There are four levels of government in the Dwarven Kingdom, they are tiered from lowest to highest.
The Townships
Individual towns have mayors that are elected by the people and receive recognition from the larger guilds that permeate the Kingdom. This level of government is responsible for the general upkeep of the area, collection of taxes, organization of the local guard, and a variety of life support functions. Mayors have the ability to set officers to handle various functions in the town and employ assets to protect their citizens from monsters or bandits. A mayor has the ability to convene court, preside as an officer of
Dwarven Law (or appoint others to do so on his behalf), and even levy banishment as a punishment against dangerous criminals. The banishment levied by a Mayor can only apply to the town which he presides over but he does have the ability to solicit a response of law and order from the
Parliament to concur.
Typically Mayors will work with Guilds that preside over areas that they fall within but Guilds have a different focus of authority than townships. They are seen as somewhat equivalent but townships are concerned with the immediate area around a town and its citizens while guilds are concerned with larger areas.
The Guilds
There are various guilds in the Dwarven Kingdom that are broken down by profession and then by area. Each Guild can only preside over a certain amount of monetary traffic before another guild must be instated. For example, there can be a mining guild that presides over four hundred tons worth of
Gold in business after taxes. If the business became too profitable for a span of five years then it would have to split and form two guilds. The reasoning for this is that
Dwarven Law dictates that past a certain tonnage of
Gold, the number of workers or footprint needed to sustain the operation grows too large to be managed effectively by one person.
This makes it so that new guilds are not uncommon during times of plenty or expansion and the consolidation of older guilds into newer ones is an effective way to consolidate experience and resources. Guilds always focus on one profession in particular, this will always be a trade-based profession (mining, smithing, alchemy, carpentry, etc....). The authority of a
Guildmaster is such to regulate prices, trade, and give craftsmen a means to connect with larger trade structures in the Kingdom and in the world.
Guildmasters and appointed officers can also preside over a court of
Dwarven Law but only when it concerns members of their guild. These courts often deal with trade disputes, infractions against other guilds, or even international disputes and issues that need representation in courts of other countries. Typically
Guildmasters do not extend their influence to local issues unless it impacts trade and contracts beyond the influence of a single guild member.
Guildmasters also have the ability to enter into international deals and contracts as an envoy of the Kingdom. Because of this, they must be instated by a vote from
Parliament.
The Parliament
Dwarven Law is built on a constitution that is informed heavily by history, scientific research, and theocratic input from the primary deity of the
Dwarves. The
Parliament is made up of
Scholars, former
Guildmasters, former Mayors, and priests from the order of
Crommel. Members of
Parliament are elected officials that are elected as representatives to serve for a span of two decades. These are the experts that create
Dwarven Law and preside over serious matters for the entire Kingdom. They regulate the guilds and act as the highest courts in the land, often they receive intent from the Royalty and enact these into laws or advise the Royalty to create revisions turning intent into reasonable law.
Parliament grants authority to other branches of government including Mayors and
Guildmasters. Without the approval of
Parliament, there cannot be a Mayor or
Guildmaster nor the formation of a Guild. When disputes appear in lower courts,
Parliament has officers that are able to conduct higher-level courts through an appeal system. They also see to the formation of townships, infrastructure of the land, and they manage the treasury on behalf of the Royalty. They have no power when it comes to military actions per se, but they hold a great amount of respect when it comes to council and input because they understand what the country can support.
The Royalty
Dwarven Royalty are the ruling class of the Kingdom, they trace their lineage to the first
Dwarven King hewn from rock by the hands of
Crommel. They have the authority to control the Kingdom and establish directives for the
Parliament to pursue in addition to directly controlling the
Generals and military forces of the Kingdom. During times of emergency and war, they hold absolute decision-making power. Tradition dictates that they can also establish laws and make decisions concerning the infrastructure of the Kingdom but the
Parliament and a constitution were established to ensure a wider understanding of the Kingdom as it expanded.
The Royalty follow the tenets of
Crommel strictly, they see the care of the Kingdom and
Dwarves as a charge given by their deity
Crommel. Most members of the royal family are entrenched in the study of religion, history, science, warfare, and traditional craftsmanship so that they do not depart from their roots. It is not uncommon that members of the Royal family will preside over high positions in the
Dwarven Magic Academy, the
First Furnace, or over a fortress or become
Generals. These positions often follow tradition in the respect that the family that was trained in charge of a given branch of the military will likely produce heirs that take the same position. These traditions are not a spoken rule but a cultural tradition that is followed in so much as the heir proves themself able to carry on the duties of their ancestors.
A modern responsibility of the
Dwarven Royalty, specifically the King, is to induct and grant the status of being a "
Dwarf" to one that was not born a
Dwarf. It is considered the highest status and honor that an outsider can ever hold because it demolishes any difference between them and a natural-born
Dwarf in the eyes of the Kingdom.
Really interesting article. I really like that you have made dwarves your own whilst still giving them the typical dwarf feel.