The Parliament of Dreams is the changeling legislative body of Concordia, serving as advisors to the High King. It was established as part of the Treaty of Concord, which ended the Accordance War, as one of several measures meant to give commoners a voice in Concordia's governance.
Overview
The Parliament of Dreams is the official governing body of Concordia. High King David founded the Parliament in 1971 in the hope of offering the commoners a voice in their own governance. While considered a noble effort by many, its effect on the imbalance of political power has been largely cosmetic. Representatives (called Advocates) may be sent to the Parliament by every freehold with a membership over 15. Given their disproportionate power over the freeholds, the sidhe, while not a majority of the body, still hold the balance of power.
With over 40 percent of the seats in the Parliament, the sidhe would seem to have an almost guaranteed plurality every time. The sidhe are not monolithic in their policies, however, and there are many splits in their power structure. Commoners and commoner nobles fare little better in their attempts at unity; thus much of the governing is done through coalition.
With their numbers and their ability to sway people through charisma and rhetoric, the Traditionalist sidhe get their way on most issues. There is, however, enough opposition to them that the proper coalition of commoners and more moderate sidhe, and commoner interests can occasionally thwart their plans. Laws passed by the Parliament are subject to approval by the nobility in the territory affected by the law. Unfortunately, the Parliament does not yet have the power to enforce its edicts against the face of consolidated resistance by the nobility. The sidhe representation in the Parliament of Dreams is far out of proportion to its numbers in the general population (only 5% of all Kithain in Concordia are sidhe), Because of this, many commoners feel that the Parliament is something of a farce. The mood of the Parliament is somewhat akin to that of the English Parliament; it is lively and animated, punctuated by verbal jibes. The Parliament is guarded by a cohort of Red Branch Knights, by order of King David.
Political Impulses
For more on the political makeup of the Parliament, see the article Impulse.
Composition
Political Power by Impulse
- Sidhe Nobles 42% (Traditionalist 20%, Reformer 15%, Modernist 7%)
- Commoner Nobles 20% (Traditionalist 8%, Reformer 4%, Modernist 8%)
- Commoners 38% (Traditionalist 15%, Reformer 7%, Modernist 16%)
- Total 100% (Traditionalist 43%, Reformer 26%, Modernist 31%)
Political Power by Kith
Sidhe Political Power by House
Political Power by Court (Estimated)
Unseelie in the Parliament
A few Unseelie nobles belong to the Parliament of Dreams. Some among them believe that they can best make their views known and lobby for support by acting within the Seelie system. Others are there to act as goads, subtly disrupt the proceedings, make deals, and spy on the opposition. Some are not known as Unseelie at all. These, of course, are of greatest value to the Shadow Court.
Known Advocates
Modern Nights
When High King David Ardry vanished in 1998, the Parliament was wracked with increasingly violent debates about the future of Concordia and which queen, if any, the body should back. Many delegates abandoned the body as it seemed Concordia was spiraling back towards civil war, and it was ultimately dissolved pending a resolution to the crisis.
In 2005, Sir Seif asked the Parliament to reconvene, in order to present the returned High King to his people. David has not been the same ruler he was before his disappearance, however, and the Parliament remains deeply riven by factional conflicts.
References
- CTD. Nobles: The Shining Host, p. 41.
- CTD. The Shadow Court, p. 31.
- CTD. Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition.