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The Exarchate of Aquinas
The Exarchate of Aquinas: This Island is the remnants of the once-great Vilani Empire, and while still maintaining much of the civilization of the Vilani they are a people lost in the past. The Exarch (Regent) still acts as if he rules the Known world, but few pay him any heed. The city of Aquinas, despite the Cataclysm still the largest in Aedenne, is a city of magnificent architecture and a thousand monuments to past glories. The Army is small and mostly made of mercenaries, but their fleet is second to none.
a. Government: The Island is ruled by the Exarch, the direct Regent of the Dominus Augustus. The equivalent of a Chancellor during the Imperial days, the Exarch now rules as absolute monarch. The office has become hereditary, and his appointed officers rule the island. Great Patrician families have considerable sway in both the acquisition of offices and votes in the ancient tribal assembly The Consilium. Once a true parliament, it has acted to "rubber stamp" the Dominus (later the Exarch) and their policies. The patrician families are granted "Civitates" to rule in the name of the Exarch, but these holdings are not hereditary and thus give the Exarch power over the Patricians. Currently, the Exarch is Patroklos Diomedes, whose family has held the Exarchate for the past two centuries.
The Sectorum are the Imperial officers that rule Aquinas in the name of the Autocrator. This consists of the Hetarch (supreme head of armies), the Setarch (supreme naval head), the Grand Master of the Order of the Pegasi, the Pontifex Maximus (high priest), the Primage of the Aquinian Mage Guild, and a few others as appointed by the Exarch.
b. Military: The Exarchate still maintains the Legionary system, but only one of the four legions (the 21st) is truly made up of Aquinians and is reliable. The other three (22nd, 28th, and 33rd) have Aquinian officers and are made of mercenaries. The fleet, however, is superb. Patrician families still view the fleet as a noble calling (from the early days of the Exarchate when the fleet held the barbarians at bay) and strive to enter the Imperial Temple of Aquae, where naval tactics are taught and refined. The fleet consists of 6 Dreadnoughts (8 lines of oars), 18 Triremes (3 sets), and 26 "cog" type sailing vessels. They do enlist privateers on occasion, but do not mix them with regular naval units for fear of 'contamination'.
HAVEN: The Free City of Haven is nominally under the Exarchate, but in truth the rulership is a fiction. The Overlord of Haven pretends that he's appointed by the Exarch, and the Exarch never tries to appoint anyone other than whom the Haven Overlord wishes (usually the Overlord's heir). This fiction aids both realms in allowing greater trading markets and opportunities. If the Exarchate ever did try to exert true authority over Haven, they would doubtlessly face not only a rebellious haven but the Ostander states of Eastgard & Tys Ygithir and perhaps even Tir Ardonae. None of these realms wish to see a powerful Aquinian presence on the continent.
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