Palace of Zirandorthel
The Palace of Zirandorthel is a federal building complex which houses the Landsraad, the federal legislature of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. It is situated in the Landsraad District in Shirekeep.
The building, which was without a formal name until the 1630s, was officially named Palace of Zirandorthel after the then prætor, Fjǫrleif Hallbjörnsdóttir, attempted to name the palace after herself. The Landsraad was upset by this act, and officially rebuked her by naming the building after Zirandorthel. Zirandorthel had served as Praetor (1486–1503) and was in charge of erecting the palace in the first place after the previous one had burnt down in one of the recurrent sackings of Shirekeep. Prior to his tenure, the Landsraad met in other buildings on the same spot – the earliest one of them was called the Palace of Alexanders.
About
Front Gate
In front of the palace is the famous equestrian statue of the first Praetor, Nicholas Raglan, and its legendary cast-iron Front Gate both keeps out non-members and serves as a meeting-point where they can protest the body's actions. It once was an important meeting place for minor nobles and commoners, now just an entrance.
Landsraad Statuary Hall
Main article: Landsraad Statuary Hall
The Landsraad Statuary Hall is a chamber in the Palace of Zirandorthel devoted to sculptures of prominent Shirithians.
Landsraad's Arms
The Landsraad's Arms is the plush and exclusive in-house pub and restaurant of the Landsraad where patrons wine and dine at taxpayers' expense, to the exuberant chagrin of the latter. It is open to members of the Landsraad, their guests, passholders, and members of Landsraad staff. The pub includes a legendary snug called the Last Order.
Any member of the Landraad may distribute a number of passes for the Landsraad's Arms. Those passes are status symbols and therefore highly sought after.
Landsraad Inn
The Landsraad Inn is the official guesthouse of the Landsraad.
Palatial Security and Ceremony
Throughout times various forces has been charged with providing security at the building housing the Landsraad and the premises thereof. In the part of the Prætorial tenure of Princess Fjǫrleif Hallbjörnsdóttir that coincided with the reign of Kaiser Dominus Tarjeisson, the Scholae Equites Singulares of the Middle Guard of the Palatini Corps of the Imperial Army were designated to serve as Landsraad Guard to carry out various security and ceremonial functions for the Landraad.
The Order of the Sentinels
In 1642, a squadron of Hussars was raised for the defence of the Landsraad as part of the Order of the Sentinels, the Kaiser's personal bodyguards.
Past Security Arrangements
From the reign of Kaiseress Kizzy I until the reign of Kaiser Dominus, the Palace of Zirandorthel was guarded by a company of the Mango Rangers, the federal police force of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. From the reign of Kaiser Gaelen IV until the secession of Kildare, the Landsraad building was guarded by a company of the Apollonian Guard, the then bodyguards of the Kaiser.
The Landsraad Guard
Since 1643, the Scholae Equites Singulares of the Middle Guard of the Palatini Corps of the Imperial Army serve as Landsraad Guard. The members of the Landsraad Guard serve, on the premises of the Palace of Zirandorthel, as well as on any other location where the Landsraad decides to assemble in accordance with law, as ceremonial guards of honour, ushers and other such functions including service as Cudgeller-at-Arms.
