High Spirit Council
Like the Greek pantheon of gods, this is the organized class of High Spirits. It is led by the Sun Spirit, who makes the final decisions concerning problems brought up by the other members of the Council. A High Spirit can send a representative in their place, though that is frowned upon by the Sun Spirit. The Council does not meet all that often, as previous meetings and set Laws generally keep the High Spirits in line and allow them to do their job without supervision.
It's kinda both a religious organization and government. The High Spirits play such an important role in the world--because they're gods--that the two are basically the same.
Structure
The High Spirit Council is separated into three major tiers: sky, land, and other. Those in sky hold the most power and authority, then land spirits, then the others. Members of each level have differing levels of power within their class. For example, the sky spirits are made up of the Sun, Moon, and Stars Spirits, but the Sun Spirit holds more authority than the other two.
The Sun Spirit leads the Council. When he calls it to session, every High Spirit is required to attend (or at least send a representative). He gets to make the final decision about matters brought up, and if he wills it, his word is Law.
The other sky spirits (Moon and Stars Spirits) are supposed to act as the Sun Spirit's advisors but they're both really bad at that, though for different reasons. Their job is also to bring up problems and concerns regarding their respective realms.
Next are the land spirits, including the Grass, Mountain (deceased), Swamp, and Badlands (exiled) Spirits, of which there are only two active members, one of which hardly bothers to send a representative any more (Swamp Spirit). Their job is to bring up concerns regarding their realms, and they all get a vote on what they think should be the Sun Spirit's decision. The Grass Spirit, despite their tendency towards bending rules, is actually quite helpful in this regard, bringing up topics to discuss and proposing solutions or at least theories--they're one of the few who actively engages in Council activities.
Finally, the others. Those that don't quite . . . fit. They include the Storm, Dreams, and River Spirits, though the Dreams Spirit's position is merely honorary as they do not have a physical nor spiritual form. (As I said, these spirits don't always follow the rules.) Their jobs are to only discuss the topics brought up by the superior High Spirits, give their opinions, but they do get a vote.
High Spirits of all three tiers can send a representative in their place, which can be any servant spirit of theirs. Their representative must have enough sapience to think as an individual, and enough loyalty to their master and legitimacy as a diplomat to be trusted by the Council (aka the Sun Spirit). The Swamp Spirit infamously sends a random creature from their marshes to the Council, who has to be sent back and a new, smarter servant found. The Grass Spirit occasionally sends their main servant, Buffalo Woman, who holds the respect of many High Spirits, both servants and masters.
Public Agenda
The Council rules the world, keeping it in balance both physically and spiritually. It is not an easy job and if it could show, the Sun Spirit would have many gray hairs from the stress of leading it.
Assets
They're the gods of this world. They every resource both on and above land at hand. (The issue is deciding how to use said resources.)
They also have the support of the grassland tribes, who accept the Council as their gods and worship them as they ask, with dances and prayers and the occasional tribute.
History
In the Lawless Cycle, there were no Laws and no Council, and the High Spirits just ran their realms however they saw fit (or not at all). It was only when the Sun Spirit became more aware of the happenings in the physical world that he decided to take action, make Laws, bring the other High Spirits into a Council, and begin a new age, this time while taking an active role in managing the balance between worlds and structuring the passage between them.
The Season Treaty was the Council's first major decision made.
Territories
Each High Spirit has a different realm, with different powers connected to that realm. For example, the Sun Spirit's realm is the day sky, and he controls the sun. Because the sun plays such an important role in physical life, he has a great deal of influence over the lands as well. The Storm Spirit's realm, in contrast, is the air between sky and land, where he can cook up storms and stretch clouds out in the wind to spread rain. Where his clouds go is often determined by the Sun Spirit, and often asked for by the Grass Spirit. The River Spirit is just one body of water, but stretches from the frozen peaks of the western mountains all the way to the eastern shore, with smaller rivers and streams splitting off from her main body to spread through other regions of the grasslands.
The realms of the High Spirits can all be connected and interwoven, which is why managing the world is a team effort and can often result in red-faced screaming matches because how mature are gods anyway?
Military
Each High Spirit has millions of smaller spirits at their command, all performing their wills at whatever role they're assigned. (For example, the Grass Spirit has servants scurrying all throughout the grasslands carrying messages, eavesdropping on important conversations, and sharing news or spreading rumors.) If it were necessary, perhaps an army of servants could be gathered. Though, considering the current Laws of the world, such an event is unlikely.
Cosmological Views
The Great Spirit created this world, and every creature worshiped them. Then the Great Spirit split into smaller gods, their power divided among the sky and land, given to certain individuals to rule over the different aspects of the worlds. Because the Great Spirit is gone, grassland tribes now worship the strongest pieces of them.
Ethics
A common theme in the Council (and the religion in the grasslands) is balance. Balance in yourself, balance in the world, balance in connections with others. Everything is in constant motion, always changing, and balance means learning how to adjust and prepare and face new challenges with grace and trust that it will be okay. Balance can be achieved by working with others.
Worship
Grassland tribes show their respect to the High Spirits primarily through dances designed to honor specific spirits and prayers of gratitude. It's said there's a thousand prayers for every action in life, from dressing to hunting to praying itself. Though it isn't expected of worshipers to pray during every moment of the day, it has been proven that the more sincere prayers given, the more likely a High Spirit will answer them.
Dances are even more powerful than prayers, some say, because it connects both body and spirit to the High Spirits and each other. This is seen in spirit binding as well.
Priesthood
Shamans, through prayer and meditation, can connect at least partially to the spiritual world and communicate with spirits. In the physical world, they can recognize spiritual touches, signs, warnings, greetings, made by spirits. In bands, it's just as important to have a shaman as it is a chieftain/chieftess.
Most shamans also work as medicine men and healers.
Granted Divine Powers
Worshipers of the High Spirits are promised help in their lives, both small and large, if they worship enough to be noticed by a High Spirit.
Spirit binding came from teachings of a High Spirit. Medicine was taught to humans, including herb medicine, prayers, and spirit healing.
Founding Date
400-404
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Democracy, Parliamentary
Economic System
Barter system
Legislative Body
The actual High Spirit Council comes up with rules.
Judicial Body
The servants of the High Spirits generally carry out the rules, teach them to the grassland tribes and recruit them if necessary to spread to other humans.
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Location
Controlled Territories
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