The Senate of Lords is the governing body of nobles that rules the dark nation of Thenol. The group was originally formed when the fledging nation was first settled by the refugees of Styrllia, and the nobles all waged open war on one another, in a bid to rule the land. Eventually the fighting came to an end, with no one noble being able to completely dominate the rest, and the Senate of Lords was formed.
The nobles effectively all form a large council that presides over all matters of importance to the nation, and are united behind the King of Thenol. The king is little more than a puppet of the Senate, and rules in name only. The nobles are led by the Great Lords, and the remaining Lords all hold a lesser share of power, and are for the most part tied or allied in some way to one of the Great Lords. The greatest weakness of the Senate is that none of the Great Lords often agrees with any of his fellows. This allowed for the rise of Bishop Trandamere, who since superceded the Senate and became the shadow ruler of the nation.
The Senate had a good deal of their power stripped from them by the Bishop of Hith, although some of the most powerful Great Lords worked in direct opposition to the church. Following the slaying of Ondelos and the crushing of the Church of Hith in the Age of Mortals, it remains to be seen whether the Senate of Lords will again take command of the reins of power of Thenol once more.
References[]
- Time of the Dragon, p.68-69