High Heart’s Government
Empress of High Heart
The Empress (or Emperor/Sovereign) of High Heart is chosen every generation upon the death or retirement of the previous one. It is not an inherited role; it must be earned. And even a ruling Empress in not an infallible, absolute ruler of High Heart; their main job is to keep peace between the seven Perhe and act as a war-leader in times of conflict.
To be eligible for the status, one must have received their wing tattoos from the previous Empress and be a part of a Perhe. There are three months for those who qualify to 'register' for the trials that follow. The following nine months test the candidates, nine trials testing their leadership skills, combat skills, griffin-riding abilities, and other things considered essential for an Empress of High Heart. These trials can be perilous, and those who perform badly or get injured are removed from consideration. By the end of the trials, those who have succeeded present themselves to a council of the leadership of the seven Perhe and are voted on. The current holder of this position is Empress Usva Kesätuuli of Ilma. |
First Trial: Strength
The First Trial is a simple test of basic skills and strength. Hunting, fighting, survival, griffon-riding. It is a solo-exam to make sure that each candidate is relatively self-sufficient and has a chance in the following Trials. Only those deemed entirely unsuitable are disqualified at this stage.
Second Trial: Leadership
A game of capture-the-flag, essentially, done on griffon-back. Each candidate picks three non-candidates to form a team and must show off their leadership skills to the Perhe councils. One does not necessarily need to win the match; the performance in the game isn’t the most important thing being tested, it’s how well the candidate guided their teammates. Those who won but showed no aptitude as a leader are disqualified.
Third Trial: Intelligence
Usually run by the Mieli Perhe, the Third Trial tests mental acuity. It changes every time it’s held to prevent those being tested from preparing too much in advance, and involves questions, puzzles, and occasionally obstacle courses and tests of battle strategy. There are multiple versions of the Trial presented to candidates so that those with different types of intellect have the chance to show it.
Fourth Trial: Spirit
Perhaps calling it a Trial is a little much. Candidates are taken to Korkeus Perhe and told old stories of the Mountain Queen and High Heart’s history. So long as they are respectful and don’t interrupt unnecessarily, the Fourth Trial is practically a guaranteed success for most.
Fifth Trial: Empathy
Candidates are sent to medical facilities throughout High Heart and Padwell to assist with the sick and injured. They are expected to but in their best effort, even if they don't have a lot of skill with healing (in which case part of the month will be spent being taught at where they're assigned), and those they work under will write up a report on how well they did at the end of the month.
Sixth Trial: Loyalty
Held at the halfway point of the Trials when the candidates are most competitive, Loyalty is the one most often failed; and also one of the most important. Depending on the number remaining, they are assigned into teams of three to five and participate in a mock battle using paints. If even one of their team is marked with it, they all fail. They must work together and protect each other. When half of the teams have been disqualified, the Trial is over.
Seventh Trial: Morality
One of the more difficult Trials. A council made of two elders from each Perhe is formed; usually those who have shown to have great moral strength of their own, or had their morality challenged by events in their own life. They discuss among themselves and each pose the remaining candidates a question. Those who satisfy the majority of the elders that they have a good heart are allowed to move on to the Eighth Trial.
Eighth Trial: Respect
The remaining candidates are sent back to their Perhe council to live with and care for the council there. By the end of the month, the council votes on each individual to see if they were successful in learning from and caring for them; usually each Perhe will make it so that they only have one candidate going into the Ninth Trial, but sometimes more or none will be sent, depending on how they performed.
Ninth Trial: Heart
The Ninth Trial is shadowed in secrecy. It requires the final group of candidates to descend into the Plunge, deep into the darkness, and return with a vial of “The Blood of the Realm”. They are forbidden to speak of what they see underground and given a warning that what they find there is extremely deadly. Touching or breathing it in will kill them. They are encouraged to approach the dive cautiously, but many attempt the same flashy jump usually expected of the ceremony. Once they have returned, they must immediately dump the glowing substance back into the dark, where it belongs, and the vessel they used to carry it is burned. Those who succeed in this trial are held in especially high regard, even if they do not become the next Empress, viewed as having touched the very spirit of the Mountain Queen.
Perhe Councils
They don’t have strict control over everyday life - each person is free in that regard - but make larger choices that effect the entire Perhe.