Difference between revisions of "Dominion Era/Tretallë (Government)/D'Cilaneti Tivirë Di'Tretallë"

Revision as of 23:10, 27 December 2015

Dominion Era Tretallë
Bone Elves
Istfet, The Strangers, Invaders, Deathriders
Imperial Standard of the Tretalleri Dominion
Land of Origin
Continent of Origin	Termalttë
Homeland	Teýrivellë
Capital	Ifatallë Cselvë
Racial Lore
Language	Tretalleri
Characteristics	Tretallë (Characteristics)
Culture	Tretallë (Culture)
History	Dominion Era
Government	Tretallë (Government)
Military	Tretallë (Military)
Stats	Tretallë (Stats)
Racial Relations
Allies	None
Enemies	Elledynnë
Neutrals	None

The Imperial Trinity of the Dominion in Dominean—D'Cilaneti Tivirë Di'Tretallë in Tretalleri—is composed of the Pale Imperator, the absolute ruler, and his Princes Consort: the Prince of Ravens and the Prince of Lances. Though many scholars would argue that the Imperial Trinity is either one or the other, it is well known that the Trinity is as much a brotherhood as it is a threesome of lovers bound together by their mutual experiences in the Cloister of Trials. The Trinity is an essential part of the governance of the Dominion, and there are very few, at least in the heartland, that would object to its existence.

The Pale Imperator

Di'Adeýla Cilanannë in His native tongue Tretalleri, there is no doubt that the Pale Imperator, when incumbent, is the most important and most powerful man during the era of the Dominion. Possessed of both mental acuity, physical strength, political wiles, and powerful blood magics, the Pale Imperator alone likely possesses the necessary capabilities to command the awe and loyalty of every man, woman, child and everything in between in the Tretalleri heartland. He is seen as both emperor and god, worthy of adjulation and veneration second only to that which The Stranger is entitled.

Titles

Seen as a god among men, the people of the Dominion spared no expense in giving the Pale Imperator his titles. They call him Cilanannë Ornimë—The Ruler Absolute, Cilanannë avvë Di'Tretallë—Lord over the Dominion, De'Vidmerrë D'Lanôkhë Di'Tretallë—The Protector of the Realms, Di'Cilveti—The Divine, and Di'Tatyrë Maffettë—and the Ever Victorious. These five titles are not the only titles of the Pale Imperator, but they are the official ones, the only ones that are ever spoken of in academic literature as titles, as opposed to exonyms.

However, it is also important to note that as a result of the many different ways that many different peoples were brought into the fold of the Dominion, each realm under its banner has its own titles for the Pale Imperator. While outsiders may say that some of them are insulting, truthfully, very few of them are found as such. Take, for example, the following Heralding that took place shortly after the subjugation of the Kingdoms of the IstEri, when the Imperator's Avatar came to the capital city of IldCaran:

The Avatars

D'Vinsînë Di'Cilanannë, literally The Faces of the Imperator in Dominean, are chosen members of the Blood who devote their lives and their bodies in service to the Pale Imperator. Because the Pale Imperator himself cannot be shorn from the capital for any significant period of time, his Avatars are in fact essential to the proper functioning of his Dominion. A volunteer who has been screened and found qualified is turned into an Avatar using the powerful blood magics of the Ivory Throne, and thereby bound to the Pale Imperator. This is irreversible.

Projecting the consciousness of the Imperator onto a different body is a very strenuous and exhausting process for everyone involved, and as a result, it is not used very often. While it leaves the Imperator himself relatively unscathed, it can take months for an Avatar to recover from the trauma of having his consciousness supplanted by another. In fact, it takes about a week for the Avatar to revive from the coma that follows the Imperator projecting onto him. It is for this reason that while the magic exists and is usable without great risk to the Imperator, it is not a very efficient way of transferring information back and forth between locations, as while projected, the Imperator has no control over his own body.

Divine Rights

As per the Faith of the Bone Elves, the Pale Imperator is the sole possessor of a number of rights bestowed upon him by the Gods, collectively known in Tretalleri as D'Cilêda Di'Cilanannë—The Divine Rights of the Imperator.

The Divine Right to Absolute Rule

Cileda t'Ornimë Cilannë in Tretalleri. This Right is also known as the Divine Right to the Throne, Cileda t'Cilthë. This is easily the most prominent Right of the Imperator, granted to him by the Stranger. This Divine Right affirms that the Imperator is the sole ruler of the Dominion, and that while he may elect to allow the Twin Courts to preside over the trivialities of the realm in his stead, the final word is still his, save for in times of war.

