Council of Elders

The Council of Elders is a band of seven (some accounts say as many as ten, but seven seems to be the most referenced number in the sources available at present) anu who have been in practice around Tíortha Briste for at least ten years.

Unlike most positions of power in fír suthr society, appointment to the Council of Elders is not by election, but rather done by a series of tests, the victors of which are decided upon by the council itself. These tests only ever occur should a member of the council die, as appointment to the council is a lifetime position.

One must be certain of their desire to join the council, as retirement from it is forebidden.

The nature of those tests is unknown, though they have a reputation for being quite vigorous and extremely dangerous. More than one prospective elder has perished during the tests, according to rumour. One must be a practicing anu for at least ten years in order to qualify for testing, and even then, the council may disqualify a contestant for any reason.**

The Council of Elders is responsible for training the wyrdr brought to their sanctuary and guiding the younger anu who have garduated from their training and are practicing around the islands. Rarely does the Council of Elders interfere in the work of the anu about the islands, and serve more as tutors and counsellors, but interventions have been noted, most citing madness as the reason for doing so.

In times of strife, however, the anu turn to the Council of Elders to lead them as an army might turn to their general. The council may, in such cases, elect a single anu to the position of hierophant (replacing them within the council, as hierophant is also a life-long position, making the council eight persons strong), who acts as sort of an ard rídh for the anu. Rarely are circumstances dire enough to warrant such an election and few accounts of the fír suthr mention such happening save once, when the anu Gudbrandr was elected hierophant during the events that led to the rise of the Great Man at the end of the third epoch.

** I would gladly give my left foot to see such a contest.