Council Meeting: Cold Cycle 721

[Pegasus]

Rebirth Cycle 721
~~1st Vhalar 721~~

Following the War of Slags Deep, after everything that had happened, the Council met on the 1st Vhalar 721 in a changed Scalvoris. Now, with Induks and the exit of the darkness which had hung over Scalvoris for arcs, there were new challenges.

And, while the Council was being seen in a more positive way, that had a number of issues too. There was an expectation of them being able to deal with more, to solve all problems.

~~Current Roles, Reputations & Rumours~~

Below is a list of Council Members. Each council member starts with a Neutral reputation and 1 rumour. In-character actions will impact that reputation and create / change rumours.

Name	Role	Reputation	Rumours
Kura	Alberach	Good	Kura oversaw the war - rumours that she killed the Warden herself
Nir'wei	Natural Affairs	Good	There are rumours that Nir'wei is actually a spy for the Eternal Empire
Bao	Welfare	Good	There are rumours that Bao is actually Saoire's MB son
Oram	Chief Ranger	Good	There are rumours that Oram is a were-bear who can turn into a bear at will.
Rand	Militant	Neutral	There are rumours that Rand is actually a Yludih necromancer
Shania	Accountant	Neutral	There are rumours that Shania is a mortalborn
Marcelle	Trainer	Neutral	There are rumours that Marcelle used to be an assassin
Francis	Merchant	Neutral	There are rumours that Francis is having an affair with Brandel
Jo'ne	Almundian	Neutral	There are rumours that Jo'ne is secretly part of an underground group of criminals
Liza	Egg	Neutral	There are rumours that Lizai is one of triplets, and that's how she's so busy
Linca	Harvardeen	Neutral	There are rumours that Linca has a terminal illness
Leigh	Proper	Neutral	There are rumours that Leigh used to be a Rynmere noble
VACANT	Devout	NA	NA
VACANT	Academic	NA	NA
VACANT	Darbytonian	NA	NA
VACANT	Gunvortonian	NA	NA

~~NPC Roles & Existing Vacancies~~

Each of the tabs below is an existing role on the Scalvoris Council which is NOT filled by a PC.

~ Where there is an NPC in there, they are currently in the role.
~~~ If the role is identified as Vacant, that NPC is willing to move out / on.
~~~ If the role is NOT identified as Vacant, the NPC wishes to stay - but that doesn't mean that PCs can't take over, it'll just be more of a struggle.

~ If there is no NPC there, the role is currently empty.

Militant

Name: Rand Broson
Race: Sev'ryn / Human
Age: Born 667
Title: Militant of Scalvoris Council / Militant of Elemental
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Rand is a hard, fair man. He doesn't speak much as he believes that you learn a lot more by listening than you ever will by talking. He is the head of the Scalvoris Military (the Elements) and he is very proud of that job. A hard working man, he tends towards solitude and does not make friends easily. He has a temper, as his troops will attest and he will not back down when he believes he is right. [/mod]

!	Message from: Peg
	Rand is well-respected and has brought the Elements back from the brink of a very negative situation following the Scalvoris Docks Collapse. He would be very difficult to get out of his role and replace

Accountant

Name: Shania
Race: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Title: Gunvorton Overseer / Accountant of the Scalvoris Council.
Skills: Unknown
Other Information: If there is one thing which everyone agrees on, it is that Shania is a nice lady. Friendly, helpful and always willing to help out, she is the backbone of the growing region on Gunvorton. She knows everyone, it seems, and she's always there should anyone need a little bit of information. She runs the local inn and it is her job, as she tells everyone, to make sure that all who come to her establishment leave just a little bit happier.

!	Message from: Peg
	Shania is almost universally liked and seems to be a genuinely lovely individual. She would be very difficult to get out of this role and replace

Devout

Vacancy for PC

Trainer

Vacancy for PC

!

Message from: Peg

Current Role is held by: Name: Marcelle Tren Race: Mixed Blood Age: Born 687 Title: Trainer of Scalvoris Council Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know! Other Information: An educator of children by trade, Marcelle would be the first person to tell you that she is out of her depth in this whole Council thing. But she's doing her best and she has a sharper mind than she gives herself credit for. She is a passionate teacher and a friendly woman. Also, she isn't afraid of conflict and has the skills of managing a classroom of five arc olds. Veteran soldiers have quivered and quaked at her stare.

!	Message from: Peg
	Marcelle is well-respected and friendly, but she doesn't want this job. She would be relatively easy to get out of this role and replace as long as her replacement makes sense.

Academic

Vacancy for PC

Foreign Affairs

Vacancy for PC

Merchant

Name: Francis LeShard
Race: Mixed Blood
Age: Born 687
Title: Merchant of Scalvoris Council
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Francis is a shrewd businesswoman who is here representing the Merchants' Guild. Really that is exactly and only who she is representing. She has worked as a businesswoman throughout the north and east of Idalos and her bottom line is the profit. She is nice, friendly and polite to everyone. She would also sell her grandmother for the right price.

!	Message from: Peg
	Francis is a respected member of the Merchants Guild, although there are some suggestions that she is too reluctant for change. She would be very difficult to get out of this role and replace for anyone not in the Merchants' Guild. For those in it, much easier.

Almundian

Name: Jo'ne Tide
Race: Mixed Blood
Age: Born 691
Title: Almund Representative of Scalvoris Council
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Jo'ne is the Mayor of Almund. Her father was a pirate and his father before him. Her mother was a whore and her grandmother a drug dealer and the bane of the seas. Jo'ne is a foul mouthed, tobacco chewing woman who will take no nonsense from anyone. [/mod]

!	Message from: Peg
	Jo'ne is well-liked in Almund and considered a "true" Almundian. She would be very difficult to get out of this role and replace

Darbytonian

Vacancy for PC

Egg

Vacancy for PC

Havardreen

Name: Linca
Race: Biqaj
Age: Born 678
Title: Chief of the village of Havardr
Skills: Other things too. Need to know....
Other Information: Linca is the chief of Havardr, the hardest worker on the island, some say, and a straight talking fellow. He will trade, but he won't be fiddled and is a hard negotiator.

