Antrixian Landsting

The Antrixian Landsting was the governing body of the Antrixian Commonwealth throughout the territory's history. Made up of family Houses and the species of the worlds located within the territory, all considered planetary governors, the Landsting saw to the making of laws and governing of the populace on each planet within the Commonwealth.

Politics
Basing the House driven government of the Antrixian Commonwealth on that of the governing system of what would become the Republic, a type of senate was formed by the noble Major Houses of the Maridis Sector, Acheeva Sector, Droga Sector, and Relkan Sector. The Antrixian Landsting was created. To ensure representation, each planet had representatives from each House and species meet to determine economic, military-oversight, territorial disputes, settle vendettas, and formalize judicial matters within the Commonwealth. It was also a means to keep Houses from being singled out by rival alliances and stopping conflicts from becoming military actions. These meetings were held in a council-like setting, where turn-based discussions took place. Derived from the Old Tongue, meaning "Landholders" or "Landowners", the Landsting was a joint meeting and council of the holders of territories within the Commonwealth.

The Landsting held influence over all the worlds within the Commonwealth, playing an important role in the political and economic power balance within the Maridis, Acheeva, Droga and Reklan sectors. Each House and planet has 3 individuals within the Assembly of the Landsting who could vote independently or together in the representing of their House’s/world's interest.

The Landsting represented the unification of all the other ruling/planetary governing families, known as Houses, to create a check against the individual power of the High Lord of the Commonwealth, a theoretically comparable force to the Landsting. Both the combined Houses and the High Lord were, in turn, kept in check by the Jinsai Tribunal. 14 Major Houses were represented within the Landsting. Under the 14, 42 Lesser Houses were represented as being attached to the Major Houses. 3 Lesser Houses were attached to each Major House. Under the Lesser Houses were the Minor Houses, which vary in number under each Major House. The Minor House held only regional or local power on the worlds they originated from.

The head of each House was usually selected by rite of succession, passing to the eldest child when the parental head of a House passed on or stepped down. If a husband who was head of a House died, control would pass to the wife or vice versa. After that, control would be given to the first eldest child. In the rare occurrence of intervention by the Landsting, control of the House could be stripped from a family or individual and granted to another.

Each Major House maintained an embassy on Antrixies, along with housing for Landsting members and their staff. The Landsting met in the House of Lords, adjacent to the High Lord’s palace.

History
The Antrixian Commonwealth had officially existed since 20,870 BBY when the major and lesser noble Houses, along with the Jinsai Order, formed an overseeing government known as the Antrixian Landsting. Territories overseen by individual planets within the Maridis and Relkan Sectors were annexed in to be governed by the Landsting. Between the Lutrin, Herras, Knydens, and Antrixian people, a constitution of state was ratified, formalizing the government and setting up the Commonwealth as a unified state.

After the settling of the main planets of the future Commonwealth before 20,000 BBY, conflict over territory occurred frequently as powerful families rose into leadership positions on various colonized worlds and battled over control of resources. These families would become the leading Houses which allied with other family Houses in an attempt to secure their power. It was also during this time that the Antrixians made first contact with the Knyden, Lutrins, and the Sangheili. These three species would integrate with the Antrixians and their society also.

At the same time, a spiritual movement was developing on Antrixies which eventually formed into the Jinsai Order. Once established, the Jinsai Order began to act as peacekeepers and advisers to the Houses of the various colonies. It was shortly after this that the first major conflict rocked the various worlds. 13 Force-sensitive Jinsai led by a charismatic Jinsai scout, Arthan Rystia, took advantage of their positions, formed militias and embarked on a civil war that lasted nearly one hundred years, known as the War of the Shadow. During this time, the 13, calling themselves The Chosen and giving themselves the ranks of Dreadlords, battled with the noble houses and Jinsai on every planet of what would become the Commonwealth. Pitched battles ensued, until a unified front of forces led by Lord Kil’ar Corisso cornered the Dreadlords and their forces, all but destroying them. Thereafter, it was decided by unanimous vote, that a central government would be set up in ensure that all worlds would be represented and protected as one. Thus, the Antrixian Landsting was born.