The Divine Right to be a God Among Men

Cileda tellë Siltanë Cilanannë Averre Medessi Terredynë in Tretalleri. This Right is perhaps one of the most contested by scholars, historians, and theologians alike. Though historically, the Dominion has never presented itself as a theocracy, there is a school of thought that believes that this particular Right elevates the Imperator to the level of a god-king, and thus establishes the Dominion as an empire ruled by a god. However, there is also an opposing school of thought that believes that this Right merely states that the Imperator is also worthy of veneration, from his fellow men, normally reserved solely to the gods.

The Divine Right to Hold Dominion Over all Lands

Cileda tellë Darra Cilanannë Cilannë Avvë Ormë Terrë in Tretalleri. This Right is also known as the Divine Right to Conquest, Cileda t'Akhire. Relatively less prominent than the Right to Absolute Rule, this particular Right is one of the most often exercised by the long line of Imperators in the history of the Dominion as it is the justification for the military campaigns to conquer distant lands to add to the purview of the Dominion. Where the other Rights so far are granted to the Imperator by the Stranger, this one is granted to him by The Rider.

Some theologians argue that it is more than just a Right, but is in fact a divine imperative that the Imperator seek to expand his domain by whatever means necessary, for so long as it such action would not negatively impact the Dominion.

The Divine Right to Strike Down Opposition

Cileda tellë Arradorvë Cilanannë Khirtanë in Tretalleri. This Right is the second granted to the Imperator by the Rider instead of the Stranger. This Right is one of the least-exercised by Imperators through history, thus far having only been used three times to quell rebellions in annexed land, and twice to summarily execute traitors. This Right is the justification used to execute individuals who are suspected or caught working against the Dominion without need for due process.

The Divine Right to Raised Eyes

Cileda t'Avvë Vissë in Tretalleri. The use of this Right varies from Imperator to Imperator, and even then, from day to day. This is the right of the Imperator to shield himself from the plights and concerns of the common man, but rather to delegate others, who do not have 'raised eyes' to take care of such matters. Imperators tend to use this right in order to avoid the headache of managing the governance of the commonfolk, thereby freeing them up to work, instead, on the larger picture.

The Divine Right to Proclaim Law

Cileda tellë Erzivë Cilanannë Milannë in Tretalleri. Most Imperators do not bother with proclamations and instead leave the legislative process to the Twin Courts, as they are far better equipped to know and understand what laws will cause unrest or celebration in the Dominion. However, should an Imperator decide to speak a decree, it comes into effect immediately, and lawbreakers are instantly punishable by whatever provisions for punishment the Imperator decreed.

The Divine Right to Absolute Truth

Cileda t'Ornimë Verra in Tretalleri. As the highest judge of the Dominion, called upon when the Twin Courts fail to come to a conclusion about a matter of justice, this Right deems the Imperator deserving of the truth, and only the absolute truth. At this point in the judicial process, should it become apparent that the defendant has committed any sort of dishonesty, they are to face immediate execution with no due process necessary, nor any recourse.

The Trial of Blood

De'Lartë Kallennë; as it is known in Tretalleri, the Trial of Blood is not what it may seem at first glance. The Trial is not a singular challenge that a prospective heir to the Ivory Throne must persevere through in order to gain the Throne. Instead, the Trial of Blood pertains to both the period of time that follows the death of an Imperator and the accession of the next and the series of requirements that a prospective heir must fulfil in order to gain the right to the Throne.

Due to its stringency, the Trial has been known to last upwards of six or seven decades, though it has been known to take much longer. The longest period of time where the Dominion was not headed by an Imperator was 452 years due to the assassination of the successful heir presumptive on the way back from the Cloister of Trials, an event that coincided with one of the most unstable transitions between older and younger generations of the Twin Courts, which had been expecting a new Imperator to take power to ease the transition. It was during this 452 years, known to the annals of history as the Nightmarish Trial, that the Dominion very nearly collapsed as the result of dissenters discovering that the blood oath to the Ivory Throne had weakened enough to allow non-verbally rebelling against the Dominion.

It was also after this 452 years that the most brutally effective Imperator that the Dominion has ever seen rose to power. Ifanarien a'Callen, who gained for himself the epithet of The Ruthless, summarily and efficiently squashed the rebellion in no more than a month.