!	Message from: Peg
	Linca would rather die than abandon Havardr. He would be very difficult to get out of his role and replace

Proper

Name: Leigh Birch
Race: Human
Age: Born 693
Title: Scalvoris Town Representative of Scalvoris Council
Skills: NA: Prophet only NPC. You don't need to know!
Other Information: Leigh is the Mayor of Scalvoris Proper. She lives there and has her offices there. She is a friendly and very well organised woman who is keen to listen to all of the opinions on offer. She has trouble sometimes as she can have a bit of a tendency to avoid conflict, but that just means that she sits back and doesn't take sides. It certainly doesn't mean that she's lacking opinions.

!	Message from: Peg
	Leigh is well-respected but some see her as not active enough. She would be relatively easy to get out of this role and replace

~~This Season~~

The following represent the five most pressing situations on Scalvoris, as seen by the populace - they are presented as quotes, but in truth are things you might here throughout Scalv. Acting (or not) on these will impact the Council reputation - and that of the individuals within it - next cycle.

!	Message from: The Induks
	"We need someone to represent the Induks on the Council - we need to make sure that they are appeased, we don't want another eruption! "

!	Message from: Empty Seats
	"I've never known so many empty seats in the Council. What's wrong with them? Don't they care? We need a functioning government or we're going to descend into anarchy!

!	Message from: Law & Order
	"We need to have some movement on Slags Deep and the Vault. We need to make sure things are really safe now! And what about the prisoners?! Are we safe in our homes?!"

!	Message from: Economy
	"We need to have some kind of push in the Merchants' Guild or something! We make the best glass and so on in Idalos! Why isn't it more famous? Scalvoris needs to be more wealthy!"

!	Message from: Representation
	"Faldrass and Beacon need their own representatives. What about the Barons? Are they in charge of us now? "

The focus for the Council this season is

!	Message from: Council Focus
	Clean up following the war

Previous Council Meetings

• Rebirth 720
• Rebirth 721

[Woe]

Woe drank the vial of remembrance as he prepared to enter the Council Chamber. Finally, after having put it off for most of the last season, the knowledge of all that had occurred in the War with Slag's deep settled into his mind. He was surprised, genuinely, that, as well as his own group had done, and as well as it was all run by Doran and Kura from the Glass Temple, they'd come perilously close to disaster. The Ishallr group had been a near disaster at times, with some choice bit of floundering early on. Then the Sweetwine group had decided to let a known coward and selfish idiot join their efforts, only to have him predictably betray them later on. That wasn't to say that his own group didn't have their share of problems, but on balance, he believed their actions had been appropriate for the most part.

It became clear to him, that many on the island, who were involved in the Forging as well as Government, may not be the best that the Island had to offer the government.

So he decided, despite his previous protestations, that he would put himself forward as Egg, lest some up jumped fool try and settle the position for themselves.

So he entered the council, slipping the rest of the vial into his domain bag. He waited with the rest of the citizens for the Council to commence. But when anyone was invited to come forward and speak their peace, Woe didn't hesitate, as he thought he might. He stepped forward, "Council members and Scalvorites, I'm putting my own name forward for the position of Egg, and also as a special Liaison to the Induks. As Egg, I would put the needs of the community above any individual person, this is the way Egilrun is accustomed to being run. As you may know, I'm willing and able to make hard decisions, to put the needs of many above one. In the Glass Temple, when it came to the choice of one woman's life weighed against that of thousands living on the island, I chose the thousands. It's a decision I don't regret and would repeat if given a chance."

"In Egilrun, one branch lifts another, which lends its strength in turn to the communal interests. I believe this is the ideal approach needed for representing the Induks, and negotiating with those powerful beings. We cannot afford to appoint someone who will put their own personal ambitions or biases before that of the entire Island." Woe took a breath, then continued, "So in addition to Egg, given Egilrun's proximity to the Heart of Scalvoris, I propose that I will be selected to deal with the Induks."

If there was any doubt voiced about his proposal, he weighed whether it was worth it to give them more information about his involvement in the forging, that his sacrifice of wealth was what bought the Induks' balance. In the end, he decided to wrap it with that piece of information. They needed to know. "When I exited the Forging place, I found there Cassion and the Girl just before she sprang her trap. It was my willingness to walk away from a compact that may have carried the day. An alliance that I couldn't in good conscience accept given my prior loyalties and conflicts of interests. That is what prompted the decision to walk away. A decision that may well have allowed me to best help those inside the Forging place in the Heart of Scalvoris. Once those conflicts of interests were dissolved, and I sacrificed my Wealth to bring the Induks toward a balance, I was then free to join the compact."

"That's the kind of careful thinking that the Liaison to the Induks needs in order to deal with them. So it's with some reluctance that I put my name forward, but not too much reluctance, as I believe there's no one better for this role, apart perhaps from the Albarech."

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, Vhalar 1

Elisabeth arrived, reaching out her hand to open the door to the council chamber, but then stopped. Her hand was shaking. Why the beneath was her hand shaking?

Sighing softly, the young settlement leader gave herself a moment to settle. Politics was not something she was fond of, but it had been a priority of hers to learn all she could about leadership. Vega had said that being a leader shouldn’t change someone, and Elisabeth hoped it hadn’t changed her, but then again, the world around her was transforming rapidly. The Forging. The Labyrinth. Whatever change was happening to her was in response to those events. She was learning, but she needed to learn more.

Knowing very little about the political structure in Scalvoris, the young woman had considered what she did know, and made the decision to travel and attend the council meeting, to see things firsthand.

