The Perpetual Conclave of Desmia

The Perpetual Conclave is the administrative body that leads Orthodox Desmianism and coordinates its wars. The Conclave mediates international disputes, manages the logistics of crusades, funds solutions and investigations in major developing issues (such as plagues, famines, foreign invaders, and heresies), determines formal doctrine, and acts as a court for the most controversial religious issues. The Conclave represents priests from across Desmia to answer some of the most divisive questions of the faith: if a divisive priest is a Seruvian heretic, if Kobolds are demons or simply corrupted, and which crusade should get what funding are all matters of the Conclave.
The Conclave is a fairly small group of 29 elder priests, with the leader being the First Speaker. The other 28 are the Ecclesiastic Speakers, each representing one of the regions of Desmia. Surrounding this small group is a massive bureaucracy of advisors, accountants, inquisitors, military officers, merchants, and theologians. These bureaucrats have no votes in the great policy decisions, but are present in every meeting and decision, constantly piling on presentations, reports, and arguments to sway the Conclave to their views. These bureaucrats are often lampooned by the commonfolk as corrupt and inefficient busybodies, but without their help the Conclave would get little done. 
The current crusades being funded and managed by the Conclave are:

• The Golden Crusade, which targets the Mathari Empire from the South and fights the Western Ishkibites 
• The Amber Crusade, which targets the Mathari from the North
• The Silver Crusade, which targets the Holy State of Rukray 
• The Emerald Crusade, which is a group of conflicts across Southwest Izekra 
• The Pearl Crusade, which is the war against the raiders of Boram. Given that the war has been pushed into Boram itself and the raiders are no longer active in Desmian waters, many are debating if this should be considered complete and a new crusade for Boram proper should be called.

Structure

The Conclave proper is 29 elder priests: 28 Speakers chosen by the 28 Ecclesia, and one First Speaker - currently First Speaker Ava of Anraketh - elected by the other 28. The First Speaker acts as a first among equals whose job is to moderate debates and keep order on the Conclave floor, and the First Speaker cannot act unilaterally unless a Moment of Crisis is invoked: if demonic forces somehow prevent the Conclave from acting, the First Speaker can temporarily seize absolute control. This has never been done in the past, but has once been threatened (when servants of the Demon Lord Lily of Red infiltrated the Conclave in the 1800s). 
There are also several lifetime offices that the Conclave grants to major bureaucratic leaders. A majority vote can remove, replace, or nominate a new officeholder. 

• The Crusader-Marshals, who are the field managers for the various crusades.
• The Grand Inquisitor, who manages investigations of heresy and corruption
• The Grand Purifier, who manages research into demonic magics and knowledge
• The Conclave Treasurer, who manages the accountants of the Conclave

Founding Date

1480 ME

Type

Religious, Primacy

Leader

First Speaker Ava of Anraketh

Parent Organization

Orthodox Desmianism

Location

Ederum