- For the headquarters of the Assembly in Orzammar, see Chamber of the Assembly.
The Assembly of Orzammar while in session
The Assembly, also known as the Assembly of the Clans[1], is the central legislative political body of the dwarven kingdoms.
In Orzammar, it is housed in the Chamber of the Assembly in the Diamond Quarter and is second in influence only to the king or queen of Orzammar and capable in many instances of superseding their power. All the members of the Assembly come from the noblest houses of Orzammar and no other caste is represented in there.[2]
In the ancient Dwarven Empire, at least since the times of the First Blight, each kingdom had its own Assembly, which however maintained allegiance to the capital of the empire, Orzammar.[3] However, after Orzammar discovered in 9:12 Dragon that Kal-Sharok survived, the Assembly of Kal-Sharok refuses to recognize the king or queen of Orzammar[4], despite Orzammar's protests. It is also known that the members of Kal-Sharok's Assembly may originate from any caste[4], not just noble caste, and the Assembly's meetings are held in the Sharokovar thaig.[5]
Orzammar Assembly
Structure
Steward of the Assembly
The Steward of the Assembly is one of the most high-ranking positions in Orzammar's society. The Steward is a widely accepted and respected lord who oversees the proceedings of the Assembly. Because of their neutral position, they can neither voice opinions nor vote. They also have authority over the city guard, at least during the times when there is no monarch.
During the Fifth Blight, Bandelor is the Steward of the Assembly. It is also known that during the history of House Tethras, three of its members have held this office.
Deshyr
Members of the Assembly are known as "deshyr", which roughly translates to "assembly lord".[6] They are sometimes called, perhaps derisively, "deep lords".[7] During the events of the Fifth Blight the Assembly is composed of eighty deshyrs drawn from the most influential noble houses in the city. The right of a noble house to claim a vote in the Assembly is predicated on that house having a deshyr, general, or Paragon among their Ancestors.[1] Therefore, the number of Assembly members can fluctuate.
To become a member there must first be an opening in the tightly closed ranks, and this usually occurs through death or resignation. An acting member then nominates a candidate who must be approved by one-third of the Assembly.[6] Resignation is uncommon as a deshyr holds their position for life, as does the monarch. In order to enter the Assembly it is usually required to spend a lot of money[8], probably in order to establish political alliances and for bribery.
Functions
The Assembly as a legislative body sets law and advises the king, and functions to a lesser extent as a judicial system in the case of criminal law. Any deshyr may submit proposals or regulations for debate. The proposed law must be ratified by a majority vote of the Assembly members before the proposal can become law. Debates on such proposals can last years in some cases.[6] The Assembly is also used to decide the fate of those who commit serious crimes, such as kinslaying, and to determine their punishment.[9] It should be noted that in ancient times, the punishment of exile was issued in very rare cases as it was considered to be one of the fiercest.[10]
When the Assembly passes a law, it is recorded in the Memories.
The royal throne inside the Assembly
The king or queen too may submit proposals for consideration and these are decided upon in the same fashion as if the proposal had been made by a deshyr. When the Assembly enacts a law but does not have a unanimous vote, the king or queen may send the law back for further debate and another vote. This can be done on an unlimited basis and amounts to a legislative veto.[6]
The Assembly can also become deadlocked when a decision cannot be made and this can have disastrous consequences for the city, particularly when it regards the choosing of a king. Bloodshed and chaos run rampant during these times as warring candidates battle for dominance. Kings and queens are voted into power by a majority vote in the Assembly but this is typically not such a simple matter. Murder, blackmail, and betrayal often presage such decisions when various candidates vie for the position of king. Assembly members are also not safe during such times of debate as they can be murdered to open a spot in the exclusive roster.
Traditionally a king appoints his successor, often an elder son, to rule in his stead by naming him the first candidate for consideration.[11] This does not ensure the heir will be king as the Assembly is not required to recognize the king's choice, but in most cases the nominated child assumes the throne. There is no proscription upon a female heir being named.
In addition to voting in a king, the Assembly also votes upon the creation of new Paragons, a task of arguably even more importance than that of choosing the king. Declaring a dwarf a Paragon is essentially declaring a new noble house, since that Paragon and their family will be elevated to noble status. From then on, they will have the right to their own deshyr in the Assembly. It is known that Paragon Aeducan was chosen unanimously by the Assembly except a single abstention, while Vollney became a Paragon by the narrowest margin in history, one vote.
Assembly Steward Bandelor
Known members
- Bandelor: The Steward of the Assembly during the Fifth Blight.
- Pyral Harrowmont: The leader and deshyr of House Harrowmont as well as High General of Orzammar and King Endrin's second.
- Denek Helmi: The deshyr of House Helmi in the Assembly and during the events of the Fifth Blight the Assembly's youngest member as well.
- Lady Dace: She is appointed by her family's patriarch as House Dace's deshyr in the Assembly.
See also
Codex entry: Orzammar Politics
References
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