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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nzld" data-source="post: 2670706" data-attributes="member: 37407">Valeria watches coldly as the Redcap dismisses herself from the assembly. After she has departed, Valeria mutters to no one in particular, "I understand why the Order deemed it wise to bestow equal rights upon those Mercere, but the arrogance of those mundanes is infuriating."She returns her attention to the magi, almost unaware that it had wandered."Dear sodales, already our combined wisdom becomes manifest," she says, giving Gorgamesh a slight bow of acknowledgement. "Perhaps my concern has not been clear. My concern is with the governance of the covenant as an entity, and with the rights and authority of the magi in council, not with day-to-day functionality.  Indeed, noble Titus," she continues, this time acknowledging Titus, "a leader - though I use that term loosely - to handle the day-to-day affairs of the covenant may very well be a necessity. Or even, as Gorgamesh mentions, each of us may be called upon to serve individual and specific functions. I am sure that none amongst us desires our valuable time, better suited to research and study, be absorbed with constant politicking and debate, having to decide every minor issue that comes before the covenant. On the contrary, I anticipate that we would desire formal councils no more frequent than once a season. Emergency councils and informal gatherings will occur where they will, but for the day-to-day... mundane... tasks, a leader would be wise. But that leader's power, authority, and responsibilites must derive from the council, not despite it.""Nay, sodales, such a leader would be granted authority by the council to make decisions for the benefit of the covenant, but such authority should not be at the expense of his fellow magi. Outside of council, he may be called to make immediate decisions for issues that cannot wait the convenience of a council meeting, but within council that leader's vote should carry no more weight than any other member. I dare say, that perhaps it would be wiser that such a leader have a lesser voice in council, that his decisions should be subject to the greater scrutiny of his peers, but I do not advocate weakening the influence of any member of our council.""Titus," Valeria says, looking at the magus, "I do not doubt that you may best be suited for dealing with matters mundane, or even perhaps with our fellow magi and covenants of the Order, but should that aptitude dictate that your voice carry greater weight at Teneo. Are we to say that the only vision for Teneo is Titus's vision? Of course not, nor do I believe that was the intent of your words. I speak thus merely to serve a point. If you desire this responsibility and priviledge, then such can be granted by the council, but it should not be an inherent endowment."Returning her attention to all the magi, she continues: "Sodales, it is the very complexity of these issues that demand we establish a charter. Such issues cannot be decided with a mere oath of allegiance. We must, as a council, forge the charter that therein outlines the rights and authority granted to any leader figure, not the other way around. If we arbitrarily impose a leader above us, without a charter to bind him, we are effectively granting that leader the authority to draft any charter as he sees fit, and we would be subject to his whim, for if his vote outweights our own, we would be forced to bring a united front to resist him.""Titus," she says, once again addressing him directly, "your points are valid, from a particular point of view, but I see no merit in them to suggest that, within council, your vote - or that of any chosen leader - should outweigh that of any other magus. In fact, some of your words disturb me, and force me to think that your vote not only should not - but must not - outweigh our own.""You reference your strong ties with Fengheld and your understanding of their ways. This is of worth to Teneo, of course, and we undoubtedly owe a debt of gratitude to both Fengheld and Durenmar. But you futher mention your familiarity with your master Stentorius's vision for Teneo. Is there one amongst us that does not know of Fengheld's original intent for Teneo? Such plans were altered by Durenmar's involvement in this endeavor, were they not?""Sodales," Valeria stresses, "I say to you all, and let there be no confusion, that any oath we take here today will bind ourselves to each other and to Teneo first and foremost, superceding all other oaths and allegiances save that to the Code of Hermes itself. Teneo is no chapter house of Fengheld."</blockquote>

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