Brilliant Star
Overview
The Brilliant Star is located in Tomari in the Urizen territory of Redoubt. Custodianship of the Brilliant Star grants an Imperial title; a seat on the Imperial Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable mithril.
The Brilliant Star was, historically, an Imperial seat auctioned through the Imperial Bourse. At the Summer Solstice 385YE, the Imperial Senate voted to relinquish the seat and reallocate it as an Urizen national position.
The Resource
The Brilliant Star consists of a network of tunnels beneath the peaks of Tomari, overlooking the Urizen spire of Delving. Hailed as the most beautiful of all the star shaped tunnel complexes that underlie the south-eastern mountains, the walls of the Brilliant Star gleam slightly even when there is no other light. This eerie phosphorescence attracts scholars from all over Urizen; experiments have shown that the pale light from the walls actively promotes reasoned thought, and eases the understanding of difficult theoretical principles not only in magic but in all advanced disciplines including mathematics and natural philosophy.
Unfortunately, the tunnels are also part of an active mine, and do not welcome casual visitors who wish to study in the lucent effulgence of the tunnel walls. Over the centuries, this has led to a number of unfortunate accidents, and both would-be scholars and miners alike have paid a tragic price for interference in the mine workings. On occasion these trespassers have actually interfered with the mine's production, whether accidentally through their unsanctioned presence; through the use of misplaced magic (the mines have an affinity for the realm of Day); or even through intentional interference.
According to the scholars who have studied the light, it becomes dimmer and "less conducive to thought" the less mithril ore there is in its vicinity. This means that the light is strongest in those areas where the mine workers are most active in extracting the mithril ore. On at least one occasion (during the reign of Emperor James), militant magicians have occupied lower sections of the mine and attempted to prevent workers from removing the precious ore. Unsurprisingly, this occupation led to a near riot and led to the tight security measures that persist to this day. Despite the presence of sentries and regular patrols, barely a season goes by without an ambitious student, or a wily master, sneaking past the workers to explore the Brilliant Star.
The Bourse Seat
Responsibilities
The Seat has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of mithril which is theirs to do with as they will. If the Brilliant Star 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 Brilliant Star, the Seat would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
Seat on the Bourse
Custodianship of the Brilliant Star 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 mithril
The Seat has control of a source of mithril and receives Bourse certificates to represent that control. They can dispense this resource as they choose. Production is 24 Imperial wains of mithril every season.
Appointment
As with all mithril Bourse seats, the holder of the title is determined during the Autumn Equinox. Control of the Brilliant Star is assigned to whichever Urizen candidate receives the most support from Urizen owners of mana sites. Votes are recorded in private in conjunction with the civil servants who support the Bourse.
Custodianship of the Brilliant Star 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 | Elected | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Equinox 386YE | Rhode | 339 Votes |
| Autumn Equinox 385YE | Rhode | 136 Votes |
| Autumn Equinox 384YE | Lumi | |
| Autumn Equinox 383YE | Cormack Dun | |
| Autumn Equinox 382YE | Adoraim | |
| Autumn Equinox 381YE | Tobias Shanks | |
| Autumn Equinox 380YE | Vasiliy Krenyenkov Valeskai Strascovich | |
| Autumn Equinox 379YE | Giacomo Corvinoscuro | |
| Autumn Equinox 378YE | Tobias Shanks | |
| Winter Solstice 377YE | Tobias Shanks | |
| Winter Solstice 376YE | Lukash Biessek von Temeschwar |
Recent Elections
This title is currently held by Rhode; it will be reelected at Autumn Equinox 387YE. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold the title of Custodian of the Brilliant Star in the years since Empress Britta died.