Council of Dòchas Ùr

As with any government, this can vary. Its is considered their chief most concern, however, to be aware of the needs of the nations people as a singular entity. This means placating Digir sensibilities and dealing with the boredom of Cait-Sidhe are necessary to ensure all the tribes in the council feel represented in policies created under the Ard in question.

While warring between members still occurs, it is with less regularity. When contests of martial prowess do arise between settlements, it is up to their local governments to handle it. The Council only intervenes if it endangers the nation as a whole.

Founded just after the Year of Invasions, RE 2809 AoA by the incumbent Ard Righ Cian an Nathair the Savior and the Council of the Teanga Beithir within a new, centralized capital Caern-Rath. The Ard Righ wished that all peoples across the Grim Countries could come together as one and discuss the betterment of Inis Mona and Etomesto as a united people. Since then, the Council has helped keep vigilance and guides the country as a single unified people.

Gathered around the throne of the Ard and either hanging on his every word, else ready to argue endlessly with them, are the íseal righ. The low kings of the inisa. Such individuals are stationed at, what may be, an unintuitive position in the society of the human tribes. Something higher than a lughlinn mór but lower than an Ard. While this seems simple enough at a glance, their existence typically only coincides with the station of an ard righ. In the absence of one they often give way to lesser lughlinn and a lughlinn mór who are by their nature more prone to acts of civic war and unrest, while íseal righ are more accustomed to mercantile acts and diplomatic sanctions backed by the power of the throne and its marshaled forces. Making it easy to be deposed in the majority of historic cases.

Qualifications

Because of the history of the inisa, many Ards are placed into their station either through hereditary lines or extraordinary situations. As such, there's no real clear line of qualifications to follow.

Appointment

Many hold that the only way to achieve the title of Ard is to depose the current one. However, some say that the Ard can be chosen and wed by the land itself, thus marking them as either the father or mother of the land and her peoples and sanctifying their right to supreme authority.  Mostly, though, they are removed and replaced via war and treason.

Duties

Ostensibly the Ard is in charge of the entire country. Everything from the Ardenroots to the Crescent Bay is their domain. However, its a vast and riven country. Many of their day to day tasks are seeking the right individual to pass their duties to. However, they are often expected to keep council with their íseal righ and other advisors, making decisions in court and then commanding their courtiers to carry them out. The Ard is also the defender of the realm and will, usually for the sake of their own power and authority, see that larger threats are dealt with. Bandit bands grown too big, upstart Caern-Raths marching to the capital, the Huldufolk nations and Fwoarian tribes seeking more land, these things and more he must rally the people against or risk being supplanted by his court as a weak fool.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

An Ard can only be removed by death, divine intervention or military action.

Toscaire work as representatives of various tribes throughout the Grim Countries. The intent was to form a body of government overseen by the Ard Righ, or Ard Banríon, or both, to ensure that the nobility of the Grim Countries can come together and council one another through intermediaries. These intermediaries are known as Toscaire and form a sort of senatorial parliament where each may represent a particular ancestry or nation and allow them to weigh the opinions and desires of their people in open debate with the other representatives.

Unlike lughlinn and Íseal Righ, the Toscaire are not inherently beholden to the Ard. Some even represent independent nations such as the Psoglavi or the Digir. But, because the Toscaire Council is overseen by the Ard Righ or Ard Banríon, the lughlinn and Íseal Righ tend to support the Council's actions. For this reason they are listed later in this article.

These Toscaire are supported by a network of emissaries, agents and politicians known as the Embassy Leagues. They can be located in Dòchas Ùr at their corresponding cultural districts:

• Daoine - Children of the Ardruids - Toscaire O'Sheinnan the Elder
• Psoglavi - Conference of the Șolomonar - Toscaire Liam Inisa
• Firbolg - Considerations of the Firbolg - Toscaire Aldyn 
• Cait-Sidhe - Embassy of Ultharian Affairs - Toscaire Wifflebead
• Huldufolk - League of Prestige - Toscaire Zorael
• Fwoarians - The Great Moot - Toscaire Vorana
• Boggarts - Representatives of the Weefolk - Toscaire Bigfella
• Digir - Sacred See of the Uru-Ká - Toscaire Eighdruh
• Elfin Children - Society of Grace and Grandeur - Toscaire Raloydark

How Toscaire are selected and elected varies from tribe to tribe. each culture, nation or ancestry having their own selection process, requirements and consideration. However, one can be assured these individuals are paragons of their people in some way.

Gathered around the throne of the Ards and either hanging on his every word, else ready to argue endlessly with them, are the íseal righ. The low kings of the inisa. Such individuals are stationed at, what may be, an unintuitive position in the society of the human tribes. Something higher than a lughlinn mór but lower than an Ard. While this seems simple enough at a glance, their existence typically only coincides with the station of an Ard. In the absence of one they often give way to lesser lughlinn and a lughlinn mór who are by their nature more prone to acts of civic war and unrest, while íseal righ are more accustomed to mercantile acts and diplomatic sanctions backed by the power of the throne and his marshalled forces. Making it easy to be deposed, in the majority of historic cases, by militant leaders. 

