Council of Lords (Ravens Bluff)

The Council of Lords was the longest-serving legislative body of Ravens Bluff, having represented the city's noble houses since before the Time of Troubles. Along with the Merchants Council, the Council of Lords wrote all the laws and regulations of the Bluff.

Members
The families that were represented by the council agreed to abide by their authority, and received guarantees of protection in return. Each family submitted one member, usually the head of the family, to represent their interests by taking a seat on the council. In addition, the leaders of a number of civic organizations, such as the city's judicial system, the Ravenian military, and the Ministry of Art, were granted seats, reserved for their respective leaders.

The council was led by a Lord Speaker, a post held by one of the heads of the city's 32 noble families. The speaker presided over, and set the agenda for, all council meetings.

Additionally, the Lord or Lady Mayor retained the authority to enter any session without invitation, was allowed to speak first on any issue, and could cast a tie-breaking vote.

Councilors
As of 1370 DR, the members of the council included:
 * Lord Speaker of the Council of Lords: Lady Katharine Moorland Blacktree: Matriarch of House Moorland and wife of Lord Charles Blacktree IV, was so well-respected among Ravenians she held this post for seven consecutive terms.
 * Lord Chancellor Arvin Kothonos: The skilled negotiator and ruthless businessman was so trusted among his peers that he was unanimously elected to serve as the acting mayor while Lord Mayor Charles O'Kane was captured as a prisoner of war.
 * Lord Magistrate Tordon Sureblade:
 * Lord Marshal: This seat was vacant (as of the year 1370), but was previously held by Gaius Varro.
 * Lord Speaker of the Advisory Council: Also vacant, but Lord Russell Roland served as acting speaker.
 * Chief Prelate: Morninglord Relarn Dayspring was the popular head of the Clerical Circle, highly appreciated among Ravenians for his kind and caring nature.
 * First Seat of the Ministry of Art: Ambassador Carrague, the most well-known yet absent-minded minister, was the longest-serving member in the Ministry of Art.

In addition to the Lord Speaker and six other civic councilors, the council had 32 seats that represented the long-standing noble families of Ravens Bluff. They were mostly held by the heads of houses, their representatives, or trusted immediate family members. Very rarely, upon unanimous vote of the council, a could family be stripped of their seat on the legislative body. These families included: Ampner &bull; Balathorp &bull; Blacktree &bull; Boldtalon &bull; Cathone &bull; Daraduks &bull; DeSheers &bull; DeVillars &bull; Emmerdin &bull; Flermeer &bull; Fleetwood &bull; Gultoss &bull; Hawkdragon &bull; Hawkynfleur &bull; Indemmer &bull; Leorduin &bull; Liontower &bull; Longbottle &bull; MacIntyre &bull; Minstrelwish &bull; Moonglow &bull; Moorland &bull; Norwood &bull; Palraedinor &bull; Skyhawk &bull; Sinaran &bull; Taldavar &bull; Therogeon &bull; Thoden &bull; Velgath &bull; Yarvandar

Four additional seats had been granted to merchant lords:
 * Tomalass Blountrae: Not long after gaining his seat on the council, this calculating shipping magnate began investing in the lands surrounding the roads that led to the city of Tantras.
 * Khauldan Risimmer: A veteran mercenary, whose body showed the signs of years of combat, Khauldan was a simple, but worldly man who possessed a wealth of wisdom from his years of experience as a businessman.
 * Subrask Swylythe: Reviled and seen as a necessary evil within the city, Surbrask gained his wealth as a moneylender who benefited from the misfortune of others.
 * Yustable Tarthree: Known as friend to just about everyone he met, this jovial merchant had no primary financial interest, but rather made a few gold here and a small fortune there.

Duties
While the Council had an unlimited amount of time to debate city issues and potential laws while in public session, they would in fact come to most of their decisions while discussing them in private. Following these talks, they would call a rather brief public debate and take a vote as per their closed-doors talks. They would regularly make deals with one another, so as not to lose any standing or wealth while governing the city.

History
Shortly after the war of 1370 DR, Lady Mayor Amber Lynn Thoden made a decree that the council would be reformed on an emergency basis. The city's merchant houses, which had significantly grown in power, threatened to revolt against the city government. She removed the Paerindon, Quelemter, Raphiel, and Zorden families from their seats on the council and granted them to four Ravenian merchant lords, who ironically were not members of the officially recognized merchant houses.