Council Chamber

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The Council Chamber is the central 'hub' of Athesia. Where Missions are organised, mission debriefings are given and where motions are presented and voted on. Anyone in the room is expected to be in character (IC), if they wish to have an out of character conversation (OOC) please hold it outside the council chamber.
=== The Speaker ===
The Speaker is responsible for maintaining order in the council chamber and guiding debates so they stay on course.
When speaker calls for order it is expected that people in the room will quickly quieten down or finish their conversations and pay attention.
When a motion or any issue is being debated between the whole council and a member wishes to speak, they will raise their hand and wait to be called on by the Speaker.
The Speaker will also have a Scribe to assist in updating information on the various boards around the room. For more information about the Speaker and Scribe, see Official Roles.
=== Consuls, Senators and Councillors ===
Due to motions that have already been passed, the Athesian Council has been reorganised. A Senate has been formed to rule Athesia, and 7 Consuls will be elected by the people to govern the Senate.
Player characters and NPC heads of Factions all start as senators by default (though you can opt to start as a Councillor if you wish). No special rules apply to Senators.
Consuls will be elected from the current senators by the citizenry of Athesia. Consuls have the ability to elect people to and eject people from the Senate by majority vote. If you are popular enough with the populace you may be offered the title of consul before the main game (which you may decline if you wish). Consuls are elected for one full in-game year before another election is held. Consuls have greater influence over the politics of Athesia and enjoy +2 voting influence in all spheres.
Individuals who are asked to, or choose to, stand down from the Senate can still serve Athesia as councillors and sit as part of the Athesian Council, though their voting influence will be curtailed (-2 influence in all spheres).
While some ranks confer more or less influence or special powers, all three have equal rights to speak in the Council Chamber.
=== Missions ===
Missions are organised in the council room and then players split into groups to play them. Each mission needs a GM willing to run it and 3-5 players.
Missions can be anything the players want to do, although some will be provided by the GMs and written on index cards.
Once you have gathered in a mission room the GM will give a briefing to make sure everyone understands the context surrounding the mission. At the end of the mission they will reveal the consequences and write down any appropriate notes on the mission card (creating a new one if needed).
Missions themselves use the Story System rules.
 You may also find this Mission Cheat Sheet useful.
Each region can declare two missions per weekend an 'emergency'. If this is not completed by the end of the season extra attrition will be incurred (approx. -3). Main plot / ramp plot gain an additional +2 / +1 emergency tokens.
=== Promises ===
A promise is a formal promise made by a member of the Council to a member of another faction (internal or external to the Republic). Players will always be told in advance by their GM that they are making a formal promise.
Failure to make good on a promise can result in a situation with an emergency token and / or up to 3 points of attrition. The faction itself judges what counts as fulfilling a promise.
=== Audiences ===
You can have an audience with any major NPC you wish while in the council room, assuming an appropriate GM is present to play them. They will leave the council room and re-enter wearing a new name badge.
These audiences must happen in the council room although you can huddle in a corner and ask for privacy if you feel it’s needed.
=== Voting/Motions ===
Throughout the weekend Motions are put to the council (see the schedule), these are selected from possible motions created by the SGMs.
Players and groups can discuss options for how to proceed. Proposals for how to deal with the issue are written up on the board and labelled.
Motions are marked to be resolved one at a time before missions, and when this happens the following occurs:
* Proposals are presented and an advocate speaks briefly for them.
* NPC representatives from interested factions may speak.
* During the mission, everyone votes (characters in organisations all vote for the same option as the others in their organisation), putting their name badges in the appropriate hat. Organisations must vote in blocks.
* After the mission, votes are tallied, and the results and consequences are announced.
=== Consequences ===
Most missions and motions have consequences once they are resolved. Missions should aim for 2 more positives than negatives, assuming it was broadly a success (partial successes and outright failure will obviously award less).
Possible consequences include:
* Modifying region statistics (Not Unification or Doom).
* Granting character advances.
If you gain an advance, it can be used as a personal advance, an organisation advance, or given to NPC factions as an advance. It is up to you as the player to choose.
* Explore/settle/lose a hex. You can only settle hexes that have already been explored (you cannot explore and settle in the same mission).
* Modifying character traits/flaws. (Not inherently positive or negative)
This should only happen after consultation with the player in question.
* Creating new missions. (Not inherently positive or negative)
Use unexpected positives when the players are being good but not achieving what they set out to do.  Positive and negative rewards can apply to the same mission. e.g. -1 purity because you made a deal with the vampire lord, but you gain +1 military and a personal advance, for a total mission reward of +1; the mission didn't go very well, they got less than normal, but they did achieve something.
=== Consular Inquiries ===
If you feel that other Council members have been being evil, or have betrayed Athesia, then it is the Consuls' job, as our leadership, to investigate the claim and decide appropriate punishment, if necessary.
Accusations can be brought by any Council member against any other, irrespective of status (a council member can accuse a Consul or vice versa), this will usually occur after all debriefings in the Council Chamber after the mission in which the events occurred. Only two charges will be accepted by the Inquiry, though they should cover most eventualities:
*Conduct unbecoming of a hero (being generally too evil)
*Acting against the Council (working against the council's stated goals)
The Consuls will interview witnesses, take statements, and investigate the claims (talk to the accuser, the accused, and the GM) and return with a verdict once their inquiry is complete. The Consuls can choose any punishment for the character (or none if they find the accused innocent), though some suggested punishments include:
*1 or more Infamy Marks
*Having another player assigned as your guardian for a number of missions
*Demotion from Senator to Councillor
*Ejection from the Council
Note: You will not be ejected or demoted for a first offence, and a GM will take you aside and talk things through with you before things become that serious.
If the Consuls are publicly denouncing the characters actions, the punishment should probably include infamy, but don’t be excessive.
Once the Consuls have returned their verdict, the accused has a right to appeal, in which case the entire council will vote to uphold or quash the verdict in its entirety by a show of hands.
An inquiry does not preclude story-based ramifications, either positive or negative, from a guilty or innocent verdict.