Taelon - Government

Government

Taelons are ruled by the Synod, a group of thirteen Taelons who make major decisions about their policy, but a body which also considers individual matters if they are important. Members of the Synod have responsibility for different areas of Taelon life: the War Minister, for example, is T'Than. While the Synod generally rules by consensus, they elect a leader from among their number. Leaders have included Quo'on and Zo'or, though for a few days when Zo'or was infected with a deadly virus, T'Than led the Synod, which is taken as an insult to Da'an as he was second in seniority. Other members of the Synod included Da'an, Ku'don, Hoshin, Ra'am (Latin American companion), Bah'or, and Xia'tan. The "Sire of the Synod", presumably its founder, is Ra'jel, the first Taelon.

Once Zo'or assumes leadership of the Taelons, the Synod plays a less significant role. Zo'or may have been given free rein over the Taelons' activities in order to enhance their chances for success.

The Taelons are, more broadly speaking, governed by their own free will and by the Commonality, with individual Taelons being unable to act against the will of the masses. The Commonality holds the consciousness and energy of every Taelon who has ever lived, and their continuance within it after physical death may represent Sh'hariath - what the Taelons consider to be the next level of existence, or afterlife.