Elwynnese Trial of Assessment
The Elwynnese Trial of Assessment was a trial of assessment under the Feudal Holdings Act from 1487 to 1488 (AN) of Elwynn's status in the Imperial Republic. At that time, Elwynn was a duchy with one subordinate barony, Hyperborea. The kaiser of the day, Kaiser Mors III, and the duchess of Elwynn, Mari Greenwood, were political enemies and deeply distrustful of each other. At the same time, Duchess Mari Greenwood's reign saw a significant economic depression in Elwynn. In Hyperborea, the economy, however, grew, mostly thanks to an effective government there with Philip Locke, Zirandorthel and Elder Mikol Rugal.
The Hyperborean Council of Elders debated the matter, and decided to petition the Kaiser to elevate the status of Hyperborea within the Imperial Republic. In response, the Kaiser called for a trial of assessment of the Duchy of Elwynn. Most discussions on the matter took part behind locked doors, wherefore there are no written records. The Kaiser then put the result of the trial to a vote in the Landsraad. He introduced a motion to the Landsraad that would swap the statuses of Hyperborea and Elwynn, whereby Elwynn would be a barony of a proposed Duchy of Hyperborea. The motion was immediately put to vote.
The Landsraad's rules of procedure in 1488 provided for 6 votes per duchy, to be held by the ruling Duke or Duchess. The ruling Duke or Duchess had the right to allocate votes to subordinate baronies, but was not obliged to do so. At the time of voting of Elwynn's trial of assessment, voting allocations were as follows:
- Duchy of Brookshire: 4
- Duchy of Elwynn: 4
- Duchy of Goldshire: 4
- Duchy of Kildare: 6
- Duchy of Lothlaria: 6
- Duchy of Yardistan: 4
During voting, Hyperborea (represented by Scott of Alexander) abstained. Elwynn's duchess Mari Greenwood was absent from the vote for reasons unknown. Speculations include a boycott of the vote for reasons that the vote itself was illegitimate, or that she was busy with the Elfinshi indulges in Elwynn Proper.
At the end of voting, 16 votes were in favour of the Kaiser's recommendations, 14 were against, and 2 votes were abstentions. Elwynn's 4 votes were not cast. Accordingly the Duchy of Elwynn was demoted, and Mari Greenwood became the first baroness of Elwynn, only to abdicate soon after.
| Subdivision | Noble | Aye | Nay | Abstain | Absent |
| Alexandretta | Rakesh Ackbar, baron | 2 | |||
| Amity and Mirioth | Gman Russell, baron | 2 | |||
| Brookshire | Kaiser Mors III, duke | 4 | |||
| Elwynn | Mari Greenwood, duchess | 4 | |||
| Goldshire | Jadie, duchess | 4 | |||
| Hyperborea | Scott of Alexander, representing Mikol Rugal, Elder and baron | 2 | |||
| Kildare | Phoenix the Risen, dutchess | 6 | |||
| Lothlaria | Mattlore Devious, duke | 6 | |||
| Lunaris | Eriana Moon, baroness | 2 | |||
| Yardistan | Gryphon Avocatio, duke | 4 | |||
| Total | 16 | 14 | 2 | 4 |