In summary; if an Ard Banríon & Ard Righ hold court and influence in the settlement, then the íseal righ function as civic and economic policy councilors. Without an Ard Righ to back their power, however, they are often placed below Lughlinn Mór which function as a de facto ruler.

Qualifications

Despite the majority of nobility of the inisa being raised up from war, conflict and civil unrest, the íseal righ are often raised up after much of tumultuous wake of conflict has settled and an individual has consolidated enough power to accumulate more vested interests in trade and politics. That is where íseal are raised up from; the merchant and political caste. It takes a good deal of money and confidence from the ard righ to see a family raised to nobility. While some may prove useful in other ventures and can even be retired or lamed lughlinn, typically its silver that buys an íseal righ's station.

Appointment

Political decree and letters of recommendation directly from the Ards are required to be given to the individual in question. Usually this is done in a small ceremony where the íseal righ lavishes gifts upon the Ard who then places the letters of recommendation into the care of the family.

Duties

The Ard disseminates his own taskings downwards. The íseal righ see to the minutia of everyday economics; sanctions, taxes, investments, trade. Some with the ard righ's most supreme confidence become diplomats and speakers for the ard righ himself. Carrying his orders to places his duties will not permit him to go such as enemy caern-raths or rural Unknown.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Only the throne can dismiss an íseal righ and only then under the most grievous of circumstances. It would take an act of utter treason. For if the crown removes an íseal righ from his council, that means the Ard was mistaken of the individuals character and his decision making skills fall under question. Such a thing may have consequences all the way down to the small folk. If the rulers were wrong about an íseal righ, why not other íseal righ or their lughlinn?

Ever so rarely a caern-hearth grows so vast that it becomes a political power unto itself. Walls are built, a rath constructed at its center and the gathering of lughlinn decide who among them will be the leader of the noble folk for this new city. Whether by combat or by election, the individual and their line rises above their lughlinn counterparts and becomes a lughlinn mór. From this day forward they are the steward, arbitrator and defender for leagues of land that their caern-rath controls. Almost a king unto their own right, they are warlords who must constantly prove their right to lead or else be removed from power by their lesser lughlinn.

Qualifications

Martial prowess, civic leadership, political skill and some amount of charisma can put a lughlinn on the path to becoming a lughlinn mór.

Requirements

The position is often hereditary and held by the next of kin in the incumbent lughlinn mór's lineage. A lughlinn mór can also be elevated by his peers when there is sufficient population of lesser lughlinn in need of direction. Finally, any lughlinn capable of gathering enough martial or political power to declare their holding independent of another can choose to claim mór status.

Appointment

Often there is an unregulated ceremony unique to each instance of raising a lughlinn to lughlinn mór status. Elections for a new lughlinn mór if the original line is broken, ceremonies to patron Ardruids, or perhaps a series of duels to determine the right of might may take place. The level of pomp and ceremony is largely up to the individual caste of lughlinn.

Duties

Overseeing the growth and construction of their holdings. Acquiring and managing military assets. Political relations between theirs and other caern-raths. Enforcing taxes and laws through military might.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Should a lughlinn mór prove to be unfit for his role by his underlings and peers there is only one way to dismiss them; a coup. This may be done with political devices such as forming a committee to strong-arm them into politically relinquishing their title or go so far as to require civil war and the forced removal of the lughlinn mór in question. Should the latter occur, it often ends in the incumbent lughlinn mór's death and the reallocation of his wealth, holdings and possibly even his family.

When the horns of war are sounded, when chrualinn need commanding, the lughlinn are marshaled. When a priceless relic must be found or a sacred place must be defended the Sacred Grove calls for the lughlinn. With oaths to their lughlinn mór, sworn to carry out their orders and commands to the letter, they march out from their caern-raths to trod down the enemies of their commanders or win honor and glory for valorous deeds among their peers.

Most often lughlinn patrol the holdings of their lughlinn mór and distribute justice, enforce laws and hold caern-hearths to their oaths of loyalty to the caern-rath of whose holding they occupy. The common man sees a venerable fighter, iron-clad in their will and zealous in their loyalty to the lughlinn mór and their caern-rath. Warriors who strike back against enemies of their home and the monsters of the night.

Qualifications

When the horns of war are sounded, when chrualinn need commanding, the lughlinn are marshaled. When a priceless relic must be found or a sacred place must be defended the High Druids call for the lughlinn. With oaths to their lughlinn mór, sworn to carry out their orders and commands to the letter, they march out from their caern-raths to trod down the enemies of their commanders or win honor and glory for valorous deeds among their peers.