Being on Faldrass excluded her from a lot of mainland chit chat, but as soon as she landed in Almund, the city was ripe with gossip and rumors about the upcoming session. Of particular interest to Elisabeth was the mention of Faldrass and the Induks. She knew that different areas had different representation, but somehow she had thought that the Barons were involved in that, or at least Nir’wei considering he was a Baron and a Council Member. Faldrass did need representation of some sort, although she wasn’t sure what form that should come in.

The Induks were another matter. She was completely convinced that they were an integral part of Scalvoris and should have representation, but could one person be that? Tricky business, that.

People were talking about how there were more empty council seats than ever before, and something about that struck Elisabeth painfully. Being a settlement leader wasn’t something she had aspired to, but when Kura appointed her, she had accepted for a variety of reasons. Haven was their home – hers and Balthazar’s. Protecting it was important to her. Vega and Kura in particular, had played a large part in teaching her about responsibility, and constructive leadership, and she would be forever grateful to them for that impactful education.

Looking back, Elisabeth thought about how she had been constantly thrown into the fire, and yet, she was still standing. If one needed to take responsibility for their errors, then it was equally important to take responsibility for the things that they had done right. Above all else, she knew that she just did not give up, no matter how bad things got. Praetorum and Balthazar teased about her tenacity, but they were right. If she got knocked down, Elisabeth always got right back up. Well, except the one time when she died, but it was hard to get back up when you were dead.

Smiling, she muttered softly under her breath. ”Alright Jacien, you get a point for that one. That was you, not me.” That reminded her that she needed to go talk to Jacien soon. They had a bit of unfinished business to discuss.

Her mind wouldn’t stop, thundering through thought after thought. There was the matter of the Labyrinth in Rynmere too. They had been told Nir’wei had blocked the entrance to the Labyrinth when he had left her, Balthazar, Tor'ee and Ralgar within, and Elisabeth wasn’t sure what to think about that. She planned to discuss the matter with him in private at some point, to allow him to explain his actions.

Arriving at the chambers, she knew what she had to do. Still, it didn’t keep her hands from shaking a bit.

Pulling the door open, she slipped inside and watched as the meeting progressed. When they indicated it was time for others to speak, a surprising presence rose and did so – Woe. Their relationship was…complicated. Complicated was a good word. There was something of a kinship, she felt, between the two. Their first meetings had happened in dreams, straightforward and without the entanglements of the outside world weighing on them. Their first actual meeting was traumatic and within the arms of a war that threatened the island as a whole. And a meeting that he seemed to be eluding to in his speech. Goody.

She listened to Woe speak and noted the points where she disagreed with him. Elisabeth was aware of his work within Egilrun and wholeheartedly supported him becoming the new Egg, seeing as Liza still hadn’t surfaced.

However, when he got to the part about the Induks, that’s where her thinking diverged with his, and when she knew that she wasn’t going to be a silent observer that trial.

Elisabeth waited until he was finished, and then rose, stepping forward to address the Council and those present, speaking with a calm level voice and smile. “Madame Albarech, Council Members and citizens, for those of you that don’t know me, my name is Elisabeth Angelus. I am the settlement leader of Haven on Faldrass. I came here today to observe and learn about the government in Scalvoris. When I landed in Almund though, I heard rumor after rumor about empty council seats and people simply not caring enough to step up when help is needed. I can’t, and will never that person, and as such, I’m putting my name forward for consideration as the representative of Faldrass and of the Induks. “

Woe was better at speaking than she was, and much better at putting forward the qualities that made him a good candidate, but as much as they were similar in certain ways, they were also very different in others.

“As settlement leader on Faldrass, I have had to quickly learn the logistics involved in leadership and collaboration. I’ve formed close ties with the settlers there and involved them in decisions that effect the settlement for I believe they all have a voice. As the Faldrass representative, I would work tirelessly, not only for Haven, but for the entirety of the island.”

Then came the tricky part, and the one she had least expected to happen. The Induks. Hopefully the words wouldn’t fail her.

“Sometimes there are hard decisions to make, as Mr. Morandi has pointed out. I believe that he would make an excellent representative for Egilrun.” There. She had said that part, and she meant it.

“However, I would contend that sometimes, it’s not as simple as that. There’s a balance to be had. It would be nice if the world was black and white, but oftentimes, we find ourselves somewhere in the middle. Leadership is complex and messy. Mr. Morandi suggests on one hand that a decision about sacrificing someone’s life, when weighed against the lives on the island, is a simple decision that he was capable and willing to make, but then states that ‘careful thinking’ is required to represent the Induks.” She hadn’t missed the contradiction and decided to use it as the base of her argument.

Elisabeth couldn’t forget how Woe had almost left her and Ruari. If it had not been for the intervention of Moeske, he might still have. In her estimation, he tended to want to cut his losses quickly - too quickly - and move on, but she couldn’t agree with that thinking.

“I agree with Mr. Morandi that the Induks will require a special representative, but I contend that there is someone better suited for the role. I stepped forward in the Heart of Scalvoris and accepted the role of "Death Forged" - a role that was agreed upon by all four Induks to offer to me. That means I’ve taken on an aspect of balance of Scalvoris. I have a connection to the Induks and the island that is different than others. I believe I possess the ‘careful thinking’ and communication skills that would be required to interact and successfully communicate their interests to the council, as well as working constructively with each faction of the Forged.” There was one thing though. “However, I believe that they should have a say in who represents them. The relationship being proposed is a bit different than others and, I believe, requires input from the Induks themselves. It’s only right.”

