Canterspire Circle
Overview
The Canterspire Circle (or more correctly, Circles) are located on the slopes of the Operus mountains in the Urizen territory of Morrow. Custodianship of the Circle grants an Imperial title; a seat on the Imperial Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable weirwood
The Resource
The lower slopes of Canterspire are marked by strange circles of weirwood that grow rapidly despite the barren soil. All the trees grow in this circular pattern; despite a great deal of research no rational explanation has ever been found for this phenomenon. There is some agreement that whatever it is, it is not magic - even allowing for the fact that magic rarely has any effect on living weirwood, there is no sign of any lingering enchantment or aura that can be discerned by the magicians who study the groves. The workers are careful never to "break" a circle - they never take more than half the trees in a given ring at any time. This is not mere superstition. In the early days of Imperial control, three-quarters of the trees in one of the rings were felled by mistake, and no new weirwood trees have grown in that area since. Indeed, nothing has grown in the vicinity to this day - the half-dozen ancient trees still standing are mute sentinels over a roughly circular area of empty, open soil.
Between the trees, little grows save grass and a particularly rich snow-white heather. Some farmers graze small herds of sheep and goats between the rings, harvesting the heather to make fine yellow dyes for which the region is justly famous. The hills around the weirwood trees are notable because of the rich groves of beggarwood that prosper there - providing a dark ring of faster-growing trees that completely encircles the Canterspire Circle. Several of the local spires have the rights to one grove or another, and this enhances their reputation for quality cloth and leather.
According to local stories, when Urizen joined the Empire the spire responsible for the weirwood groves enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to cede their control to the Empire. The Spire of Golden Wood arranged a very equitable deal with the assistance of Emperor Giovanni and to this day control some of the richest farms and beggarwood groves in Urizen, in return for which they offer magical support and hospitality to the workers who maintain and harvest the Canterspire Circle. They are known more for their prosperity than for their magic, although the consummate excellence with which they prepare their signature yellow dyes, and their mastery of herb lore, are well known and well respected.
The Bourse Seat
Responsibilities
The Seat has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of weirwood which is theirs to do with as they will. If the Canterspire Circle were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Seat to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the Canterspire Circle, the Seat would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
Seat on the Bourse
Custodianship of the Canterspire Circle comes with a seat on the Imperial Bourse. For the most part, this Seat comes with no additional responsibilities. It is an Imperial title that grants the right to participate on the rare occasion when the Imperial Bourse as a body is required to make a decision.
Bounty of weirwood
The Seat has control of a source of weirwood and receives Bourse certificates to represent that control. They can dispense this resource as they choose. Production is 22 Imperial wains of weirwood every season.
Appointment
As with all weirwood Bourse seats, the holder of the title is determined during the Winter Solstice. As an Imperial seat, any Imperial citizen may participate in the auction and hold the title.
Custodianship of the Canterspire Circle is retained for a year, or until the citizen holding the seat dies, or steps down. An Imperial Bourse seat cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod.
| Summit | Nation | Elected | Bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Solstice 385YE | Wintermark | Bron Mordssen | 405 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 384YE | Highguard | Issachar | 396 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 383YE | The League | Danica Lidija van Temeschwar | 400 thrones |
| Summer Solstice 383YE | Wintermark | Bron Mordssen | 160 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 382YE | Wintermark | Balder | 265 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 381YE | Wintermark | Bron Mordssen | 280 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 380YE | Rada Prochnost | 50 thrones | |
| Winter Solstice 379YE | The League | Tybalt von Ungeist | 385 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 378YE | Falko von Temeschwar | 265 thrones | |
| Winter Solstice 377YE | The League | Antoni Krol | 90 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 376YE | The Marches | Thomas Shanks | 11 thrones 2 crowns 5 rings |
Recent Elections
This title is due to be vacated just before the next summit; it will be reelected at the next summit. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold the title of Custodian of the Canterspire Circle in the years since Empress Britta died.