Kingdom of Treft

Name: Plenipotentiary Democracy of Treft

Ruler: First Citizen Agon Damaskos, commonly called King.

Government: Delegated Democracy -- direct rule by volunteer delegates who serve on various assemblies

Population:

Description: Perhaps the oldest of the Eight Kingdoms, Treft definitely predates Peakshadow and Balduren, and perhaps even Wanderhalt for human habitation. Because of its unique style of governance, Treft is looked down among the other kingdoms for its lack of nobility and its highly mobile society. Treft is considered one of the "Old South" realms of Westrun. It is not a monarchy, though it is recognized as such for the purposes of the Eight Kingdoms pact. It elects from its citizens a representative called the First Citizen, who is little more than an ambassador to the other kingdoms. Instead, Treft has several ruling assemblies which meet daily to vote on a variety of matters that come before the state.

All power within the Kingdom is administered by the various assemblies. First, the general assembly meets every day for about four hours and takes up and down votes on a variety of matters that come before it. Then there are subsidiary assemblies which are held after the general assembly and there are two of them which meet each day of the week. They include the assembly of foreign matters, the assembly of justice, the assembly of revenue, the assembly of agriculture and the assembly of water use, just to name a few. These assemblies meet for another four hours apiece, making the average decisions of government a 12 hour affair, seven days a week. Any citizen of Treft may attend any assembly, but only a quorum of 100 is required to transact business, and only citizens registered as delegates to that assembly may vote. Each citizen may serve on the General Assembly and one other subsidiary assembly, at a time.

Voting is done by means of black and white stones, inscribed with the seal of the citizen upon it. These stones are gathered and counted each day and returned to the citizen that evening. Any irregularity forces a re-vote at the next possible election.

As with Talir and Balduren, all of the voting citizens of Treft are Upper Middleclass Yeomen, or Gentry. There are many residents of Treft who are not voting citizens. These metics enjoy many rights in the City-state but do not have all of the privileges of citizenship. In order to be a citizen of Treft, one must be the child (natural or adopted) of a citizen, must be able to read their own name and write the same legibly. They must also have a surname registered with the government.

In terms of goods and trade, Treft is widely known for its production of coins throughout the realm, but also for its artisans and silver smiths. Treft is rich in mines of silver and iron both. It is also known for its shipbuilding and fine furniture.