[Oram Mednix]

1 Vhalar 721

Oram entered the assembly room in Almund for the first time, and yawned. For the first time in forty trials, darkness had fallen on Idalos. And Oram had just spent most of that night riding from Scalvoris to Almund, as he had nearly forgotten that, as the new Chief Ranger, he would be expected to be there. He had ridden Rocky, his stone horse, rather than Mule, for he had used the mule for most of the previous trials and wanted to give the loyal beast some well-deserved and much-needed rest.

The traveler had been to the Council Halls on two previous occasions, but never to an actual meeting of the Council itself. He did not particularly want to be at this one, either, but he didn’t think it would do for him not to attend. Send the wrong message or some such. Besides, the things that were to be talked about were actually important, and would affect him, as well as the outfit suddenly in his charge, in several ways. He just hoped that the coffee was strong enough to keep him awake through the proceedings.

He roused himself to manage a smile and a nod of greeting to the Council members that he recognized, which, to his surprise, turned out to be most of them. Kura, Bao, and Nir’wei he knew reasonably well. Shania had sat at his table at Saoire’s feast, while Rand, the Militant, had sat at another table. The Proper and the Merchant Oram knew mainly by reputation, and had glimpsed on occasion in Scalvoris Town, though he doubted either would have recognized him without introduction. The remainder he didn’t yet know at all.

The first order of business, or at least the one people in attendance most wished to talk about, was filling vacant council seats, and possibly creating new ones to fill. Oram was glad to see Woe there, knowing he planned to stand for Egg, and Elisabeth as well. Both were places that, Oram agreed, needed to be filled, and he was sure they could both do fine in the respective roles they proposed. As Woe spoke, he found himself searching the room for either Sargo or Mina Dustin, recalling the former’s own ambition to be Egg. He frowned a bit when Woe and Elisabeth both also put their names forth as representatives for the Induks. What did the Induks think of this? the fledgling Chief Ranger wondered. Had anyone botheed asking the spirits if they wanted anything to do with the Council, or any other government agency?

Rolling his neck and rubbing his eyes to get blood flowing into his weary brain, Oram decided he didn’t feel like arguing the point. Let the office seekers seek their offices.

Instead, when at length he got a chance to speak, what Oram chose to comment on was Slag’s Deep. ”I think,” he offered, ”that we need to reconnoiter both Slag’s Deep and the Vault, particularly before the cold weather comes, seeing as they’re both up in the mountains.

"When Cassion and Daia entered Slag’s Deep, they could find no one alive. I don’t know what we will find, but that’s the point, isn’t it? A major facility, and we don’t know what, if anything, nor who, if anyone, is down there.

"I’d volunteer to head that expedition, should this Council wish, both personally and on behalf of the Rangers, but I will need support from other bodies: Elements, healers, civilian engineers and administrators. And we haven’t much time, less than a hundred trials, before the snows start.

"Not to mention, I suppose the Council is going to have its usual meeting on the first of Cylus, yes? I’d like to have some kind of news, some sort of useful report to give, by the time of that meeting.”

There were plenty of other concerns, of course, such as that the Rangers wished to establish a presence on all the islands, yet were woefully short-handed. But those could wait. Slag’s Deep seemed the more urgent matter to Oram.

[Balthazar Black]

1 Vhalar 721

It had been an eventful season for Balthazar Black and the council meeting on the first of Vhalar seemed to forecast another eventful season ahead of him. There was work to do, a lot of work, in a lot of different places. He'd been around, kept his ears to the ground, heard what there was to hear, and he'd drawn conclusions from that which lead to him attending the meeting. He filed in wearing nothing remarkable other than the paradigm on his wrists. He wore dark colors and he kept his head down while he moved to sit where the general public was invited to witness the meeting between council members. He had plans, lots of plans, and to enact them he had to do everything by the book. He had to be a good little Balthazar.

From his seat in the general audience area, Balthazar surveyed the room to see the others who had chosen to attend. The council would be there and each member so they were not remarkable in his eyes. Not nearly as remarkable as the four empty chairs meant for council members. Vacant positions that had yet to be filled. Then there were others, the loudest of the immediate crowd being Elisabeth and Woe. That was quite a pair. As soon as Woe spoke, Balthazar could feel something in his emotions shift. He didn't know what or why because they were not truly his emotions- but Elisabeth's. The newer bond between them was disorienting at times... and wonderful at others.

He knew as soon as Woe put himself forward that Elisabeth was going to have a strong opinion on it. Balthazar had one as well but he waited in the crowd for his turn to speak. He thought about the things he heard while he did his work. He thought about the things he'd seen in the vial. He thought about a lot but at the end of the trial he did not forget why he had come and it had nothing to do with being the liaison to the Induks or becoming the Egg. Yet, when presented the issue, he still was willing to comment on it. Oram spoke of the Vault and Slag's Deep causing a small grin to spread over Balthazar's face. Words ripped from his heart before they could reach his mouth. Oram volunteered to go with a group of the Rangers and Balthazar catalogued the information. He'd address Oram as well now when he spoke of his own plans to explore those locations.

In the crowd, Balthazar raised his hand to be called on. If he missed his moment to address what Woe and Elisabeth debated, he missed it- but he had not come for those issues. He was lucky, he was called on after a few moments waiting and he looked to Elisabeth to see if she had recognized that he was there or not prior. He stood slowly in the spot where he'd been sitting and cleared his throat so he could speak loudly enough for the whole room to hear him.

"Hello. Some of you know me, others do not. I am Balthazar Black. Like others who have spoken and will speak, I'm here address the problems that I've seen while working across Scalvoris that I feel only the Council can resolve." He began with an introduction he knew would earn him less favor for some than silence would have. People who knew the name knew the rumors around it- both good and bad. It didn't matter to Balthazar though, not anymore. He continued, "Some of them have already been brought up by other people of Scalvoris," Balthazar gestured towards Woe and Elisabeth, "even by Council members." He gestured towards Oram, "but not all. I'd like to go through them first and then I'd like a chance to address what recently said."

