The Protectorate of Arc

Introduction

The Protectorate is the title given to the city of Arc and any of the territories, islands and other smaller towns and cities that fall under its jurisdiction. The Protectorate was established after the fall of the Arc Empire and the death of Emperor Toun a' Dryn. The Protectorate is ruled by the Protector of Arc, currently the ailing Droskun Arrand. The Protector's government is comprised of six permanent members of his inner council, known as the Hushed Quill (so called, because of their secretive meetings where nothing is verbally spoken for fear of spies or loose tongued servants, and everything is written on parchment notes and passed back and forth before being burned afterwards). Unlike the ministers at the The Rulderhal, who can advise and little else, the members of the Quill normally have the authority to act on the Protector's behalf inside and outside the city. They are enormously resented by the Rulderhal and the The Azure Chamber, because they have no official status. The Quill is an informal body of friends, allies, family members and trusted advisors of each protector that uses their master's authority in the form of his official seal, the Arrum of the Protectorate, to conduct their business. The Quill (or the Protector's Quill, as it is sometimes referred to), is generally thought to be either the most effective tool a Protector can wield, or the most problematic, depending on its composition and the relationship that the Protector has with their servants. Effective Protectors have understood the limit of the uses of the Quill and have not provoked the other branches of the city's government unnecessarily.

The Hushed Quill

In the year of 295 the Hushed Quill is smaller than normal and comprises of the following members:
Mortymr Arrand - The Protector's eldest son, who serves at the Protector's behest to gather information and understand threats to the Protectorate. Mortymr's most important task is to investigate occurrences of magic and spellcasting in the city and the rest of the Protectorate.
Jaspar Torres - The middle son of Kordah Torres of the House of Torres, one of the The Houses of Coin. Jaspar is a close friend of Mortymr and uses the power of the Protector to control the activities of the guilds, sometimes contrary to the goals of the Azure Chamber
Tregga Varle - Tregga Varle is the first ever Firg to attend the Hushed Quill. He is tasked by the Protector with communicating secretly with the The Firg Lands and Wardenhal, to ensure that supplies of weapons and ships are available to Arc if necessary. Tregga is a giant even among his own people, standing at nearly eleven feet tall, and one of the few Firg in the city. A relationship with the Firg and Wardenhal is vital for Arc as a counterweight to the rising power of Dran.
Lucas Gyre - Lucas is the Protector's secret envoy, and speaks on the behalf of the Protector to the lords of other cities and kingdoms. He is a descendent of the nobles who were expelled from Arc when the empire fell. Many former noble families, replaced by the power of merchants and bankers, live in enclaves across the Arclands, pledging one day to seize their city back.

Military Force

The original protectors were warlords and throughout the history of the protectorate, they have ensured they have a monopoly on the main source of power, the ability to control military force. Even though Arc has experienced a long period of relative military decline, the city can still command impressive power to make almost any potential contender think twice about challenging its hegemony.
All soldiers and mercenaries in the city are answerable to the Protector while in the territories under his stewardship. Adventurers entering the city are viewed by the authorities as mercenaries and can be called upon to assemble for the city's defence if the Protector deems it necessary. The main mercenary companies of Starrander Road have a close relationship with the Protectorate; they frequently supplement Arc's armies when there is a shortage of manpower and they give the Protector the ability to carry out military actions that the Azure Chamber would normally object to on the grounds of risk and expense. Arc has three armies that are garrisoned outside the city and a city watch that is patrols its streets. The latter considers itself to be a military force but in reality it is anything but, watchmen are treated with contempt (much of it deserved) by regular soldiers who understand precisely how corrupted by bribery they have become. In times of crisis, other sources of military support will normally declare for the Protectorate without being asked, such as the guardians of the routes to Dancare and other holy places, the Hipostic Knights.

The Protectorate and Arc's Citizens

Those lucky enough to become citizens of Arc are expected to swear loyalty to the city and the Protectorate and those who lose their citizenship through indebtedness are considered to be enemies of the city and traitors to the protector. Since the birth of the protectorate, there have been several enlightened protectors who have tried to dismantle the debt wardship that enslaves thousands to bondage in the Oboline, but each time these attempts have been sabotaged by the Azure Chamber and the Houses of Coin. The merchant classes of Arc know that the city would collapse without the suffering it is built on. In return for loyalty, the Protectorate of Arc offers the full wrath of the Protector against those that might wrong his subjects, and wealthy Arcites carry with them and Arrum, a small and intricately carved wooden seal that gives the bearer safe passage throughout much of the Arclands.

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Type

Government, Leadership