In Butter Bay, society is divided into five nations. The divisions are primarily along racial lines, but members of others races do live in nations not their own. While each nation ultimately has one overarching leader, the methods for selecting these leaders vary, generally reflecting the culture of that nation’s dominant race.
The Five Nations
Beginning with the simplest, we have the Hodekin nation. Hodekin society is very simple; females are superior to males, and one’s standing in society is everything. Social standing can very rarely be gained and is also rarely lost; it is something you are born into, not something you earn. As such, the hodekin are led by several Dames, whose position is hereditary and cannot be held by a male. Though all the Dames are technically equal, tradition places one ahead of the others; she is the Vidame of Audlem. The current Vidame is a harsh old crone named Morwyn Reysdal. Few now remember the time before Vidame Morwyn’s rule, but those who do know her mother was a kinder Vidame.
Similarly to the hodekin, a hereditary nobleman, the Baron, rules the humans. Ebraen Coel took power twelve years ago, but little has changed in the lives of his people since his father passed. Although the Baron also holds personal lordship over Mondegreen, Ebraen has delegated that rule to his son, Lord Alliver Coel. While some of the other towns in the Human nation are directly ruled by Lords as well, several instead have an elected Mayor. Unlike the hodekin, the Lords and Mayors are fully subject to the Baron’s will, but thankfully the effort of leading his people through the Freeze has not hardened Ebraen Coel’s heart and he is seen by most as a just ruler.
The idea of a hereditary position is unacceptable to the uruks. Instead they insist on holding elections for nearly every governmental position. The top job in the uruk nation is that of Governor, who does not rule so much as act out the will of the people. In uruk law it is not a difficult matter to remove a leader from office if enough of the populace choose to do so, but the current Governor, Stoll Raener, has had little reason to fear impeachment in his term in office, enjoying support both from the town Mayors and the citizenry. Entering his nation into the war was seen as a defence of uruk ideals of equality and justice.
Among the alfar, however, the only thing that gets you power is connections. The position of Alder, the leader of the Alfar nation, is neither elected nor inherited, but rather bestowed by the previous Alder. Each year, the Alder declares his or her current choice of successor should death arrive. As a result, ideals are best left behind if you want power. The Alfar nation is divided into three townships, with the Alder holding control over Benshaw and the other townships of Ringwood and Nefyn led by Onders. The Onders are selected in the same manner as the Alder, but are ultimately subordinate to the Alder. The current Alder is Dallick vo Nayer. Dallick, who comes from a well-connected family, gained his position only four years ago, just in time to start the War.
Finally, the leader of the Elben nation is the Graf. When a Graf dies or steps down, the Reeves of the elben villages each nominate a candidate for the position. The candidates are then subjected to a series of tests and trials, and candidates are eliminated until only one remains. Joral de Roen is a fairly young idealist who made a name for herself defending the Bay from varkers. The skills she learned in that time have served her well in the war, saving many lives and winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Wigby.
Other Organizations
The most prominent of the other organizations is the Order. Deacon Torren Hoster, a human, has held power for nearly as long as Vidame Morwyn, but their viewpoints have always differed. Since Hoster was elevated from High Keeper to Deacon he has remained devoted to the Order being a place for all races and genders to stand on equal ground in Voland’s eyes. Unfortunately, his insistence on neutrality leads some to blame him for the war, which in turn has somewhat tarnished the image of the Order.
The Kindred, a group who commune with the spirits of the world and teach primal magic, is led by the Seer. While the Kindred is made up of members of all races, it is traditional for the Seer to be an alfar. Olwen vo Nayer, uncle of Alder Dallick vo Nayer, has led the Kindred for two decades, which has contributed to the prominence of his family. He is opposed to the Academy from a philosophical standpoint, believing that the spirits can give all the knowledge that is needed for life. While his predecessor suggested that perhaps the Academy should have a Belltower seat, he has always been staunchly against it, in part because it would weaken his own vote.
Appointed by the Board of Directors of the Academy, the elben Priam de Loskop is an accomplished arcanist and in his youth won a great number of competitions at the Academy. In his role as Headmaster he has been somewhat less successful. Though many view him as the best Headmaster since Tomin am Tollis, his political efforts have made little headway, in large part due to Seer Olwen’s opposition. Though shaken by the aggressive actions of the alfar and hodekin, he has thrown the support of the Academy behind the elben and uruk war effort.
The Belltower Council
Of the eight leaders discussed above, seven hold seats on the Belltower Council, all except the Headmaster of the Academy. Having its origins in the time of Barton Butter, the Belltower Council is made up of the leaders of the Bay and is intended to keep life during the Freeze running as smoothly as possible. Meetings are held every second year at the start of the winter. The Steward of the Dunstable Belltower, an ancient position that was once little more than a maintenance man for the tower, is hereditary. The current Steward is a sonnen (human-alfar half-blood) by the name of Ellim vo Vadrac. Though he has no official vote on the council, primarily calling and administrating the meetings, he also has the job of breaking stalemate votes. Because of his alfar heritage he is seen by some as being biased, a perception which has contributed to the current state of affairs.
Friday: The Threat of Varkers
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