The Goldring Council

The Goldring Council is the legislature of Ixinos. Its powers include:

• Enacting, repealing, or amending laws;
• Controlling all aspects of trade, diplomacy, and contact with outsiders;
• Settling all disputes between clans, and all disputes involving ownership of land (but not of other types of property);
• Selecting a new Queen when necessary.

The first "Goldring Council" was called in 426 D.R. by the great Queen Averri, as a purely advisory body. The Queen herself selected the members of the Council from among those Genifari she considered useful or wise; she could appoint or dismiss them at will. They were called the "Goldring Council" because of the plain gold circlets the members wore upon their brows while sitting at the council table (this is still practiced today). Not all Ixinian queens chose to select a Goldring Council, and by the end of the hereditary monarchy in 1245 D.R., the custom had been out of use for almost two full centuries. Queen Dotella was the last to call one, in 1051 D.R. Following the expulsion of the Turmish invaders in 1247 D.R., the Council was re-founded as the permanent ruling body of the land.

There are ten members of the Goldring Council, each receiving one vote. Some are "fixed seats", which automatically go to the holder of a particular title or office; others are elected by the clan-chieftains in a byzantine and intrigue-filled process, and one seat is reserved for election by the populace in general.

The chieftains of the three "royal clans" (Nobi, Odewera and Izeunga) are automatically members of the Council. The Silverstar (ruler of the Silver Sisterhood) also always occupies a seat. A fifth seat goes to the "High Priestess of Ixinos", who is elected by all the priestesses of the island. Her title is only an honorific, since she holds no direct authority over the clergies of other faiths, and is not necessarily even the leader of her own religion. The next four seats are filled by election of the various clan-chieftains. The process of these elections is too complex and confusing to detail here, but involves a great deal of politics, intrigue, deal-making, called-in favors, quid pro quo, blackmail, and bribery. The seats usually end up being filled by prominent "householders" of the various clans rather than by the chieftains themselves; the chieftains prefer to avoid the political spotlight and instead exert influence. The final seat is filled by popular election of all adult (female) citizens of Ixinos. All of these elections are held once every five years, with one seat being voted upon per year.

The ten current members of the Goldring Council are:

1. Hephrea Nobi (LN hf F8), age 64, chieftain of Clan Nobi;
2. Kethassi Odewera (LG hf F4), age 26, chieftain of Clan Odewera;
3. Misho Izeunga (N hf C6 (of Selûne)), age 55, chieftain of Clan Izeunga;
4. Anegè Silverstar (NG hf W20), age 56, leader of the Silver Sisterhood;
5. Janéa (NG hf C18 (of Lathea)), age 42, head of the Church of Lathea and a renowned healer;
6. Moregané Kevidoro (LN hf F9), age 37; elected
7. Ansúve zu'Heno of Clan Weréne (NG hf War10), age 49; elected
8. Gratildi Nobi (LG hf F14), age 52; elected
9. Ginnatha zu'Zamaré of Clan Zeníse (LN hf War6), age 30; elected
10. Kiani of Clan Alsani (LN hf F14), age 27; popularly elected.

The Council meets on one day per month at its chambers in the city of Sirhala. Special emergency sessions can be called at any time by the Queen or by any two Council members. At least six members, and the Queen, must be present for official business to be conducted.

The Daughters

The Daughters are a group of competent and responsible women who have been designated by various of the Council members to carry certain powers and responsibilities. The title "Daughters" is merely symbolic; they are not the actual daughters of the Council members. Any adult female citizen is eligible for this designation. Although there is no official limit on how many Daughters any one Council member can appoint, it is considered inappropriate to appoint more than four or five. A Daughter holds that designation for only so long as the Council member who appointed her remains in office; the Queen can, however, confer permanent Daughter status on any of them.

Daughters have the following powers and responsibilities:

• They enforce the law by pursuing and arresting lawbreakers;
• They must remain vigilant and see to the safety of all Ixinians wherever they go;
• One Daughter must accompany any authorized visitor to the island at all times, except for those staying in the small traders' compound near the docks;
• Daughters may attend Goldring Council meetings and have the right to speak before the Council upon being recognized.

There are, at present, about 35 Daughters on Ixinos. They can be identified by the special talisman they wear as a necklace or brooch: a circle with an opening at the bottom, and a vertical line passing from the center of the circle through the opening, and an equal distance outside the circle. This is an old symbol of Raumathari origin indicating childbirth.

Diplomacy and Alliances

Ixinos has no formal diplomatic relations with any nation or group except for the Emerald Enclave, the society of druids based on the nearby island of Ilighôn, with whom the Amazons have had an alliance for the past six centuries. As a matter of policy, the Genifari have remained as aloof as possible from the politics and doings of the rest of the Realms.

The Ixinian government does, however, have some means of communication with some of the powers of the Inner Sea lands; more so now than at any time in the past. The wandering bard, Ricara Alsani, has many powerful friends and acquaintances. These include Myrmeen Lhal, the lady Lord of Arabel in Cormyr, and Lady Merelith, the governor of Saerloon in Sembia. Anegè Silverstar corresponds with The Simbul, ruler of Aglarond, and with Tanthala of Mystra, one of the most powerful leaders of the Mystran faith in the Inner Sea lands. Ixinos also has informal means of communicating with the governments of Turmish and Impiltur.

Since its founding, Ixinos has entered into only one formal treaty: in 717, the Genifari and the Emerald Enclave ended a long period of mutual mistrust by concluding an agreement to cooperate in the defense of the three islands (Ilighôn, Wavecrest, and Ixinos) against all foes. This alliance has proven invaluable to both sides in the years since, and is still strongly in effect 655 years later.

Largely through the efforts of Ricara Alsani, the Harpers are willing to render any needed assistance to the Genifari (despite the fact that the law prohibits any citizen of Ixinos from being a member of the Harpers, or any other non-Ixinian organization apart from adventuring bands). Several major mercenary groups are considered friendly to Ixinos due to having worked alongside the She-Wolves in the past; the most notable are the Company of the Singing Dawn and the Mindulgulph Mercenary Company.