Highguard leadership
Most Highborn live in or near one of the chapters, the great walled settlements, that are spread across the plains that surround the river Couros. Each is a fully functional community incorporating families and individuals from all walks of life, who share a common set of beliefs in the form of a creed.
Each chapter chooses one of their own, called an Exarch, to provide the chapter with civic and moral leadership. The Exarch is most commonly the one who best embodies the chapter’s creed, a priest or one who has been schooled in philosophy and faith is usually chosen. As a result, most Highborn who are politically ambitious begin by seeking training as a priest. Highborn history clearly shows the perils of choosing a leader who is not virtuous, so they make no apology for placing this criteria above any other.
The holy city of Bastion is the capital of the nation. Every chapter maintains a hostel of some kind here, so that members who make the pilgrimage have somewhere to stay. At one time the Assembly of the Virtuous, would meet here regularly to decide the business of the state. When Highguard agreed to join the Empire, the Assembly of the Virtuous was used as the cornerstone for the Imperial Synod, becoming the Highborn Assembly wholesale, and spreading the mandate to watch for any sign of moral decay in the soul of the Empire.
Most political business moved to the Senate after the creation of the Empire so those members of the Highborn Assembly interested in politics now meet when the Imperial Court meets, the better to appoint Highborn Senators. Bastion is no longer the seat of government of the Highborn Nation, but it remains the spiritual home of the Way of Virtue and pilgrims from all over the Empire travel here.
Leading a territory
In the days before the Empire the Exarchs were subject to the approval of the Assembly of the Virtuous, to ensure that chapters were led by devout individuals. That power lapsed generations ago; now only the senators come before the Assembly for ratification.
The Highborn Assembly selects senators by interrogation. Each chapter whose chapterhouse is in the contested territory may put forward a single candidate. Chapters are required to have sufficient wisdom to know their own well enough to select their most virtuous member; so each chapter may only send a single candidate for consideration by the Assembly.
Candidates come before the Highborn Assembly where they are expected to answer questions designed to assess their mortal rectitude. The Assembly does not exclusively select priests to high office, but it is clear that those who have priestly training have considerable advantage in answering the moral dilemmas and philosophical questions put to them. After examining the candidates, each member of the Assembly secretly votes to indicate which candidate they felt was least trustable. The candidate with the least votes against them is then declared the winner. If two or more candidates receive equal fewest votes, then all other candidates are eliminated and another round of voting takes place.