(2002) Formal Business Concilium

[Briar Rose]

Who died and made Morgan a Councillor? is the only thought tumbling around the meat of her mind, as she sister returns to her side, because, well, had anyone met the Morrigan? Yes? No?

Probably no. Although....head tilted, pink locks tickling her cheek. What better way to throw things to the ground and watch them char, and splinter in an unending inferno then to then to be a Someone. Recognized with the ability to actually use their vocal cords within this cat wrangling shit show.

Confinement, incarceration. Writing Lines.

Talking and screamingmore talking with force and volume, talking over each other while people watch on without snacks. (Though someone came prepared and Briar Rose was totally notjealous over that ice cream)

Was this where those wild west rumours came through all channels like a tumble weed?

[Winter]

He speaks again, his tolerance for people that should know better - but apparently ignore the basic tenets of awakened life - growing thinner.
"The point of a trial is not to distribute brownie points", he scolds Shodan, "and neither it is to settle political scores or dole out punishment in accordance to our preconceptions regarding the accused, if it did, it would be not a trial but a beauty or a popularity contest. What you're all suggesting right now is a sort of discretionary justice where guilt is not assessed on the basis of facts and evidence, but on the basis of your personal feelings", he springs to his feet.
"Read the Charter, The Council is tasked with finding the Truth and Guilty parties shall have judgement rendered under the Tetragrammaton", he recites, "Those rules apply to anyone in this room. Magus Kaze, Magus Shodan, Magus Star, Myself, the Hierarch. You either have the necessary majority to change it, or you don't"
Then his attention is diverted to the Moros,"If the Girl wants a voice on the Council, then all she has to do is convene a Path meeting and be acclaimed. Until then, she has no right to speak "

Just a reminder:

The Hierarch

The Hierarch is chosen from amongst the Councilors and is recognized as the wisest amongst them, and may appoint one Herald per ten Mages to assist her and act as the voice of the Hierarch and the voice of the Consilium.

[Anima]

The image of Shia LaBeouf doing the Citizen Kane strolls through Anima's mind merrily as The Morrigan drops her mic. Unfortunately, his hands are too busy peeling away a third orange slice to recreate the event, or fortunately because it was entirely inappropriate.

Her display might be helpful though. The ecstatic attempts to seize the opportunity by getting things back on track. "So your plea is not guilty then Magus Shodan? Who is bringing forth the evidence and the details of the case?"

[Phoenyx]

This was a train-wreck. It was a perfect example of why the Arrow liked avoiding politics.

The Councillors had about as much in common as the gathering of the Mighty - that was to say, barely none at all bar their magical nature - and while that was ideally meant to bring strength from diversity, here it was only causing chaos. Everyone was throwing out their opinions and reasons and "alternatives".

Morgan's speech was impassioned and fiery. Some made sense - but about the authority, Phoenyx just couldn't agree. The Arrows had hierarchy and it brought order. Hell, even the position of Masters indicated a hierarchy of skill. A newly awakened Magus was not the same as a Master of Arcana. That wasn't injustice, It was a fact, as it was for any skill, and suggesting all Awakened were equal seemed naive.That wasn't a lie, it was the structured path of the Golden Key.

And Papilo... the more she heard him speak the more she shook her head. Unless someone was going to try and predict equivalence of outcome from an act, one had to rely on what was tangible. equivalent punishment for equivalent transgression. And then trying to move on to other topics before the first is resolved.

Shodan seemed to be arguing for leniency against a transgression based on his previous actions, as if doing good work built credit to offset breaking a law.

Winter was getting more and more exacerbated.

She found herself envying Star and his ice-cream cone. Popcorn or icecream was exactly the way to watch this kind of live-performance improvisational chaos.

[Morgan]

"Ya know, I would never have expected one of the Mighty to have hearing problems, but I'll say it again," Morgan returned a sardonic smile.

"The Hierarch is not eligible for a Council seat, because he already has an office. So unless you're confusing eligibility with duty, i.e. you have to be a councillor before you can become then Hierarch, then this conversation is moot.

Why you ask? Well, it's simple. I'm the only eligible member of the Path of Doom, as in, I'm the ONLY eligible one here. So either the Hierarch dishonors his own Path, and his own Consilium, by blocking the Moros council seat, and thus having a purposefully skewed and incomplete representation of paths, or I'm the de facto Councilor. And if he did block the Council seat, well then, that would also dishonor these trials, as an incomplete judiciary body cannot pass a truly Just verdict. So, let's find out, shall we?"

With that, Morgan finally (finally) stopped talking and turned to Campanella .

Another reminder:
Note
No Member of the Sacramento Consilium may hold more than one Consilium Office. Thus, to illustrate several examples, no Councilor may be both Councilor and Sentinel, or Councilor and Herald. Likewise, no Provost may be both Provost and Sentinel, and Provost and Herald, nor could a Herald be both Herald and Sentinel, and so on.

[Campanella]

Campanella's head turns as Morgan speaks... and speaks again. The pulse at his neck gets more obvious and his basilisk stare widens, and then narrows, then widens again as a look of surprise flashes across his face.

All the while, the conversation bounces back and forth.

