The Sinthal-Elish
When Silvanos first ruled the fledgling Silvanesti state, the discovered that garnering the advice of some of its leaders helped smooth the way to a more powerful and cohesive nation by allowing those in it to have a voice. As time passed, this body of advisors came to be called the Sinthal-Elish, or the "Council of the High Ones".
Once the House and guild structure came into existence, the Sinthal-Elish contained the heads of the various Houses and guilds, as well as the heat priest of priestess of each religion. Since then, this body of advisors has served several purposes.
Although they would convene to discuss the state of Silvanesti at least once each year, the Speaker could call the together at any time for advice or announcements. Common occasions for convening the Sinthal-Elish included announcing the new Speaker after the death of the old, declaring war upon another state, or discussing how to approach problems such as mass evacuation of Silvanost (as during the War of the Lance).
In the distant past, the Speaker was the sole ruler of the Silvanesti and therefore never obligated to follow the suggestions given to him by this body. Almost three millennia ago, due to untimely death of Speaker Lorac Caladon, and the impediments caused by the Nightmare, the Sinthal-Elish - supported very strongly by the then powerless Kagonesti of House Servitor - and the reinvigorated House Cleric to change their form of government, binding the Speaker henceforth to the will of the council.
Once the upheaval brought by the War of the Lance and its subsequent five-hundred-years period of unending conflict with the northbound ogres and other assorted enemies settled, a political and constitutional reform committee conducted an inquiry into the 'role and powers of the Speaker of the Stars', and in their report they wrote: "The role of the Speaker of the Stars is like trying to understand the very nature of the gods - you think you are getting close, and it disappears into the mists." With the role itself difficult to define, it is not surprising that the powers of the person who fulfils the role are similarly problematic to outline definitively. Most powers exercised by the current form of the Speaker are not defined in statute and cannot be found in one place. Arguments have raged around the powers of the Speaker since before the foundation of Kiranost, but to no definitive conclusion. Without a clear definition of the roles, the powers associated with the position have been able to evolve and accumulate, unhindered by statute, over millennia.
Currently, by council consensus, the Sinthal-Elish is led by Speaker of the Stars, who acts as the voice of the council but does not vote on their deliberations. In truth, however, there is no single authoritative source for what the role of the Speaker involves and the powers the they can truly exercise.
The Silvanesti House System
Among the Silvanesti elves, knowledge of one's place in society is an absolute must. Even as Silvanos first gathered the elf clans together and accepted their oaths of allegiance, the current system of Houses and guilds took embryonic shape. Before Silvanos brought them together, only family or clan designations existed. But Silvanos fostered cooperation between clans by breaking them up into groups with different duties. Thus, the system of Houses was born.
Silvanesti enter their parents' House at birth and many remain within the same House until death. If an elf marries outside his or her house, one of the spouses generally changes to the other's House. A few Houses, such as House protector, have always allowed elves from other Houses to join out of a desire to serve the realm in a new capacity - a practice that is currently widespread between almost all of the major Houses.
Type
Government, Leadership
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
