Talons, The
What is a Talon?
I sense from the look in your eyes you refer to the governing heirarchy of
The Sodality of Leigha rather than the claw of some bird of prey?
As I thought.
Talon-hood
Talon is the title given to members of
The Council of the Left Hand, the governing body of Inducers regardless of where those Wielders of Power may reside. The reach of the Talons is vast, truly global. All with the gift of Manipulation fall under the auspices of the Sodality, and ultimately the Talons.
Anyone who wishes to openly use their gift are encouraged to attend The College of Alteration where they are evaluated, educated, tested and graduated. This is not mandatory though non-graduates of the College never attain any significant power and commonly either burn away their ability or die through undisciplined overreach.
Becoming a Talon is a complex process:
- Graduation from the College is a fundamental prerequisite for any wishing to rise to Talon.
- Years of dedicated service to the arts of Manipulation are a second.
- Furthering the reach of Manipulation is a third, by such means as effective Ambassadorial service, discovery of new Induction causalities or the creation of a significant magical device.
- Sponsorship by ten or more Inducers of their Elemental School is a fourth.
Positions on the Council rarely become vacant and result in an intense series of debates held in the College, with the successful Aspirant being decided by a simple majority of votes cast in a secret ballot of eligible voters; all Inducers of the same Elemental School.
Once a Talon has been elected and confirmed they may occupy the position for life, or until they decide to move upwards if possible, step down from the role voluntarily, or die.
Talon Structure and Responsibilities
There are 15 Talons in total, with three tiers of authority and five Talons per tier.
| Tier | Rank | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | 5 Distal Talons of Earth, Air, Fire, Water or Time | Supreme Masters |
| Mid | 5 Intermediate Talons of Earth, Air, Fire, Water or Time | Grand Masters |
| Lowest | 5 Proximal Talons of Earth, Air, Fire, Water or Time | High Masters |
The Proximal Talons are the most accessible to ordinary Inducers as they have responsibility for administering the College of Alteration via the Court of Oversight.
The Intermediate Talons deal with the more involved administration of the Sodality, including allocating Towers, overseeing apprentices and coordinating ambassadors.
The topmost Distal Talons are removed from daily Sodality business, dealing with higher matters such as pure research, documenting artifacts and interpreting the musings of the Dream Catchers in the Chamber of the Blackstone. This is also the most politically active of the tiers, the apex destination of all information gathered by the organisation.
To avoid possible confusion please allow me to clarify one detail; although all 15 Talons constitute the Council of the Left Hand, the Distal Talons are officially The Left Hand of Leigha, the public face if you will, regardless of how little they are actually seen by said public.
Of these five, one is elevated further still as the Prime Master, the most powerful member of the Sodality. This position would appear a mere administrative function with such responsibilities as oversight of any and all elections, chairing debates and providing a casting vote if such is required.
Well, that is the official line, personally I believe there is far more privilege associated with the Talons than we are privy to, with the top two tiers at least. I will concede the Proximal Talons are more visible and accessible to students and the general populace, more inclined to get their 'hands dirty' in the real world shall we say.
A case in point, consider the Proximal Talon of Fire Korpa Darr for example; I have my suspicions she was a member of the Firebrand Five group of... trouble-shooters in her days of youth, and perhaps has not quite retired from that completely...
But you did not hear that from me. My bony jaws are sealed!
Title
Talon.
Organisation
Rank
The Council of the Left Hand.
Number in Existence
15
Structure
Three tiers each of five Talons.
Duration of Tenure
Life, usually.
May stand down voluntarily, be removed by the other Talons in exceptional circumstances, or die.
Type
Magical, Professional
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