Arq'on

Arq'on

The Arq'on of Qal-Nayan is effectively the leader of the City, having executive authority over the city's bureaucracy, public services, and military while also bearing the elected mandate of the Assembly. Their power is not absolute, citizens of the city are free within The Laws, but it is unequaled within the City.

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History

The office of Arq'on predates The Awakening of the City, but for much of it's history was considerably less powerful. The first Arq'on was elected by the first Assembly in C51, to represent the Assembly, and thus the mass of the Eiteran population, on the Elders' Council. It was the Council which was supreme in this time, as it had been since the dawn of the Daeyans' exile. But 2 generations into life within the frozen city, discontent with the Council was growing among the younger members of the population who felt unrepresented by the established Elders. When the Assembly was formed, its membership drafted a series grievances which were laid before the Council and at the top of the list was the lack of representation. The Council agreed to permit the Assembly to elect one Eiteran to sit on the council for 5 years, so long as that Eiteran was not a member of the Assembly's leadership. This person was titled Arq'on, which is a contraction of "voice" and "vision" and in old Daeyan, by the Assembly.
For the next 4 centuries, the Arq'on was a Council member with little power, as the rest of the Council would rarely treat them as an equal. In periods of disquiet, the Arq'on would rise in prominence as the Council sought to head off further pressure from the Assembly. Occasionally, when the Elders were closely divided the Arq'on's vote would become valuable and the office holder could exploit the situation for some gain.
In the year of The Awakening, however, many things changed. When Halidon Tanis crossed planes and returned as the first Radiant, the Elders' Council miscalculated badly by seeking to expel him and all members of the Fountain expedition from the City. In reaction, the masses rallied to the side of the Radiant and his companions, and the Council found itself without the real power to oppose them. Following The Awakening, the governance of the City was re-made and the Arq'on became the new focal point.

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Powers

The Arq'on is named in The Laws as the head of the officialdom which administers the City, and supreme commander of the City military. While not the most extensive list of responsibilities, they quite clearly place the office at the apex of the city's power structure. Laws created by the Assembly and approved by the Council are executed by the Magistrates and other officials who answer to the Arq'on, and serve at the Arq'on's pleasure. The way the City functions, where it goes, and how it influences the worlds beyond its walls are all decisions which rest with the Arq'on.

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Notable Arq'ons

Varea Talan (later Varea Talan Tanis), the first Arq'on of the city in flight. Varea was born in to a Houseless family and raised as a Hunter. Upon the Fountain Expedition's arrival in the vicinity of the City, she was already counted among the young rising stars of her people. In the chaos of the Awakening and the rise of the Radiant, she rallied the masses and oversaw the transformation of the office of Arq'on into its new form.
Relen Gass, the first to hold the offices of Navigator and Arq'on successively. Ralen was the favored son of the House of Stars, destined to be Navigator seemingly from birth. Resigning that position to stand for Arq'on, however, was an unexpected shock which shook the city's establishment.
Ranyea Tanis, the deft hand. Once a quiet child born to a single mother from the House of Shields, now a skillful and accomplished leader. Arq'ons have been more popular than Ranyea, have won more legendary victories, or have crushed enemies more definitively. But none can dispute Ranyea's proficiency managing the city's arcane politics and intricate administration at the same time.

Accoutrements & Equipment

The Arq'on wears an Eiteran Zonya, styled to their taste. The present City fashion may affect, or be affected by, the Arq'on's choice in Zonya.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Failing to win re-election, the former Arq'on leaves office at the end of their term. If the Assembly and Council jointly declare an Arq'on a traitor, their office is void and they are arrested by the City Guard (in theory).

Form of Address

Arq'on

Source of Authority

The Laws

Length of Term

5 years, no term limits