The Council
The Council is the main ruling government in Aurora. It oversees the affairs of the Variants living in Citadel, as well as the ongoing study of humans and their souls. Despite, in theory, representing all of the Variants, they have limited jurisdiction over Azure Town, due to the Azurites' secrecy and insistence on operating independently.
Structure
The Council is made up of eight Councillors and five High Councillors. The five High Councillors make up The House, a decision-making entity whose hierarchy mirrors the structure of a regular Variant family.
The eight Councillors are considered the voice of the community, keeping up with the people's needs and affairs as well as the professional concerns of the various roles. Jobs include assessing what resources certain groups of people might need, assigning roles to the Kinderwuhns and determining next steps regarding the study of humans. They are responsible for bringing the people's concerns to the High Councillors and requesting the distribution of resources to various causes.
It is the House which makes the final decision on how resources and help will be allocated. Individual High Councillors will also sometimes chair regular Council meetings, depending on the importance of the topic at hand. On matters of crime and punishment, a High Councillor will handpick two Councillors to form a tribunal that will judge on the matter. Particularly serious crimes are personally judged by the House.
Culture
The House is an incredibly private and close-knit inner circle. They see themselves not just as a family, but as "golden blood" - people whose bond is strengthened by a higher purpose and can go through flames. Their House titles are only used with each other - others only refer to them as "High Councillor".
The Councillors' interactions are mostly collaborative, often forming pairs or groups to investigate issues or oversee projects. Their responsibilities are not static, but often shared and passed on to each other over time. However, it is not uncommon for individual Councillors to have causes and initiatives that they champion.
An interesting set up for government! I like how collaborative it is. How does someone a member of the council? Or the high council?
Sorry for replying so late! I'm still ironing out the details on all this in my mind, but I believe to be appointed as a High Councillor a Councillor would need to have lead several successful initiatives and shown excellent leadership and problem-solving skills, via being involved in things such as chairing meetings and settling disputes. Being picked for tribunals also helps, as it implies a level of trust bestowed upon them by a High Councillor, bringing them that bit closer into the inner circle. I hope this answered your question!