Traditionally, Kairos has been ruled by an elected council known as The Boule, whose job is to represent and govern the nine states of Kairos. The representatives for the eight island states are known as the Archons, and the “monarch” of the mainland state is the Anax. However, it is a monarchy only in name as these are elected titles whose holders are voted for yearly by the citizens who live in their states. Those same citizens can strip them of their positions if they feel their representative does not hold the precincts and the Nation’s best interests at heart.

It is a system with minimal corruption; the Nation’s attitude towards collectivism means that citizens don’t baulk at upholding their democratic right to vote out inept or dishonest politicians, believing that serving the Nation is a holy and honourable act that should only be allowed to be carried out by the worthy. Civil servants and mediaries have kept the nation running without figureheads, but the people need prominent leaders they can look towards in trying times.

Some Major institutions of the state are still in existence, though maybe not in their historical forms or certainly not at their previous level of power and operations; these include:

• The Boule – The council of Archons and the Anax, tasked with making decisions for the benefit of Kairos and the individual states. 
• The Council of The Pantheon – A council with representatives of each god who act as advisors to The Boule and spiritual leaders for the populace. Each God is seen as equal within this Council, with the number of followers or perceived power of the clergy ignored in the name of unity. 
• The Combined Military – Each of the nine states has its own military of varying sizes and specialisations. Still, these states train together to improve their efficiency when working as part of a larger combined force. 
• The Masons – Masters of Forge and Earth magic, these Petrophi are responsible for the care and maintenance of the remains of the most heroic and storied of the Kairosian people. After their funeral, they are turned into stone and turned into a Kolossi vessel, which can be animated using Forge magic. 

Politics

Their internal politics are reasonably straightforward. Factions that attempt to unsettle the status quo are usually quickly and enthusiastically squashed by the citizenry, as rocking the boat hurts stability. Some argue that they are stuck in their ways and slow to change, which is probably a fair criticism; however, the Kairosians find that their system works for them, favouring the simplicity of an honest and straightforward system over other forms of governance. 

Externally, they are open and accepting of the other nations, believing that Unity amongst the three realms is the only way they will be strong enough to defeat The Corrupted. Kairos has an essential relationship with Syradonia and Morvalis based on the goods traded through the mountains of Syradonia. Kairos provides fish, vegetables, grains, herbs, and spices; processed metals, mushrooms, fabrics, and light stones are received in exchange.

A more complex relationship is with the Republic of Portavas, as things have not always been peaceful between the two seafaring nations, with the young upstarts in Portavas vying for space on the same oceans as the ancient and proud Kairos. With Kairos sticking to the shores and Portavas controlling the open waters, it all came to a head when a group of exploitative Portavians attacked and raided a Kairosi merchant convoy. Kairos responded swiftly and without mercy, and The Portavas Arbiter, Telio De House Costrian (their equivalent of an Anax) sued for peace, seeing that this could erupt fully into war.

Now, the two nations have a strong respect for each other. Kairos sticks to the shoreline, and Portavas takes the deep waters, but they work and trade freely and openly. It is common for ships to come to each other’s aid when waters turn wild and boats are left adrift.

Hammerstadt is a welcome port to Kairosi ships, the city-state especially valuing oddities from further afield than their usual trading partners of Portavas and Urdrevan. Historically the brazen culture of Coterie duty over National duty has led to dock-side brawls between Hammerstadters and visiting Kairosians, but most recently, a group of Kairosian sailors helped fend off an attack of Corrupted in the city and were made the guests of honour at the Klarasburg Sausage Festival in the aftermath. Commemorative souvenirs are still sold in giftshops throughout Hammerstadt.

Some of the Urdrevan People dispute Kairos’ insistence at being the oldest civilisation – there are certainly folk tales from the Age of Legend which already depict the Urdrevan as a force of strength and rebellion against the settled Kairos way of life, raiding back and forth between their two peoples. Today the thing they agree on most is that they simply do not understand the other’s way of life, but can respect the millenia of sticking to their convictions, strange as they might be.

Economic interests

Kairos is rich in food due to farming and fishing, as well as minerals and building resources due to the coast and mountains. Kairos has plenty of raw resources but lacks the industrial backbone to quickly process those materials into refined goods. As such, they have developed a comfortable and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the people of Syradonia, who are experts at turning raw materials into usable items. They trade food, spices and goods with them for iron, weapons, armour and tools.

Kairos was fortunate during the age of calamity. Much of their most precious growing land was located around their more heavily defended settlements and islands, meaning they could repair damage when The Corrupted stopped advancing. Combining their construction workforce with the Kairos citizens, they could protect themselves from much of the downturn other nations took due to food shortages. Kairos has since sold excess food to other countries that require it at the lowest possible price, believing having well-fed and healthy allies is more critical than profiteering from the misery of others.