Assembly

The **Assembly**, formally known as the **Assembly of the Clans**, is the central legislative political body of the dwarven kingdoms.

In the ancient dwarven empire, at least since the times of the First Scourge, each kingdom had its own Assembly, which maintained allegiance to the capital of the empire, Ondrathum.

## Nar-Lodahr Assembly

After Ondrathum discovered in **9A12** that Nar-Lodahr survived, the Assembly of Nar-Lodahr refuses to recognize the king or queen of Ondrathum; despite Ondrathum's protests. It is also known that the members of Nar-Lodahr's Assembly may originate from any caste, not just noble caste.

## Ondrathum Assembly

Ondrathum's Assembly is housed in the Chamber of the Assembly in the Gemstone Quarter, and is second in influence only to the king or queen of Ondrathum, and capable in many instances of superseding their power. All the members of the Assembly come from the noblest houses of Ondrathum, and no other caste is represented in there.

### Steward of the Assembly

The Steward of the Assembly is one of the most high-ranking positions in Ondrathum's society. The Steward is a widely accepted and respected lord who oversees the proceedings of the Assembly. Because of their neutral position, they can neither voice opinions nor vote. They also have authority over the city guard, at least during the times when there is no monarch.

### Managum

Members of the Assembly are titled as "managum"which roughly translates to "assembly lord". There are currently eighty managums in Ondrathum, drawn from the most influential noble houses in the city. The right of a noble house to claim a vote in the Assembly is predicated on that house having a managum, general, or Exemplar among their Progenitors.

Resignation is uncommon and as a consequence, the average age of the managums is quite high, making the legislative body of the dwarves very traditionally oriented in its decisions.

#### Surface

The title is also used by the surface dwarves. Managums are the voting members of the Dwarven Merchants' Guild, all of them representing influential surface families, and most likely the ones who can trace their lineage to Ondrathum's nobility or other upper castes.

### Functions

The Assembly as a legislative body sets law, advises the king, and functions to a lesser extent as a judicial system in the case of criminal law. Any managum may submit proposals or regulations for debate. The proposed law must be ratified by a majority vote of the Assembly members before the proposal can become law.

The Assembly is also used to decide the fate of those who commit serious crimes, such as kinslaying, and to determine their punishment. It should be noted that in the Dark Ages, the punishment of exile was issued in very rare cases as it was considered to be one of the fiercest.

When the Assembly passes a law, it is recorded in the Memories.

The Assembly can also become deadlocked when a decision cannot be made, and this can have disastrous consequences for the city, particularly when it regards the choosing of a king. Bloodshed and chaos run rampant during these times, as warring candidates battle for dominance. Kings and queens are voted into power by a majority vote in the Assembly, but this is typically not such a simple matter. Murder, blackmail, and betrayal often fortell such decisions when various candidates vie for the position of king. Even the managums are not safe during such times of debate.

Traditionally a king appoints his successor, often his eldest son. This does not ensure the heir will be king as the Assembly is not required to recognize the king's choice, but in most cases the nominated child assumes the throne.

In addition to voting in a king, the Assembly also votes upon the creation of new Exemplars, a task of arguably even more importance than that of choosing the king. Declaring a dwarf an Exemplar is essentially declaring a new noble house, since that Exemplar and their family will be elevated to noble status, as well as have the right to elect their own managum in the Assembly. It is known that Exemplar Grynar was chosen unanimously by the Assembly, except by one.