Council Discussion

[Degren Brightforge]

Degren awaits the council members Phineas and lady Val, after finding them in the field and asking to meet with them, "So we'very had a few problems with the formation of our council, considering everything that's happened since we last met. My friend, Sir Pierre, has offered an interesting idea for the council. Thus far, we've only had three people, us three, who has shown a real interest in the council position. So, what if we only have three members, each with his or her own advisor? The advisor wouldn't have a vote, but would offer insight and wisdom to discussions. That way, we only have three votes, but six people discussing any one topic. I'm open to suggestions and thoughts."

[Phineas J. Pennefeather]

The Merchant and Tavernkeeper shakes his head.

"We need a big council, not a small one," says Phineas Pennefeather. "I am way too worried about anyone being ganged up on."

"Look at what happened a few weeks ago!" The Halfling continues. "A little old lady comes to town, passes out some candy and suddenly the entire council is took over by The Empire! And apologies to the Grand Elven Ladies of the Empire that have chosen this place to live,  the Empire that is so far away that more than half of us have never been there!"

"We must keep the council large and inclusive.  Believe me, I have seen Brother and Sister Fae of all kinds treated extremely poorly once too many non-Fae have elected themselves into power! I understand that you think that big is too big, but we risk losing what we have built here to political squabbling!"  

Finally he adds, "And don't get me wrong, I do not want any power or position for myself. I am way too busy trying to make it look easy to run a tavern!"

[Lady Val]

Lady Val nods in agreement.

"I agree with Phineas. A larger council will be more inclusive and harder to disband and manipulate."

"Although I do not agree with all aspects of Imperial rule my status as a Lady of the Empire means that I carry a certain weight and represent only a portion of the townsfolk. Those unaligned with any faction, the non-militant folk and other such gifted people in the town deserve to be heard."

"I would recommend that we call a town meeting, see who has interest in the council and move on from there. Ideally I would like to see all nationalities, trades, and races represented on the council for the purposes of cultural diversity and safety but if the interest isn't there from all groups then we can reassess the situation with more information. Meeting in secret like this, and as such a small group, is not going to engender trust in the townsfolk, and trust is important. They need to know, or at least be under the impression, that their council is open and transparent in the way that they conduct the affairs of the town and that we are doing so in a manner that considers everyone's wants and needs."

[Degren Brightforge]

"This isn't the first time we've spoken of equal treatment amidst the people here. I've been around, and I've seen my fair share of racism and bigotry, but I've never seen it here. Holdfast is a place where person's worth, fae or otherwise, is determined by the actions and decisions they make. And just as we shouldn't let it determine who we exclude from the council, we also shouldn't let it govern who we include. We're a small population here, and not everyone has an interest in having a hand at helping to govern it. We should look past our physical differences to what aspects make us what we are, and see who would take the roll of council member seriously, with the good of the town in mind."

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