There. Introduction done. They knew what he was there to talk about. Now he just had to get to it. So why wasn't he? He was nervous. He didn't know why he was nervous. He could have faced down a massive, thousand pound beast with horns and claws and he wouldn't have felt the way he did in that moment. Was it him? He looked at Elisabeth for a trill then back to the council. Yes, it was him. He continued,

"The first thing I would like to address is the situation I've seen in Beacon. I have been working with the people there for some time now and they are good, hard workers but they are suffering from a lack of support. I was told and I've seen that they need a voice on the Council. I know from my own experience leading, that I would not be fit. However, I believe Hikarin Anasu would make an excellent representative for Beacon. I would like to nominate her. She runs and operates the Community Centre, putting her in a position that allows her to understand the needs of Beacon's people more acutely than anyone else I've met and I remember them all. Everyone looking for work in Beacon passes through her. She has a passion for helping that community which I believe is unmatched. I'm certain that the only reason she isn't here putting her own name forward now is because she is still at the Centre, helping those who need it. I recognize it is unusual- Council seats are not filled by conscription, but these are unusual times and Beacon needs someone who will stand up for them. I'm confident that if she was asked, she would accept the role." That was the first issue. He took a breath, looked around to see if anyone was going to cut in, and then he continued,

"The second issue I defer ultimately to the Militant's judgement for, but I believe the time has come to give the Elements a more formal internal structure. I have not worked among the Elements for nearly as long as the Militant, but I have been to many places and seen how their militaries function differently. The Elements are nearly the best one I've seen, but there are always things that can be improved. I have ideas and I would like to open a larger discussion about it at another time if I'm not alone in this feeling." And that was the second issue brought forward. It came from a more personal place than the Beacon issue. In Beacon, everyone had told him and he had seen the trouble. When it came to the internal structure of the Elements, it was something he'd only experienced. He closed cases, they all closed cases, but in the field there was rarely a sense of leadership and the Elements did not work alone. Partners were one thing but when it came to groups of three and four, you needed someone who held a rank above the others- not just experience.

"As for the positions Mister Morandi has put his name forward for, if it counts for anything, I support nominating him for the position of Egg completely." Balthazar said that first and cast a small glance towards Woe. Woe, who had just presented his willingness to sacrifice Elisabeth's life as if it made him a better qualified leader. "I have fought beside him, worked beside him, and I've seen what he did during the events that freed the Induks he wishes to be the liaison for. I would like to think I know what he would do in the position and so I believe that on your Council, he would be an invaluable member. Egilrun would benefit greatly." He paused, then, "However, for the reason he presented as admirable, I also believe he is not fit for the role of liaison between the Induks and the Council. For everything I admire about him- he is willing to trade the lives of others like they are nels and he regards his nels with even less concern. He is ruthless and efficient. Even when efficiency calls for horrible shortcuts. I admire it but there is a place for that mindset and it is not as a liaison. I agree that the liaison shouldn't be someone who puts their personal ambitions above the islands' needs, but I don't think that person is Mr. Morandi. I don't think there is any one person on the island who is fit for that." He did not look at Woe at the end of that portion, but instead he looked towards Elisabeth who had also said something.

He thought hard for a moment and he knew she could tell what it was about. He didn't think Faldrass itself was large enough to need a council member- if he understood what she was proposing. Sure it had the two settlements, barony, and oasis but until all of those were connected- one person from one of the places wouldn't really be able to represent the whole island. He decided not to comment on that but he equally found himself struggling to support her desire to be the liaison. He wished she had spoken with him sooner but that chance had passed. Oh well, if they were to be taking on new jobs then...

"I think that the Council should choose four liaisons from the Forged who have already sworn themselves to the induks. One for each Induk. I feel that the Forged, in swearing their oath, have already volunteered. Each Induk is as unique as the islands. I don't think one person, could accurately represent all four." That wasn't true. He thought he could purely because he could go, stand and listen four times, then turn the memories into mementos and deliver them to the Albarech. However he didn't suggest that because he thought it would be good to have a little more division. One person acting at the voice of all the induks seemed like too much power while so much was still unknown. With the Immortals and the Devout it was different- at least to Balthazar. Immortals felt oddly more tangible.

"If that were to happen, as one of the Fire Forged, I would be willing to put my name forward as the liaison to Faldrass. As Ice Forged, Miss Angelus could be the liaison to Ishallr and as Song Forged, Mister Morandi could be the liaison to the Scaloth's induk. We would need a Soul Forged liaison but I believe that by assigning each Induk their own, the Council will receive more accurate information." That was all Balthazar had to say about that and so he turned lastly towards Oram who had spoken of the Vault and Slags Deep.

"I had a similar thought as you in regards to Slag's Deep and the Vault. Under your lead, of course, I would be willing to assemble a group to assist you with just that. I've encountered many reliable Elements and remarkable individuals who I think could and would help if they were called."

TL;DR

Balthazar waited to be called on before speaking.
Balthazar is nominating Hikarin Anasu for a council seat to represent Beacon
Balthazar is proposing a restructuring of the Elements.
Balthazar agrees with the notion that Woe should be the Egg
Balthazar is proposing that the liaison for the Induks be chosen from the Forged and that there be four of them
Balthazar is offering to be the liaison to Faldrass.
Balthazar agrees with Oram and requests the Council's permission to assemble a team for it

[Doran]

When he had heard that there would be a new Council meeting, the son of Ziell had immediately decided to attend. Over the course of the previous seasons, he had come to care deeply about Scalvoris and its people. They had managed to save the island, and maybe the entire world on top of it, in the Heart of Scalvoris, but there was still a lot of work to be done. Slag’s Deep and the Vault still constituted a cause of considerable concern. People called for someone to represent the Induks, and then there was the fact that there had never been so many empty seats in the Council before. He decided that he would do his part in preventing a similar disaster and giving the island a bright future.