Even after the Commonwealth officially joined the Galactic Republic around 827 BBY, the Landsting continued to govern the territory through a sovereign, proxy state. During the Imperial Occupation, the Landsting was maintained as a way to keep dissidents under control. It wasn't until the Galactic Empire was overthrown that the Landsting regained full governing control of the Commonwealth.

The Major and Lesser Houses of the Landsting

 * House Strykia - House holding the Seat of the High Lord during the Rise of the Empire, Rebellion, and New Republic Eras. Absent from the Landsting due to the Imperial Occupation from 19 BBY to 4-5 ABY.
 * Stanrish - Minor House that assisted in maintaining the House Strykia position within the Landsting during the Rebellion Era.
 * Taym
 * Senchi
 * House Draydess - Holding the titles of Hand of the High Lord and Lord Regent during the absence of House Strykia from the Landsting.
 * Humrene
 * Margaren - During the years after the rise and fall of the First Order, House Targareyn was rumored to be the consort for the next ascension of a member of House Strykia to the Seat of the High Lord.
 * Darklyn
 * House Metheyr - Dissolved by order of the Landsgting in 5 ABY, Harkonna was replaced within the Landsting by House Carridin.
 * Morless - Dissolved along with House Harkonna in 5 ABY. Replaced by lesser House Antall in 6 ABY.
 * Stenor
 * Egerhold
 * House Corisso - After the ascension of Baroness Chani Corisso, House Corisso allied heavily with House Draydess and House Mortia in support of House Strykia.
 * Rodkus - A Herras-based minor House of the Landsting.
 * Eakka
 * Skinmere
 * House Ordos
 * Arryn
 * Santagar
 * Allyrion
 * House Fendrin
 * Lawlend - A human-based minor house.
 * Farring
 * Rhylme
 * House Kemic - The first Major House formed from Knyden society, House Kemic was headed by Vicereine Lis'ra Kemic, a prominent Knyden corporate head.
 * Freeding
 * Camless - The minor house Camless was a Human house of the Landsting, headed by Duke Krissan Camless the third.
 * Vyllish
 * House Mortia
 * Storme
 * Norcross
 * Morya
 * House Vico
 * Unnor
 * Estilon
 * Penchi
 * House Xingus - By order of the Lord Regent, House Xingus was removed as a major House and replaced by House Stilgar in 5 ABY.
 * Vypress
 * Chulian
 * Ngara - A Lutrin-based minor House, Ngara broke away from House Xingus during the Antrixian Civil War and allied with House Lexander in support of House Strykia.
 * House Lexander
 * Brishu
 * Kerenmosa
 * Thorne
 * House Damodred - Restored by members of House Mohiam in 6 ABY, following the "loss" of the Bloodline of the House during the Antrixian Purge and Imperial Occupation of the Commonwealth.
 * Tarkand - Absorbed by House Mortia prior to the Clone Wars and considered lost during the Imperial Occupation. Replaced by the minor, unattached House Ferlaw in 6 ABY.
 * Whynn
 * Mohiam - Ascended to the position of a Major House in 6 ABY. Replaced by the minor, unattached House Chennal.
 * House Ossian
 * Berelain
 * Aemmon
 * Paligo
 * House Korta - House Korta, often called Pride Korta, was a Zi'rathii-based house, overseeing Zyrathae and it's territories.
 * Carridin - Ascended to replace House Metheyr. Replaced by the minor, unattached House Seviss.
 * Vyrwel
 * Emar

Titles of the Houses
The titles held by the various Houses of the Landsting, granted to the heads of each House through inheritance, were originally started in the time predating the War of Shadows and during the conflict. Before the war began, each House operated under their own planetary jurisdiction, with minor oversight from Antrixies. The Jinsai helped enforce laws and regulations throughout the Maridis and Relkan Sectors, but otherwise the colony worlds were left to rule themselves.

Through the years, as colonization expanded through the future Commonwealth, the various leaders on Antrixies bestowed different titles upon the heads of the controlling Houses, partially to curry favor, otherwise to reward service to Antrixies. The Houses that would become the major families then bestowed titles onto the lesser and minor Houses in the same fashion. As the Houses became more prominent, these titles were passed down to each successor to the head of each House. Following the formation of the Commonwealth and the establishment of the Landsting, each House was permitted to continue the honorific titles that they had used prior to the official unification.

