Sinecure
Overview
A sinecure is any Imperial title that provides the office holder with a fixed income. The return can take the form of money, herbs, materials for crafting items, mana crystals or even liao. The income provided by a sinecure is received only by the person with the title - if the title has not been appointed the resources do not accrue.
Sinecures are traditionally appointed for life.
Senate Commissions
The Imperial Senate may pass a motion for the construction of an establishment capable of producing wealth - money, herbs, resources or similar. This motion automatically results in the creation of a sinecure once the construction is complete.
It is also possible for the Senate to pass a motion to upgrade a sinecure, increasing the benefits that it provides.
Costs
- Materials: Variable (minimum 10 wains)
- Time: 3 months to construct per 50 wains of materials used
- Labour: 2 crowns per wain
- Upkeep: None
The more resources are devoted to constructing a sinecure, the greater the return. Under normal circumstances, the material required will be the one associated with upgrading an equivalent personal resource. For example, at least 10 wains of mithril is required to create a sinecure that produces mana crystals.
In addition to the wains required, it costs 2 crowns per wain to pay for labour and skills to complete the construction.
| Wains | Money | Ingots | Herbs | Mana Crystals | Congregation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 216 rings | 12 | 18 | 9 | 6 liao, 12 votes |
| 12 | 252 rings | 14 | 21 | 10 | 7 liao, 14 votes |
| 16 | 288 rings | 16 | 24 | 12 | 8 liao, 16 votes |
| 20 | 324 rings | 18 | 27 | 13 | 9 liao, 18 votes |
| 24 | 360 rings | 20 | 30 | 15 | 10 liao, 20 votes |
| 30 | 396 rings | 22 | 33 | 16 | 11 liao, 22 votes |
| 60 | 540 rings | 30 | 45 | 22 | 15 liao, 30 votes |
| 80 | 612 rings | 34 | 51 | 25 | 17 liao, 34 votes |
| 116 | 720 rings | 40 | 60 | 30 | 20 liao, 40 votes |
The table shows some standard costs and benefits for a range of sinecures. For example a sinecure created by the Senate using 20 wains of mithril could produce 13 mana crystals each season. There is no upper limit on how many wains can be used to construct a sinecure; provided at least 10 wains are used, then any amount can be spent to build it.
Limitations
It is not possible to create a sinecure which mimics the effects of a fleet or military unit, nor is it possible to create a sinecure which creates mithril, ilium, weirwood, or white granite.
A sinecure is very similar to a personal resource such as a farm or mine in that it provides a set amount of resources to the character who holds the position at the start of each event. Unlike a personal resource, however, the sinecure cannot be upgraded or diversified by its holder (only by senate motion) and there are no decisions to be made about what the position provides or how it does so. A sinecure that produces liao will not come with an option to sell that liao in downtime, a sinecure that produces green iron cannot be paid to produce more in the way a green iron mine could.
Sinecures are not affected by rituals that target a personal resource. A ritual that increases the production of a green iron mine will not affect a sinecure that produces green iron.
A sinecure that produces herbs will normally produce equal quantities of all herbs. It is possible to create a sinecure that produces a single herb, provided it is one that is commonly found in the area. As part of the necessary details, the senator can indicate what herbs they would like but the final decision about production is made by the game team.
Synod Votes
Any sinecure that produces liao also provides votes in the Imperial Synod. The flavour for such a sinecure almost invariably includes a group of faithful lay followers of the Way of some sort. The civil service evaluates this in the same way they would a congregation and assigns liao and votes in the Imperial Synod on that basis.
A sinecure that provide votes in the Imperial Synod has significant constitutional implications if the appointment of the sinecure is not made through the Synod. For example, the Guardian of Britta's Shrine was unconstitutional since it was appointed by the Senate but the title carried votes in the Synod. The magistrates would not have allowed this motion to pass in this form if they had noticed the situation at the time. If the sinecure were appointed by the Synod, then it would be constitutional.
A sinecure that provides votes in the Imperial Synod grants the holder of that title the legal powers and responsibilities of membership of the Synod. If the holder of the title is not already a member of the Synod, it automatically includes membership of all appropriate assemblies (the General Assembly, the appropriate National Assembly, and either the relevant Virtue Assembly or the Assembly of the Way).
