Suikoden Uncanny and Informational Knowledge Old Xperience

Suikox Home | The Speculation Shelter | Tablet of Stars | Suikoden Timeline | Suikoden Geography |Legacies


  [ View Profile | Edit Profile | Nation System | Members | Groups | Search | Register | Check PMs | Log in | FAQ ]

*Spoiler* Short essay on Falenan Government

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic     Forum Index -> Culture & Geography Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Calvin

Legions of Zontar-Killers


Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Post Count: 2445
Location: Blight's Bay
817540 Potch
25 Soldiers
0 Nation Points

PostPosted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 2:56 pm    Post subject: *Spoiler* Short essay on Falenan Government Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Why I think the Falenan Government Failed

The Falenan government was a very interesting model in my opinion, and had a very careful balance of power. However, I think it had inherent faults that were exposed in the beginning of the game, when Arshtat was Queen.

As we know, at that point the Falenan Government had a Queen installed as Soveriegn, whose rule was considered absolute. She delegated her command of the army to her husband, who was Commander of the Queen's Knights and Grand General of the Royal Army. At that point Queen Arshtat had also borne the Sun rune, and so quite literally the Queen was blessed by the True Rune which many considered to be at the center of Falena's power.

You also have the Senate. In theory, the senate had no real power at all, only being able to pass along "suggestions" to the Queen. In practice, however, the Queen was forced repeatedly to bow to the will of the Senate, and I think there were two reasons for this. The first is that several Senators, such as Barrows and Godwin, had many followers, and the second is because they had military backing. Each of the major nobles seemed to have their own garrison of troops at their command, and each had at least one notable general on their side. Godwin's and Barrows' garrisons seemed to be especially independent of the Queen, and I doubt that they would have stood down at the Queen's request had she asked. I think any system that breaks supreme command of its army into several pieces is doomed to fail.

I also think that one of the biggest reasons why earlier Queens weren't assasinated much in the way Arshtat was is because of Nether Gate. I believe that Nether Gate's reach was so long and merciless that it struck fear into the hearts of every citizen of Falena. In that way, Nether Gate may have been needed to counteract the constant moral corruption of the Senate. And since Nether Gate was under the command of the Queen, she was nearly untouchable.

One could make the argument that the Sun rune, which was borne by Arshtat, did that already. However I think there are several flaws with that argument. Firstly, the Sun rune gradually drives its bearer insane, so it is not a reliable means to control the nobles of Falena. In fact, it showed that it was more liable to destroy the whole of Falena than protect the Royal family. Secondly, it makes the Queen an even bigger target. Take out the queen, and you nuetralize the Sun rune. Although, one could argue that the only reasons Godwin was able to get as close to the Queen was Nether Gate itself! Or rather, the remnant of Nether Gate, after it had been disbanded by the Queen. However, with Nether Gate under control of the Queen, her influence would be far and wide. Without Nether Gate, it seemed her influence spread only to the local areas around Sol Falena. Outside that, and you were in noble territory.

In summary, I believe the Falenan Government fell because it relied on a delicate balance. Nether Gate, under control of the Queen, kept the nobles who had military backing at bay. While the nobles, who commanded an able military themselves, kept the Queen in check with said military. When Nether Gate disbanded, I believe it tipped the scale in favor of the nobles, which, in turn lead to the events of Suikoden V.
_________________

I changed the number on my phone so you can't call me up at home, and you can't say those
things to me, that make me fall down on my knees.

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Stampede

The One-Eyed Jacks


Joined: 29 May 2004
Post Count: 156
Location: Furillo, Lyran Commonwealth
30154 Potch
11 Soldiers
0 Nation Points

PostPosted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

To show my inner geek, the Falenan government reminds me of the Lyran Commonwealth, what with the pre-dissolution Nether Gate being near identical to the Lohengrin Corps, so this is a subject dear to my heart.

The failing of Falena's balancing act wasn't the disbanding of Nether Gate per se. The Falenan government could have continued as it was without maintaining a standing army of underhanded murderers to keep the Queen in power and the nobility in check.

The most valuable contribution that Nether Gate provided to Falena's royals, in my opinion, is subterfuge. It wasn't just that Nether Gate sent people out to kill people, it was that they were stealthy and you never quite knew when or where they would pop up out of nowhere to discover your plot against the throne.

When Arshtat dismantled Nether Gate, she should have set up some sort of intelligence agency to take it's place. Yes, dismantling the army of nutjob murderers your predecessors put together was a nice thing to do, if not the single most intelligent. No, leaving yourself without any sort of intelligence apparatus was NOT something that you should have done, because without some sort of means for intelligence-gathering, you have nothing to go on but random rumors picked up in town.

When the nobles found out that Nether Gate, the shadowy left hand that the Royal Family used to smack them upside the head for centuries, was out of existence and nothing had taken it's place, they then knew they were free to kick their plotting in to high gear, because they no longer had to fear the spies in their council.

It wasn't so much assassinating people that kept the nobles in line, it was knowing there could always be someone in the shadows.
_________________
Continue to push until it has given, by the way.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic     Forum Index -> Culture & Geography Discussion All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
suikox.com by: Vextor


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
  Username:    Password:      Remember me