Most often lughlinn patrol the holdings of their lughlinn mór and distribute justice, enforce laws and hold caern-hearths to their oaths of loyalty to the caern-rath of whose holding they occupy. The common man sees a venerable fighter, iron-clad in their will and zealous in their loyalty to the lughlinn mór and their caern-rath. Warriors who strike back against enemies of their home and the monsters of the night.

Appointment

Ceremonies that raise a man to a lughlinn are elaborate, possibly even more so than ones that see a lughlinn rise to lughlinn mór. People flock to the streets to see a nobleman's son or a modest chrualinn given their spear and Coroín Gaolta, forever known as a hero and defender of the ideals of their people. The full details are unique to each holding or caern-rath, but almost all end in a feast and revelry. On rare occasions, lughlinn may be given leave to perform battlefield promotions. Such raises in station are typically temporary unless exemplary service is given and almost always as a result of heavy losses during wartime making it a necessity to continue the chain of command.

Duties

Most lughlinn patrol the countryside, streets, roads and walls of the holding their caern-rath occupies. Taking quests or given jobs by their lughlinn mór and thus striking out into the dark lands of the inisa to accomplish these tasks. Others are often placed as moderators of caern-hearths. There, they aren't officially in charge of the caern-hearth's day-to-day activities. Such tasks are for the alderman. They are, however, able to mete out justice and make sure that the caern-hearth remain loyal through taxation, conscription and tithes.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

A lughlinn would rather die than be dishonored by his lughlinn mór. Ceremonial suicide is often the only out for such men and women. However, while this is often the most common end to a lughlinn's distinguished career, the truth is that many choose exile to become leaders amongst roving mercenary bands and bandit clans. Such individuals are called, perhaps mockingly, skilti mór.

The armies of the Grim Countries are deeply striated across their hierarchies, but none more so than the armies of Inis Mona. While the Lughlinn are born to be warriors, carrying their liege-lords banners into battle and crowned in the heritage of the thousand warriors from their ancestral past. They are however, time-consuming and expensive to outfit and train. The gaps are filled in with Chrualinn; these sad, untrained peasants are conscript soldiers dredged up from their rulers' holdings and given bronze weapons, wooden shields and cloth armor. This armor, the Lin Chrua armor, is layered fabrics that are sealed together with glue. While this makes cheap, thick armor, its also fairly fragile and prone to failures in combat.

These soldiers, such as they are, have a single function within the armies of the Council of Dòchas Ùr during war: They march forward and follow orders. Some may be given bows and fulfill an archer's role or even javelins, but by and large most of the conscripts are standard, poorly trained citizens. Many take to the conscripted life and the stipend it provides. These "career"  Chrualinn are worth a great deal to their Lughlinn as they help maintain order, bring skills and experience to the ranks of conscripts. These Chrualinn are sometimes jokingly referred to as Chrualinn Mór.

During years of peace where the battlefields fall fallow of their grim crops, the Chrualinn enjoy a much more brief tenure. Even without the threat of war many holdings still coscript Chrualinn, and many willingly join, to form a sort of town watch or guard sortie. They can often be seen patrolling dark alleys by torchlight, marching in ranks alongside a Lughlinn or checking baggage carts at gates. Due to less demand for bodies, Chrualinn who are not voluntary, are cycled back into civilian life much more rapidly. This means the populace stays happier, but has the unfortunate side-effect of turning every guard station into a round-robin mess.

Many places in the Grim Countries do not have the means to hold proper courts in Unknown. Because of this if a criminal cannot pay his fine, but the crime doesn't warrant any particularly heavy punishment, or they repeatedly break the law, they are often cast into exile. These repeat-offenders and miscreants become Skilti, or Skilled peoples.

Despite the name, these individuals are often ostracized from most communities thanks to the simple "S" branding they receive on their dominant hand. Forced to the periphery of civilization, they often either become talented scouts and rangers or they sink to lowly bandits. Often criminals remain criminals more than seeking redemption.

Those Lughlinn and Lughlinn Mór who are shamed, either from cowardice, forgoing their vows or some other egregious act, are likewise stripped of their titles and exiled. While they are not branded they are forced to deface the names from their Coroín Gaolta (a symbolic, heavy cold iron helm) and sent into the world as Skilti Mór to either seek redemption in death much like the Unknown or to become bandit warlords that plague the countryside.

Among the forests and hills of Inis Mona, the people go to market to spend their hard-earned coins. These silver coins are quickly minted and carry little artisanship. One side displays the current Ard Righ, or Ard Banríon, and the other a depiction of an antlered stag. While no one is sure why the stag was chosen, originally, it helped develop the slang often used to refer to the Monaian coin. Despite many referring to them as "Stags", their official name remains Airghid, or Silver.