The physical location of a sinecure that provides synod votes is not relevant to the assemblies that the owner is considered to belong to. A Navarr guide who maintains a cathedral in the Marches still wields their votes in the Navarr national assembly rather than the Marcher national assembly, even though the congregation of that cathedral are largely of Marcher nationality. Only the size of the congregation matters to the civil service, not its make-up.
A sinecure that provides votes in the Imperial Synod does not provide additional votes during the election of a Highborn senator. This could in theory lead to the odd situation where a Highborn citizen can vote in that election due to the possession of a sinecure, but has no votes. On the rare occasions that this has come up, the citizen can attend and participate in the interrogation of the candidates, but cannot cast any votes during the selection process.
Other Votes
It is no longer possible to create a sinecure that provides votes in a Bourse or Senate election, even where voting is determined by the size of a citizen's personal resource. After lengthy consideration, the Constitutional Court determined that sinecures that did this violated an important principle of presence, that an individual should be present to cast their vote.
Responsibility
Any citizen who is granted a sinecure is expected to be responsible for any problems that might beset the resources represented by the sinecure. For example, if Thule reavers are raiding the mines overseen by the Lady of the Upper Halls, then the Empire will expect that citizen to deal with the problem.
Recent Sinecures
This table includes all sinecures which have been appointed in recent times. For a full list of title holders see here. This was last updated before the Winter Solstice 382YE.
| Name of Sinecure | Method of Appointment | Location | Output | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Sutannir | Synod, Brass Coast | Kahraman, Braydon's Jasse | Liao (6), Votes (12) | Lifetime |
| Brock's Toll | Tournament | Miaren, ??? | Rings (324) | Year, Summer |
| Broken Shield Guardian | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Solvihill | Herbs (18) | Lifetime |
| Caretaker of New Dunhall | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Wood Heath | Rings (324) | Lifetime |
| Castellan of the Silent Sentinel | Synod, Highguard | Casinea, Marehom | Liao (10), Votes (20) | Lifetime |
| Claviger of the Basilica of Cora Holdfast | Synod, Loyalty | Reikos, Chalcis Mount | Liao (9), Votes (18) | Lifetime |
| Collector of Prosperity's Boon | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Wood Heath | Mana Crystals (10) | Lifetime |
| Crow Keeper of the Rest | Synod, Wintermark | Kallavesa, Kallavesa Marsh | Liao (6), Votes (12) | Lifetime |
| Curator of the Printer's Guild Museum | Synod, Cardinal of Prosperity | Tassato, Tassato Mestra | Liao (6), Votes (12) | Lifetime |
| Curator of the White City Museum | Synod, Highguard | Bastion, Bastion Rounds | Liao (7), Votes (14) | Lifetime |
| Custodian of Glass Point Cove | Senate, The League | Sarvos, Uccelini | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Custodian of the Claw | Senate, Urizen | Morrow, Ravion | Mana Crystals (10) | Lifetime |
| Custodian of the Imperial War Memorial | Synod, Highguard | Casinea, Mareholm | Liao (6), Votes (12) | Lifetime |
| Dean of the First Voice Glade | Senate, Navarr | Miaren, ??? | Herbs (9) | Lifetime |
| Dean of Laroc Cathedral | Synod, Dawn | Astolat, Laroc | Liao (6), Votes (12) | Lifetime |
| Dean of Pilgrims | Senate, Imperial | Morrow, Ravion | Liao (18) | Lifetime |
| Dean of the Thorned Rose | Senate, Navarr | Miaren, Serenael | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Dredgemaster of Feverwater | Senate, Navarr | Therunin, East Ashes | Crafting Materials (4), Historical Research | Lifetime |
| Drusilla's Obelus | Bourse, Auction | Holberg, The Morass | Bladeroot (18) | Lifetime |
| Eternal Flame of Miaren | Senate, Navarr | Miaren, Serenael | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Farmer of Eastern Spring Farm | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Gildermark | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Fallsheart Guardian | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Wood Heath | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Friar of Honour's Rest | Synod, The Marches | Mournwold, Greensward | Liao (8), Votes (16) | Lifetime |
| Gatekeeper of Falling Snow | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, ??? | Cerulean Mazzarine (12) | Lifetime |
