Taishin

The Taishin, or the council of guilds, form the ruling body of Lossand. It is composed of eight members who represent the eight Professions of Lossand. A member of the Taishin Council is known by the singular "Taisha." Most of the Profession Guilds have many "sub-professions," such as the Draft of Artisans which represents professions such as traditional painting, as well as disparate professions like carpentry, cobblery, and medicine. 
== The Council ==
Each Taisha's title is preceded by "Lord" or "Lady" (as gender dictates), and the current leader of the Taishin Council also bears the honorific "High." The current leader of the Taishin is The High Judge. The Taishin are composed of the following positions:
Though Nilto is referred to as the "Lord Beggar", he is not an official member of the Taishin and he has no vote; but is as influential as any of the other Taishin because of his activities on behalf of the professionless poor and working class.
The Taishin meet in the Meeting Chamber, located in the Hall of Judgement, a triangular chamber with each Taisha on a raised dias along the back wall and seating for Kelzin and other parties along the other two walls and the entranceway directly across from the Taishin (at the "peak"). A steward logs in all parties and announces those who will address the Council. New parties may only be announced when the floor to address the Taishin has been yielded.
=== History ===
Following the massacre of the Diem in the Kerla, the Taishin council met to disband the Profession of the Sand Masters. Many council members had personal reasons to want the Diem disbanded. In the first vote on the Diem all of the Taishin, with the exception of Lord Admiral Delius, voted to disband the Diem.
Acting Lord Mastrell Kenton demanded the proceeding be declared void due to an interaction of two laws of the Taishin Council charter. High Judge Heelis confirmed the laws, as quoted, but classified the vote as a preliminary decision. She further ruled that because the vote was six-to-one (with the Lord Mastrell unable to vote due to being an "acting" Lord Mastrell, not ratified by the Taishin to the position), Kenton would require a unanimous decision to overturn the prelimary vote.
Following the duel at the Diem, Kenton called for the final vote on the Diem's future. This time the Taishin Council voted unanimously to retain the Profession of Sand Masters. 
== Council Composition ==
=== The Lord Mastrell ===
	The Diem of the Sand Masters
	Leader: Lord Mastrell
	Headquarters: The Diem
	Sand Mastery
The Lord Mastrell is the Taisha in charge of the Diem and its sand masters. The current Lord Mastrell is Kenton. The Lord Mastrell's approval is required before a sand master can advance to any rank in the Diem except Acolent.
:Taisha Selection
It appears that in the absence of a Lord Mastrell, the position defaults to the most senior Mastrell in the Diem. Normally a new Lord Mastrell would be chosen by a vote of the Diem's Mastrells.
It is unknown if this process was changed in Kenton's adjustments to the Diem's charter.
:History
About a century before Praxton, the Lord Mastrell of the time started an account with then Lord Merchant Hennin. The Lord Mastrell had Hennin put the Diem's tribute money in the account, but Hennin lost the money on bad investments. Over the years the tributes, combined with the interest, grew to become an insurmountable debt. The Lords Mastrell used this debt as a lever over the Lords Merchant to blackmail them into doing their bidding until Kenton, in a fit of conscience, forgave it.
When Lord Mastrell Praxton died at the hands of Kerztian assassins, along with most of the Diem, the other Taishin voted to disband the Diem. Kenton arrived in middle of the council's meeting and interrupted, demanding that the vote be declared void, saying that he, the default acting Lord Mastrell, wasn't given enough notice before the vote. The Lady Judge reluctantly agreed that Kenton has a valid point. She said that he is indeed the acting Lord Mastrell and that he had two weeks to convince all of the Taishin to vote for the Diem.
Kenton also had a rival for the position. Drile, a demoted former-Mastrell who was a much more powerful sand master than Kenton was. Kenton challenged Drile to a duel to settle their disagreement. Drile accepted on the condition that the duel would take place before the council made their decision. Elorin, in a plot to ensure that the Diem would have a weak leader, poisoned the water they drank before the duel with KaDo. Kenton, having felt the effects before, was less affected that the more powerful Drile who did not realize he was affected by anything or how quickly he would dehydrate under those effects. Kenton asked the High Judge for the Taishin to vote on the spot, in the Diem, and she agreed. The Taishin all voted for the retention of the Diem, and Heelis ratified Kenton as the official Lord Mastrell. Afterward Kenton met with Drile, discussing the effects they felt and realized they had each blamed the other, but the real traitor must be Elorin, who proffered water in both occasions. Kenton confronted Elorin in his chambers, where Elorin confessed, and in the ensuing fight Kenton killed him.
