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Kalmuli could see and hear the long yawns coming from many of the students. They had used a bit of mana today in the flight and the sounds of the storms were rather soothing. "Mmm...for the amount of mana that would need to be restored it would be one that has matured."She said as she eased back, stifling a yawn of her own. "As well as provide them protections from further exploitation." The yawn escaped, her head tilting back. "But be careful what you wish for, Luis..."She said, rubbing her eyes and folding her arms. "I think we can call it a night though. With the weather as is, we may be doing some indoor classes." "Dinner's ready!"Viss called from the kitchen, the animal tamer bringing in a couple plates to the library area. It was a modest, vegetarian meal but it was deliciously done. Kalmuli probed the stir fry and rice, mixing it together and Priscilla gave it a test taste, chewing on the bits of peppers and cabbage.  "I wonder if an elemental of a different type would work?"Priscilla pondered. "It would...but it would completely change the landscape of Port Mars. A fire elemental works better for islands typically because volcanos have a huge influence on how the land is shaped. Earth types would make it mountainous, water type would flood...air would turn it into a tornado-torn wasteland."Kalmuli commented before shoving a fork full of food in her mouth, chewing as she mulled over the questions. "Though once the elementals are dead...the land is going to rot. I'm not even sure if the volcano will stop erupting...but we'll find out when we go back to the academy in a few more days."

Abigail clinched a fist at her side, but otherwise held back the anger she could feel boiling up inside her at the condescension shown to her by both the representatives of Kholin and Dali. Indeed, had this been a more private setting, she may have elected to shoot the Dali peon for calling her a "dame", a title meant for a knight's wife, rather than her proper title of duchess. But as it was, she held all the rage in. She couldn't, after all, speak counter-points to their republic idea itself until she heard what exactly they were proposing with it. Still, the options they may propose were all problematic, no matter how one sliced them. The lesser evil would be to simply have the heads of the houses, or an appointed representative, sit on the council permanently (until death or relief by the head of house), thus ensuring a sense of continuity. But even then, the dithering that would result from such a council would be debilitating toward any matter of progress, and the houses would likely just continue handling things on their own in order to get things done, while the council argued and debated on in the background. But if they actually intended to turn power over to the commoners though, that was another matter entirely... "The monarchy is no less prone to shortcomings than republics and democracies, based on what few have managed to survive elsewhere on Valucre. And the fact that so few have risen and lasted ought give us pause on the matter in and of itself. Regardless, I will hear your proposal before I speak further on the matter."  She then held her peace as she waited for several others to speak in succession, Godric offering his modified version of Oscar's constitution, which was acceptable enough, though it still seemed that king or queen may not be strong enough to resolve conflicts decisively. Then Dali spoke again, suggesting the figurehead was unnecessary altogether, then laying bare their true colors. Indeed, it was a plan to gradually phase the houses out of power and replace them with commoners. Perhaps they thought that education could produce people with the capability to govern, but such a thought was absurd to Abigail. She had been raised since birth to lead, given the finest education, exposed to all the nuances of politics, business and personnel management. While it was true that many in the nobility were unsuited to lead, like her late half-brother or her lazy cousin, that did not automatically mean there were commoners who were better. These were people who were good at their craft, but little more. To expect a blacksmith to understand how to handle management of his business from a governmental perspective was foolish, for he would be looking at it from the perspective of a common blacksmith, one who didn't have the capacity to see the bigger picture.  But more than that, this form of government was sure to impede efficiency even further, if the proposal for two-year terms was to be taken seriously. How could one expect to get anything done with such rapid turnover?  "And how are you proposing these positions are filled? If there is no king, and if you so desire to remove the nobility from their rightful places, then I must assume you propose election by popular vote? Such a system that would mean our leadership would become more concerned with their reelection than the matters of state, and where the rapid turnover ensures that by the time a representative has the necessary experience in governing, they are already out of power. That is, presuming they even gain experience in effective governance at all. For true leadership is making difficult decisions for the long-term good, even if it is unpopular. But if the representatives are dependent upon popular approval for their power, will not be willing to make such decisions, and even if they do, the people will ignorantly replace them with ones who will reverse such decisions the very next term." She shook her head. "What you suggest is a government that will be so focused on maintaining its own status that it will accomplish nothing, and what little it can accomplish will be nothing but unsustainable bribes to the masses. No, I see no reason to believe your system will be successful in any way, nor will it be any less incompetent than an foolish king, only that ineptitude will not die when the monarch does. The incompetence will persist on, because it is the nature of the system itself."

