Blatian Senate

We, together with our Emperor, our faith and our brave citizens are what remained of Ikaria, the wisest of all the Ikarians and the only ones called by the gods to restore the Empire. And now we are close to achieve it. Who among our dear ancestors, the senators that preceeded us, that boarded a ship in besieged Ikaria and landed in this holy city would have imagine that we will not only thrive but also we will avenge the greatest crime in the history of mankind, the sack and destruction of the greatest Empire in the world?. But here we are, the same descendants of those shocked Ikarians; civilized, uncorrupted by the forces of darkness and proud of our legacy!. Senators, behold is the beginning of a new golden age for our civilization!, the Phoenix has once been reborn from its ashes, and its thirsty for barbarian blood!.

—

Speech of Claudius "the left handed", Blatian Senator

Origins

According to tradition and the earliest chronicles, 15 of the 20 Senatorial families managed to flee to Blati alongside prince Eutychius (the first Blatian Emperor) by ship only days before the fall of Ikaria in 460 AP. Upon having news of the fall of the capital and the death of the Emperor. The recently arrived Senators, the imperial armies and the citizens of the now new imperial capital proclaimed Euthychius as Emperor of Ikaria in 461 AP, following with the traditions of coronation and legitimacy of the Ikarian Empire. Eutychius I quickly stablished the Blatian Senate as the continuation of the Senate that once existed in old Ikaria with the family heads of this 15 senatorial families, and appointed the first two consuls for that year; Sabinus and Eutropius.

Despite the creation of the another Blatian "Empire" the so called by the Blatians, Kingdom of Cloudia ( as for the Blatians the legitimate Ikarian Empire was theirs) by Euthychius's brother, Afranius in 474 AP and the establishment of a rival Senate in Murnum, the Blatian Senators saw themselves as the true continuation of the Ikarian Senate, as most of them have already been senators in the Old Empire. Also, after 501 AP another Blatian realm appeared in the form of the Republic of Valia, which also had a Senate inspired by the same traditions as the old Ikarian Senate. Blatian Senators always look down at the Valian Senators because of its modest origins and background.

Organization

Today the Senate is composed of 450 Senators drawn not only for the old Ikarian nobility but also from the old aristocracy of the city of Blati that became Senatorial families after the Euthychian Law of 526 AP that incorporated these families into the senatorial aristocracy. Also, as the Empire expanded absorbing the Blatian petty kingdoms to the north and east, the elites of these kingdoms were also included into the Senate.

The Emperor chooses two candidates for consulship than then have to be ratified at the Assembly of the People, composed of the male citizens of the capital. Consuls hold the highest position inside the Senate and once its one year term expires they can be chosen to govern a province as civil governors or praeses in Blatian, and those with military experience might be chosen by the emperor to be Eparchs (military governors of a province), Dukes or Counts (commanders of the frontier and field armies respectively). The oldest senator is always selected as the Senate Speaker, moderating the debates and presiding the session while the Emperor is absent. When a Senate session starts the elder senators are always the ones that speak first while the youngest are always the last ones to intervene. Fights, insults and unjustified absences can be punished, usually by paying a fine.

From the Senate are also chosen most of the high offices of the Empire and the Court, such as Master of the offices ( the Imperial Chancellor), Quaestor of the Sacred Palace (Senior legal authority, responsible for drafting laws) or Master of the Sacred Treasury (in charge of the imperial finances and the mints, and responsible for the yields of the mines, providing budgets for the civil service and armies and supplied all uniforms required to the legions).

Duties

The Senate is the main consultive body of the Empire, but also shares the legislative power together with the Assembly of the People (although theoretically the Senate can enact laws without the need of consulting the Assembly, specially in case of emergency). For the Blatians the institution represents the continuity with the old Ikarian Empire and the believe that they are not ruled by a despotic monarchy like the Seris or Oronai ones.

One of the most important duties of the Senate apart from approving laws or being consulted on matters of state, the institution plays a vital part in the succession of the Imperial Throne. An Emperor is not legitimate if its not proclaimed by the army, the people and the Senate). A famous saying among Senators says: "The Goddess will not choose his appointed descendant if the Senate doesn't agree". They are the custodies of the holy sceptre while there is no Emperor, symbolizing its right to proclaim a new emperor.

The Senate and people of Ikaria

Founding Date

461

Type

Governmental, Senate/Parliament

Capital

Blati

Demonym

Senators/ Conscript fathers

Leader

David I, Emperor of Blati

Leader Title

Emperor of Blati

Government System

Monarchy, Crowned Republic

Parent Organization

The Blatian Empire

Location

Blati

Official Languages

• Ikarian language
• The Blatian Language

Related Ethnicities

• The Blatians

Did you know?...

• There are two ways for refering to a Senator in the Blatian Empire, one is conscript father and the other is most illustrious man. The latter cames from the complex system of ranks inside the Imperial Court.

• The official language of the Senate meetings is Ikarian , the official language of the Empire (despite nobody actually speak it as their native tongue anymore) but when the Senators have to do an speech in front of the people they use the Blatian Language . While recieving a foreign embassy, aside from the Oronai ones, (because Blatians and Oronai can understand each other) and the embassies whose ambassadors speak the Ikarian or Blatian languages fluently, the language used by the Senators switches to Classical Elvish , the language of culture, prestige, trade and foreign diplomacy.

• Senators wear a type of toga evolved from the toga of the Senators of the Old Ikarian Empire, with the pass of the centuries the old heavy togas became lighter and more adecuated to the climate of the western provinces.