Exalt

The Exalt of Eliond is considered to be an upstanding pillar of the community. Pursuants of the position are often active in political circles, frequently performing charitable acts to win over the appeal of the masses. These pursuants often hold, or held, some form of political office in the public eye.

The following requirements must be met before an individual can be considered for the role of Exalt:

• The individual must be an Elondian landowner
• The individual must have performed some great deed, or deeds, of service to the nation of Eliond
• There are no formal requirements for this deed, but both military prowess & administrative achievements are common.
• Members of the nobility, or other notable figures, must advocate for the individual in a formal manner at the High Court.
• Advocacy is weighted by both quantity and quality, the latter of which being determined by the seniority of the advocate(s).

Upon the death or resignment of the previous Exalt, Pursuants are chosen from each of the minor provinces in Eliond. There is no formal limit to the amount of Pursuants a province can put forth; however, there is typically only a single individual chosen per province, and anywhere from three to five Pursuants chosen in Featherfall itself. Once Pursuants are chosen, they are sent to the High Court in Featherfall along with any individuals that agreed to advocate for them.

After the chosen Pursuants have arrived in the capital, a Wayward Moot is called, and the advocates of each Pursuant are tasked with delivering a supportive speech to the Courts. Pursuants rarely speak for themselves, as doing so would be considered vain. Once the last speech is concluded, the Moot adjourns its first day, at which time Pursuants convene amongst each other to engage in collaborative political talks. Typically, Pursuants who feel they are unlikely to gain traction will choose to back a more popular candidate in the hopes of forging a political alliance.

On the second day of the Moot, those Pursuants that have elected to back other candidates announce their intention to do so in a formal address to the Court. This process continues until the last former Pursuant speaks, at which point the Moot concludes once more to allow for further talks. The process repeats itself until there are no more Pursuants willing to concede. Each province then casts a vote for the Pursuant they wish to back, with an even weight among the provinces.

The Title of Exalt was first granted to Yonwin of the Tinted Coast by the High Court of Featherfall follwoing the first Underdark War. Initially a leader over the whole of the Peninsulan Provinces, the position's influence has retracted to encompass only the nation of Eliond.

Though the title of Exalt is now considered by most to be a secular position, there was once a time when the Exalt was heralded as the prime position of leadership in the Church of Aquila. The Exalt is still revered by Aquilan worshippers, but the title is considered strictly mortal, with little to no influence over the inner-workings of the Aquilan priesthood.