| Gloaming Sentinel | Conclave, Declaration | Miekarova, Srodkoja | Iridescent Gloaming (20) | Lifetime |
| Granger of the Golden Orchard | Senate, Navarr | Miaren, Serenael | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Grim Gardener | Senate, Varushka | Miekarova, Perumaki | Herbs (22) | Lifetime |
| Guardian of Britta's Shrine | Senate, Highguard | Necropolis, Coursmouth | N/A | Lifetime |
| Guardian of the Cairn | Senate, Wintermark | Skarsind, Skogei Glens | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Guardian of Dunfrith | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Wood Heath | Herbs (21) | Lifetime |
| Guardian of Giselle's Tomb | Synod, The League | Temeschwar, Hanuri | Liao (5), Votes (10) | Lifetime |
| Guardian of the Prosperity of Afal | Senate, The Marches | Upwold, Ashbrook | Mana Crystals (9) | Year, Autumn |
| Healer of Dawn | Senate, Dawn | Astolat, Laroc | Cerulean Mazzarine (18) | Lifetime |
| Herbalist of the Hearth | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Southridge | Herbs (21) | Lifetime |
| Jade Custodian | Senate, The League | Sarvos, Foracci | Mana Crystals (12) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of Aurelie's Garden | Tournament | Astolat, Grovesyard | Herbs (18) | Year, Autumn |
| Keeper of Berislav's Rest | Senate, Varushka | Volodmartz, Suvretz | Rings (216) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Cox | Conclave, Declaration | Reikos, High Chalcis | Golden Apples (3) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Crystal Vale | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Southridge | Mana Crystals (10) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Dour Fens | Senate, The Marches | Bregasland, Gravenmarch | Mana Crystals (10) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of Emilio's Herbarium | Synod, Loyalty | Sarvos, Foracci | Herbs (21) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Golden Fields | Senate, The Marches | Mitwold, Golden Downs | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Imperial Menagerie | The Throne | Holberg, Holmauer | Assorted | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Memorial Gardens of Treji | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Hercynia, The Glen of Shadows | Herbs (18) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Sapphire Stair | Senate, The League | Tassato, Cascatas | Rings (400) | Lifetime |
| Keeper of the Spice Gardens | Senate, Brass Coast | Feroz, Morajasse | Herbs (16) | Lifetime |
| Marshal of the Pit of Revelations | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Skogei Glens | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Master Apothecary | Senate, Wintermark | Hahnmark, Kalpamark | Herbs (21) | Lifetime |
| Master of the School of Exorcism | Senate, Highguard | Reikos, Tabernacle | Liao (6) | Lifetime |
| Mayor of Caricomare | Senate, Sarvos | Sarvos, Cigno | Rings (300), Sarvos Senator Votes (25) | Lifetime |
| Preceptor of the Skarsind College of Warcasting | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Estermark | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Queen's Rose | The Throne | Semmerholm, Lacuve | Liao (12), Votes (24) | Year, Summer |
| Shepherd of the Great Herd | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Estermark | Rings (216) | Lifetime |
| Signori d'Argento Vine Tender | Senate, The League | Sarvos, Foracci | Rings (216) | Lifetime |
| Spider's Tollkeep | Senate, Brass Coast and The League | Madruga, Torres and Sarvos, Trivento | Rings (320) | Lifetime |
| Steward of Good Leaf Gardens | Bourse, The Marches, Farms | Upwold, Birchland | Herbs (30) | Year, Autumn |
| Storm Shaman | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Pakaanan's Pass | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
| Tender of the Hearth | Synod, Varushka | Miekarova, Perumaki | Liao (9), Votes (18) | Lifetime |
| Voice of Barbs | Synod, Navarr | Hercynia, Northpines | Liao (6), Votes (12) | Year, Winter |
| Watcher of Britta's Pool | Synod, Wintermark | Kallavesa, Kallavesa Marsh | Liao (9), Votes (18) | Lifetime |
| Watcher of the Wheel | Conclave, Declaration | Tassato, Madeiras | Vis (4) | Lifetime |
| Weigher of Worth | Senate, Imperial Orcs | Skarsind, Gildermark | Mana Crystals (9) | Lifetime |
Previous Sinecures
- The Gardens of Pallas, overseen by the Head Gardener of Urizen were burned by the Druj shortly before the Spring Equinox 382YE.
- The Glorious Fountain, overseen by the Keeper of the Glorious Fountain was destroyed by the Druj during their invasion of Morrow after the Summer Solstice 382YE.