" . . is no republic." Ampelos brought his hand to his mouth again, stifling most of his laughter before it managed to erupt into the open air. "Of course not, dame Karradeen. Were that the republic was already formed there would be no need for any of us to be meeting now. Astounding how far a little logic can carry one, is it not?" Meanwhile the inflated Abigail made earnest her attempt at dressing him down, Ampelos busied himself with buffing his nails. He made it a point to look up from his task and lock eyes with her, so she couldn't possibly confuse his blatant disinterest with anything even remotely resembling anxiety, and graciously allowed her to conclude without interruption. It was directly after her final word that House Kholin stepped up and laid her flat. Meanwhile Alexandros spoke, Ampelos folded his hands one over the other and laid them to rest on the table, his eyes locked onto the speaker without variance. He nodded in agreement and put the final stroke on it himself prior to their collective movement into discussing Oscar's fate. "My Lady informed your Empress Rozharon both of her opinion and her disinclination to personally attend a meeting such as this one. My Lady's house was still invited to sit at the table, and I have been sent as a fully vested party capable of speaking for my Lady's house. If you take issue with this, I suggest you request of your Empress for an aside and discourse privately. For the time being, let us respect the Empress's agenda." # # # So much for that, Ampelos thought to himself, smiling for all the world to see. Full in its warmth, years of politicking had given him the requisite veneer he had to let only that authentic satisfaction shine through while muting the contempt which kindled it. Ampelos laid his hand on the stack of papers after rifling through their contents meanwhile Godric spoke of them. "There is much good here Godric. You are a credit to your house. Our vision of Ursa Madeum's future aligns in many ways. Where it diverges, Dali's blueprint accounts for any shortcomings. It does not concern itself with the unnecessary ceremony of a figurehead, for example. It does not assume that every person who sits at this table currently is entitled to the responsibility of public office, for another example, doing away with the concept of inherited succession at all levels. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, no? "To that end Dali's value proposition is that our nation should shift its governance structure to that of a technocratic[1] republic[2], with two 2-year term limits for representatives. Spheres of influence such as Godric has proposed as well, but more granular: Commerce, Justice, Transportation, Education and the like, to name a few. We anticipate the first four terms will be exclusively occupied by members of noble houses by sheer virtue of generational wealth, refined resources, organized personnel and infrastructure, and education. "But the goal is to break that for-granted chain of succession such that the whole of our citizenry can be expected to produce potential candidates of requisite quality within one, no more than two, generations. "We can no longer afford to compete amongst ourselves and must instead become competitors to others operating at grander scales. We must remove ourselves as pieces on a board and become players. Or eyes sharper than ours will invite hands stronger to try and take whatever appeals. They may not all be so . . . generous as Veluriyam has been." 1: "a proposed system of governance in which decision-makers are selected on the basis of their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge." 2: "a form of government in which the country is considered a “public matter”, not the private concern or property of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are not inherited, but are attained through democracy, oligarchy or autocracy (in this case by technocracy). It is a form of government under which the head of state is not a hereditary monarch."