He was garbed in a bespoke suit that was made of fine black wool, with a bit of simple silver embroidery, elegant, but comparatively understated. He wanted to dress appropriately for the occasion, but not show off or attract any undue attention. Apart from three simple rings, each imbued with a different effect, the only thing that adorned his person was the mark of Yvithia surrounding his right eye. He entered the Council chamber slowly and quietly made his way to the appropriate seat, nodding respectfully at the Albarech as he did so. Kura had impressed him greatly during the events of the Forging.

Having taken a seat – he sat with his back straight and his hands folded in his lap – he turned to listen to the people who applied for the empty Council seats or talked about the creation of new ones and subsequently put themselves forward as a possible candidate (or even claimed that they would be the best candidate).

They did not only emphasize the qualities that made them a good fit for the position in their opinion which was something that was to be expected in such a situation; they also commented on what the people that had spoken before them had said and voiced their support for them or disagreed with them – and made suggestions. He did not know if such was normal – it was his first time attending a Council meeting, and he was not intricately familiar with the political scene of Scalvoris yet – but it seemed a little peculiar to him in any case.

Shouldn’t the Albarech – or the current Councilors – decide who was fit or unfit for which position?

Shouldn’t they rather than the members of the audience do most of the talking, address problems and decide what to do?

He wondered how they would react to what was happening during this meeting.

He furrowed his brow a little as he considered the speeches that he had heard so far, some of which had been unexpectedly long or been delivered in a somewhat questionable or downright bizarre manner in his opinion. There were certain things that he agreed or disagreed with, or that he would have appreciated more information on, but he did not voice his thoughts as he considered doing such to be inappropriate.

One of the things that stood out the most in his opinion was Elisabeth’s statement that the Induks should have a say in who represented them. He agreed with that – it would be strange not to involve the Induks at all - and inclined his head fractionally as a consequence. He had not been particularly impressed with her during the Forging – Ishallr had been a near-disaster in his opinion and nearly doomed them all – but she seemed to have grown since then.

Balthazar’s suggestion that each Induk should have their own liaison was an interesting one as well in his opinion, but he did again not comment on it – it would be up to the Albarech as well as the Council to do so and subsequently decide what should be done in regard to the Induks.

Once the former leader of Haven had finished, he waited for a while – he did not wish to prevent the Albarech or the Councilors from speaking, in case they wanted to say something – before he raised a hand and asked for permission to speak himself. Only when said permission had been given, and only then did he rise to his feet so that the other people in the Council chamber would be able to see him and ultimately raised his voice.

“Madame Albarech, esteemed Councilors, members of the audience”, he greeted them in a calm, polite and firm tone of voice so that even those that sat or stood further away from him would have no trouble understanding him. “For those of you that don’t know me yet, I am Doran Thetys, a professor of alchemy and scholar of history and one of those that took part in the Forging, and I have decided to relocate to Scalvoris. I would like to ask you to consider me for the seat of the Devout that has been vacant for a while now”, he spoke and paused for a moment to give them time to consider that.

“I possess close connections to five of the Immortals through my marks, and I have gotten to know more of them – as well as their mortal representatives or their Champions”, he continued. He was not bragging about his accomplishments or his connections, but merely stating facts and listing things that might be of relevance when it came to being Devout. Having marks or knowing Immortals alone did not qualify you for such a job, of course, but it might play a part and might thus be worth mentioning.

“I have researched the Immortals and the Originals extensively – those of you that took part in the Forging may have seen some of my notes in that regard. I am familiar with their history, their personalities and some of their goals. I am familiar with different ways of worship, and places of worship and thus consider myself capable of taking care of this island’s religious needs and even forging connections beyond Scalvoris, should such be necessary or desired”, he spoke, just as calmly as before.

“I believe that I am capable of treating with both Immortals and mortals in an appropriate manner, catering to their individual needs and understanding them – and subsequently bridging whatever gaps may exist. The Albarech witnessed my discussion with Cassion in the Glass Temple, about the Warden and the Oath, and the subsequent involvement of Daia, for example”, he pointed out – his realizing that she was not bound by the Oath had been one of the turning points.

Cassion and Daia had subsequently caused Audrae to back down.

“Madame Albarech, esteemed Councilors, I would be honored if you considered me for the position of Devout and allowed me to serve Scalvoris in that regard as well. Thank you for listening to me and for hopefully giving my application consideration”, he added – being given permission to speak was not something that should ever be taken for granted in his opinion, especially in such an environment – before he sat down again, provided that he was allowed to do so and listened to those that spoke after him.

Once upon a time, his thoughts about the Immortals and religion in general had been very different, but he had realized that he had been wrong, as wrong as anybody could possibly be.

He wanted to work with the Immortals rather than against them and support them nowadays and subsequently give people hope. Scalvoris and the world had changed following the Forging – and the Immortals had changed as well - and he wanted to provide a bit of guidance.

[Woe]

In which we learn the refund value of companionship...

Woe fell back into his chair when he was done speaking. It only took him a few moments to realize that perhaps speaking hadn’t been the best idea. A breach of etiquette at best, perhaps an ejectable offense at worst. He looked to Kura, and wondered if he’d angered her. But then, his etiquette had never been his strong suit. Woe had strong feelings about what he’d said, so he hope she took it as that. He was confident at least, that she would understand what exactly he was proposing.

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of Elisabeth, and the rest who spoke. Woe didn’t believe the Induks required mortals to act as their representatives on the council, and would never had suggested such a thing, or even thought of it. The Induks were immensely powerful beings, and could probably manifest their own representatives, ones that more accurately reflected their views than any mortal agent could. Agents whose motives and ambitions could be corrupted and twisted by their mortal desires and whims and loyalties.

