jan 1, 1001 - Divine Matriarch forms Lord Regent Position and Parliament of Lords

Description:

Any remaining semblance of separation between church and state began to rapidly dissolve over a century ago, when the royal line of Elyria went extinct following the death of the last true Elyrian monarch, King Marcus Zachary II. In its place, a parliament was assembled from the ninety-nine most powerful and influential Elyrian lords, and the Divine Matriarch would choose one amongst their number to act as Lord Regent every six years. Together, the noble parliament and the Lord Regent would serve as a ruling body for the nation. The Lord Regent would act in place of a hereditary monarch, but only wear the Crown of Elyria when it was deemed necessary by the consensus of the Parliament of Lords.

Today, while the current Divine Matriarch is not officially the head of the state, few decisions are made without her blessing and direct counsel. Many predecessors used their power to select a line of caretaker regents who defer to the Faith on virtually all matters of state. While members of the clergy take vows of poverty that preclude them from holding actual political station, the parliament is now mostly made up of fundamentalist nobles staunchly loyal to the religion, and the Lord Regent is almost always a close relative of a prominent High Flamekeeper or the Divine Matriarch.

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