Keeper of the Crystal Vale
The Keeper of the Crystal Vale is a Wintermark Imperial title created following an announcement in Winter 380YE by the Civilian Commissioner. The position of Keeper is a sinecure, requiring minimal responsibility but offering a regular income of crystal mana.
Responsibilities
The Keeper has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of crystal mana from the Vale's Might in Hahnmark. If the vale were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Keeper to deal with those threats.
Powers
The Keeper of the Crystal Vale is an Imperial title that grants custodianship of a sinecure.
Bounty of Mana
The Keeper receives an income of 10 crystal mana each season.
Selection
The keeper is a Wintermark national position appointed by the Senate. Under normal circumstances it will be appointed by unanimous vote of the Wntermark senators.
Because this is a national position, the title can only be held by a Wintermark citizen.
Removal
The Keeper has tenure and serves until they die, step down or are revoked.
The Keeper can be revoked by the Wintermark national assembly, the General assembly or the Assembly of Nine.
History
The Crystal Vale was completed shortly before the 381YE Spring Equinox.
Vale's Might
The great stone pillared entrance to Vales Might is flanked by two large stone and metal braziers, each with the rune of Wealth carved upon it. These are lit during the winter months to guide hunters, traders and other lost folk back to a place of warmth and safety. Vale's Might stands near it's sister sinecure the Valley of Pride. It is located in the foot of the nearby cliffs and high hills that stand just outside the village of Woodhall.
The Wintermark hall of Hendle Hearth can been seen from the entrance to Vales Might and is a mere few minutes’ walk away. Southridge and Wood Heath lie less than a days travel away in opposite directions from the impressive entrance to this sinecure. To gain access here you must first pass the huge doors that are designed to hold fast against all save the worst of winter storms, or all but the most ferocious and determined of attackers.
Once inside, a visitor must follow the twists and turns of the passage that snakes its way down level by level, deeper and deeper into the depths. At the bottom of the passage is a final mighty door, above which is engraved the message "The ebb and flow of magic will forever match the ebb and flow of the Empire. Long live the Empire.”
The door opens into a large cavern whose walls are studded with crystals. A pool of silvery water is spread thinly across the bottom of the cavern, and all of the crystals can be seen to have grown over the decades from the water.