Kingdom of Hellisaey

## Overview

The Kingdom of Hellisaey is a vassal kingdom of the human Almorn Kingdom located in the Hellisaey Islands. The decentralized nation occupies the western half of the archipelago, including the Western Headlands of the Island of Hellisaey and the entirety of the islands of Viisigard and Grunnir. Its capital is Niemansholm, on the banks of the Veidmadur river. The kingdom has a population of around 300,000 people, of whom fewer than 25% live in towns of over 500 population. Niemansholm is the largest city, followed by Turvik and Inslandhavn.

## Government

The Kingdom of Hellisaey's government is dominated by local Hofdingjars, who have direct control over their subjects in nearly all aspects of law and who swear fealty to the *Aedsta Konung,* or High King.

### Hofdingjars

Each Hofdingjar has jurisdiction over a Byrinn, a province. The eleven Byrinns of the Kingdom of Hellisaey are:

* Viisimark, seated at Inslandhavn
* Dyruhnland, seated at Akur
* Grimsun, seated at Grimsvald
* Midjagrata, seated at Turvik
* Drakstornen, seated at Unsenhavn
* Svartenlanden, seated at Morkholm
* Middelmark, seated at Drer Byr
* Orneyja, seated at Sviforn
* Svodumark, seated at Myrimunn
* Yksinvatnland, seated at Yksinfjordur
* Ovaldsbujord, seated at Ovaldsbadn

Hofdingjarship of a Byrinn is generally a hereditary position, and, barring national law, Hofdingjars have absolute authority in their lands.

The Hofdingjars exercise control over national politics by appointing Word-Bearers to the Aedsta Konung, three from each Byrinn. These Word-Bearers are beholden to the command of their Hofdingjar and have a major influence in acting as both the advisors to the Konung and the legislative body

### Word-Bearers

Word-Bearers, the representatives of the Hofdingjars to the national government, hold much political power. They express the needs and wants of the Byrinns to the Aedsta Konung, and by tradition they are forbidden from lying to the Konung. The legislative body of 33 Word-Bearers can, with 27 votes, depose the Aedsta Konung, or with 21 votes override the Konung's legal mandate. The body elects a Chief Druid, who oversees religious ceremony and heads the druids of the kingdom for a term of twelve years, or until death.

### The Aedsta Konung

The Aedsta Konung, or High King, governs the capital territory of Niemansdalur and acts as the leader of the state-wide legislative body. The Konung also makes all foreign policy decisions, except in cases where the Almorn Kingdom has mandated. The Konung has control over the Kingdom of Hellisaey's national armies and navies and the right to levy armies from the Byrinns at will, except when deposed by the body of Word-Bearers. The Aedsta Konung is a hereditary position, traditionally passed from a monarch to the heir, who is chosen from among the Konung's children by a combined body of the Word-Bearers and the Konung himself, with the latter's decision counting as 21 votes.

### Relations with the Almorn Kingdom

The Aedsta Konung selects five Word-Bearers from the council to serve as representatives of Hellisaey to the Almorn Kingdom. In turn, the Almorn Kingdom sends an embassy, headed by a powerful ambassador, to oversee the council of Word-Bearers and Konung. Should the council make a decision with which the ambassador disagrees, the ambassador will call for a sixty-day hold in that legislation while the Aedsta Konung's representatives in the Almorn Kingdom resolve the issue. If the issue remains unresolved after sixty days, the proposed action of the council is not carried out. However, the ambassador rarely makes use of this power due to regular Hellisaen deference to and respect for Almoran interests.