Elder
With age comes wisdom. But also traditionalism, pains in the back and a rather rude attitude.One of the many things Hummish are proud of is the fact that every having a chance at reaching the very top. In their own specific way, at least. All you have to do for it is to be one of the oldest people in your clan, and thus join the clan's Twelve Elders. Easy, right? Now, you would think a bunch of old people would not be much of a modern or flexible way to govern. And you would be right - it is not. It works well for Hummish though, given that all members of a clan are blood relatives and the general mentality of bending the world to their will rather than appeasing it.
Appointment
Each clan keeps track of all birth and deaths related to its members, albeit with some inevitable level of delay. So when one of Twelve Elders dies, a message is sent to the next oldest person. Well, next oldest person of the same sex actually. An interesting quirk of the Hummish traditions is that Twelve Elders must always consist of six men and six women, to better represent the interests of the clan as a whole.
Keep in mind, the apointee elder is usually pretty old and might live quite far away. In the past it caused considerable problems as messengers would learn of the prospective elder's passing when they arrived to tell them the news, and at one point that happened three times in a row. Nowadays, it is customary for the oldest few members of a clan to move towards their main residence so they would be ready to assume the role of an elder without delay.
Responsibilities
The Council of Twelve Elders is what determines the daily life of a clan. They are, in effect, its sole governing body. Usually it covers disputes between different clan members, dealing with other clans and bringing up new generations. Hummish do not like to meddle in the day-to-day life of their kin, after all. Or I should rather say they dislike anyone else meddling in their affairs.
The only ones who can overturn the elders' decision is a full-out Clan Council, where every adult man and woman is given a voice. A lot of voices means a lot of noise, and few if any decisions being made. And do not forget that each elder has a family to back them up, more often than not a large one. if anything, the Clan Council tends to be the same politics but on a much grander scale.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
The duties of an elder are, naturally, for the rest of one's life. After all, there is no one older them than in the clan. But should this unlimited power get to your head, there is one word to clear it up. Banisment. After all, you can only be an elder of a clan you are a part of. At such a ripe old age, no sane person would like to lose the bonds with their whole family over being a touch too stubborn in politics.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments