Magistrate

The Magistrate fills an odd role within Wake. As the speaker for the The Lord Beneath, The Magistrate is the most powerful visible representation of the government and power structure of Wake. Likewise, as the Magistrate's tenure can last for many years, the Magistrate becomes an almost grounding constant for the denizens of Wake. The Magistrate possesses the power to interpret the will of the Lord Beneath, and can adjudicate any number of situations and scenarios, working with the full weight of the Lord's power. Finally, the position is not driven through election. When a new Magistrate is needed, the Lord Beneath simply selects someone from the realm. That person simply reawakens as Magistrate... This means that people do not often kill the Magistrate, as doing so might incur the wrath of the Lord Beneath, making it a powerful position with decent stability.   Unfortunately, beyond these details, the Magistrate's life gets far worse. S/he lacks any real capacity to influence policy... When the Mandates are set, the Mandates are set. The Magistrate must strive to uphold them regardless of what has been decreed as the rules for governing life, however bizarre or absurd they may be. Indeed, this task is made doubly difficult since the Lord Beneath turns over far more rapidly than the Magistrate does, requiring a strong Magistrate to constantly shift process or policy with each new Season of Light.