Guildmaster's Council

In most cities, the ruler is advised by a council of Guildmasters, made up of elected representatives of each of the city's guilds. In Caelester, however, where most of the guilds have been outlawed, they are now an underground organization that opposes Lord Giles Baxter, the self-appointed and despotic ruler of the city.

Structure

The Council is led by about a dozen guildmasters - most of whom were elected before the earthquake 8 years ago (and are now well past their term limits). A handful were secretly elected by members of their guilds later, replacing guildmasters killed in the earthquake. In addition Menelaus Nicolescu and Petra Stone, leader of a crime ring now styling itself the Guild of Collectors are among the leaders. Most of the leaders are in hiding, having taken up permanent residence in Fortuna Virtuosa.
Many of the guilds still maintain their ties to eachother, despite the guilds being outlawed. While they work normal jobs and live normal lives, they do what they can to support their guildmasters. However, they are careful about passing on orders - while most of the masters are in agreement with maintaining the guilds in secret, the journeymen are less dedicated, and most apprentices today were taken in after the guilds were dissolved, and may well report their masters' illegal guild activities.
The Guild of Nightsoil Collectors, while still legally accepted, still maintain ties to the Council. Their members are among the more active agents of the council, as their profession means many Caelestrans tend to ignore them.
Additionally, both Menelaus Nicolescu and Petra Stone have networks of friends, underlings, and informants throughout the city. These networks work in very different social stratas, but their efforts allow the Council to keep track of much of what goes on in the city.

Public Agenda

The Council seeks to bring an end to the Steward's rule and drive out the army of thugs he uses to enforce his reign. They are as yet undecided as to how the city will be administered after this is achieved - some still hope a proper heir to the grand duchess can be found, while others are inclined to establish a republic, led by an elected council. Still others think they should sieze power themselves, either collectively or by selecting one among their number.