LetsBuild5e:Politics in Gartihann

The Three Families

Three powerful families dominate civil politics in Vikreng - the Enkbazetz, the Agretzad, and the Rangfolz. All three clans are mostly human or half-orc, with the occasional orc, half-elf, aasimar or tiefling mixed in. (Gnomes are still numerous up here in Gartihann, but they never prospered as well in the face of so many orcs and half-orcs.) All three families are descended from the pre-imperial rulers' top henchmen, which is as close to technical nobility as Gartihann offers. All three own lots of property - and have enough clout that the magocracy preferred not to steal their stuff under cover of law. The Agretzad and the Enkbazetz are notorious rivals; their hostility varies in nature, but is always fierce. They came to blows increasingly often in the run-up to the revolution, thereby unintentionally distracting the mages from the quiet return of the bards. After a bloody battle at a coming-out party, in which the Enkbazetz suffered an unexpected defeat, the rivals have been quiet for somewhat over a year. (Decision: [1])

The Ten Opening Ways

There are no formalised political parties at this stage in Gartihann's political upheaval, but a baffling profusion of nascent movements have emerged(Decision: [2]). They are described here, along with their proportional support levels (Decision: [3] among politically-active citizens:

Citizens

Support: 26%

This is the most "conservative" group, in the strict sense. Their primary view is that Gartihann should revert to a (mostly legendary) Golden Age, before the Mage Guild, where citizens ruled from their Assembly, and non-citizens listened to them and were happy and prosperous. Composed largely of people from citizen families who nevertheless didn't have mage training, who want to maintain their power. Also has a number of ambitious types who either believe they have legitimate claims to be citizens, or think they can fake the same.

Ruralists

Support: 17%

These are the people who want to focus on building up the infrastructure and economy of Gartihann, securing prosperity before anything else. They support lots of development of the hinterland of the nation, and they're the primary faction behind things like repairing the aqueduct and other civic works. They don't mind keeping the citizen/non-citizen distinction, but they want to extend the franchise to anyone who is currently a leader in their local community (village chieftains, tribal elders, druids, clerics, etc.), and propose that citizenship should be available for purchase for substantial sums, to "reward hard work and industry". There are some citizens in this group, mostly those whose families have got into trade or construction as a livelihood, but the majority of members are non-citizens, either wealthy merchants from the cities, or important people in the smaller settlements. The name was originally applied as an insult, but the Ruralists embraced it and adopted it as a badge of pride.

Vikrengists

Support: 12%

This faction is strongly partisan towards the city of Vikreng itself. They think Vikreng, as the largest and most central community in Gartihann, should be even more central to its government. They advocate for the citizen/non-citizen divide, but want all residents of Vikreng to be citizens, and no one who doesn't live there to be one. They do believe that anyone who lives in the city for at least a year should gain citizenship, however, and they're very accepting of the idea that anyone should be able to do so. Composed, obviously, mostly of inhabitants of Vikreng. Some citizens in it, but it's mostly urban non-citizens.

Imperialists

Support: 10%

This faction focuses more on the Old Empire as a whole, and advocates for a revival of it with Gartihann as its center. Like the Citizens, it wants to revive Old Imperial social structures, with citizens at the top of the heap, but it's much more open to the idea of social mobility, openly promising citizenship to anyone who serves in the military, and higher office to successful military commanders. Also advocates for rule by a single Emperor, advised by a council of citizens, but with ultimate authority. Membership has a high proportion of citizens, particularly orcish and half-orcish ones, who hark back to Kuhetzib, but there's an equally-large component of non-citizens who like their prospects of becoming part of the new elite. Lots of the city militia members who liked fighting ended up here.

Radicals

Support: 9%

A faction by virtue of the fact that none of the other groups wants them, so they've banded together, these are the wild-eyed idealists and crazy dreamers. They've got a lot of different ideas, mostly untested, and often contradictory. However, they are beginning to firm up, and have settled on a few key points that they all agree on (or at least don't dislike enough to dispute). They are against citizenship, and for a universal franchise. They reject the legitimacy of authority derived from the Old Empire, and feel popular sovereignty is the true approach. They don't like compulsory military service, and think service, if necessary, should be encouraged by material and societal rewards. The Radicals have a very mixed membership, but there are few citizens in their ranks, obviously, except the most idealistic philosophers.

Montanists

Support: 7%

This faction believes that Gartihann would be better off as a loose confederation of Orcish clans, much like its southern neighbour, Brugo. They don't agree amongst themselves as to what the status of non-Orcish people would be under such a regime, but share a common emphasis on the value of very traditional Orcish forms of leadership.

Feudalists

Support: 7%

Like the Ruralists, this faction believes that local tribal elders, village chieftains and so forth should be involved in decision making. However they don't believe existing citizens should be involved or that you should be able to buy your way in with mere money. Instead, a good leader should do it the traditional feudal way: buy yourself some thugs to take over a village and install yourself as its baron instead.

Pan-Gnomists

Support: 5%

This faction represents the interests of Axalvo's gnomish ethnic plurality. Just as the Elvenists hark back to an era of elven leadership and dominance, the Pan-Gnomists look forward to an age when the gnomes' wisdom and experience will be recognised as a uniting factor to bring the scattered states of the plateau back together.

Elvenists

Support: 3%

This faction promotes the values of the distant elvish realm of Giel-Tanierolla, and the belief that civilisation can best be protected by returning to the semi-mythical time when elves ruled much of the known world.

Draconists

Support: 3%

This faction argues for the recognition and promotion of the Dragonborn's religion as a leading cultural value. Nobody understands much about the Dragonborn religion save the Dragonborn themselves; however they say that the overthrow of the mages fit in with their signs and portents that the city should band together under them and follow their religious cause.

The Prefect

The head of the city government is styled as a Prefect, following Imperial military customs, and is elected for a year at a time. Before the coming of the mages, the post held real power and was contested among the three main families and the trade guilds. Under the magocracy, the post became more ceremonial, and the trade guilds lost their influence over it. Occasionally the orc clans decide to get involved in the bribery and chaos of the elections, and can produce an unexpected winner. (Discussion: [4])