Baron of Everflame

"I solemnly swear, with Minara as my witness, to serve the nation of Everflame, to rule with justice and fairness, to act in times of need, and to keep the light of the Eternal Flame inside my heart and out."

Everian Baron's oath of office

A Baron of Everflame is one of the seven rulers of Everflame, assigned to govern one of its baronies. To be elected Baron, a candidate requires a majority vote from both the current council and the barony they stand for, in theory preventing a single group from staying in power without the support of the people. In the rare case that more than four barons step down or are killed at once, the vote goes solely to the people. There is no maximum term for a baron, but they often step down before they are replaced, with a few notable exceptions. Members of any species can theoretically become barons, but bias in the electorate may prevent that. To this date, there has not been a dark dwarf or deep gnome elected to the council, though some claim this is solely because few have ever stood for election.   The Baron of Everflame City is also referred to as the Head Baron, and has the power to break tied votes and take complete military control in times of war with a majority vote from the other barons. To ensure that the Head Baron is never corrupt or evil, they require a vote of 75% or more from both the council and the people to be elected. So far, the system has worked, with no notable examples of unpopular Head Barons.   The current barons are not the most popular in history thanks to the enormous loss of life caused by the Armageddon Ritual. If nothing else, however, they have managed to rebuild Everflame from a crumbling, loose confederation into once again the 'Crown Jewel of Tilendrel'. Despite this, however, some fear that too many of the current council do not deserve to be there, possibly opening up Everflame to a takeover, foreign or otherwise.   The current Barons of Everflame are as follows:

• Eve Brieland, Head Baron of Everflame City. Daughter of a diplomat and a soldier and former civil servant, Brieland has used an effective mixture of open hands and iron fists to restore the nation's prosperity, though she faces increasing challenges from the Ra'keth Brotherhood and La Mafiosi as well as opposition to her draconian policies against them.
• Randus Guiseppe, Baron of Verdegar. Guiseppe is the oldest and longest-serving of the current council, having weathered many crises in his time. He can appear antisocial to strangers, but cares deeply about his friends and people.
• Linna Farsight, Baron of Southsea. A canny businesswoman and former privateer, Farsight has revived sea trade after the Second Arcane War, turning the region into an economic powerhouse, and her plans show no sign of stopping there.
• Vila Mandlehand, Baron of Forge's Eye. A brilliant micromanager, Mandlehand is credited with enormous increases in the productivity of Forge's Eye since her election, but has few allies and little patience for the hollow words of politics.
• Tenno, Baron of Lightarm. A mercenary veteran, Tenno has taken great steps to crack down on crime, but some suspect him of corruption and separatism.
• Mertoni Salvadore, Baron of Hallermin. A smooth-talking patron of the arts, Salvadore has historically been very popular in his home region, although he has consistently been suspected of ties to La Mafiosi.
• Lennis Baltin, Baron of Candlekeep. Young and inexperienced, Baltin is a brilliant scholar who has greatly advanced the study of Runecraft since its rediscovery, though many fear he is vulnerable to manipulation.