Governors and the Council
The highest legitimate authority in Murgulmuir is the Council. Those that belong to the Council are known as Governors. These positions are often referred to as seats at the table - The Table being slang for both the governing body as a whole and the Council chamber which is dominated by a massive table into whose surface the name rune of everyone to ever have a seat is etched.The number of Governors varies because people can be added to or removed from the Council by a majority assent of those currently seated. The smallest the Council has ever been (discounting the time that all of the Governors were killed by a fireball) is 3 and the largest it has ever been is 28 (which forced them to moved assemblies to the feast hall in the same building).
Governors can be recognized by the circlets they wear - simple brass bands with two stones in the city's colors (one purple, one amber). It is rumored that these circlets are enchanted with protections that can prevent the disaster caused by the fireball.
There are currently 9 Governors seated at the table. Membership has hovered between 6 and 12 for many years and hasn't changed in months.
The only requirement to serve as Governor is to be named to the office. Most are Masters of one influential guild or another. Underworld representatives are usually present but where their power and influence comes from isn't widely known. Because all that is required to name or remove a Governor is a majority anomalies are all too common. For six years a Master's mistress served. She proved popular and staged a coupe after which the Master who brought him in and all his allies were removed.
There are always factions within the Council. Power struggles can result in a faction that has become dominant "cleaning house " and replacing all of their opponents with allies.
The Inspector General
Appointed by the Council to oversee law enforcement in the city.
There is more about the Inspector General in the Crime and Punishment section.
Commander
Appointed by the Council to oversee the city's defenses.
There is more about the Commander in the Defense Forces section.
Archmage
Appointed by the Council to oversee how the use of magic is regulated in the city.
There is more about the Archmage in the Magic in the City section.
Magistrates
Running a city state is a massive undertaking that is more than any Council could deal with themselves. The Governors prefer to make major policy decisions and to delegate most of the day to day business of governance to appointed Magistrates.
As with the Governors there is no requirement or being a Magistrate other than appointment by one of the Governors. Majority Council assent is not required but a second Governor must approve the choice by adding their seal to the writ of office.
The Council appoints as many Magistrates as they feel that they need at any given time. Because of how they are chosen it sometimes isn't clear exactly how many Magistrates there are at any given time. The Council maintains a list so it is possible to check but it can be an undertaking so usually isn't done unless it is important that someone verify a Magistrates' credentials.
Newly appointed Magistrates are given a "Disposition of Service" which defines what the Council intends for them to do and a title that describes that service such as "Overseer of the gate Tax" There is usually a Magistrate appointed to oversee each of the major areas of the city such as the "Superintendent of the Martial Ward". There are also Magistrates for specific kinds of issues that come before the Council such as specific sorts of trade. There have also been Magistrates assigned to deal with specific races such as the "Arbiter of Orc affairs".
There are usually between 20 and 40 Magistrates in service at any given time.
Magistrates can be identified by the "Sanction" they wear around their necks. These are seals of office that resemble keys but the head has an emblem embedded in it, designed to be unique for each of them. The emblem is used as a stamp to place their mark on any official document they ratify.
Assistants
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Lords
Murgulmuir is a city state that has no nobility inherent to its foundation and is not beholden to any liege. There are, however, Lords who are surviving members of noble houses that were in power before the Maelstrom destroyed the old world. Members of some of these "Great Houses" still have power in the new world. It no longer comes directly from any inherited noble privilege. Any influence these nobles have comes from the same sources available to anyone.
The honorific of "Lord" or "Lady" is often used for anyone of a higher social standing whether they are noble or no. This annoys those who actually have noble blood. They consider it a cheapening of their heritage
Most well known of the noble houses active in Mugulmir is Tulbre whose
Masters
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Bosses
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