The Itran Tetrarchy is a governmental body and collection of space stations in non-Radch space. The Tetrarchy is segmented into four Precincts, each made up of four stations. It is governed by the Council of Four, a group of representatives made up of four tetrarchs, each from one of the four precincts and elected from its station governors. The Itran religion is a major element of both culture and politics, with the Itran ballgame, the sport played as prayer by the followers of the religion, being used to decide the elections for tetrarch.
Following the destruction of Justice of Toren, Breq spent several years in the Tetrarchy, on Harime Station. She became a monk, assuming the name Ultimately-Justice-Shall-Prevail, and played for multiple monastic orders, including White Lily, captaining its ballgame team in the tetrarchal election between Qefahl Brend and the governor of Harime Station. While in the Tetrarchy, Breq acquired icons of the goddess She-Who-Sprang-From-The-Lily and Saint Seven-Brilliant-Truths-Shine-Like-Suns, as well as some or all of Seven-Brilliant-Truths' teeth. She treasured these items and kept them in her possession for the entire events of the Imperial Radch trilogy.
Organization and government[]
The Itran Tetrarchy is made up of five regions called Precincts. Each Precinct is made up of four space stations, with each of these stations presided over by a governor. The whole of the Tetrarchy is governed by the Council of Four, a collective of four representatives to the Precincts who make decisions in matters of law and politics. Each of these representatives, called tetrarchs, represent their home Precinct and are elected from the station governors of that Precinct. The term lasts seven years, although it is unknown if each tetrarch is replaced simultaneously or if the elections are staggered. It is unknown if there are term limits for the position—the longest run of a tetrarch mentioned in the series is the mother of Qefahl Brend and Her-Breath-Contains-The-Universe who served at least three terms.
The government of the Tetrarchy is heavily tied to the Itran religion. Most notably in the use of the Itran ballgame, a religiously-tied sport used as prayer, to decide the results of the elections for tetrarch, as well as the players of the game that represent the candidates being monks of the religion. Additionally, governors—and by extension, tetrarchs—may or may not be required to be followers of the religion.
Tetrarch elections[]
- Main article: Itran ballgame
The Itran ballgame is believed by the followers of the Itran religion to be a physical expression of the will of She-Who-Sprang-From-The-Lily. Since the results of these games are viewed as the Goddess Herself deciding the winner, special matches are used to determine the results of tetrarchal elections. The primary monastery of each station has their own ballgame team and these teams play on behalf of their governor in the election matches. Historically, the candidates themselves would captain their teams as a show of genuine intent to become tetrarch, however this was no longer the case by the events of She Commands Me and I Obey and instead a monk of the team's monastery captains it.
Following the election match, the captain is ceremonially beheaded by the captain of the winning team in a display of complete devotion to the will of She-Who-Sprang-From-The-Lily. Back when the candidates captained their own teams, the losing candidate would be the one beheaded. After their execution, the losing captain is deified as a saint and joins the pantheon of the Hundred of their monastery.
Culture and society[]
Little is known about Itran society outside of the religion. However, despite how widely practiced and influential the religion is, it is known that not every citizen of the Tetrarchy follows it. The Itran Tetrarchy places great value on the number four, such as the divided into four Precincts of four stations each, as well as the name Tetrarchy being derived from the prefix tetra, meaning four.
Itrans have a family name and a personal name with the family name placed first, such as the siblings Qefahl Brend and Qefahl Aresh. The Itran language uses gendered pronouns.
Religion[]
- Main article: Itran religion
The Itran religion is the most prominent religion practiced in the Tetrarchy, focused on worshipping the creator goddess She-Who-Sprang-From-The-Lily. It is practiced by most of the population of the Tetrarchy and is highly intertwined with its society and government. Many of the followers of the religion belong to monastic orders with many of them existing across the Tetrarchy. Each station has one major order and potentially multiple smaller ones, with at least Harime Station mentioned to be home to multiple.
Itran ballgame[]
- Main article: Itran ballgame
The Itran religion is centered on enacting the will of She-Who-Sprang-From-The-Lily. One of the most prominent forms this takes is the Itran ballgame, a sport which is played as a matter of religious devotion. The game is viewed as a physical manifestation of the Goddess' desires, with the outcome being Her decision and the players being instruments of her will. Because of this, the sport is played by the monks of the Tetrarchy's monastic orders as a form of prayer and an attempt to achieve a closer connection with the Goddess. Despite its religious basis, the sport is extremely popular throughout the Tetrarchy, both with religious and secular audiences alike.
Locations[]
There are only two locations in the Itran Tetrarchy mentioned in the Imperial Radch series, both stations in the same Precinct. The Precinct they inhabit is the second oldest Precinct in the Tetrarchy.
- Noage Itray - The oldest station in its Precinct, governed by Her-Breath-Contains-The-Universe.
- Harime Station - Governed by an unnamed governor.
Notable people[]
- Her-Breath-Contains-The-Universe - Governor of Noage Itray. He succeeded his older brother, Qefahl Brend, the former governor following his exile.
- Qefahl Brend - Former tetrarch and former governor of Noage Itray. He was driven into exile for rigging an election and forced to appoint his younger brother, Her-Breath-Contains-The-Universe, as his replacement.
- The Harime governor - Tetrarch and governor of Harime Station. Succeeded Qefahl Brend as tetrarch.
- Shall-I-Alone-Escape-Death - Abbot of Blue Lily Monastery of Noage Itray.
- Saint Seven-Brilliant-Truths-Shine-Like-Suns - Former captain of the Blue Lily ballgame team, lost to and beheaded by Breq.
- Breq, under the name Ultimately-Justice-Shall-Prevail - Former captain of the White Lily ballgame team, defeated Seven-Brilliant-Truths-Shine-Like-Suns. In the nineteen years following the destruction of Justice of Toren, Breq spent several of them in the Tetrarchy playing for multiple ballgame teams on Harime Station.
Appearances[]
- She Commands Me and I Obey
- Ancillary Justice (Mentioned only)
- Ancillary Sword (Mentioned only)
- Ancillary Mercy (Mentioned only)