The Aeritanian Government

Although on paper Aeritanian is ruled by its Princeps and the Houses Aersa, it is truly run by the Sarei Tor, or the Aeritanian Parliament, thanks to a longstanding tradition of political freedom.

The Princeps, or prince/princess, is the head of the government. They generally work more as a president, with the ability to propose or veto new laws, but they are not elected. The doctrine of hereditary monarchy is held sacred in Aeritania, despite its frequent critics.
The Houses Aersa are the noble houses of Aeritania. They once formed their own legislative body, called the Arsa Tor ("house of lords"/Diet), but this was dissolved following the rise of the Sarei Tor. The head of each House Aersa is now given a special seat in the Sarei Tor. These special delegates are collectively referred to as the Torca Aersa.
The Sarei Tor was once a "noble" house in the Arsa Tor, designed to give the common people a say in their government. As Aeritania became more democratic, the Sarei Tor became the main legislative body of Aeritania. Now each region of the Aeritanian islands elects an Ars Sarei to represent them in the Sarei Tor. It is sometime referred to as the House Sarei, in honor of its former position as a noble house, or simply the Sarei.
The Ordan Alecmis, while a powerful organization with multiple members sitting on the Sarei Tor, is notably restricted in the government. As a result, it acts more as a tool of the government in the present day than its own organization, something which many of its older members bemoan.