Notes on Aleath
The Order of Hyvrik
The Order of Hyvrik was created in 593 to administer the evangelistic expansion of the Laranian religion in western Harn. After the church established itself and the archdiocese of Kanday was created, the Order of Hyvrik's mission evolved into one of defending the faith. Evangelism is now the concern of the mainstream church while the Order of Hyvrik is responsible for the defense of Laranian holdings and controlling the spread of anti-Laranian faiths in western Harn.
By special dispensation from the Pontiff, the Turintesa of the Order of Hyvrik is appointed by the Archbishop of Kanday. The Order maintains several temples in the Tharda region, the chief of which is the temple at Aleath. It is here that the Turintesa maintains his seat.
The temples and abbeys either serve as administrative centers and gathering points for the Order, or revenue generating units that financially support the Order's activities. One of the main functions of the Order of Hyvrik is to oversee the fighting order that it sponsors; the Checkered Shield.
The Turintesa sets the policies and agenda of the Order. While appointed by the Archbishop, he is not subject to him nor the Archbishop of Tharda in matters of defending the faith and he ostensibly sets these policies independent of their council.
Each Laranian abbey and temple will have a member of the Order of Hyvrik assigned to it. This priest fills the office of Menoran, and acts as the official representative of the Order of Hyvrik and the liaison between that temple and the Order of the Checkered Shield. As most priests in western Harn are members of the Order of Hyvrik, it is generally not necessary to import a cleric to fill this role.
Clerics enter the Order of Hyvrik voluntarily. By doing so, they make themselves available for transfer into orderial service. The Turintesa will make a request to the appropriate bishop (who often consults the Serolan involved) to have the member transferred into an active orderial position. If granted, the priest is now under the auspices of the order itself and for the period of time that he is so assigned (usually three years), does not officially answer to the Archbishop. In practice, the mainstream church and its powerful officials still maintain a fair degree of control over active Order members.
The Aleathian Temple of Larani
The Harnic headquarters of the clerical Order of Hyvrik, and the most popular church among the Kandian nobles, including the royal house of Kand. The temple has its own stables, bonded ostler, weaponcrafter, and a chapter house for its fighting-order, the Checkered Shield.
Clerics of Aleath
The Council of Five
The Matakea
The Ashesa
The Checkered Shield
The Officers
The Melana
Others
Aleathian Government
Government: Mayor/Aldermen, Constable, Sheriff
Status: Chartered Freetown
Population: 5,800 (Approximately)
Aleath is a chartered freetown, governed by a council of a Mayor and twelve Aldermen proposed by the Mangai and appointed by the King. Military autority is shared by the royal constable of Caer Erynroth and the Sheriff of Erynashire. There is also a town militia that is theoretically commanded by the Mayor, but the custom has been for the Mayor to surrender this authority to the Constable of Caer Erynroth.
The City Council
The City Council is the civil authority in Aleath. They are the bureaucracy that runs the every day workings of the city. Whenever there is a vacancy in the council, the Mangai nominate one of their own for the post. This candidate is either confirmed or rejected by the King (or his representative). Rarely does the King deny such a nomination.
The post is always at the pleasure of the King, though more often than not, a councilman retains his position for life (or until retirement). Often the Mangai will nominate an outgoing member's son for the vacant post.
The following personages are members of the City Council.
Ken Snellings