Afterward Kenton, working with Drile at his side, led the Diem in a new direction; different from how it had been led in the past.
=== The Lady Judge ===
	The Hall of Judges, Trackts, and Scribes
	Leader: Lady Judge
	Headquarters: The Hall of Judgement
	Writing, Law, Keeping the Peace
The Lady Judge is the Taisha in charge of the Hall of Judgement. The current Lady Judge is Heelis. She is the leader of the trackts and judges of Lossand and is the final arbiter of the law.
:Taisha Selection
It is unknown how the Taisha of the Hall is selected.
:History
Because the Lady Judge is also the current head of the Taishin Council, as High Judge she presides over meetings of the Taishin.
In the final vote regarding the Diem, Heelis, citing that the vote should be impartial but that she is biased in favor the Diem, gives her vote to Ais so that the vote will be cast by somebody biased against the Diem. Ais, with the sight of Kenton stopping Sharezan to save her family in mind, puts aside her Kerztian bias against sand mastery, and votes in favor of the Diem.
=== The Lord General ===
	The Tower of Soldiers
	Leader: Lord General
	Headquarters: The Tower Garrison
	Lossand's Military
The Lord General is the Taisha in charge of the Tower. The current Lord General is Aarik. He resides at the Tower Garrison. He is the leader of the soldiers of Lossand.
:Taisha Selection
It appears that the position is hereditary.
:History
Lord General Raagent had somehow come to be under the control of Sharezan, but attempted to contact Senior Trackt Ais for aid in freeing himself from Sharezan's organization. His meeting with the Trackt was discovered and turned into a trap for them both. They escaped, but Sharezan somehow gained access to the Tower and killed him with his fear of darkness in the Tower's wine cellar.
After Raagent's death at the hands of Sharezan, Kenton asks Aarik to take his father's position and vote for the Diem. Aarik reluctantly agrees. Lord General Aarik votes for the Diem in the final vote of the Taishin.
=== The Lord Admiral ===
	The Helm of Shipowners
	Leader: The Lord Admiral
	Headquarters: Helm's Rest
	Despite the use of "Admiral," not military, but mercantile in purposeClosely related to Merchants, with whom they often feudGoverned by the Shipowners' Circle
The Lord Admiral is the Taisha at the head of the Helm. The current Lord Admiral is Lokkall. He resides at Helm's Rest. The Lord Admiral is ostensibly in charge of the shipping industry of Lossand, but in fact the position of Lord Admiral is merely a figurehead position without any actual power. In fact, it is often viewed as a punishment rather than an honor. The true leadership of the Helm belongs to its leading council, the Shipowners' Circle.
:Taisha Selection
When the Shipowners' Circle selects a new Lord Admiral all of his property and wealth becomes forfeit and he is forbidden from owning property. All he is given is: a ship when he needs it, a house to live in, and any food and drink he asks for. The Lord Admiralship is the means by which the Circle keeps power over its members, anyone who becomes too successful or does not abide by the Circle's will can be "honored" them with the position of Lord Admiral.
:History
Delius, in the initial vote on dissolving the Diem, voted to retain, but only because Lord Merchant Vey voted to dissolve. When Kenton visits him at Helm's Rest, he reassures Kenton that he will vote for the Diem in the final vote because he always votes the opposite of Vey, and the Lord Merchant, being Kerztian, will never vote in favor of the Diem.
Later, Lord Admiral Delius decides to hold a party to honor the new Lord Mastrell, ostensibly so he has an excuse to meet the Duchess Khrissalla, but really as a ploy to offend and rile the Kelzin shipowners, who hope to disband the Diem and earn favor with the A'kar—who has offered to relax embargoes that impact the profits of the Helm if the Diem is dissolved.
When Kenton was being prevented from traveling to Lraezare by dockmaster NaiMeer, Delius pulled rank on NaiMeer and commandeered a ship for himself, ostensibly to visit the Shipowners' Circle, and invited Kenton along. When they arrived at the Shipowners' Circle meeting at the house of Lokkal, its leader, the Circle was manipulated into removing Delius from the office of Lord Admiral because of his support for the Diem.
Delius immediately asked his steward for "the documents" and signed them, transferring ownership of the fleet of ships to himself. He then announced that he was commanding his ships to monopolize access to the port of Kezare for the next month. Upon hearing this the Circle went into a panic. Delius then nominated Lokkall to be the new Lord Admiral, saying that if they voted for him he would not block Kezare, they unanimously agreed, and Lokkall became the new Lord Admiral. Delius then told Lokkall that he would hold all of the possessions that he had just lost, and if he voted in favor of the Diem he would nominate a new Lord Admiral and return his possessions to him. Lokkall agreed.