"She is right, Winter . I cannot be both Councillor and Hierarch and there are only two of the Path of Doom here..."

Was he weary?

"So why do you not come and claim your place, Councilor?" The Hierarch's smile was chilling.

With a slow turn of his head, the Hierarch indicates the place where the Council have gathered. His eyes flashed like burning coals.

"I have a mind to end this. Incarceration for an event so long ago* now, when the defendant has admitted culpability and acknowledged a willingness to work with the Council to do better is perhaps a harsh penalty, though one well within the bounds of the Tetragrammaton. The same might be said for the case of Magus Shodan - yes? Events that happened last year? Events that prefigured a Duel Arcane if I am not mistaken: they might not have been the trigger on that occasion, but they were certainly among the causes of the dispute. Magus Shodan's lack of Wisdom was demonstrated through force of arms and that should have put a line under things."

"We observe that they have not."

His gaze flashed between Shodan and Winter in particular.

"So might I suggest a compromise? That both Magus Kaze and Magus Shodan each receive a major reprimand and set a minor penance which is to be marked and recorded in the relevant statutes."

A major reprimand was not Incarceration; but it was no small thing to have one's name noted in the Lex associated with a breach and there could always be repercussions down the line. A minor penance could be instructive... and annoying... and time consuming - a serious block for time hungry mages.

Fast and loose, perhaps. Or maybe Campanella was simply attempting to clear away the dead wood of the previous year before the nascent Council lost all semblance of respectability. And if he succeeded in pushing this through...

Dammit! Shodan would have his tyrant.

*The sequence of events that bought Shodan and Kaze into contention happened last year. Normally things go much more swiftly - unfortunately I was away.

[Pixel]

Pixel.... watched.

It was all he was allowed to do after burning his cred on Kaze. He wasn't going to risk pissing Winter off, but he cheered internally for almost every syllable Morgan had said. Conciilium was oppressive, it always was, and Pixel thought he made that clear with Aurora and the others. People come together to fight the seers and interact with each other but four times a year end up silent hostages to the few people permitted to speak and decide their collective fate. No direct voice, no choice.

He smiles at Morgan before tipping his head toward the Heirarch.

[Star]

Welcome to your life.
There's no turning back.

Here's the question.

How many people up in arms about everything didn't care when Councilors were chosen?

It's like saying you don't care what's for dinner, then being upset about what there is to eat. Very few people are born caring about the world at large. It's the NIMBY phenomenon. Second question? How many people would care if the trials had been done in private and they'd been offered a chance to read the minutes? It's the Illusion of caring. Sensibilities offended. A perception of enlightenment and liberalism challenged.

Third question. If this was the fifth or sixth time Shodan --or anyone-- had Manifested a Paradox, would essay writing still be on the table? Would incarceration still be a hard 'No'?

Because the truth is people pretend to care an awful lot. They don't care until they care. Nobody cared that a quarter of the homes in the city had a gun. They'd pretend to care when gun reform was discussed in a public forum. They'd really care when a gun was put in their face or a burglar broke into their home.

I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision

For the most part? He doesn't care. It's like seeing an episode of some new CSI spin-off. It's all the same. It's always going to be the same until Nous' Charter is reformed. That's not likely given no one's even brought up the precedents in the Tet to prosecute their opinion beyond "Because I don't like it". Chaos is a ladder, yo. Everyone start climbing. Especially the guy flat out saying he'll deny the Truth. Guilt and punishment? They've got nothing to do with one another. A willingness to stand in the way of Truth and Lie? That's not good. Right, Omar?

His only contribution to the proceedings is the unusually loud crunching as he begins to eat the cone.

[Winter]

The irony of the moment wasn't lost on the Guardian. The Hiearch's throne was crumbling underneath him, all because he couldn't take the pressure. Again, he was burning the Guardians to save his face.
"Unacceptable", the Guardian looks at Shodan, "You're proposing that we bury the Truth for the sake of diplomacy. An expedient solution, if anything", the Guardian takes another look at the gathered crowd, in no way he'd let them set this dangerous precedent, "If this Consilium can't uphold its own charter... worse, if this Consilium won't acknowledge the Precept of Secrecy - something even the servants of the Lie do - then count me among your enemies".

[Anima]

Anima's expression returns to the clinical composure of a surgeon as he leads a life saving surgery.

Scalpel

"Councilor Winter, I'm afraid it is not for just you to decide if the Hierarch's proposal is acceptable or not. We are a Council, with a voice. It is our collective voice that determines what is wise for the Consilium."

Insert the shunt

"Those among who walk our paths have entrusted us to make these decisions. The Hierarch is chosen by the Council, if you disagree so strongly with the Hierarch, put a vote for the position on the agenda for the next meeting.

Insert the Deep Brain Stimulator

For now, we call his suggestion to a vote, obviously you've voted against it. I vote in favor of his suggestion. The Mastigos Councilor has made his position clear, I assume he's also voting in favor of the Hierarch's proposal. Please, Councilor Papilio, speak up if you wish to vote otherwise. Councillor Morgan, do you vote to accept the Hierarch's proposal? Magus Kaze and Magus Shodan be marked with a Major Reprimand and Minor Penance,

Remove the tumor

and we can be done with this matter?"