Case in point: Balthazar. Woe had many interactions with the mercenary mage in the past. He’d fought and adventured alongside him in earlier years, and even paid him handsomely into the bargain. He’d given him lavish gifts, on top of it all. In the end, what did that earn Woe? An object lesson. He would learn that not everyone returned reward and favor with faith and loyalty. Such was the case with the mage. Of course, Woe didn't expect his gifts and payments to Balthazar were anything other than earned and had no intention or inclination to take them back, even if he could. Afterall, he gave them freely at the time and considered their debts paid. However, he would've expected such a notable follower of Vri to remember which side his bread was buttered on. What was it with this Elisabeth woman that inspired such abject loyalty and created such useful doormats out of the men she associated with? Woe would pay her handsomely for lessons in that, if he wasn’t afraid that he’d end up yet another in a long list of useful fools, his heart stomped underfoot and put on a shelf like a well-polished knick knack.

He did think it was interesting, that Balthazar compared his treatment of Elisabeth as nels to lives. Interesting indeed, and an equally bold turn of phrase, for one who was rumored to traffic in slaves.

Yet, Woe said nothing to Balthazar’s broken trust, or to Doran’s proposal that he be considered for office. It wasn’t Woe’s vote that counted, since he was not a council member, any more than Balthazar or Elisabeth’s suggestion that he become Egg mattered. He would wait for the rest of the council and Albarech to weigh in.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura was, as usual, the last of the Councilors to enter and take her seat. It wasn't that she was late, she was always at the council building the day before the meetings unless some emergency prevented it. It was that her presence was generally the indicator that business had begun, so her coming in last gave people time to hopefully settle. It had also had the side effect, largely unintended, of letting those who knew her get a good look at the color of her eyes. Her entrance was punctuated by the slight easing of tension that always happened when her eyes were their usual blue, rather than the gold that showed that something had made her mad. So, as she took her seat, the council got ready to turn to the days business.

Before they could, however, people in the crowd started getting up to speak. Raising an eyebrow slightly, Kura nodded at Woe, figuring he'd earned the breach in tradition via his service during the Forging. The nature of his proposal, however, got a slight frown from her, for several reasons. Before she could respond, however, Elisabeth stepped up and made her own address to the council, followed quickly by Oram, Doran, and Balthazar, though all three waited for a nod from her. Kura let them both speak, more as a soft test than anything else. When they were finished, gave Rand a slightly amused, slightly annoyed smile. "Do you remember bein' that young and excited? I do, and in hindsight, my educators were remarkably patient with me." she said, grinning slightly. Her status as a Mortalborn was no longer a secret after the Forging, but she had heard some speculation as to her actual age. Not that anyone had been rude enough to ask her, thankfully.

Then, the Albarech stood and gestured to Oram. "First off, Chief Ranger Mendix, you're supposed to be sittin' with us." she said, pointing to the seat Elliot had once held. "Now, going forward, it is customary to allow the council to address some public concerns before we move onto anything else, since it often addresses some of the proposals that might come up." she said, before looking at the crowd as a whole. "For instance, I am aware of the concern regardin' representation of the Induks on the Council, as well as worries about a repeat of the Faldrass eruption." she said, her tone calm.

"First, lets correct a misconception. The Faldrass Induk did not cause that eruption, that was an effect of the seal that was keepin' him in place. He contained it as best he could while he was sealed, and stopped the active eruption wholesale once we freed him, though he could do nothin' about the damage already done. In addition, it was made clear durin' our conversations with Faldrass that the Induks are not concerned with how we govern ourselves." she said, her tone calm. "They are concerned with the safety of the island and its people, yes, but they are wholly uninterested in how we choose to run our society or what form that society takes." she said, smiling slightly.

"So no, there are currently no plan nor need for any position related specifically to the Induks. If they want to address the Council, they will either send one of their Forged or speak to one of the, currently, four Forged that are already on the Council. Otherwise, they are content to let us do was we please, so long as we don't try to sink the island into the sea." she said, giving a slightly wry smile at the end before she turned to the next topic of conversation. "Furthermore, I am aware the people are still concerned about our empty council seats. I would rather fill them than make new seats." she said, before moving on to the next topic.

"In regards to Slags Deep, when our memories of the Forgin' returned, I gave the order that an expedition be sent to Slags Deep. Militant Broson will address the matter in due course." she said, before looking at Francis with a slight smile. "In regards to our foreign trade, I have already explained that our remote position makes foreign trade a touch difficult at the moment. However, if there is more to say, I defer to Merchant LeShard." she said, some amusement in her voice. She was trying to back off her bad habit of speaking for everyone, but it really didn't come naturally to her. As she'd told Cassion, she was old and could be downright arrogant at times.

"Now, as to the possibility of Council representation for Faldrass and Beacon, the Council does not designate a representative from individual territories of the island. If the Faldrass settlements wish a representative on the Council, they must vote on one to send to the Council, either singularly or as representative of the whole island. The same is true for Beacon." she said, her tone calm. Admittedly, Kura thought to herself, she did wish the Council could just appoint people to seats. It would certainly make things easier. "As for the barons, they are part of the Faldrass government, but they are still answerable to the Council, as are the settlement leaders."

"Now, this does bring us to the matter of the Egg position. Egg Liza is currently missin', and for the time bein', the Council chooses to treat her as missin'. As such, her council seat is still reserved for her, unless or until she is declared deceased or Egilrun votes for a replacement for her." she said, her tone firm. "However, the position of Devout is one that is voted on by the Council. As Professor Thetys has made his bid for the role, the Council may choose either to vote immediately or to delay the vote until later in the day to give others a chance to make their own bid." she said, looking around her fellows for their opinion. If they wanted to hold the vote now, she would call for the vote. Otherwise, she would call for it later, to see if anyone else wanted to make a bid for the empty seat.