In the final vote Lord Admiral Lokkall, with some prompting from Delius, voted to retain the Diem, wholeheartedly.
=== The Lord Merchant ===
	The Guild of Merchants
	Leader: Lord Merchant
	Headquarters: The Golden Market
	Moneychangers, Lenders, and Merchants
The Lord Merchant is the Taisha at the head of the Guild. The current Lord Merchant is Vey. He resides at the Golden Market of the Guild. He leads the banking industry of Lossand.
:Taisha Selection
The position of Lord Merchant goes to the member of the Guild with the most wealth. When the position changes hands the new Lord Merchant acquires all of his predecessor's wealth and debts.
:History
About a hundred years before Vey took the position, a man named Hennin was the Lord Merchant. He reached the position when two of his relatives died, leaving him enough of a fortune to become Lord Merchant. The Lord Mastrell of the time started a personal account with Hennin, who lost the entire principal on bad investments. Hennin and future Lord Merchants would put the Diem's tribute money into the account, increasing the balance, and therefore the interest.
After Hennin's rule, when the next Lord Merchant took over he discovered that a vast sum was now owed to the Diem, the original tributes and a large amount of interest. Over the years the debt has increased to the point where it became impossible to pay back.
The Lord Mastrell was willing to keep the debt secret so long as the Lord Merchant voted in concordance with the Diem. The Lady Judge's predecessor knew about the debt and ruled that the Lord Merchant must pay the debt in full when the Lord Mastrell asks for it. Instead of demanding that Vey pay the debt, Kenton forgave the debt, earning Vey's respect and causing him to vote for the Diem.
=== The Lord Farmer ===
	The Field of Farmers
	Leader: Lord Farmer
	Headquarters: The Farmers Congress
	Those who own the land (Kelzin) and those who work it
The Lord Farmer is the Taisha in charge of the Field. The current Lord Farmer is Gennel. He resides at the Farmers Congress. He leads the farming industry of Lossand, the Kelzin landowners of farmland, and oversees farming quotas.
:Taisha Selection
It is unknown how the Taisha of the Field is selected.
:History
In the initial vote, the Lord Farmer voted to dissolve the Diem. It is implied that since Lord Merchant Vey and Lord Farmer Gennel are both Kerztian, they are friends and Gennel tends to follow Vey's lead in most things
He votes in favor of the Diem in the final vote of the Taishin without explaining why he changed his mind. However, it is implied that he always listens to and follows Vey, and that this is why he voted for the Diem.
=== The Lord Artisan ===
	The Draft of Artisans
	Leader: The Lord Artisan
	Headquarters: The Artisan Central Studio
	Artisans and Craftpersons
The Lord Artisan is the Taisha in charge of the Draft. The current Lord Artisan is Rite. He resides at the Artisan Central Studio. He leads the manufactured goods industry of Lossand.
:Taisha Selection
The Lord Artisan is selected by a vote of his Professions' members.
:History
In the initial vote, the Lord Artisan voted to dissolve the Diem.
When Kenton meets with him, Rite explained that he was biased against the Diem because of the law allowing mastrell's to take goods and services without payment. After Kenton, on Khrissalla's advice, promises the services of sand masters to the Draft; and, with the help of a loan from the Guild, promises to repay the Diem's 1,500,000 lak debt; the Lord Artisan agrees to vote for the Diem.
In the final vote, Lord Artisan Rite cites that his terms for the Diem have been met and the debt repaid, and does vote to retain the Diem.
=== The Lady Mason ===
	The Company of Masons
	Leader: Lady Mason
	Headquarters: The Mason Headquarters
	Stone Masons, Builders, Miners
The Lady Mason is the Taisha in charge of the Company. The canonical name of the current Lady Mason is unknown. She resides at the Mason Headquarters. She leads the construction industry of Lossand.
:Taisha Selection
It is unknown how the Taisha of the Company is selected.
:History
In the initial vote, the Lady Mason voted to dissolve the Diem.
In the final vote of the Taishin the Lady Mason voted for the Diem, saying that it has proven that it can be beneficial and flexible. This was largely due to the incident with the construction collapse, where Kenton used his sand to save the lives of several of the Guild's workers.
== Trivia ==
* In the prose the Taisha of the Mason's guild was male and was named Selcomb. He used representatives to attend the Taishin meetings so that he would not need to leave Nor'Tallon.
== Notes ==
;Footnotes
;References
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