The Miirfolk tend to be a bit casual when it comes to authority. If you can explain why you’re asking something of them, many will go along with it, but just telling one to do something because you said so or because you’re the boss is as likely to get you their laughter as their compliance. Hierarchies exist in Miirfolk society, and people do tend to follow them, but it’s generally accepted that they can often be ignored with impunity if a person has good reason to do so. This is especially true for those who are masters in their field(s) — a Maestro can speak to nearly anyone without worrying about relative rank, up to and including the Queen herself if they’re courteous and have something important to say.
The lax attitude towards authority so characteristic of Miirfolk falls away when it comes to Queen Titania, however. The Queen and her direct representatives (her Heralds, the members of the Calyx, and the Ceannanar who lead the Halls) are sacrosanct in the eyes of most Miirfolk, and reasonable commands from any of those individuals will likely be followed without question. Even unreasonable requests from a royal official will usually earn a response of “yes, of course, but may I ask why first?” to which an answer is almost always forthcoming. One of the reasons that Titania has kept her throne for a millennia is that she shares her peoples’ needs for understanding, and she and her servants are quick to offer explanations when they’re asked. She, and her government in general, believe that obedience depends upon trust, and that such trust must be cultivated through honesty and fairness in how the government deals with its people.
The Queendom is technically a totalitarian monarchy, but it functions more like a feudal technocracy, depending upon the expertise of the Sepals who run the various Offices and the wisdom of each of the Ceannanar who rule each of the four Halls to maintain order and prosperity. Above all of this Queen Titania rules with a feather-light hand, guiding her people through the gentlest of nudges possible while still retaining the right to issue commands and rulings should the need arise. Through her Heralds and the Offices, she watches over the realm and offers what guidance she believes is necessary, only intervening in the direst of circumstances or greatest of injustices.
Queen Titania is the titular monarch of the Queendom, an eternal presence who has been guiding the nation since her ascension to the throne a millennia ago after the ruination of the Faebane Churning. Bound to the nation through divine magics, she is one of the very few mortals who is in theory able to live forever, though from what she’s said on the subject she views it as more of a duty than a blessing.
The Queen is the highest power in the land; she has the authority to make or override any decision within the government’s power, as well as some powers that are outside of the rest of the government’s remit. However, over the centuries she has grown wary of overusing that authority, fearing that pushing too hard on the levers of government would cause an overcorrection, and that those mistakes would eventually cause her people to lose faith in her and thus shatter the foundation of her power. In modern times it is incredibly unusual for her to actually issue decrees or to countermand one of her Court’s or Halls’ officials.
Titania’s role in modern times is to act as a gentle guiding hand to the rest of the Queendom’s government. Much of her Court’s efforts are spent on simply learning about events inside and outside the nation, digesting that information into reports for her to read, and flagging any events or issues that are important or concerning enough to deserve her full attention. Whenever a problem arises that her government isn’t dealing with appropriately, she reaches out through intermediaries (frequently one of her Heralds), trying to untangle what’s going wrong and eventually advising those involved on how she sees the situation and what she believes might be the best way of resolving the problem. On the rare occasion when she feels this is necessary, she is incredibly careful to ensure that all sides are heard and that the final decision is left up to the official(s) on the ground; the only time she directly countermands an order by one of her subordinates is when such an action is required to prevent obvious and immediate harm to her people.
Titania is a religious figure for the Miirfolk, as well as a political authority. She has been personally blessed by the Saints of three Gods (Eravae, Druanna, and Baellin), and her authority is seen as a divine right by the people who she rules over. The Sacred Contract, bearing the marks of the three Saints, sits behind a glass pane inlaid into the wall above her throne, and a copy of it is embroidered into the lining of the cloak she wears while attending to the Court’s business. Though she is careful not to directly meddle in the faiths of her people, her thoughts and musings on the nature of rulership, art, and renewal are carefully recorded and frequently used as foundational texts in Miirfolk religious teachings and discussions.
Titania’s closest advisors are the Sepals, the leaders of the various Offices of the Court, appointed by her for their knowledge, wisdom, and skill at administration. Collectively, the group of Sepals is known as the Calyx; they are functionally the ones who actually rule the Queendom, creating and implementing legislation, running local and regional elections, administering the laws and courts of the land, and managing the nation’s armies and security apparatus.
The Calyx also acts as the administration for the Rose Court and the city of Giu’lan Ros itself, working with the elected Mayors of the city and its eastern and western agricultural districts to ensure that the city prospers and the Court has all the resources that it needs to operate and serve the broader Queendom.
The Offices are the national-level bureaucracy of Faen’miir, implementing the laws passed by the Calyx and ensuring that everything in the Queendom is functioning smoothly. Each Office is led by one of the Sepals, who has control over the Office’s functions and activities so long as their commands don’t contradict existing laws or the Queen’s will.
