Local government begins with mayors chosen in a limited fashion by merchant guilds, giving commercial elites a place in administration. Every guild requires high-priest approval and a local priest on its board, placing organized trade under continuing imperial observation. Human regiments can exist locally, but they lack heavy artillery and the complete battalion structure needed to form an independent brigade without Jaffa support. The arrangement creates useful civic and military capacity while preventing any mayor, guild, or regiment from becoming an autonomous planetary power base.
Chapter · 57:17-58:37
Local government under priestly oversight
Mayors and merchant guilds gain limited local authority, but high-priest approval, priests inside guild leadership, and incomplete human formations keep those institutions dependent on the ruler.