Namrevos

The **Namrevos Commonwealth**, also referred to simply as **The Commonwealth** or **Namrevos** is a small republic situated at the mouth of the Namrevos river.

The Commonwealth started off as a small settlement of a group of human rebels, who after being defeated fled along the river and settled in the fertile region around the mouth of the Namrevos, around 140 A.S.. This settlement, named Trenfur, attracted outlaws and refugees from across the the Mundus, and eventually grew to a size of a city. A number of other settlements sprung up around the city, all specialising in different things. These settlements agreed to bind together, thus the Commonwealth was formed, with its capital in Trenfur.

The Commonwealth is a republic which is ruled by the four Guilds and the Church of Faith in the Creator, each of which elects delegates to the Great Council, which in turn elects the Council of Ten. The Council of Ten then elects a Chief Councillor who acts as the Commonwealth's figurehead.

The Commonwealth is famous for its agriculture, logging and mining, as well as their craftsmen who make high quality goods. The Commonwealth is heavily reliant on trade and the merchants of the Commonwealth can be seen across Mundus.

## History

The Commonwealth was founded around 140 A.S. as the settlement of Trenfur at the mouth of the Namrevos river by rebels from the Empire of the Human Thrones, who after being defeated fled along the river. Trenfur attracted many refugees, rebels, exiles, runaway serfs etc. from across the Mundus of most races. The settlement grew fast, despite the initial mistrust among the races. Eventually, other multiracial settlements sprang up up in the surrounding area, and coordination between each race's government grew harder and harder. In 156 A.S., the Treaty of Trenfur founded the Namrevos Commonwealth, uniting the races under one government, led by the Council of Ten, with an elected representative from each of the ten major races in the Commonwealth - humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, trolls, goblins, gnomes, fairies, centaurs and [insert], with the Chief Councillor at the head of the Council.

In 159 A.S., the Council decreed the foundation of the Church of Faith in the Creator, and egalitarian religion designed to base racial equality in religious teaching - it is now the faith of the majority of the Commonwealth. In 160 A.S., racial interbreeding was banned by unanimous vote of the Council due to a fear of a dangerous mutation occurring. The Commonwealth grew, and four distinct districts developed, each specialising in a certain industry. The North focused on forestry, the South focused on trade and craftsmanship, the East focused on quarrying and mining and the West focused on agriculture and fishing.

Concurrently with the four districts, Guilds responsible for the economies and administration of each of the districts were formed. Eventually, as the spirit of cooperation between the races grew, one's Guild affiliation became the defining feature of a citizen, as opposed to race. As a result, Guild members worked together to get representatives elected, and the raced based delegates were no longer representing racial interests but Guild interests. This meant that Guilds fought over racial delegates to gain seats on the Council, with different Guilds dominating at different points in history: 172-179 A.S. - the Guild of the North; 179-185 and 197-201 A.S. - the Guild of the West; 185-197 A.S. - the Guild of the South; 201-206 A.S. - the Guild of the East. A coalition of Guild members who wanted to end this corrupt system was founded in 202 A.S. and eventually won a majority of seats in 206 A.S., reforming the system, creating the Great Council, with 50 delegates from each Guild and the Church, and the Council of Ten, with 2 delegates from each Guild and 2 delegates from the Church. This system prevented the domination of one Guild in the political process, and effectively abolished the previously oligarchical nature of the Commonwealth. The Citizens' Guard was founded in 207 A.S., taking the powers of law enforcement and civil defence away from the Guilds. In 210 A.S., the Great Council repealed the law banning racial interbreeding, and a number of hybrid species began appearing in the Commonwealth. The current Chief Councillor, the elf Intevar Ilicaryn, has served on the Great Council since 222 A.S., the Council of Ten since 230 A.S., and as Chief Councillor since 245 A.S.. He is a member of the Guild of the South. The current Patriarch of the Church, the human Simon Ickielaesh, has been Patriarch since 229 A.S..

## Government

The legislature of the Commonwealth is the Great Council, comprised of 50 delegates from each Guild, elected annually by each Guild Assembly, and 50 delegates from the Church of Faith in the Creator, elected annually by the Synod of the Church. There are 250 members in total. Each Guild delegation's leader and another member chosen by them become members of the Council of Ten, as well as the leader of the Church delegation and their appointee. The Council of Ten is the executive branch. The Council of Ten elects a Chief Councillor who leads debate in the Council and is the figurehead of the Commonwealth. The judiciary is the Tribunal, all three members of which are chosen by the Grand Council. It acts as the highest civilian court.

On a district level, the annual Guild Assembly elects three Guild Elders to govern on its behalf and gives directives to the Guild Elders. All Guild Elders must agree for a decision to be taken, and the Guild Assembly can be summoned extraordinarily if there is deadlock but a decision must be reached.

On a local level, each settlement has a monthly Gathering to elect a Triumvirate, with one Triumvir responsible for civil administration and taxation, one responsible for the execution of civil justice and one responsible for the command of the local Citizens' Guard. The Gathering can give directives to the Triumvirate, and extraordinary Gatherings can veto the decision of a Triumvir. In the case of judicial affairs, instead of a veto, the case is taken to the Tribunal, which will decide the verdict and punishment.

The only exception to this is the capital city of Trenfur, where the city is split into districts similar to those that split the rest of the Commonwealth (the borders of the districts meet in Trenfur). Each city district and the Trenfur Cathedral of the Creator elects 10 delegates to the City Council, 50 members total. The City Council elects the City Mayor, Marshal and Magistrate, responsible for administration and taxation, command of the Citizens' Guard and execution of justice respectively. The City Council can veto a decision of one of the city officials. In the case of judicial affairs, the case is taken to the Tribunal, which will determine the verdict and punishment.

Apart from the Guilds, the Church of Faith in the Creator is a key player in the Commonwealth's politics. Excluding the delegates in the Great Council, Council of Ten and Trenfur City Council, the Commonwealth entrusts certain judicial matters into the hands of the Church. The Church is led by the Patriarch/Matriarch (depending on the gender of the leader) elected by the Synod of the Church, an assembly to which every cleric ordained in the faith is invited. The Patriarch/Matriarch then appoints 5 Elders, approved by the Synod, and an Inquisitory Triumvirate, consisting of one Elder, and two other clerics all of which are on a rotation. The Elders handle the day to day managing of the Church, with directives from the Synod, and the Inquisitory Triumvirate handles "Theological Law" - essentially the ensuring of various forms of equality among the races, as well as family law. The punishments for discrimination are severe, and have mostly deterred people from committing these crimes. Family law is usually dealt with on the local level, in the settlement's place of worship(s) by the clergyman responsible. The Judicial Triumvirs, City Magistrates and the Tribunal handle most other forms of law, including criminal, commercial and land.