Lineality

Foremost among the requirements in order to accede to the Throne is, of course, that of lineage. During the first three thousand years of the Dominion's existence, when the Twin Courts had yet to be conceived, inheritance to the Throne was rather simple, so long as the matrilineal nature of Tretalleri society is kept in mind. A woman can pass down the throne to her children, but a man cannot do the same. Instead, a man can only pass the Throne to the children of his eldest sister, a quirk of the fact that the line of descent is traced through women, and even if a male Imperator was to wed and have children, his children would not be of the proper line to accede to the throne.

At the end of these first three thousand years, however, then-Imperator Filiren a'Noren, sole surviving child of his mother, Velteri a'Noren who had passed her throne to him, died of natural causes—without a legitimate heir. The vacuum of power that Filiren a'Noren left behind sparked the so-called Wars of Ascension that threatened to tear the then-relatively small Dominion apart. The war raged for three decades, but it was ultimately Zovynnë a'Devytorë, an officer of the Ivory Guard that was promoted to being a Lord General during the war, that seized the Throne for himself. It was in his wisdom that Zovynnë established the Laws of Lineality that ensured that there would always, eventually, be an heir to the Throne, as well as the Twin Courts to prevent a vacuum of power from ever forming.

The full text of Zovynnë's Royal Proclamation of the Law of Lineality is one of the most well-preserved documents in the Tretalleri archives, surviving well into the conquest of the West and beyond.

While the original Law of Lineality preserved the custom of allowing a female Imperator to bequeath the throne upon her children, the events that followed the reigns of the three Torch-Bearer Queens forced the hand of the Twin Courts to eject women from eligibility to the throne in exchange for permanent seats and absolute control over the House of Crows.

Suffice to say that the requirements for lineality are stringent. For a child to be eligible to the Throne, he must be the child of a first daughter who is in turn a child of a third daughter, who is, herself a child of a ninth daughter. In addition to this, the child must belong to one of the High Houses of the realm.

Formal descent from a High House is necessary. This means that the entire line of descent mentioned in the requirement for eligibility for the Throne, the mother of the child, her mother, and her mother's mother, must not have declared her desire to sever her ties, in the face of the law but not in the face of the records, to her House and Clan in order to start a new one. This is, however, only pertinent until such time that a prospective heir to the Throne makes his Claim. When a Claim is put forward and accepted, the females of the line are no longer obliged to stay in their original House and Clan in order to retain the eligibility of the prospective heir.

The Claim

It is upon reaching the age of 27, an age that is immensely young by Tretalleri standards, and even infantile by many regards, a viable candidate to the Throne by the Law of Lineality must lay claim to the throne. This Claim, however, is contingent on one thing: it may only be put forward if and only if the candidate genuinely wishes to accede to the throne. Should, however, a child refuse to lay Claim to the Throne at this age, but expresses to do so once he is ready, he will be given another opportunity nine years from the day of his 27th feathering day, and another every nine years hence for as long as he is younger than the age of majority: 81.

Though at first glance, it should seem like an auxiliary process to the Trial of Blood, the Claim has actually been part of the Trial since the year 10969 D'Irrenë Di'Tretallë(lit. Year of the Dominion). It was in the Middling Moon of the Season of Darkness of this year, after an heir presumptive to the Throne committed suicide as a result of mounting pressure from his House to succeed, that a somber session of the Twin Courts, with the House of Crows at its head, introduced the Law of Knowing Claim, which was reinforced by an Imperial Declaration once the next Imperator—who had been close friends with, and had in fact hoped that the heir presumptive who had committed suicide would be his Prince of Ravens—took the Throne.

By the Law of Knowing Claim, it is forbidden for any member of an eligible House, on pain of imprisonment or execution, as decided by the judgment of the Twin Courts, to knowingly coerce or pressure any eligible child to make the Claim in any way. It is, however, legal for a child to be groomed for the possibility of making the Claim at the proper age, but should said child wish to remove himself from this grooming at any time, it is mandated by law that he be allowed to. It is forbidden, as well, to make any assertion, be it implicitly (by way of flattery, for example), or explicitly, that the child must make the claim.

