Frér
General introduction
The term frér (pl.: frérés) describes a member of one of the seven 'sétfrértaés'. These are colleges of six priests associated with a specific deity. Together they form the body called the 'sáncéndí cósillió'. It is a title reserved to a few dozen established families from all over Tarrabaenia, which have been forming the upper strata of society since the early settlement in present day Tarrabaenia or even before.
Position in society and in the religious system
While the frérés stem from distinguished Tarrabaenian families, being appointed to the position of frér lends an extra bit of prestige but also political power to the bearers of the title. This is due to the frértaés having a saying in public decisions. They can be a deciding factor in whether certain buildig projects are done or not, whether certain roles in administration are ope or restricted to specific groups for an election or appointment or they can use their influence to move non-fixed holidays to sabotage certain political policies as has happened before at an occasion called the Sétegintus Dírú Éstus, a scandal, where the sáncéndí cósillió moved a summer holiday into the third month of the year, only to prevent an election from taking place.
The frértaés are connecte to seven gods of the Tarrabaenian main pantheon. This makes them important colleges of priests, but not necessarily old ones. It seem that they have only been founded during the early days after the arrival in present day Tarrabaenia and were more an invented tradition used to legitimize certain policies by linking them to the gods. The earliest written accounts of these frértaés stem from the second century of the Era of the Earth, but claim much older roots than that. So far no proof of an older origin has been produced though.
Prerequisites to the title
To become a frér in one of the sétfrértaés, one must be a member or the caetálés, that is the leading families of the Tarrabaenian society. Calling them nobility would go to far, but it is in a certain sense correct, that these are long and well established families from all over Tarrabaenia, which have held this kind of position for a long time and inherit it from generation to generation. It is nearly impossible to become part of the caetálés for centuries now. The caetálés chose certain family members to enter a pool of candidates and in case a position in one of the frértaés becomes free, which is normally the case if a member becomes either too old and frail or dies, the entire sáncéndí cósillió convenes a meeting and chose an agreeable candidate from this pool.
Type
Religious, Clerical
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