The heavy integration of the Jinsai Order into the Landsting allowed for the special title of Tribune, one of the heads of the Order, to also be used by the heads of a House when they were also acting members of the Jinsai Tribunal. Since their responsibilities were to the Jinsai and the judicial portions of the Landsting, a Steward, Councilor, or Majordomo represented the House in the Assembly of the Landsting.

By the time of the years leading up to the Clone Wars, it was common for the members of the Houses to be addressed by Lord or Lady, simply as a generic honorific. Titles had a male and female equivalent, with neither holding more power than the other. The titles were:
 * Lord/Lady
 * Duke/Duchess
 * Baron/Baroness
 * Count/Countess
 * Elector/Electress
 * Viceroy/Vicereine

The head of each House trumped the power held by the selected House representative at any time. While the head of the House was often busy with affairs on their world(s), they could, at any time, represent their House within the Lansting proceedings.

The title of Warden was an honorific and traditional sub-title given to key individuals in each of the sectors of the Commonwealth. Regional and sector matters were often brought to the specific Warden of a sector, when an immediate decision had to be made in the case of security or other serious matters. The Wardens sat on the High Lord's Small Council, an advisory body to the High Lord, acting as a smaller version of the Landsting.

Law of Succession
The Antrixian Commonwealth had followed an Order of Succession since the inception of the government around 23,000 BBY. By the law and tradition of the Order of Succession, the eldest child of the house that retained either a House Seat or the High Seat would succeed to the said seat should their parent/current holder die or vacate the seat.

Line of Succession
The Antrixian Commonwealth had followed the tradition/Law of Absolute Primogeniture since the establishment of the Commonwealth around the year 23,000 BBY. Absolute Primogeniture was a law in which the eldest child of the High Lord, or sovereign such as Lord Regent, succeeded to the High Seat, regardless of gender, and where females (and their descendants) enjoyed the same right of succession as males. This practice was followed by the holders of the major House Seats also.

By primogeniture law, the eldest child of a seat inherited the title and position of their parent who held the house seat when that parent vacated the position due to death, crime, or stepped down voluntarily. Should the eldest child be absent or should they not accept, then the succession went to the next child in the birth order line. That continued until all offspring of the current house seat holder were exhausted.

When an heir to the seat not be found within the immediate bloodline, then succession is passed on to siblings, then on to cousins, of seat holder prior to vacating. The eldest sibling was the first eligible and followed the same pattern as the initial bloodline succession. If there was no bloodline heir to be found after the sibling succession occurred, then an heir was determined by relation or marriage. The first proposed betrothal/marriage agreement to be enacted by a house seat’s bloodline secured the accepting house into the Line of Succession. The marriage had to have taken place prior to the vacating of the seat in order for this to occur.

Adoption of a child by a noble could make the adopted child eligible for succession only if the child were to later have siblings of half blood shared by the seat holder and the adopted child's original parent. Originally, an adopted child could not be eligible, but the law and tradition was changed.

Example: In the case of the Strykia’s, should the eldest eligible child, Draygan vacate his seat, then the line of succession would pass to Graydon Strykia, with Allyson Strykia to follow. Due to the arrangement with House Draydess for Shasharra Draydess and Graydon to be wed, once the two were wed and Graydon could not accept the succession due to death or other circumstances, Shasharra would become heir. This succession would then pass onto House Draydess, with Philan Draydess and then Tashynea Draydess.

Exceptions to Succession Law

Marriage agreements within the bloodline could override sibling succession should an agreement with the siblings occur prior to the vacating of the seat. Siblings of the seat holder had to have agreed and negated their bloodline claim, and then succession was passed down through marriage agreements.

Another case of exception to Succession Law was when a bloodline heir had taken a vow or position that prohibited the holding of a house seat, such as becoming a member of the Jinsai Grey Guard.

If a legitimate heir was found to be in contempt against the Commonwealth or have committed treasonous acts against the people of or the government of the Commonwealth, their claim to succession was nullified. This process was decided by the Landsting, stripping the individual of all bloodline rights.