The Council of Aladagia and its Accessories
The Council - The Provinces - Geography - History
The rule of the Council, those which have ensured peace and unity for all the human and demihuman peoples of the lands of Aladagia for over two centuries, is carried out from the foothills of the Eastern mountains. Though its rule has been beneficial, its system is questionable, especially when time constraints are concerned.
The council consists of five individuals that serve a life term unless they are unanimously ousted from their post. Originally these councilors were elected from the wisest of all represented races, but tradition has changed that. Originally the council would propose laws and actions, and they would then allow an assembly of all those who wished to vote to ratify the movement, but tradition has changed that. Originally the council was based on true democracy, where a unified front of demi-races could inspire action against fractious humans, but tradition has changed that.
Council rule in actuality consists of five individuals, each from a different dominant family, elected by a majority vote of family heads. The Council oversees all matters and when it actually decides on a course of action or law, it is tabled for one week before being put into action, and if any family head calls foul on the proposal it is then put to a vote of the 15 major families or their designees (and since the five counselors are the heads of their families, only a unanimous vote of eight other families usually has any hope of deposing laws). The Elves and Dwarves who have remained in the Council lands keep an advisory seat in the council hall, but the races have no actual vote in the occurances.
In the council proper, things become more complicated. Each counselor
pays tribute to one of the five gods of the month that is not aligned with
a god of the year, often taking on the role of priest. The council
table has seven seats, one for each god of the year. In action, the
rules are very strict. Each counselor takes his or her seat of choice
at the beginning of a meeting and may only change at the unanimous consent
of all. Where the counselor sits decides what topics may be brought
up, and what position courses of action can be argued against from.
The Seat of Sun - The counselor in this seat may not originate topics of
discussion, and may argue against topics from the position of the Greater
Good. However, the seat commands the votes of the empty seats, granting
three votes to the counselor.
The Seat of Crafts - Whichever counselor is seated here may bring up topics
related to industry and the needs of technology, and may argue against topics
from the point of view of how they will impact industry and technology.
The Seat of Nature - Being seated in this chair grants the ability to broach
topics about the modification and destruction of natural resources, and to
argue for or against proposals based on how they impact the undeveloped
environment.
The Seat of the Hunt - This chair grants the counselor seated in it the ability
to bring up topics related to animal resources, and to argue based on the
same.
The Ephemeral Seat - The counselor in this seat may bring up subjects related
to farming and other agricultural pursuits, and may argue based on how proposed
ideas will affect the same.
The Seat of War - Whoever sits here is empowered to bring up topics related
to war, the police, and the military, and to argue based on how proposals
are likely to affect international relations and in-country crimes.
The Seat of the Child - This seat commands the ability to broach any subject
not contained by the other seats, and to argue based on how proposals will
affect further generations.
Obviously the system is arcane and conveluted, and becomes even more so when the fact is brought it that the ability to choose seating varies by year, month, day, moon cycle, and even the time of day. Matters of any import to council members take extreme amounts of time to be decided on as each counselor jockies for successive recesses in order to argue from all positions and to be the one seated in the Seat of the Sun when it finally comes to an actual vote. The Council is in session, fortunately enough, full time or things might take much longer than they do already. Currently the counselors are:
Rabuhr Windsong - Counselor of Elleron
Regek Cragwalker - Counselor of Erthonnen
Laselue Stormraven - Counselor of Drandth
Ravna Goldmere - Counselor of Elation and Joy
Nloheim Bonecry - Counselor of Cruithne