Governance in Wretinridge

The city is ostensibly ruled by a Town Council, at whose head is a Reeve, representing the government of the Skyfall Republic.  Other Council Members include a church Luminary (local head of The One Faith), an Archmage known as 'The Seeker' representing The Collegium, guildmasters, the heads of noble houses, and a few of the wealthiest merchants.  Representatives are all given the title of Minister, along with various roles and responsibilities such as the Minister of State, the Minister of Commerce, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Defense, and so on.  While it is formally known as The Council of Lords, the people of Wretinridge often refer to this body as the "Council of Coin" because money is a powerful and influential force amongst its members.

 Truth be told, the real ruler of the city is the Reeve. The current Reeve is Desmond Drebek. The Citysguard operates under directives from him.

 The Drebek family rose to prominence over the years by giving voice to the ordinary people, and thus earned the loyalty of the masses - even when it was undeserved.  The Drebeks took on a protective role against external threats and domestic troublemakers like exploitative bankers. Such an objective required the kind of power that extends beyond the scale of a large city.  They often had audience with leadership of the Skyfront Republic, eventually resulting in an oath of fealty and the endorsement for Reeve.

 The rival Hallewell family began as merchants, rising to leadership with their successes - which often came about through cruel or unscrupulous practices for the sake of profitability.  The Hallewells often support legislation and policies which benefit their own wealth.  They are widely rumored to use bribes, threats, extortion, blackmail, buying out competitors, evading taxes, and the like.  For this reason, they are feared by many and despised by some. The Hallewells also sought endorsement from the Skyfront Republic to lead as Reeve but were denied in favor of the Drebek family.  It is rumored they then secretively built relationships with the Council of Elders of the Aetheria Dominion, but this has never been proven.

 While these families are often ethically at odds, they have managed to coexist for over a century.  In some ways, they have enabled and aided one anothers' roles.  For example, the Hallewells, though often outside the boundaries of propriety and law, still managed to develop a vast trade empire that employed many.  And when it became necessary to intervene in some trade-related difficulty, the Drebeks considered the good of their subjects in their actions.  That it likewise benefitted the Hallewells was a byproduct.

 Occasionally, of course, these positions have brought them into conflict.  The Drebek response was usually political or legal, whereas the Hallewell response was often underhanded.  But not always.  As time has passed, the common assumptions people tend to make about each have become increasingly inaccurate. The descendants of both families have gradually drifted from the mindsets of their original forebearers.

 The Drebeks initially dedicated all their efforts for the good of their less-privileged neighbors, and inadvertently were blessed by it. However, they gradually saw themselves as entitled to this power, an inheritance that is theirs by right of birth.

 The Hallewells, by contrast, have grown weary of being the pariahs of city society.  Though their ancestors enjoyed the fruits of success, and still do even today, their perspectives on the boundaries they are willing to cross has changed gradually but dramatically over time.  No longer do they wish to bear the blame for wrongs done by their namesakes.  Many have endured enough hardships as a result of schemes gone awry to reconsider their tactics, though there are still those in their family who cling to "the old ways", citing the success they've enjoyed as proof it was the right course.

 

Source: Gooeycube Darkenhaven