The Princes of Ghearas
During the Years of Plenty, the time preceding Rapture, Ghearas was not ruled by those stewards that now hold sway. Instead, the city was something of an enligthened oligarchy (which it to some degree remains) ruled by the scions of noble houses. This hereditary council would function much in the same way as the current stewards, making up a council of seven that would together vote on matters of state. Among them, they would elect one to be the Archon, foremost among them, to rule more directly with the advice of the others.
Structure
The Princely houses all sent one person, typically the heir apparent or house leader, to represent their interests, with there being a total of seven houses. These would then assemble in the Citadel itself to hold council a few times a week, with each of them being handed a responsibility by the Archon in the meantime (the Archon being elected among them to delegate and be the first among equals). These responsibilities often had to do with taxes, handling the guilds, millitary matters, overseeing the church and university, etc.
History
The Princely Houses had ruled for a few hundred years by the time that Rapture happened, with the preceeding government being a puppet state of a far-off eastern empire called the Arsá. They, the houses who held the most military, economical, and political power, then agreed to together found a council. This council was sometimes railroaded by a single member who managed to hold all the power, it was sometimes more of a triumvirate, and occasionally it was even a fully equal council of seven. But then came Rapture.
At the time of Rapture, the city was completely unprepared. They did not yet have any great mines to gain fuel or metal, most of the crops grown were luxury goods rather than subsistence ones, religious fear and paranoia wracked the city, and their whole economy relied on exports and imports. While the princes adapted, and did start the reforms that would in the end make the city self-sufficient, it became a slow decline as they turned to autocracy. No longer did they let experts at Sreaganlore University have their say, and no longer would they listen to the guilds, for their isolation slowly turned them to a state of absolute despotism. By the thirties after Rapture, the city had had enough. The guilds and radicals at the university started talking of revolution, like that ancient one against Arsá, and dissatisfied, unpaid guards were more than happy to listen. In the autumn of 36 AR, Ghearas became a battlefield.
Disbandment
In a slow, losing battle, the Princes were pushed further and further into their citadel, inch by inch having their city overtaken by liberal and reform-minded guildsmen. While the lower classes didn't have the same concerns of political reforms, they too had been half starving for decades and were getting tired, so they too joined in the frey. And then, it was over. To have their lives spared, the Princes agreed to fully surrender all their political power. Now came the age of the Stewards.
DISBANDED/DISSOLVED
Dissolution Date
37
Type
Geopolitical, City council
Successor Organization
Location
Comments