Outside of the hierarchies of the Offices, the Queen’s other direct servants are her Heralds — a small cadre of extremely skilled fighters, mages, and diplomats, who act as her direct representatives throughout the Queendom and beyond. A Herald of the Queen speaks with Her voice, and acts as Her hand in the world. They are also often her closest friends and confidants, speaking more frankly and less formally with her than any of her other servants, and she is known to dote on them as if they were her children. Someone being chosen as a Herald is a great honor and a terrible burden, because they will have the opportunity to come to know the Queen as few Miirfolk ever do, but also be tasked with addressing the hardest and thorniest problems in the Queendom. Whenever a Herald dies, the entire Queendom mourns with their monarch as one of her most favored children passes on to the other side of the Veil.
Foreigners are often curious why Titania would style her servants as “Heralds,” when that title is otherwise used exclusively for the servants of higher beings such as Saints, Demon Princes, and eminences of the Far Realms. The story goes that Titania originally called them her “Entrusted,” but the people of Faen’miir immediately dubbed them their holy Queen’s Heralds, and the name stuck. Eventually, enough of her people were using it that even Titania gave up and started calling her Heralds by their new title as well.
The four Halls are each led by a Ceannanar (kee-YA-na-nar; Sylvan for “high leader”) who functions as the Province’s governor. Each Ceannanar is appointed by the Queen, but for the last three centuries Titania has only appointed Ceannanar who could get a majority of votes from the people of their Hall. She still retains the right to remove them from that office should she deem it necessary, but has only used that right six times in a millennia of holding her throne.
The Halls and the Rose Court are each co-equal states within the Queendom’s overarching structure, and they are all a part of determining national policy, as any legislation requires the votes of two of the four Ceannanar and a majority of the Calyx to implement it on a national level.
Each Hall has the same offices within its administration as the Court, except for Thorns and Precession. The Halls each play host to the “Four Guests,” advisors and intra-national ambassadors sent from the Queen and the heads of the other three Halls to ensure that each Hall’s leadership has a reliable conduit to the other Ceannanar and to the Court. Whenever the Halls come into conflict, the agents of the Queen move in to mediate the dispute; if it cannot be resolved, it is referred to the Calyx or the Queen herself to find an equitable solution.
The Spring Hall’s Ceannanar is Kraitlar’den Greenlight, a dragonfly glimmerfolk. The newest leader to join the ranks of Ceannanar, he still has a vast amount energy and a burning desire to bring new ideas to his Hall. His ideas are often hare brained and projects half cocked, but his people support his unceasing efforts to find new ways to help the Spring Hall and the Queendom as a whole flourish.
The Summer Hall’s Ceannanar is Leniir’dor Silverblade, a grizzled old satyr. His reign has seen an increase in military efficacy and more secure borders. Though many, including his granddaughter deputy, are circling him like vultures waiting for a moment to take over, his place as Ceannanar of Summer is secure for the moment.
The Autumn Hall’s Ceannanar is Bowen’sa Mistwater, a doting Troll. She is known and adored by many outside of her Hall, as she made a habit of traveling throughout the Queendom before assuming her current position. After she became Ceannanar of Autumn, she continued this tradition, traveling through her Hall regularly to keep an ear to the pulse of her people and learn what troubles them and what she might do to better help them.
The Winter Hall’s Ceannanar is Rel’gura Abendbaum, a particularly skeletal-looking draug. A priestess of Duathos, she specializes in sanctifying burial grounds in Thendros’ name and counseling those in times of dire distress, so that Druanna can bless them and help them begin anew. She is sister to Bowen’sa of Autumn, and frequently joins her sibling in touring the Winter Hall’s territories when the Troll visits the northern parts of the Queendom.
Merit, drive, and creativity are all critical parts of advancement in every part of Faen’miir society, and government is no different — those who seek to find new and better ways to administer and govern the people of the Queendom, and who can successfully implement those ideas once they’re found, may well find themselves on a fast track to senior positions within the government. Those who exhibit skill and leadership in a military context similarly can find themselves put on a fast track to leading the Queendom’s armies, though the degree to which they advance is often dependent on how long they intend to remain within the Royal Army’s ranks after their term of mandatory service is over.
Outside of any formal hierarchy like the government, Army, or a private institution such as a guild or university, someone who displays a talent for leadership in Faen’miir is referred to as a Fulcrum. More than leadership, however, a Fulcrum must demonstrate an understanding of the people they work with and a knack for persuading them to work together as a cohesive whole; the title is based on someone’s ability to turn a disorganized gaggle of individuals into a team that’s able to work towards a common goal. Though many organizations are delighted to employ them, few have an actual dedicated role for a Fulcrum, and fewer Miirfolk would willingly claim the title; rather, it’s something said about such a person, a sign of respect for their role within a group, and a marker of how central they are to an organization’s success.