The Leader's Favorite People
You know that I'll keep you close by. I know that you know this, but you're banking on it. If I win, you get a sweet deal because you have my ear.A very loosely organized collection of individuals, brought together primarily by their strong friendship or romantic ties to the Leader and who are, as a result, granted the closest access to him or her. They serve a variety of functions, from being a second eyes and ears on important political matters to performing tasks the leader does not want to be formally associated with (it is often rumored that at least a few of these people are specifically chosen as assassins for this reason, but there has been no evidence to suggest this). Anyone with whom the leader is close is admitted into this group, regardless of citizen/civilian/exile status, although members turn over when leadership changes.
Structure
The membership and structure of the group is highly dependent on the Leader, but in aggregate there are certain patterns with regard to membership. Often a group formed around the Leader consists of a personal physician, a mate or current romantic partner, blood sibling if one exists, and sometimes litter mates. Individual Leaders may favor one or more of these persons over others, but most Leaders rely on almost all of these individuals to help keep them sane and manage the workload that is The Nine Systems.
Pups who find themselves in the group's company are usually subject to automatic inclusion (although in certain cases, an Isolation Sickness may drive a Leader to push the pups away and thereby create a schism within the group; it is thought that T'zu-Crae has done this, but no one can tell for sure).
Culture
The culture of the group is highly reliant on its individual members at a given time, including the Leader. In fact much of the dynamic tends to be a reaction to the Leader, especially when the Leader is a volatile individual and it falls on their inner circle to try and manage them (or in some cases, amplify them). However, a level-headed leader who allows for dissent and constructive criticism has been known to work wonders with the Unified Stenza Clans and Nine Systems.
Public Agenda
The primary public agenda of the Leader's inner circle varies widely. Some of the people around a given Leader have devoted themselves to seeking out the concerns of wider Stenza society so that the Leader can effectively manage them. Other such groups have instead focused on managing their Leader's worst impulses (a goal Ta'zhen once had). Other groups are "yes men". One group was notorious for being completely dedicated to the construction of The Lawgiver.
History
Every clan leader in pre-Unification history has maintained a small council of advisors and close associates who would assist with the management of clan resources, wars or alliances with other clans, and inter-clan unions (see: Courtship Rituals). Many of these functions phased out with the formation of the Unified Stenza Clans, but others remained, and are still served by the Droghi to this day. Meanwhile, beginning with Iradae the Lawgiver, the Leader of the Stenza has kept up the tradition in order to help manage the growing complexities of a unified Stenza government. While clan leaders still maintain small groups of advisors (some on a temporary basis) and other close people, the light of public awareness has shifted onto the group surrounding the Leader, making them, for good or ill, representative of that sort of dynamic.
Type
Information Network
Alternative Names
Confidants, Influencers, The Inner Sanctum
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members
Comments