High Council

The High Council was the governing body of the city of Tantras in the Vast by the 14th century DR.

Organization
The High Council comprised the heads of sixteen of the local noble merchant families as well as the high priest of the temple of Torm, as it was the most influential church in the city.

In effect, the older noble houses—which had led the city for over four generations—formed alliances and voting blocs and thus decided matters as they saw fit. In 1358 DR, after the Time of Troubles, these families and their alliances were Aldimer–Mathlin–Uruthkurt, Baraedin–Mithertul–Onsil–Naskurl, and Channath–Elovear–Laranadda–Tithlin–Vandover. Another family was Ormitar; at the time, Lassalar Ormitar was both a member of the High Council and commander of the Guard.

Activities
The High Council endeavored to go unnoticed as a government and to make few restrictions on citizens. Being composed of merchant houses, it focused mainly on setting tariffs and making laws that regulated trade, and cared less about the actions of thieves' guilds and adventurers unless that impacted on mercantile interests. What people did outside business was their own affair. As a result, Tantras was a boisterous, almost lawless, wide-open city. Only the more extreme crimes and breaches of courtesy would get the Guard involved. The Guard under Lassalar Ormitar was more serious about limiting merchant freedoms in favor of law and order. The harbor was strictly policed.

However, Tantras cracked down hard on smuggling and piracy, those crimes that most affected trade, and judges were rarely lenient in these cases. Smugglers had their illicit goods confiscated and were fined to the same value, while repeat offenders were typically executed. Pirates were sentenced to death by drowning, being tied to heavy stones and dumped in the Dragon Reach. Nevertheless, Tantras did not worry overmuch about piracy unless one of its own ships was involved.

Members
The following people held positions on the Tantran High Council at one time or another:
 * Lassalar Ormitar, head of the Ormitar family and commander of the Guard (circa 1358 DR).
 * Barriltar Bhandraddon, high priest of Torm (after 1358 DR).