Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) (55 page)

"We don't know that they're attacking us,"
protested Sier Barvon.  "Do we? All we know is that they're coming this way."

Damien simply shook his head.  He'd called this late night council session to warn his fellow council members of the
imminent presence of the Rod.  As he should have known, getting them to agree on the situation let alone what to do about it was proving difficult.  He couldn’t even get all twelve of the currently appointed thirteen member council to show up.

Lenamare and Jehenna had declined to attend as had Exador and
Randolf, the Archimage of Turelane.   Apparently the two factions had no desire to be in the same room and civil to each other.  Zilquar was away somewhere and had not been reachable at his school.

Alexandros Mien shook his head, the old Archimage from Garand
er spoke up.  "Look, we have to assume they're coming here, we don't know why, but there is no place else they could be going.  The question is why?  Why are they coming?  We haven't had a major disagreement with them in over six hundred years."

"I suspect," Trevin stated, "it has something to do with Lenamare and Exador's spat.  They're the ones we should be asking."

"And how?" Lord Archimage Gandros, chair of the Council of Wizards spoke up for the first time, "do you propose we ask them? They haven't been exactly cooperative in resolving their own dispute which they brought before us.  You expect them to be any more forthcoming on this?"

"Since they're here and it would be their necks on the line as well, I'm sure they'd be willing to cooperate."  Sier Barvon tried to point out.  Damien just snorted, knowing Exador and Lenamare.

"What about the inquisition?"  Several councilors paused in their thinking to look at Trevin as she brought this up.  "Given that the Rod is coming, is this a good time to be sending our members out on fact finding missions?"

Tureledor answered, "It probably would be best if we were all present to present a united front."

"Since when in the last six decades, have we presented a united front?" Davron asked.  Tureledor simply glared at the man.

"United in fact, or united in appearance, Trevin has a point."  Gandros stated.  "I think, Damien, we may want to postpone your tour until we u
nderstand the situation better."

Damien nodded, he wasn't so sure.  He felt that perhaps his tour could shed some light on what was up.  Especially since he was
positive that it had something to do with the dueling wizards.  This point in time was not, however, the time to disagree.  There was already enough disagreement around the table. 

"I think," Damien said for the first time since answering questions on the advent of the Rod, "reticence or not on the part of the Rod, we should at least arrange a messenger to find out what they're up to.  If it is Lenamare or Exador they want, then at least we'll know.  If it is us, they'll probably simply capture the messenger so he or she can't return to warn us.  Knowing the Rod, it is highly unlikely they'd simply kill the messenger out of hand.  Unless we sent a demon."  Several council members muttered about this, but none could really come up with a good objection other than complaints from the less optimistic ones.

After a bit more fruitless discussion they adjourned.  As they were standing up, Alexandros looked to Gandros and asked, “We can assume you shall be informing our brother Council as to the situation.

Trevin D’Vils snarked, “Oh, do you think they’ll notice an invading army?”

Damien smiled at her, laughing at the inside joke; “I fear Lord Felgraf has already noticed.  It was he who alerted us to the Rod marching through his city.”

The Council States

Home of the Council of Wizardry, the Council States is a federation of
city states dedicated to the preservation of knowledge, the responsible use of wizardry, and free trade.

While the implication is that the Council states are
governed by a “Council” there are actually two councils that provide the necessary inter-state regulation, adjudication and other federal functions.

The Council of Magistrates
is made up of representatives elected by the ruling body of each of the member states.  The Council of Magistrates is responsible for ensuring free trade and the upholding of economic treaties between the member states.  It works with the Council of Wizardry to provide joint defense of the collective states.

The Council of Wizardry
is made up of the preeminent wizards of the land as selected by the Council Roster.  The Council Roster is an organization consisting of all duly recognized wizards in Norelon (and in much of Eton).  Membership is incumbent upon presentation of credentials, abiding by the Code of Wizardry and payment of dues.  The Council is foremost authority on wizardry in the land and is empowered to take action against members and non-members who violate the Code of Wizardry.  Further, because many of the members are also ruling lords the Council of Wizardry carries considerable political weight, in and of itself, beyond that of ruling committees.

