The Circle of Stewards
The Circle of Stewards is the chief governing and spiritual body of the Lilted Vale, a council of powerful druids, shamans, and magical caretakers who oversee the Vale’s natural and mystical well-being. They guide everything from ley line stewardship to seasonal festivals, acting under the leadership of Archdruid Lysenna Virellis. The Circle serves as both ruling cabinet and guardians of the Vale’s delicate balance.
Structure
- Archdruid: The supreme leader, embodies the Vale’s bond with the land and its ley lines. Currently Lysenna Virellis.
- Stewards: Senior advisors each charged with a domain of Vale life, e.g. Growth, Memory, Beasts, Warding. They guide policy, rituals, and respond to magical crises.
- Each Steward’s department is effectively its own living network, responsible for the health and harmony of their respective spheres — soil, stories, fauna, wards.
Culture
- Deeply animistic and respectful of all living things; view the forest, the ley lines, and even weather patterns as partners.
- Rituals are integrated into daily life — from planting chants to intricate dances performed under moonlight to weave blessings into new crops.
- See themselves as caretakers of a sacred experiment: guiding the Vale to thrive amid potent chaotic magic without corrupting it.
Members of the Vale generally defer to the Circle’s wisdom, viewing them as both protectors and the living voice of the land.
Public Agenda
- To maintain the Vale’s balance: safeguarding the ley lines, supporting sentient flora and fauna, and regulating how chaotic magic is explored.
- To foster community prosperity through magical means without tipping into arrogance or reckless power.
- Internally driven by values of stewardship and harmony; they are not expansionists, though wary of outside exploitation.
Assets
- The Heartwood Canopy: A colossal ancient tree hollowed into their primary council hall, its inner sanctum aglow with ley-light.
- Sentient plant allies and enchanted wildlife who assist in policing the borders.
History
| Year (VE) | Event |
|---|---|
| Before 0 VE | Early settlers encounter wild, untamed magic in the Vale. Elders form a council to guide and stabilize leyline energies through harmony rather than control. |
| -5 VE (approx.) | Council formalizes into the Circle of Stewards, appointing the first Archdruid to lead the Vale’s magical governance. |
| 18 VE | Localized ley surges cause spontaneous transformations among citizens. Internal rifts emerge within the Circle over ethical limits of ley experimentation. |
| 20 VE (Current Year) | The Circle maintains public order but faces growing scrutiny and pressure to revise its doctrines. Younger druids push for greater transparency and reform. |
Foreign Relations
- Mostly isolationist but known for warm, respectful diplomacy when approached in good faith.
- Trade small quantities of rare herbs, infused woods, and magical seeds, ensuring outsiders value the Vale’s uniqueness without feeling welcome to settle.
- Maintain cautious ties to Virellia, especially because of shared interests in ley line research and avoiding cross-regional arcane disasters.
Laws
- The Circle enforces unwritten but deeply honored codes:
- No harvesting sentient flora without Circle consent.
- No uncontrolled spell experimentation near ley nodes.
- Harm to sacred groves or their guardians is punishable by exile.
- Most conflicts are resolved through ritual mediation or nature’s own tests — challengers might be sent to calm a raging ley beast as proof of right.
Founding Date
-5 VE (approx.)
Type
Geopolitical, City council
Parent Organization
Notable Members
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