To an outsider, the Claim being considered an official part of the Trial of Blood, by law may come across as strange. However, it makes perfect sense to the Tretallë. House and Clan are of utmost importance to the Bone Elfin peoples, and in order to lay Claim to the Throne, a child must sever all of his ties with his House, family, and Clan. Choosing to make a Claim is, in fact, one of the bravest things that a child, at the tender age of 27, can do.

Of such significance is the concept of severing ties with House and Clan during the laying of a Claim that it is a highly publicised event. Customarily, a child, whose Claim has already been evaluated by the Twin Courts to be legitimate, appears before the steps of the Imperial Palace, dressed in the colours of his House, bearing a branch of the Bone Tree of his Clan. After a priest has spoken a blessing, the child strips naked before the eyes of the multitude and using the branch sets ablaze a pyre upon which he throws his clothing, a symbolic severing of family ties.

After this ceremony is completed, the laying of the Claim becomes official, and the child-now-heir-presumptive no longer returns to the arms of his family, but is instead directed to the first of his many instructors in the next part of the Trial of Blood. Once dressed in the customary coat and cloak of the heirs presumptive, the newest heir presumptive is introduced to his quarters at the Grand Rookery, where he will spend at least the next thirty-six years, preparing to brave the Cloister of Trials at the end of the Rite of the Tome.

If, however, a child fails the Trial of Blood, either by failing at any point during the Trial, being unable to complete the Cloister, or simply being beaten out by someone else, the Law of Knowing Claim also protects him. When a child fails the Trial, as all but three of the heirs presumptive invariably will, the child cannot, under any circumstances, be abused or ostracised by his House as a result of his failure to accede to the Throne.

The Rite of the Scroll

When the Claim is legitimized by the Twin Courts and the eligible child named an heir presumptive to the Ivory Throne, he is instructed to immediately begin residence at the Grand Rookery. The Grand Rookery is a smaller palace situated directly to the west of the Imperial Palace which is home to the Prince of Ravens whenever the Ivory Throne is occupied. It is also the greatest house of learning in all the Dominion heartland prestigious not only by its name, but by the calibre of scholars, artisans, and generals that it has produced for the Dominion.

Following the laying of the Claim, the next 36 years are what comprise the Rite of the Tome, when the heirs presumptive are trained not only in the ways of the nobility and in propriety as the Pale Imperator, but also in the necessary skills to be great leaders, governors, generals, and scholars. It is at the end of these 36 years, that an heir presumptive becomes eligible to take the next and final step on the road to attempting to accede to the Throne. The 36-year limit is flexible, however, as an heir presumptive may petition, with recommendation from instructors due to good performance, to attempt the Cloister of Trials earlier. At the same time, an heir judged as having had poor performance by the Twin Courts, may be delayed from eligibility to attempt the Cloister.

When an heir presumptive has been granted eligibility to face the Cloister, he must first declare that he wishes to face the Cloister. He may do so at any time after eligibility, but if he declares the desire to face the Cloister after someone else, he must either enter the Cloister with the other heir presumptive or wait until the other heir presumptive has failed, or be denied the chance if the other heir presumptive succeeds.

Due to the fact that more often than not an heir presumptive is not alone, when an heir presumptive declares his desire to face the Cloister, any further new Claims to the Throne are turned away. The heir presumptive that wishes to face the Cloister is then given time to prepare as he will have to wait for each and every other heir presumptive undergoing the Rite of the Tome to reach eligibility. When this is done, the heir presumptive will face the Cloister, along with every other heir presumptive that expresses the wish to do so at the same time. In fact, the Cloister will refuse to open to any heirs presumptive wishing to brave it unless there are at least three.

Prior to the discovery of the Cloister and its connection with the Ivory Throne, the hopeful heirs presumptive engaged in duels with each other. Whomsoever emerged alone and victorious would then ascend to the throne unchallenged.

The Cloister of Trials

Without doubt, the Cloister of Trials is the most harrowing and the most pivotal of the challenges that comprise the Trial of Blood. After braving the gauntlet of challenges in the Cloister, a trial that lasts days if not weeks, most heirs presumptive that fail the Cloister are forever changed. Most of them for the better, though a rare handful have been known to sink into depression or even madness. However, it is also without doubt that what, exactly, happens in the Cloister is one of the most well-guarded secrets in the Dominion. Not even her highest priests nor greatest scholars and historians know of the true nature of the Cloister.

