Karthan Republic

The Karthan Republic, commonly known as just Kartha, is a major power in the Great Valley and the successor to the Rymn Dynasty. The republic encompasses the entire valley including the coastal regions surrounding Kesh Bay. The Republic is the largest state in the world, and the only one with a republican system of government.

The Republic has its origins in the City of Kartha, established in 353 BE as a small city state ruled by a dictatorial governate. In 275 BE its leader was overthrown and was a replaced by an oligarchical republic controlled by three powerful families. A period of political struggle followed between the elites and the commoners which led to broad political reforms and increased political pluralism. To survive during the Warring States Period, the city-state adopted a series of political and military reforms that allowed it to wield significant power relative to its size. However the city along with the remaining Seven Warring States, were conquered by the Rymn, establishing the Rymn Dynasty. During the reign of the First Emperor, the City was stripped of political autonomy and its leaders were executed or exiled, leading to significant unrest. Along with Zisun, Kartha led the Great Revolution after the death of the Emperor and overthrew the dynasty. Following the establishment of the Fifteen States, Kartha reestablished its republican system in 13 AF.

Kartha and Zisun emerged as major powers among the Fifteen States. Relations between the two immediately began to deteriorate before the War of the Valley erupted in Year 14. The war was defined by the conflict between Kartha and Zisun, although some of the other states also waged war among themselves. Despite initial setbacks, the Karthan Republic was ultimately victorious after defeating the Zisun armies at the Battle of Galaxia. After the defeat of Zisun, the power of Kartha was uncontested and the remainder of the Fifteen States were conquered by Year 20.

The Karthan Republic has a centralized power structure, military, and economy that revolves around Kartha. The country is governed by a collective executive, overseen by Overseers and Assemblies. The top magistrates of the state are the Cabinet, led by the Governor of the Karthan Republic, who have an extensive range of executive, legislative, judicial, military, and religious powers. To prevent tyranny, there are several legislative assemblies and councils that represent the people. Although the majority of political power is wielded by the urban elite in Kartha, the restored Karthan Republic is more pluralistic than its predecessor and contemporaries.

Today the world’s social, political, and economic power revolves around the Karthan Republic as the sole major power in the world. It maintains a large military force which are renowned for their fighting ability and professionalism. Despite the restoration of the republican system and its position as the sole power of the world, the Republic has not been able to achieve the political stability found during the City of Kartha. The Revolution and the civil war has led to its rapid ascension from a subjugated city-state to the most powerful state in the world. The rapid shift in society has significantly disrupted the traditional lives of the peasantry and urban workers who are clamoring for reform. In response, new political figures have arisen who clash with the surviving elite families. These internal political tensions and external diplomatic intrigue are causing significant issues and it remains to be seen if the Republic is to prevail.

Governance
The unique system of the Karthan Republic originates from the revolution that overthrew the governate of the City of Kartha in 353 BE which continued until they were conquered by the Rymn Dynasty. Like its predecessor, it operated on an unwritten set of guidelines and principles. After the collapse of the Rymn, the city's leaders agreed to restore its republican system to the pre-conquest status quo. However the political dynamics had significantly changed during the 20 years under the rule of the Rymn, the Great Revolution, and the War of the Valley. As a result, the old political norms and institutions could not be entirely restored. The combination of growing corruption and economic inequality along with the rise of new social class during the Empire has led to popular discontent and a political struggle is growing between the aristocracy and ordinary citizens.

National Assembly
The National Assembly is the most powerful institution of the Republic due to the prestige of its members and the powers that it is explicitly granted. Its most significant formal power is over constitutional matters by acting as a de facto constitutional court. By tradition it has the authority to set the political norms and rules that allows the Republic to function. The National Assembly can issue broad decrees for the Governor to formally enact, but all decrees in non-emergency situations require approval from a Representative for it to take effect. While the National Assembly is technically a de jure popular assembly, since the Revolution, participation in the National Assembly is restricted to distinguished statesmen and military leaders. As a result, it is an extremely elitist institution and limited to only a select few.

Legislative bodies
While citizenship in Kartha is effectively universal, several factors effectively limit political rights to a select few. First important legal rights are not vested in the individual, but in the family. Every household, represented by its head, is vested with full legal and political rights and is entitled to participate in the political process. A family is required to own property in the local area, but the lack of property qualifications and the nature of Karthan society theoretically allowed everyone to participate in the political process. However participation in Kartha's legislative assemblies are effectively determined by the voters' social class. The two types of legislative bodies are the assembly and the council, which operate at the local, national, and later regional level.

The popular assemblies operates through direct democracy where citizens, and not elected representatives, vote in the assembly. As such, the citizen-electors have no power other than to cast a vote. Citizens are organized on the basis of tribes, which are geographical subdivisions of Kartha. The Assembly of the People is the sole popular assembly on the national level, a gathering that supposedly represents the entire Karthan people. In reality, the voting power of each tribe is weighted by wealth and age in favor of the urban elite, rather than the poor and the commoners. Furthermore participation is effectively limited to the capital region due to travel time. The Assembly serves as an election body, electing the Governor and the Cabinet. It shares legislative powers with the Common Council and the Cabinet in drafting legislation. While it has influence over the drafting legislation, the Cabinet maintains the sole power to draft it.

Unlike the popular assembly, the councils function through indirect democracy where voters elect representatives to represent them on the council. The Council of the Commons is the primary popular council of Kartha, representing the entire city and the surrounding countryside. Since voting for representatives takes less time and effort than participating in an assembly, the Council of the Commons is the main method for urban and rural poor to participate in the political process. Thus the Council has a significantly larger electorate than the Assembly. Nevertheless members of the Council usually are from the richer middle class. The Representative presides over the Council and wields significant power to check the power of the upper classes. Most importantly it has the authority to summon the National Assembly and the Popular Assembly, to intervene on behalf of their constituents in legal matters, and to veto the actions of the National Assembly, Cabinet, or the Popular Assembly. As a result, while the Council could not draft legislation, it has the final say on all bills.