ensuring its traditions were upheld. With the formation of the Synod in the early years of the Empire, however, the title fell out of fashion and was eventually abrogated during the reign of Empress Varkula, allegedly at the request of the Assembly of the Nine (over the bitter protests of the Highborn Assembly). The actual role never really went away, however, although it rose and fell in prominence as the politics of the Highborn ebbed and flowed.
+The title was reinstated shortly before the Summer Solstice 383YE following the [[Construct_Basilica_of_the_Seven_Doors|refurbishment of the Basilica of Seven Doors]] by the [[Imperial Senate]].
 ==Responsibilities==
-Historically, the Speaker for the Highborn Assembly served in a manner very similar to a cardinal of virtue, guiding the assembly and ensuring its traditions were upheld. With the formation of the Synod in the early years of the Empire, however, the title fell out of fashion and was eventually abrogated during the reign of Empress Varkula, allegedly at the request of the Assembly of the Nine (over the bitter protests of the Highborn Assembly). The actual role never really went away, however, although it rose and fell in prominence as the politics of the Highborn ebbed and flowed.
+The Speaker of the Highborn Assembly guides the Highborn National Assembly, ensuring its traditions are upheld. The Speaker has responsibility for chairing the meetings of the National assembly, encouraging the priests of Highguard to vote on [[judgement|judgements]] of the Synod and express the will of their congregations, organising the [[Highguard_culture_and_customs#Day_of_the_Dead|Day of the Dead]] memorial, and serving as custodian of the [[#Basilica of Seven Doors|Basilica of Seven Doors]]. If the Basilica were to be threatened, it would be the responsibility of the Speaker to face those threats; likewise should any [[opportunity]] related to the Basilica arise the Speaker would decide how to respond.
+==Powers==
+===A Portion of Liao===
+The sinecure provides 15 doses of [[liao]] to the Speaker each season, to be used as they see fit.
-Details of the old title Speaker of the Highborn Assembly still exist. The Speaker had responsibility for chairing the meetings of the National Assembly, encouraging the priests of Highguard to vote on judgements of the Synod and express the will of their congregations, organising the Day of the Dead memorial, and serving as custodian of the Basilica. The pilgrims and priests visiting the Basilica served as an additional congregation, meaning that the Speaker also receives 10 liao and 20 votes in the Imperial synod.
+===Donations to the Basilica===
+The Basilica of Seven Doors draws pilgrims from across Highguard; it is considered by many to be the true birthplace of the Way and making the pilgrimage to visit is seen by many Highborn as necessary to truly understand Pride in their nation. Some of these pilgrims make donations to help maintain the Basilica or for the Speaker to use as they deem necessary in Anvil. The Speaker of the Highborn Assembly receives 6 crowns and 15 rings each season from these donations.
-The Speaker was appointed by judgement of the Highborn Assembly, during the Winter solstice each year, and the Custodes Clavium suggest that the motion request the Constitutional Court keep this provision, so as to preserve continuity with the earlier incarnation. Traditionally, the appointment took place the morning after the Day of the Dead celebration, at the start of the Highborn new year, and the Custodes Clavium would be keen to see that custom recognised and maintained if possible.
+<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;"><box>'''Appointment Advice'''<br>
+To elect the position the morning after Day of the Dead would generally mean raising a judgement of appointment on Saturday evening no later than 19:00, with nominations closing at 22:00 Saturday and voting closing 14:00 Sunday. Alternatively, [[Judgement#Primacy|primacy]] would allow for the title to be appointed quickly on Sunday morning without requiring nominations. There is of course no legal requirement for the election to take place this way; the judgement could be raised at any time during the Winter Solstice.</box></div>
-==Powers==
-===Bounty of Liao===
-The sinecure provides TBC measures of [[liao]] to the Speaker each season, to be used as they see fit.
-===Voice in the Synod===
-The Speeaker receives TBC votes in the [[Imperial Synod]]. They may use these votes in any appropriate assembly, following the [[Sinecure#Synod_Votes|normal rules for votes provided by a Sinecure]].
 ==Appointment==
-The Speakeris a national position which is [[Appointment|appointed]] by [[judgement]] of the [[Assembly#The_National_Assemblies|Highbon assembly]].
+The Speaker is a national position which is [[Appointment|appointed]] by [[judgement]] of the [[Assembly#The_National_Assemblies|Highborn assembly]].
-The Speaker serves for a year, or until they die or step down. They can be revoked by the [[Assembly#General_Assembly|General Assembly]], the Highborn Assembly, and the [[Assembly#Assembly_of_the_Nine|Assembly of the Nine]].
+The Speaker is appointed during the Winter Solstice each year. They can be revoked by the [[Assembly#General_Assembly|General Assembly]], the Highborn Assembly, and the [[Assembly#Assembly_of_the_Nine|Assembly of the Nine]].
