The Council of Nine
The Council of Nine, or the High Council, was a group of policy and lawmaking individuals that oversaw the rule of Vinheim and Astora as a whole. The Council was established in AoR 273, 5 years after the initial founding of Astora. Since then, many Council members have come and gone, with the vast majority of them human. However, after the assimilation of independent regions like the Ironwood Kingdom and Marklund, several elves and dwarves have served time as members. The Council consists of 9 members at it's full capacity, with members serving terms up to 10 years. After 10 years, the respective member may choose to step down, or seek re-election by the populace of Astora.
Often, the members of the Council were made up of Astora's most influential figures, ranging from the heads of powerful businesses, military leaders, wise mages, or local celebrities. Because of the Council's democratic nature, elections occasionally took on the form of a simple popularity contest. This was seen as a frustrating, yet necessary, adverse trait of the political system the founders of Astora swore to uphold. The High Council was tasked with deciding on and upholding laws and policies for Astoran life. Typically, the Council met once per month, convening in the halls of the The Pale Palace. In times of war the Council would meet more frequently, and would often convene for emergency meetings pertaining to military movements and strategies. Additionally, the Council would act as board of judges, in the case of a high crime.
Members of the Council continued to lead otherwise normal lives outside of their time inside the Pale Palace, though each member was given the choice to live within the confines of the mighty castle. The members that declined living inside the palace were still provided a detail of The Vigil for protection. The Vigil, otherwise known as Pale Wardens, were an elite unit of Astora's military, primarily concerned with the protection of Council Members and the Pale Palace. When in public, Council members could often be seen flanked by multiple members of The Vigil, dressed in stark white armor and wielding the finest of Astora's weapons.
History
The First Gathering
The first recorded meeting of the High Council was in AoR 273, when the ruling members were made up of humans fresh off exile from Atmora. This group was primarily concerned with planting the roots of this young country named Astora. They mainly worked with groups pertaining to exploration and settlement planning, while also working to establish good relations with the elf and dwarf natives. These early members of the Council did not serve on a term, instead staying in the positions until death. The relatively quick expansion of Astora can be attributed to the actions of this first Council. By AoR 318, diplomatic relations with the dwarves of Marklund yielded a valuable alliance, with the dwarves formally agreeing to join Astora. This is seen as a major point of growth for Astora, as dwarven expertise and speed was brought to the construction of the country's settlements. From that moment on, dwarves began to serve on the Council in addition to humans.Elven Additions
The destruction of the Ironwood Kingdom and subsequent assimilation of the elven population into Astora once again brought changes to the Council. In AoR 452, as an act of good faith to the incoming population of elves, the current High Council decided to allow them the chance for election to the governing body. In addition, two members of the Council stepped down, allowing the elves to immediately elect members of their own race. With the High Council now formally featuring several non-humans, the modification of set terms limits was established. Every 10 years, a Council member would come up for re-election, giving the population a chance to elect a fresh member into the Council, if they so choose. This process has remained the same ever since.Current Members
- Alvyn Carahas: Serves as a member of the High Council, and as a high ranking mage of Veth Monra. Alvyn has consistently acted as go-between for the Wizard Academy and the Council of Astora.
- Headmaster Bell: Sigourney Bell is most famous as the fiery Headmaster of the Military Academy in Vinguard.
- Ailmon Hastleaf: The oldest member of the Council, solely based on his existence as an elf. Ailmon is a grim Captain from the Ironwood War, and ironically is the Council member most concerned with the presence of The Remnants in Astora.
- Cadacus Orion: Most well known as somewhat of a monster-slaying folk hero in rural Astora. Cadacus is the youngest serving member of the Council at only 33 years of age.
- Zinhana of Vinheim: Zinhana serves the Council as the only Half-Elf member. She is a well known member of the Vinheim noble community.
- Bhaldir Redcliff: A mountain dwarf member of the Council and current proprietor of the White Rock Mining Company in Vinhiem.
- Davos Baarakuz: Hailing from Marklund, Davos is an old dwarf and former town-master of the old dwarven city.
- Merriel Slyvin: An elven member of the High Council and prominent member of The Guardians. She works tirelessly to ensure that the Ironwood is preserved and respected. Overall, she is quite loved by the majority of Astora's elf population.
- Shael Virlen: Another elven member of the Council, Shael is the only member to refuse her home in the Pale Palace and reject security from The Vigil. She prefers to live in the south of Astora, living amongst the farming communities of Hilldune and Vinmaw.
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