Government of the Council States is handled by applicable committees made up jointly and equally from members and/or appointees of both Councils.  The Ruling Committees are each responsible for their designated area of authority and these bodies make applicable laws and rulings for their sphere of influence.  Individuals requesting an appeal of the decisions of the committees may petition the independent Committee on Appeal.  If their arguments are found to be of merit, the appeal may be forwarded on to the two Councils. 

Committees are typically formed of 13 members (with the exception of Arms and Justice which are 27 members each), the chair of each council appoints one member to each committee and six other members of each council get one appointee each.  Which committees a councilor appoints to is determined by seniority and the relative importance of the committee.  In theory a council member can appoint him or herself to a committee, but this is almost never done due to time constraints, workload, and appearances.

The 5 most influential Committees are the following:

• Committee on Trade
  :  Handles trade disputes between merchants and each other as well as merchants and member states.
  
• Committee on Arms:
    Controls the militia of the Council States. Includes the Subcommittee on Domestic Safety which ensures the safety of the roads and highways  and the Subcommittee on Defense which oversees military operations at the direction of the two Councils.  This is actually a 27 member committee, with a chair and half of the remaining 26 on one subcommittee or the other.
  
• Committee on Justice:
    The judiciary arm of the Councils, the Committee on Justice provides criminal and civil justice through its two subcommittees on civil and criminal justice.  The civil justice committee works on the individual level and often coordinates with the Committee on Trade for merchant-consumer justice.  Further, member states have magisterial domain within their own jurisdiction on all matters not directly in violation of Council Law.  Like the Committee on Arms, the Committee on Justice is actually a 27 member committee, with a chair and half the remaining 26 on once subcommittee or the other.
  
• Committee on Foreign Relations:
    Handles ambassadorial and foreign relations.
  
• Committee on Appeal:
    Handles the appellate process for committee decisions and laws.
  
• Other committees include:
  
• Committee on Religion:
  Traditionally made up of appointees from the clerical ranks of the major religions.
  
• Committee on the Arts:
    Provides patronage for the arts.
  
• Committee on Racial Relations:
    Arbitrates and protects the rights of various races, in particular those sentient races outside the body politic.
  

The Council of Wizardry

The Council of Wizardry is made up of the thirteen preeminent wizards of Astlan as selected by the Council Roster.  This high honor is not bestowed lightly.  Membership upon the council is for a term of 5 years and may be renewed at the mandate of the Roster.

In addition to the joint committees of the two councils, the Council of Wizardry and the Council Roster have the following internal committees to deal directly with affairs of Wizardry:

• Committee on Research
  
• Committee on Demonology (
  supersedes the Committee on Conjury)
  
• Committee on Sorcery
  
• Committee on Enchantment
  
• Committee on Pyromancy
  
• Committee on Thaumaturgy
  
• Committee on Runic Lore
  
• Committee on Necromancy:  This committee, unlike the others specialization committees is concerned with restricting, regulating and as necessary, eliminating necromancy.
  
• Committee on Academic Affairs
  
• Committee of the Library and Patents
  

Note: Archimage is as much a political/hereditary title as an indication of experience and profession.  An Archimage is a Master Wizard with either a political position or hereditary estate.

The Council of Magistrates

The Council of Magistrates is made up of one representative from each of the member states.  The selection process of the representatives varies from state to state.  It may be an elected, hereditary, or appointed position depending on that state's government.  The traditional term of office is five years, however this is completely subjective to the desires of the particular member state being represented.

• Committee on Alchemy
  
• Committee on Apprenticeship
  
• Committee on Agriculture
  
• Committee on Construction
  
• Committee on Forestry
  
• Committee on Jewelry
  
• Committee on Shipbuilding
  
• Committee on Smithing
  
• Committee on Transportation
  
• Committee on Usury
  
• Committee on Water