find what you love and let it kill you; ALL

[magnus]

— find what you love and let it kill you —

The air was humid and although their land teemed with life, it was mostly silent. Magnus wondered sometimes if, when he had dreamt of a sanctuary, he had imagined it being this quiet—this still. There were days that he went without seeing another soul; there were weeks that he spent primarily in solitude. Not that he left Tephra alone—far from it. Instead, he kept to himself, walking along the still alien border, keeping a watchful, gold-flecked gaze on the few who claim Tephra as their home. He walked with his tail flicking at his haunches, the soil crumbling beneath his hooves, the air foreign and somehow nostalgic.

Today, was different though. Today, change stirred in the air, if only slightly. They had stepped back, all for their own reasons, but they had stepped back regardless. It left him with a sole hand to steer a vessel that was still largely lost at sea; the land was safe, but it was still malleable. They were not threatened (yet), but they were without shape, without purpose, without structure. It left him itchy with concern, fidgeting with discomfort as the days passed. And when the others had slipped into the shadows, he was finally able to shape his concerns into tangible thoughts, molding them like clay so he could dissect them.

It was this drive that finally propelled him from the shadows toward the center of the land. It was this that caused him to lift his golden head and call toward the fellow residents, his voice throaty and steady. He watched as they approached, his gaze flickering over each of them equally, nodding in greeting. When enough had gathered, when he did not feel as if he was waiting for more to roll in, he started.

“Hello,” a simple enough greeting. “Offspring, Eight, and Malis have chosen to step down as formal leaders of Tephra for now.” He glanced upward, wondering if any would show, but specifically looking for Malis. She, of all of them, had seemed the most interested in staying; she had simply not wanted the formality of leadership. “Beqanna has experienced much in the last few years, and I am grateful that we found Tephra so early as a sanctuary, but the dust has settled, and I think it is time for us to begin creating this land into our vision—to work toward making this less of a temporary stop and more of a home.”

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“I still have every intention of this land being a haven, but I think it is worthwhile to create structure for those who crave it. Not only can that provide purpose, but it can provide stability and security. My proposal is simple. For now, I humbly ask to continue serving as your leader while we gain our feet together.” He knew leadership was more about serving than power, and while the other members of the council had left Tephra in his care, he was not above asking for the consent of the rest of the land. If they did not view him as fit for the role, or if they wished for another, he would not fight them.

“I would propose we create a council of three advisors to guide the future of Tephra. They would help serve as checks and balances for the leader of the land and would, with a majority vote, be able to overrule any decision made by the leader or replace Tephra’s leader entirely.” It was important to him that they realize he was not proposing a monarchy; he recognized the driving force of having a single leader, but he was not interested in creating a dictatorship. They all needed to have a voice.

“I would also propose we create ranks—but instead of individual castes, we have only one. For those who wish to serve Tephra, they could join and rise in rank through any number of activities: patrolling the borders, reaching out to newcomers, helping with diplomatic missions. In all of my years serving in the kingdoms of old, it was rare to not see crossover between army and peacemaker. I would wish for Tephra to be a place that prizes specialized talents as equally as it rewards a well-balanced approach to life. Members could focus on one side of the coin or both, they would not be penalized either way.

“That being said, we should still have leaders to direct our vision. Someone to head up guardians of Tephra, someone who could oversee defense training. Someone who would be ultimately responsible for the safety of our borders. We would also need someone to lead our diplomatic endeavors. They would help organize missions to other lands, negotiate treaties, and advise on diplomatic matters. Both leaders would be a member of the council. The third member would be an advisor of the leader’s choosing.”

It had been weeks since Magnus had spoken so much and he felt his skin crawl from the effort off it. He was not used to giving such speeches, was not pre-dispositioned to mold new lands; he was made for the iron of swords and the song of blood drawn. This was outside his realm of comfort.

Still, it was necessary.

“Other members of Tephra would assist the leader, the council members, with whichever activities called to them. They could both defend borders and go on peace missions—or simply one. For those who do not feel called to join official ranks, Tephra would remain open as a sanctuary. Our borders would remain open, and we would welcome any who needed shelter or a place to rest their head.”

He took a deep breath, the sweat building underneath his mane cooling as an autumn breeze lifted it. He was nearing the end of what he meant to say—the proposal he wanted to lay at their feet. There was only one thing left to address. “If you all agree to try this structure, I would like to begin making journeys to the other lands. I would like to determine if alliances should be made—and, if so, with who. More than that, I would like to make sure whoever is out there knows we are an open land, but not a weak one.”

Then, finally, he took a small step back, letting silence fall as he opened up the floor for discussion.

magnus

TL;DR:

* Offspring, Eight, and Malis have stepped down as leaders of Tephra
* Magnus is proposing one leader with support of a 3-tiered council. One would be the head of the "guardians" or army / defense. One would be the diplomatic head. The third would be nominated by the leader.
* He is also proposing ranks with one caste. You could gain points and promotions by typical diplomatic or army activities so no one would be limited to either [although, of course, you could do one or the other if only one suited you].
* He also wants to organize some trips to visit the other kingdoms / lands to feel them out.

I think that's it. :| If I forgot something, I'm sorry! If you have any questions or want to throw out any other ideas, feel free. My activity should be picking up more so whee!