Council Lands Government

As the name suggests, the Council Lands were ruled by a council. Officially there is a pair of leaders (The Immortal Bard and Marceline the brass dragon), but they rarely participated in the council.

The Council

The ruling council of the Council Lands is composed of two members from each of the following categories:

The Temple

Represented by the Hand of Mercy and the Sun’s Fist.

The Academy

Represented ca 211 AC by Tome-Master Korthan and Brightsong Dovara

Agriculture

Represented ca 211 AC by Thorngage Bree and Darvin Fallowfield

Mining

Represented ca 211 AC by Adrik and Bardryn Tsetseg

The ostensible head of the Council is the Immortal Bard, but he’s rarely if ever around. In fact, in 204 AC he hasn’t been seen for almost 10 years. In reality either Darvin or the Fist are in charge depending on topic. Korthan leads the wizards’ side of the Academy and Dovara the bardic side. Bree represents the halfing farmers; Adrik and Bardryn are husband and wife and represent the dwarven community.

The Granite-Flame Academy of Wizardry and Bard-craft

Main Article: Granite-Flame Academy

Founded by a wizardess who escaped the final battle of the Cataclysm War on the back of her friend the brass dragon who formerly was the sorceress Marceline. Together with the Immortal Bard, the Rageborn Colossus, and she who became the Handmaiden of the Merciful Lady, they created a refuge for the harried, starving survivors of the Cataclysm. The Academy was founded about 10 years after the Cataclysm to research the changed arcane environment and to study ways of using magic in this new world. From there it grew to be the only source of organized magical training for wizards throughout the civilized lands. A school of bard-craft was added about 20 years later.

The Academy is composed of 9 Schools (one for each discipline of Magic and one for Bardic Magic). Each school has a headmaster and between 2 and 14 faculty members. In total there are 46 seated faculty and 112 students. The bard college is the largest; the school of necromancy is the smallest at 3 faculty members and 4 students.

Politically, the Academy and its Archmage Brynmor sur Golau are neutral (officially). Unofficially, they are advocates of expansion and exploration. One major priority is the recovery of arcane artifacts.

The Temple of the Four

Main Article: Temple of the Four

The center of the religious life of the Council Lands (especially the capital) is the Temple of the Four. Dedicated to the 4 primary Gods of the civilized lands (The Lady of Mercy, The Sun-lord, The Shadowed Sun, and the Lady of the Dawn), there are minor shrines to several other of the gods. The Temple also serves as the administrative center for the orders serving each of these deities. The largest branch is the Sunshield Order, the paladins and clerics of the Sun-Lord. This order is also the core of the military, serving as trainers and backbone to the citizen militia.

Politically the Temple is conservative, opposing rapid change in culture or politics. Protection and monster hunting are the most common types of missions given by Temple agents.

Other Political Forces

Although the Council is the ostensible ruling body, the most significant groups in the Council Lands are the Guilds. These organizations control the economy and culture of civilization. There are many guilds but they organize under a few banners.

Mining

The Mining Guild controls the mining, refining, and manufacturing of metal goods. Masonry and stonework also falls under their influence. The guild is dominated by the dwarven clans of Tsetseg and Khulan. Politically the Mining Guild is very conservative, disliking change in any way. Not expansionist.

Forestry

The Forester’s Guild provides wood products for building and fuel as well as fruits and hunting. Forestry is represented on the Council by Agriculture. Politically neutral and independent.

Agriculture

Agriculture represents the rural folk and food production. They are the most organized and politically active of the major guilds. Religious and culturally conservative. Always looking for more land. Allies with the Temple. Strongly disliked the founding of the Federated Nations.

Commerce

Commerce represents the economy. Youngest major Guild. Commerce suffered a great loss in prestige and power when the Catalysts uncovered the Dark Lady's agents working within the guild to undermine the Council Lands.