(09-01-2015, 03:17 AM)V Wrote:(09-01-2015, 03:10 AM)Oli! Wrote: The second and more important reason is that, based on what we know of Ishgard and its houses, the Ishgardian State does not always provide the military force.Neither does Ul'dah or Limsa.
Brass Blades are not military, they are privatized guards in the employ of wealthy nobles.
Likewise, the Knights of the Barracuda were part of a specific order/crew of pirates/privateers under the direct command of the Admiral of Limsa.
Every other state save for Gridania and Ala Mhigo were as decentralized as Ishgard, if not moreso.
The Brass Blades are privately funded, but they are still the major entity with policing functions, making them distinct and solidified in function, unlike the scattered nature of the House Knights. Anywhere in Ul'dah or Thanalan you look that needs a guard and isn't a mine or a railway, you'll find a Brass Blade. Compare and Contrast the situation of the House Knights, which vary in allegiance based on the claim of the area. The Sultansworn are the Sultan / Sultana's guard force, while the Stone Torches are specifically guards for railways and mines overseen by the Mineral Concern (making them a much more specific and potentially privately-funded police force). The Immortal Flames is a Grand Company, and seemingly partakes only in things that require more manpower. The House Knights, meanwhile, are fragmented into at least four parts for each High House, and potentially more depending on how minor houses work (I'm not versed in that area). Discounting the Sultansworn (which are analogous to the secret service), we are left with 3 law-handling factions in Ul'dah: The Brass Blades, the Stone Torches, and the Immortal Flames. Even if we count the Sultansworn, we are still left with 4 factions to Ishgard's minimum of 5; Knights for each High House, and the Temple Knights to boot.
I would go on to argue that the Stone Torches wouldn't count either, because whereas the Blades are a private force that polices public property (or at the very least, property that is not strictly owned by their financiers) the Stone Torches patrol private property entirely.
For Limsa Lominsa, the Knights of the Barracuda, the Yellowjackets, and the Maelstrom brings us to three, unless I'm forgetting something. "Unofficial Pirate Sanctions" might make things a bit messy, but that refers more to the freedom of the open sea, and not the city and its surrounding areas.
So I would still say that Ishgard is the most decentralized nation in terms of lawgiving.
Either way, we are still left with the idea that these are Knights hired by Houses that are staking these claims, which could potentially be anyone that they wish to hire.