The Oathsworn was a matter that could be handled later, Godric thought. What was truly important was the center of their entire reason for being here in this place. A new government was required of this country was going to go forward. After taking a faint moment, Godric spoke, taking out from a pack on the side of the wheelchair a stack of papers. "Lords and Ladies of this council, we are at the precipice for restoring order to our country. This will be the moment recorded in the history books, but we must insure that this moment is considered our greatest triump, and not our greatest folly." Passing the papers to the either side of him so they could be distributed to the others. "We can do better, better than Damien, better than even the Queen before him. With this new government, we can usher in a new age of prosperity to Ursa Madeum." "We can't just have a Monarchy anymore, the temptation of power is too great for any one man or woman to handle on their own. Checks and safeguards must be put in place, or else the cycle will start all over again. With this, I believe we shall achieve that goal." When each of the nobility had received a copy, he elaborated further.  "We will have a monarch, but they will serve more as a figurehead, a catalyst of the council that serves underneath. Each member of this council will be in charge of a separate sphere of influence that they will be in charge of. Defense, Agriculture, Magic and State. These spheres will be headed by one of us, with the monarch also chosen by one of us. We will do away with bloodline succession, with this monarch being chosen by who we believe to be the best candidate." "With this system in place, we can ensure that no member has too much power, for it is divided amongst the others members of the council. Our king and queen will hear the councils words, decide on a course of action, and put it to a vote within the council itself. No one has the power to overrule the other, and conflicts are decided by the ruling monarch." He sighed, hoping to have caught their attention at the very least.  Those who had seen it before will have likely recognized it as the altered works of his father before him. Oscar had fallen far, but before the worst of his madness came to him, this was perhaps the only thing he had which could redeem him. Now Godric took up the task of trying to have it passed, even if it meant his father would never be credited with the idea, if it passed. 

@Tyler "Eons ago, a giant creature attacked Renovatio - Cialo. He is a god from our pantheon or is acknowledged as one depending on who you talk to. He wandered our land wreaking havoc for a very long time before he was destroyed." There were so many examples to give the gentleman that it took her a bit to continue. Renovatio is just a ball of magic swirling in the air, it has had countless problems through the years, with the most recent one being tacked onto the long list of annoyances.  "The Will of Renovatio is what keeps the island floating. It is a force that is passed down from Grand Kommadant to Grand Kommadant so that they carry the burden of the people's survival everywhere they go. The Will is what also gives us our 'magical' powers.' Thankfully, it is an unnecessary accessory for me, but that has left it vulnerable to the curious." Primera has gifted the Will to her people, spreading its power through the gates that lead to the heavens, the lights that brighten the streets, the medicines that cure the sick, and so forth. Never wanting the Will and having tainted it with her uselessness, she decided that it would best be used by the people who oddly depend on her. Nothing terrible has sprouted from her generosity, though it could be said she has a watchful eye over anyone who decides to get a little extra with the Kommadant's gifts. "My mother was killed by Alexander Endriel, the Witch King. I watched him shove his hand into her flesh, parting bone and tearing muscle to pull an ancient relic from her body." Primera wiped an errant tear from her eye, a mood of dramatics the woman is but the melancholy that swathed her suddenly was true. When she was a child, she had loved her mother dearly and watching Merida destroyed by the Witch King had left a giant hole of emptiness inside Primera's heart. It was a hate and love kind of tug-o-war; she loved the woman, but she wished things would have turned out differently where Primera's existence never came to be.  "When she died, the Will of Renovatio had been transferred to me - a person who never wanted it - and it stayed dormant for a long while. During that time the island began to fall out of the sky, Alexander blessed us with a curse where the undead rose, and any healing magic exasperated their condition, and I was left in the hands of the High Mason of Alterion. All this power and it was useless to save my home from destruction." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "My brother was supposed to rule. You see, well ... you can probably already tell, I wasn't raised to replace my mother. I was raised to be a lady bound by tradition and married off to someone that would bring power to my family name. I didn't mind that one bit; I was prepared to be pampered and fed frozen grapes for the rest of my life while I lounged about on silken cushions." The lady laughed lightly and shrugged. Her story is long and tedious, but she likes to tell it to anyone obligated to listen, and Joseph is trapped by position to listen to her go on and on. "I don't know what happened to my brother. Probably ran off somewhere to live life or maybe he caught the plague Alexander caused and died. Anyways, here I am, ruling a place I never wanted, with immense power that has done more harm than help. If I weren't so attached to myself at the moment, I'd erect a veil that would sever the magic that flows through my homeland and force my people to suffer the realities of the world. By doing so, I'd die, but some times that doesn't sound like a terrible thing when the outcome is much grander."