The Council

The Council was a group of clerics who resided in Fallowfield. One major task that fell to the Councillors was the selection of The Holy Seat. In the past, Councillors were selected by the King or Queen, though now they are chosen by The Elyde Senate.

Nearly all Councillors throughout history were taken from the upper class of Iquai, and even then almost entirely from the titled Nobility and the Royal Family itself.

Sir Grimgi the Fool
After the Peaches scandal of the late 6800's, the council was left with seven open seats, and the Regent at the time- Queen Morgan- decided to host a contest in order to distract the public from the scandal and fill the seats more quickly. The task was simple: deliver a sculpture of ice from the bottom of Wasted Canyon in the skirts of The Valley to her feet. A true, naturally occurring sculpture, would never make it all the way to Siraj, she knew. The sculptures were tied to the crystalline aether of the canyon, and would easily melt in the heat of the valley once they lost this protection. This didn't stop Sir Grimgi. A simple Peer with a small estate in the rainy southlands, he was nobody of significance to the wellborn upperclass of Siraj, but he was used to the cheerful peasants of the village he owned treating him well. If he noticed the condescension, he didn't let it slip. Instead he bravely undertook his Queen's request, and set off to The Valley. Four times he returned to her with a bucket of water, insisting he had reached the bottom of the canyon. After this, her amusement finally turned to interest and she agreed to take the journey with him. For two months they traveled the length of Iquai with her entourage, and when the carriages could no longer go on she took to palanquins, dozing on a bed of silk and feathers while the brave Sir Grimgi tried to keep her spirits up from outside. Finally, they arrived at the dreaded Valley and were shocked when Sir Grimgi led them almost directly to a vast Canyon. He showed them the path he took to get down to the bottom, and there at the base were hundreds of ice Sculptures. Queen Morgan immediately declared that not only would he be a Councillor, he would be her husband. But he refused. Thus, he was forever after known as Sir Grimgi the Fool.

Marco Betshmere
Marco's story is less known to most scholars, but the smallfolk of the northern fields know his story well. They speak of a clever and brash youth who was exiled for robbing a captain of the army. He spent years roving along the southern coast, from mountain to mountain, and they say he fathered 400 sons. He had made his home on a small island just off the coast, where few dare tread, and he had a stockpile of whiskey and food to last him a lifetime when he spotted the Dellos navy out in the distance. His skiff was faster, and after two days of straight sailing he made it to The Watchtower, tore up the stairs and informed the men. He helped them lead a defence against the sneak attack, and saved Iquai. He was called the Lord of the Seas, and was given full command over the Royal Navy.