Overview
An archon is one of the ruling mages of Thalassai. The title combines regional government, magical domain, and public authority: archons govern Thalassai's regions, meet at the Celestial Nexus, and form the leadership behind the Council of Archons.
Each of the old five offices governs a region and carries an element or domain. Thalena rules Chronasis as archon of Space and Time after being voted in as archon of time; Cassian succeeds her as archon of time after her absence or loss. Ignaros rules Pyrenis as archon of fire, Naryon rules Thalmyris as archon of water, Zephyra rules Aetherion as archon of air, and Calythos rules Terranova as archon of earth. The old five-seat council expands when Thalcoris joins Thalassai as a sixth independently governed region, giving Tazarin a seat as archon of cosmos.
Authority
Archons are elected or confirmed through formal votes. Thalena rises through Terranova politics, serves the old archon of time, and is unanimously voted into the Chronasis seat. After her absence or loss, Cassian is chosen by the archons, regional leaders, imperators, and legati.
The archons are formally equal. During Thalena's rule, the other archons defer to her. Each region governs independently under its own archon and local officials. The archons meet for national decisions, foreign policy, military policy, research, reconstruction, and matters that cross regional boundaries. The office is political; imperators lead the legions and can surpass most archons in combat strength.
History
The title predates Thalena's rule. Orin was the first archon of Time and founded Chronasis. Khoradyn was the first archon of Earth. When Helena reorganizes Thalassai's military into imperators, legati, centurions, and legions, she leaves the archon title untouched because of its history with Orin and Khoradyn.
By 4332 AX, Thalassai has ended worship of Ozaith and keeps archon rule, with Kairessa holding the archon of time office. After the Internal Thalassai War, archons and local leaders are chosen by vote. In 4836 AX, the archon meeting votes Thalena into the Chronasis office, and she declares herself archon of Space and Time.
After the restoration, the archons are Thalassai's civil government. They meet regularly, oversee their independently governed regions, train mages placed under their instruction, and set Thalassai's stance toward gates, gods, Xalmyrra, Thalcoris, and the darkness. After Thalena's absence or loss, Cassian inherits the Chronasis seat and Tazarin is welcomed as archon of cosmos, expanding the council to six seats.