Aradie's Officials
Architect of the City
The Architect of the City is responsible for the design and construction of all civil and military projects within the city of Sherbourg, as well as the layout of the streets. Since the fire of 1624, the Architect of the City requires all permanent structures inside the walls to be built of stone and maintains architectural records of those buildings. Most of the Architect's duties and attention are focused on constructing and maintaining the fortifications of the city. The Architect reports to the Lord Marshal, as it is deemed a military position.
The Governor General of Aradie appointed the first Architect of the City when the Crown assumed control of the colony in 1572. The arrival of the Salores Regiment mandated that the small wooden fort built by the Aradie Trading Company be replaced with a more extensive fortifications that included bastions and a palisade. Over the years, the Architect has improved the fortifications several times so that the city is now bounded by a thick earth and stone curtain wall, supported by bastions. The current project for the Architect is the construction of a Citadelle atop the highest point of Cape Adamant.
Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie is the local police force in Saronne and its colonies. The name originates from the gens d'arme (men-at-arms) who served in the retinue of the nobility. As the nobility is responsible for upholding the King's Peace in their lands, their retinue of men-at-arms became the default law enforcement officers for the kingdom. To this day, the term is used interchangeably for a city policeman, a highway patrol, and personal guard for a governmental official.
At its founding the gendarmerie was created, paid, and staffed by the Aradie Trading Company. When the Crown assumed control of the colony in 1572, the gendarmerie fell under the jurisdiction of the Governor General who has delegated its administration to the Lord Marshal of Aradie. The gendarmerie is headed by a Lieutenant General, a title far grander than the small number of gendarmeries in Sherbourg warrants.
Governor General
The Governor General is the King of Saronne's representative in Aradie. The post was created when the King cancelled the Charter of the Aradie Trading Company and made Aradie a Royal Colony. The primary task of the Governor General was to send plenty of raw materials back to Saronne and protect the colony from external threats, whether it be from the native tribes or rival colonies. However, the extensive power granted to the Governor General encouraged many appointees to line their own pockets at the expense of the colony and the King.
To combat the rampant corruption, the Governor General now shares authority with four other positions. The Intendant of Aradie oversees the economy, the Sovereign Council advises the governor on local affairs and tries important court cases, and the Oracle of Sherbourg oversees spiritual matters. Meanwhile, the Governor General oversees diplomatic and military affairs for the colony, including the construction of forts and trading posts through out the Lakelands. The Governor General also acts as voice of the King to the colony, announcing edicts and passing along His Majesty's commands. The Governor General serves at the King's pleasure and can be recalled at any time.
The current Governor General is Jean-Henri de Carallies who has held the post since 1665. He is most noted for his diplomacy with the tribes and for pushing for the diversification of exports to include lumber, copper, and new world foodstuffs such as blueberries, maple syrup, and maize. His diplomatic overtures have been quite successful and led to the Grande Entente, while the diversification of exports has met with mixed results at best.
Seigneur
All of the land in Aradie is technically owned by the King of Saronne. His Majesty has delegated governorship of tracts of land called seigneuries to a local landlord, the seigneur. For all practical purposes, the seigneurs are the lords of their tiny fiefdoms, answering only to the Governor General of the colony from his palace in Sherbourg.
Most seigneuries are strips of land, usually 5 by 15 kilometers in size, facing a waterway. At first the seigneuries just faced the Grande Vire, but as the colony has grown, the Crown has established seigneuries on lesser waterways. The seigneur divides his lands among his tenants, who are typically called habitants. The relationship between the seigneur and the habitant is well defined and upheld by law. The seigneur is obligated to live on the seigneurie, build a mill, and grant hunting and fishing licenses to the habitants at a reasonable rate set by the Governor General. In return, the habitants pay rent, grind their grain at the seigneur's mill, and work for the seigneur a few days each year, typically constructing roads.
In the hierarchical society of Saronne, social status is measured by an individual's gloire and the amount of land the family owns. The Seigneurs are the nobles and principal landholders of Aradie. In addition to the wealth, the title carries with it the privilege of adding the all-important "de" to the bearer's name and being addressed by the title of one's seigneurie, which is a hallmark of nobility. For example, Louis-Antoine Gaultier is commonly addressed by his title -- the Seigneur de Foucault. The Governor General grants the rank as a reward to military officers and civil administrators, as he expands the number of seigneuries to push back the seemingly endless wilderness of Everique.
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