Worldbuilding| The Queen's Court

The 'House of Justice'

House Bolisk has served as “The House of Justice” throughout the 1st Ennead. As a result, the Bolisk family has produced three Justiciars: Lord Frederick Bolisk, Lord Malcolm Bolisk, and the current holder of the position, Lady Leyna Bolisk.

When writing of The Rule of Nine, the founders understood that justice would have to be unilateral if their experiment were to take hold within the new Republic Kingdom; yet in order to win the hearts and minds of its citizenry they knew they’d have to differentiate themselves from the Empire. Thus it was decided that a court must be established.

The Nine were aware of the fact that having one location in such a vast landscape serve as the “seat of the court” would prove problematic. They decided to institute a “traveling court,” as it would later come to be known. As with the rest of The Rule of Nine, power must be held in check, judicial power especially. Queen Athenia knew she could not take the role, despite the potential advantages that may have come with such power. Instead, she chose, as did the rest, to name Lord Frederick Bolisk the 1st Justiciar. He shared the news, as well as what he knew of their new responsibility, with his wife Helena:

My Lady,

I hope this finds you, and our son, of sound mind and spirit. We have done much and more over these last few turns, yet I have done little without you, Malcolm, and Olisia herself on my mind. We have chosen Lady Athenia to champion our cause, she’s to be named Queen. While I would’ve worn the crown with pride, she is certainly deserving.

Do not hang your head for me, while I was not named King, I was given a position of equal honor if not stature. I, my son, and his heir thereafter, are to serve as Justiciar. While I cannot share more, for it is yet to be discerned, it seems we are to travel the kingdom dolling out justice, as we see fit, so long as it honor the Divine.

My love, I cannot wait to take you in my arms once again. Kiss our son for me and celebrate this joyous moment for our House.

-Your love, Frederick

This firsthand account is the earliest we have the position of Justiciar mentioned. While it isn’t much it does outline what we now recognize as the Queen’s Court. Every four years, the Court sets out from Olisia and heads north towards Densewood. From there, it travels to every major city within the Republic Kingdom.

The Court travels with upwards of 1,000 men at arms and an equal number of hired swords, foot soldiers, and squires combined. Upon arrival to a new city, the Justiciar oversees all trials, executions, and prisoner transports if necessary. Many lesser criminals are conscripted into the army and return to Olisia where they are trained. While Lords and Ladies have the right to hold anyone they like prisoner, they do not have the right to execute, banish, or conscript. That responsibility belongs only to the Justiciar and the Queen herself.