+Traditionally, the appointment of the Speaker takes place the morning after the annual Day of the Dead celebration, at the start of the Highborn new year, and there have been requests that this custom be  maintained if possible - although there is no legal requirement for this to be the case.
+{{RecentElections|Speaker_of_the_Highborn_Assembly}}
 ==Basilica of Seven Doors==
-The Basilica of the Seven Doors in Bastion was built for the use of the original Highborn Assembly, long before the foundation of the Empire, and long before the Way spread to other nations. At one point, it was perhaps the most significant building in Highguard - the centre of both spiritual and secular power, guiding the chapters and building a new nation on foundations of virtue and faith. The duty of overseeing the citadel and its grounds belongs to the Custodes Clavium - a Highborn chapter named for the ring of keys they notionally hold, each one used to secure one of the gates to the citadel.
+The old meeting halls of the original Highborn assembly, the '''Basilica of Seven Doors''', stand at the centre of [[Bastion#Bastion, the White City|White City]]. They are as beautiful and majestic today as they were when they were first completed. Seven chapels, one dedicated to each of the virtues, form an outer ring around a single great hall beneath a white marble dome. The great cathedral stands at the heart of a public park through which seven wide avenues extend, serving as the "spokes" around which the rest of the city was originally arranged. The Highborn still use the Basilica of Seven Doors for important festivities.
-Towards the end of last year, Lev of the Unbound contacted the Custodes Clavium to discuss the future of the Basilica, with particular regard to its traditional role in the Highborn assembly. It has taken nearly a year during which the members of the chapter have traveled far and wide across Highguard speaking to respected scholars and priests, but they have finally reached a conclusion.
-They agree that the time has come to reopen the Halls, and in doing so reinstitute the formal title of Speaker for the Highborn Assembly.
-The Basilica is old, and while it is well maintained, it was built at an earlier time when there were fewer priests. If it is to serve as the new heart of the Highborn assembly, it will need some refurbishment. The Custodes Clavium are more than willing to oversee these refurbishments themselves - and they are more than capable of doing so without placing additional demands on the civil service. All they require is the permission of the Senate, and the support of the Highborn assembly.
-As envisioned by the Custodes Clavium, the project would require 15 wains of white granite for the structure itself, and 5 wains of weirwood to enlarge and redesign the gardens that surround the Basilica itself. In theory the project would cost 30 crowns, but as long as the chapter was permitted to oversee the refurbishments, they would be more than happy to pay workers out of their own pocket. It would take three months to complete, and at the end of that time the newly revitalised Basilica of Seven Doors would create a new title.
+The Basilica was built explicitly for the use of the original Highborn Assembly in the years following the end of the civil war. It was constructed long before the foundation of the Empire, and long before the Way spread to other nations. At one point, it was perhaps the most significant building in Highguard - the centre of both spiritual and secular power, guiding the chapters and building a new nation on foundations of virtue and faith.
-This is not a limited opportunity; the Custodes Clavium remain committed to restoring the Speaker of the Highborn Assembly, and refurbishing the Basilica of Seven Doors. The refurbishment could be done without the aid of the Custodes Clavium, but doing so would mean that the restructuring work would count against the limited number of commissions the Senate can begin each season, the cost for the refurbishment would rise to 20 wains of white granite and 10 wains of weirwood, and the full labour costs of 60 crowns would need to be paid.
+The Basilica is old, and while it is well maintained, it was built at an earlier time when there were fewer priests. In order to serve as the new heart of the Highborn assembly, it required some refurbishment. Following some discussion with Lev Unbound, the [[Leaves_and_fruit#Basilica_of_the_Seven_Doors|Custodes Clavium suggested]] that the building could be expanded without harming its unique history, and they were more than willing to oversee these refurbishments themselves. All they required was the permission of the Senate and the support of the Highborn assembly. Gaining support to refurbish the Basilica took time; it was [[Construct_Basilica_of_the_Seven_Doors|eventually granted]] during the Spring Equinox 383YE. Once secured, the actual work was quickly completed with the work finished shortly before the Summer Solstice.
-More than one archivist and ecclesiastic scholar has opined that, were the Speaker for the Highborn Assembly restored to prominence it might encourage other national assemblies to consider improving their own organisation - a Speaker for the League Assembly based in Capodomus Cathedral perhaps, or even a Speaker for the Freeborn Assembly with offices at Atalya. These same scholars imagine that a little more organisation in the more fractious assemblies could be only for the good of the Synod as a whole - but such concerns are for the National Assemblies not for the people of Highguard.
+For many years the duty of overseeing the citadel and its grounds fell to the ''Custodes Clavium'' - a Highborn chapter named for the ring of keys they notionally hold, each one used to secure one of the gates to the citadel. In the Summer 383YE, following the completion of extensive refurbishments, the [[Speaker of the Highborn Assembly]] took over custodianship of the Basilica.