Council of Stone
| Council of Stone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other names | The Stone Council, Voices of Oras, The Elder Ring |
| Type | Governing Body / Civic Order |
| Realm | Terasil |
| Capital | Kar-Thal |
| Alliances | Sanctuary of Echoes, Guild of Earth-Speakers, Stonewarden Orders |
The Council of Stone is the ruling body of Kar-Thal and the highest civic authority in Terasil. Composed of twelve elder Orasians chosen for their wisdom, memory-depth, and resonance with the land, the Council governs not through dominance, but through endurance, ritual, and ancestral precedent. It represents the philosophical heart of Orasian civilization, embodying the slow, deliberate will of the earth.
History
Founded in the aftermath of the Great Erosion, the Council of Stone was established to preserve continuity as the elemental balance of Adaris shifted. Initially a spiritual conclave, it formalized into a legislative and judicial body after the sealing of the Stillborn Flame Tunnels, when centralized authority became necessary to prevent future disruptions of Terasil's core. Over centuries, the Council codified the practices of earth osia and memory governance that define Orasian life today.
Structure and leadership
The Council is comprised of twelve seats:
- Six Lorewardens, drawn from the Ashlar Ring, who maintain historical, legal, and genealogical continuity.
- Six Stonewardens, representing the guardians of the city’s structure, law, and elemental stability.
At the head sits the Elder Voice, a primus among equals, who speaks only during times of crisis or when the Council must render a unanimous decree. Council seats are held until death or withdrawal, and succession is determined through a combination of ancestral records and harmonic resonance trials.
Major settlements and strongholds
- Kar-Thal – The capital and seat of Council governance.
Relations with other factions
The Council maintains formal, ritualized relations with the Minthari enclaves, particularly the cooperative forge-cities. However, tensions persist with rogue mining guilds who violate sacred stone. The Council also collaborates with spirit-bound factions like the Sanctuary of Echoes, who provide metaphysical guidance during seismic or spiritual disturbances.
Notable figures
- Elder Voice Tharûn Ghall: Current Elder Voice, known for his long silences and near-perfect memory resonance.
- Lorewarden Salhaet of the Fifth Chisel: Keeper of the city’s birth records and known interpreter of dream-stone fractures.
- Stonewarden Meraki-Ak: Veteran of the East Cavern Collapse, leads structural osia stabilization efforts.
Traditions and practices
Council meetings are conducted in full acoustic form, with each speaker tuned to resonate in harmony with the stonework of the Great Hall. Only one speaker is permitted to speak at a time, and silence between statements is strictly observed. Before key decisions, the Council consults ancestral echoes in the Catacombs of Eternity via resonance meditation.
New laws must be carved, chanted, and sealed into stone tablets placed within the Ashlar Ring. Emergency declarations require unanimous tones—no written record suffices without full harmonic alignment.
Legacy and influence
The Council of Stone has shaped not only Kar-Thal, but the entire philosophical landscape of Terasil. Its deliberative pace and ritual-bound decrees have prevented countless disasters and maintained civil harmony through centuries of elemental upheaval. Though sometimes criticized for stagnation, the Council remains a symbol of enduring order, unshaken even as realms rise and fall around it.