Heirs presumptive, Princes Consort, and Imperator alike are bound in an inviolable oath by blood to not speak of what they see in the hallowed halls of the Cloister. Whatever secrets may get out by the tongues of those driven mad by the Cloister are never recorded for historians, archivists, and, in fact, any citizen of the Dominion are prohibited on pain of summary execution, to record any such things.

What little that happens to be known is that the blood-oath that binds the heirs presumptive, Princes Consort, and Imperator to silence is a very specific oath. In fact, they seem to be allowed to speak in general terms about what occurs within the Cloister. Often, whatever they say is devoid of any useful hints or details.

The best picture that has thus far been painted of the Cloister, in all the years of the Dominion, is that at the heart of the structure, after running a gauntlet of physical and mental obstacles, of which none are lethal, the heirs presumptive that make it to the heart of the Cloister are faced with visions of their worst fears and greatest delights, as well as other visions seemingly to test their leadership, self-control, self-awareness, and capacity for compassion to the limit. It is in these imaginary worlds, supposedly, that the heirs presumptive engage in a battle of wills, vying to be the last to succumb to the visions shown them lest they be determined unfit for the Throne. Only he who remains standing after the fierce battle is worthy of Crown and Throne alike.

Whatever else that is known is about the external structure of the Cloister, which was discovered during the excavation for the Temple to the Stranger, ten thousand years after the establishment of the Dominion. Workers on the excavation project described the Cloister as being made of stone-that-is-not-stone. Scholars that came to study the structure were unable to provide any elaboration on this description, only that the Cloister seemed to radiate a prickling aura whenever one came too close.

There is only one way to enter the Cloister, and that is by blood sacrifice. This is truly the last piece of information that is known about the Cloister—perhaps the only one that is accessible to any who would take the time to read a book. For this reason, the heirs apparent are given a silver stag, an animal sacred to the Stranger, to offer as blood sacrifice for the great stone-that-is-not-stone doors of the Cloister.

The Princes Consort

Due to reasons that are yet unknown to the Dominion and its rulers, the heir presumptive that emerges victorious from the Cloister of Trials is always accompanied by two others—the last two to have failed before him, almost strong enough to surpass him but not quite. Each time, however, it has become quickly apparent that the three share a profound bond. Whether this bond is of romantic love or brotherly love is often up for debate. However, due to the fact that an Imperator is forbidden by both law and custom, to sire children for the length of his reign, more often than not, the two others that emerge from the Cloister with the Imperator become his lovers. It is for this reason that the title Princes Consort has stuck.

The Prince of Ravens

D'Cilanennë'Akraltë Korvë properly in Tretallë, though often shorted to Cilkorvë for practical reasons, the Prince of Ravens will all his life stand at the side of the Imperator in all that he does—customarily to the position of honour at the Imperator's left. He is the Imperator's Wisdom and Mercy, the one to urge peace when war is unnecessary, and reticence when execution is too heavy a punishment. Between himself and the Prince of Lances, the Prince of Ravens is perhaps the dearer of the two to the Imperator's heart, though whatever tenderness they may have is often done behind closed doors.

The seat of the Prince of Ravens' domain is the Grand Rookery. From here, he reviews and directs the intellectual enterprises of the many realms under the purview of the Dominion, though his power to direct private investments is rather limited. He is the overseer and supervisor of the many archivists and historians that work at the Grand Rookery, ensuring that the historical record of the Dominion's triumphs and defeats is as objective as it possibly could be. Though it would be far easier to instead spin the fabric of the record to sing the Dominion's praises, it was decided by a long-dead imperator, Khanraeýn a'Doroven, that those that would come after him would better learn from the truth than fabrications.

The Prince of Ravens is also in charge of scientific exploration. From every corner of the realm, special ravens, d'Korvë Antirrë—Birds of Inquest as they are often called—flock to the Grand Rookery, carrying word of new discoveries. These aforementioned findings are then combed through by the Prince of Ravens' Birds, Korvittë—gifted scholars from every discipline raised and appointed to their posts by the Prince himself. These men and women of great intellectual prowess are delegated to conduct peer review of any documents sent in to the office of the Prince of Ravens, though it is important to note that they all remain responsible for furthering their own lines of research as well.

In fact, many of these Birds are chosen because they petitioned the Prince of Ravens for a portion of funding from the Imperial vaults. In exchange for this funding, these Birds are put in charge of sifting through the many alleged findings sent in by Inquest Raven as well as delegating Imperial representatives to corroborate the findings if necessary. Also, if there is any monetary value in a Bird's research a relatively small portion of the proceeds are required to be given to the Dominion as further repayment for continued funding.

