The Council of Nine

Amongst the chaos of the invasion of the orcs and xvarts and the conquest of Daring Heights, the refugees of the town camped back on the other side of the portal discovered that Viscount Willum Daffles, the Mayor, had vanished.

They wouldn't learn for some time that he had been sequestered into a gemstone by Granny Longtooth as a consequence of many of his deals with her being set to last 'for as long as he ruled Daring Heights.' In the interim however, to make decisions on behalf of the town as to what would happen next - how they would retake it and how they should operate going forwards, the fractious elements of Daring settled on rule by council.
Almost by default, Aurelia Archselon was at the centre of these discussions, as Daffles' closest advisor and friend, as well as the person who controlled the portal so key to their operation. Between the interested figures, they hashed out a plan for a nine person council over the course of some fierce discussion in a large tent one afternoon.
The council of nine was divided into three representative areas. Three seats would represent the merchants and nobility - the wealth of the town so dedicated to profit; three seats would represent the citizenry and small businesses - the heart and core of the town; and three seats would represent the various defences of the town - the strength of the town.
The original council was assembled swiftly, and ruled even after Daring Heights was retaken and rebuilt. They continued for a few years, before finally mounting tensions and accusations that the council did not seem to achieve a great deal, unable or incapable of deciding more strategic policies finally forced Aurelia to propose that they seek to form a new council, this time with the backing of the people. A novel approach, but in this new land, where they stood relatively alone in a small community of a city, everyone's opinion mattered.
Here are the members of each council as there have been:
1st Council
Merchant Seats
Duke Geoffrey Kensington
Tabetha Winslow, representing the Guild of the Emerald Tradition
Jean Auber, representing The Noble House of Auber

Citizen Seats
Samed Mirass, blacksmith
Aurelia Archselon
Rholor Vuzekh, High Diviner of the Church of Selune

Warden Seats
Commander Cordelia Jadefist of the armed forces
Captain Balto Thundercog of the city watch
Cecil, Coll and Cobb, representing the adventurer community


2nd Council
Merchant Seats
Duke Geoffrey Kensington (deceased)
Lady Saria Underwood
Jean Auber, representing The Noble House of Auber

Citizen Seats
Samed Mirass, blacksmith
Aurelia Archselon
Rholor Vuzekh, High Diviner of the Church of Selune

Warden Seats
Commander Cordelia Jadefist of the armed forces
Captain Balto Thundercog of the city watch
Cecil, Coll and Cobb, representing the adventurer community


3rd Council (Current)
Merchant Seats
Lady Saria Underwood
Jean Auber, representing The Noble House of Auber
Mavis Thovian 

Citizen Seats
Samed Mirass, blacksmith
Aurelia Archselon
Rholor Vuzekh, High Diviner of the Church of Selune

Warden Seats
Commander Cordelia Jadefist of the armed forces
Captain Balto Thundercog of the city watch
Cecil, Coll and Cobb, representing the adventurer community

Council Member Biographies
Merchant Seats
Duke Geoffrey Kensington
Duke Kensington was the funds and drive behind the clearing and restoration of the previously failed settlement of Port Ffirst. He oversaw the first real community there, based around the shipyard constructing the Daring Dart, the first ship of the Dawnlands. As it began to grow and the trade route back to Faerun by sea was established, the Duke found his political attentions drawn back towards Daring Heights and the developments there. One orcish invasion and a series of political moves by the LeNoirs later, and the Duke found Port Ffirst largely pulled out from under him, leaving him still connected and influential but he is now based entirely in Daring Heights, watching the scheming of the LeNoirs with interest. He believes in the power of entrepreneurship and the potential that Daring Heights has.

Tabetha Winslow
As the representative of the Guild of the Emerald Tradition, Tabetha was no one of particular note, even within the Guild. She had a legal background, and was respected for her ability to draw up contracts that always got the best deal for her side. Brought up in Mulhorand originally, she had made her way through various industries before joining the Guild of the Emerald Tradition. They sent her with their other agents to Daring Heights to ensure they would always be well represented and defended, no matter the actual practices of the Guild.

Jean Auber
The local scion of the The Noble House of Auber in Daring Heights, he is a man with connections across Faerun and with landholdings across the Dawnlands - acquired very early on in the founding of the town. Many of the farmers pay rent to the House of Auber, and in return Jean represents agricultural interests on the town council, along with the interests of other members of the nobility. Known for his looks more than his charm (or perhaps known for his lack of charm more than his looks), Jean is also rumoured to be a trained fighter in the martial arts, and is sometimes seen to glow when irritated, which is often.

Lady Saria Underwood
A halfling noble from the Sharr in southern Faerun, she is the newest member of the Council of Nine, ousting Tabetha by her election. Not much is known of Lady Saria, though the Underwoods are of course known by reputation as they are very closely connected to several royal lines, though they themselves mostly focus on shipping and logistics as a means of living. She ran on a platform of economic reform for Daring Heights - how that manifests remains to be seen.

Mavis Thovian 
Mavis came from a small village and rose to fame thanks to their charming personality and creative fashion designs. As a member of the Council, they are now on a mission to uplift those who feel like they don't fit it.

Citizen Seats
Aurelia Archselon
Aurelia has always been the most popular choice for a council member, not least because she has shown so little interest in pursuing this power.

Samed Mirass
Samed runs the largest smithy in town, complete with mages to enchant items and a storefront that stretches half a block. As a leading artisan, he has always sought to represent the interest of the community of crafters and small business owners in Daring Heights, and has done great work backing their needs to the Council.

Rholor Vuzekh
The High Diviner of the Moonmaiden has always been an enigmatic figure in town - adventurer, priest, advisor and more. What none doubt, however, is his wisdom. The value placed on his guidance for the city has been recently reaffirmed in the election, keeping the High Priest of Waukeen from gaining a seat on a council they might expect to be guaranteed to them.

Warden Seats
Commander Cordelia Jadefist
Commander Jadefist represents the military on the council - their readiness, their concerns and current operations.

Captain Balto Thundercog
Captain Thundercog represents the law and order of the city, the problems they are facing and the word on the street.

Cecil and Coll
Cecil and Coll represent the adventurers, bringing up any concerns they may have.

Type

Geopolitical, Town Council

Leader

Aurelia Archselon

Location

Daring Heights