"Finally, Trooper Black, there is the matter of your proposal regardin' an update to the Elements. I appreciate your zeal, but you should have brought this up with Militant Broson before you addressed the matter to the whole council. As he is the leader of the Elements, it was not only proper procedure for him to be informed, but also good manners." she said, giving Balthazar a slightly chiding look, though her eyes maintained their usual blue. She wasn't particularly mad at him, though she expected that Rand was, but this was the kind of mistake she expected from someone as young, in so many senses of the word, as Balthazar.

With her remarks done, she retook her seat so that the rest of the Council could speak.

[Nir'wei]

"Sit down, shut up, speak only when talking of topics of your relevance or when spoken to, and try not to embarrass yourself, the Council, or the Alberach."

Nir'wei rolled his eyes at Tel'wehn's cold, withering glare. "Yes, Mother." The thought of boiling eggs with the intensity of her fury only crossed his mind for an instant before he pushed open the doors and reached earshot of his fellow Councillors and the audience at large. The familiar faces that had arrived earned a warm smile; his fellow Councillors earned nods of respect as he took his seat as Natural Affairs. Apart from a spirit-squirrel perched on his shoulder, he arrived alone. The rest of his companions remained in the Offices this time, to avoid cluttering up space and avoid intimidating anyone. Tel'wehn, his political advisor, took her place in the audience.

Almost immediately, it became difficult to obey her advice. "A Council meeting?" Greyhide's voice whispered in his head from far away, watching through his eyes as he scanned the crowd. "A Council interrogation." Three names thrown into various rings before they could even settle down and begin discussions on topics of relevance - or before the Alberach herself had room to speak and open the floor personally. They were growing rowdier by the moment. He covered his mouth with his fist to avoid any stray noises as the offers and requests were rolled out one by one, only a familiar face's offer earning a visible raised eyebrow as the position of Devout had a new staked claim. He hoped Doran knew how to fill the empty shoes of a God.

As for mentions of Faldrass representation and Barony, he gave only a slight waggling of his fingers at the mention. Strange that concerns should be raised about representation when they technically had three Barons overseeing their operations, one of which already in a seat of their own and another who'd just thrown their name in, too. With the way things were moving, they'd likely soon have a larger representation than any of the other islands of Scalvoris, and yet concerns still lingered about their voice?

They still had more talking about expanding, anyway. Settlement Leader Elizabeth and Trooper Balthazar each with their own ideas. He had to admit that he was a bit surprised to see them, but he was glad they hadn't died. He didn't think his tenure could last a second murder inquisition. Even if it was attempted suicide. Honestly, why were they making such a fuss over it. He'd died himself more than he'd actually killed anyone. Well, better not say that.

"Thank you, Alberach," he finished as she was done. "Very moving. I was actually curious however on the potential prospects of the... oh." He looked over and found the Academic seat missing. "That's a shame." Moving on! "Since the eruption of Faldrass is being tended to now by the Faldrass Barony, clean-up operations, repopulation of forests and restoration of natural populations, I think it would be beneficial in the wake of the full awakening of the Induks to conduct a more wide-scale effort to understand exactly what they can do for us, how they and their Forged can benefit the rest of Scalvoris... and begin preparing for a lot more of them." He looked pointedly to the audience for a moment. "The Induk are not human, nor even mortal. They do not require a seat on this Council for the same reason Saoire does not require a seat. However, better efforts to understand and benefit from the gifts that they provide us would be nice. I hardly know of another military force filled with soldiers that hurl fireballs at their enemies without being stained by magic."

"I'd be happy to provide support and coordination to such an expedition. I can have the progress report and results by the next Council meeting, to be presented and reviewed by the members of this Council and stripped off to whichever department would find use. Potential uses of soldiers to our Militant and our Chief Ranger, new exports to our Merchant, and so on." With that, he leaned back in his chair and nodded quietly to himself.

Inside his head, there was a slight pause. "You're not going to tell them?" Greyhide asked, a little confused. No, he definitely wasn't. Not the time. Perhaps he'd pull aside Kura at the end, though. He was still trying to find the right way to break the news. Work out all the little difficulties; all several hundred of them.

[Darius Baer]

Arc 721, 1st of Vhalar

Darius had never attended a council meeting before. While it was true that a few of the councillors were known to him, the majority were not, so he didn't expect to receive and friendly favours. Nor would he have wanted one, if such a thing was offered. Darius had a reason for attending the meeting, and his request would live or die on its own merits - and that was something the Scalvorian was perfectly content with.

On his way, he had heard a handful of whispers and murmurings regarding some of the councillors. The one about Oram had made him guffaw when it had reached his ears, and he had tried to set the story straight. As he'd left, he'd allowed himself to chuckle at the thought of what might have happened if he'd brought his bear carving to the meeting and had it turn into its huge bear form. It would have been even better if he'd been able to arrange for Oram to leave the room around the same time.

But of course, these were nothing more than whimsical thoughts that would never amount to anything. Darius' jestful thoughts about his friend disappeared as soon as he entered the meeting room just before Kura Wolfsdotter, the Albarech, took her seat...although they did return briefly when it was later revealed that the wilderness man had failed to sit where he was supposed to.

Darius was not familiar with the etiquette of council meetings, and as such, he was content to take a seat and observe. He expected there to be some sort of protocol to follow, and as he watched others rise to address the council, he assumed that to be it. There was talk of the Induks and the vacant seats, and Darius thought he might have something to contribute to the conversation. But because he had only intended to be there on behalf of the barony, the blond Scalvorian hesitated.

He was glad he did.

Kura addressed the room and was quick to pull everyone into line. As a result, Darius held back, and reverted to his original plan to simply observe. There would be an opportunity for him to engage with the councillors, he was sure. Until then, he would sit back and be an active listener during the meeting.