While not himself a high priest of the Faith of the Nine, the Prince of Ravens also presides over the theologians in conjunction with the high clergy of the Faith. He oversees the translation of the Faith's Canon Scripture, the Pale Grimoire He acts as the check and balance for the Faith, ensuring that no radical ideologies spring up and spread out of control. Some would argue that this is in fact one of the most important tasks of the Prince of Ravens, for in an empire so vast as the Dominion, where so many different peoples are brought together in sometimes-less-than-harmonious ways, it is necessary that any religious justification for discrimination be stamped out.

Finally, the Prince of Ravens functions as the presiding officer of the Twin Courts in legislative session. He oversees the drafting of laws and their subsequent amendments. His word is as good as the Imperator's, save for when the Imperator himself wishes to take a more direct hand in the creation of the Dominion's laws. Even then, the Imperator is obliged to listen and consider the Prince of Ravens' words of advice as of the trinity of rulers, it is the Prince of Ravens that interacts with the commonfolk the most.

The Prince of Lances

D'Cilanennë'Akraltë arralantë properly in Tretallë, though often shorted to Cillantë for practical reasons, the Prince of Lances will all his life stand at the side of the Imperator in all that he does—customarily to the right. He is the Imperator's Wrath and Justice, the one to urge for conquest when the thirst of the Dominion grows too great to sate, and the blade when traitors or liars come before them in court. Between himself and the Prince of Ravens, the Prince of Lances is the dearer friend to the Imperator. He is the confidant and the pillar of stability for the two others of their trinity, though again, whatever it is that takes place between him and his Imperator occurs in privacy.

The Prince of Lances is the chief commanding officer of the might of the Imperial Army. He is second only to the Imperator himself, who, as always, has the final say in all things. The Prince of Lances, when he is not with the Imperator, resides at the Imperial Citadel, a massive fortified structure built around the Imperial Palace, at the heart of the Ivory City. The Citadel's primary purpose is to serve as the city's central point of defense, and as a nigh-impenetrable fortress to house the Imperial Trinity and the High Houses of the realm should the city ever be besieged.

In addition to its sprawling, above-ground architecture, consisting of numerous walls and points of defense, the Citadel also has a vast underground complex where the people of the city can retreat to if necessary. The Citadel also houses a great deal of resources, much of it preserved by blood magic, as well as a cistern filled by a subterranean spring. This means that should the Ivory City ever be besieged, those who stay at the Citadel will be able to persevere for an indefinite amount of time.

The Prince of Lances' personal quarters are located at the tallest tower in the Citadel—known only as The Spire. From atop his tower, the Prince of Lances can clearly see all of the city and from a safe enough distance away that not even the best High-Elfin archers could strike him. Just adjacent to the Prince's quarters is the Martial Rookery, rather small in comparison to the Grand Rookery by the Imperial Palace, but still substantial.

All the ravens that roost at the Martial Rookery and all the ones that visit to deliver messages are personally cared for by the Prince of Lances and two or three stewards who are affectionately called his Hands. The Hands of the Prince of Lances are sworn to him by blood and by honour to maintain the confidence of the messages they retrieve from the Rookery in order to lessen the likelihood of spies gaining access to crucial information. In addition, the Hands are the Prince of Lances' personal guards and his lieutenants in the Imperial Guard.

Being the overseer of the Imperator's military campaigns, the Prince of Lances' quarters are also directly linked to the Grand War Hall, where the Lords and Ladies General convene on a day-to-day basis during times of conquest or war. It is generally accepted, however, in the first hundred or so years of the Imperator's reign, that the Prince of Lances' role is to advise on the wishes of the Imperator, to delegate supervision of certain campaigns, and to learn from the generals as best he could, for the Lords and Ladies General are infinitely more experienced in warfare than he.

This arrangement is perhaps for the better, as the Prince of Lances has one final duty, and that is to be the Imperator's hand of Justice. He serves as the chief presiding officer of the Twin Courts when they are in judicial session. Typically, his judgment is not necessary as the final pronunciation of guilt is reached before he is called to court. However, it is the Prince of Lances' duty to know the law, and the situation, should any parties contest the judgment. It is the Prince of Lances' duty to act as the devil's advocate to the will of the Courts, and to determine whether the correct judgment was passed.