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The Councillors govern the Lost Cities. The Council is in charge of creating laws and determining the punishments for breaking them. They also all have relationships with the main characters and usually have hilarious nicknames as well.

Tribunals are held to find whether an elf accused of a crime is guilty or not, the outcome of which is also determined by the Council; these Tribunals tend to be what the Council is well known for.

They work in numerous buildings with their castles also serving as private offices.

Clothing and accessories[]

All of the Councillors have goblin bodyguards and wear jewel-encrusted circlets and silver capes, which are styled identically but still have somewhat of an individual appearance, which is likened to a uniform. Their outfits are very exclusive and show their important status. Sophie mentions that they make human royalty look silly and inferior.

Cache[]

Each of the Councillors swears to protect their individual cache, which holds Forgotten Secrets and their old memory, with their life.

Etiquette[]

Elves of lower status usually bow or curtsy whenever they approach a Councillor, though few Councillors demand this courtesy and some even appear uncomfortable by it. Councilors cannot marry or have children because they need to put the good of the world before love and family. Councillors are addressed as "Councillors" followed by their names.

Senior Councillors[]

There also exists the concept of a Senior Councillor; this concept implies that Councillors who are Ancients have some rights that other Councillors lack. In the first book, when Sophie is being judged to see if she is ready for Foxfire, Bronte chooses to "invoke his right as a Senior Councilor to demand a probe."[1] However, this concept is rarely brought up in the rest of the series.

Unlocked Description[]

The Council[]

The Lost Cities are governed by a Council - and while the Council's authority technically only applies to elves, its role in negotiating and enforcing treaties with other intelligent species causes the elves to see the Councillors as rulers overall. Members of the Council accept their positions not for privilege or honor or glory, but rather from a sense of obligation stemming from the fact that they believe they're uniquely qualified to lead. In Ancient times, the Council had three members, including Fallon Vacker. But as the population of the Lost Cities has grown, so has the number of Councillors. Currently, the Council is a group of twelve. And given the vital role they play, the Councilors have each been assigned a goblin bodyguard for their protection. (Other security measures have been recently added and are kept highly classified.)

Councillors' Power[]

Each Councillor has the same level of authority - though they choose a "spokesperson" from among their ranks (always a Telepath who can mentally moderate their discussions before voicing the consensus) to ensure the Council publicly present a united front. And while many decisions require a unanimous vote, some only need a majority. In cases where dissent exists, the outvoted Councillors are expected to resist further argument or disruption (though Councillor Bronte notoriously struggles with that edict).

Councillor Elections and Resignation[]

Elections are infrequent, only occurring when a Councillor either dies or chooses to resign - or in rare cases (like what happened with Fintan and the ban on Pyrokinesis) when a Councillor finds themselves no longer qualified for the position. The most common reason for resignation is a desire for a family. Councilors aren't allowed to marry or have children while serving (strong family connections could bias their decisions), and some eventually grow weary of the restriction. When a new Councillor is elected, the public first submits nominations from various members of the nobility who qualify for the consideration. The remaining Councillors then vote among themselves to determine who will join their ranks, using a network of mirrors. When the mirrors are aligned (and the vote is therefore unanimous), a beam of light refracts off their castles, bright enough to be seen anywhere in the Lost Cities.

Councillor Clothes[]

The Councillors wear extravagant gowns and jerkins, highly embellished capes, and jewel-encrusted circlets decorated with their choice of gemstone. Their circlet jewel also adorns their throne in Tribunal Hall. At times, the Councillors need to appear more unified, and in those instances, they'll wear silver cloaks and matching circlets, pull their hair back, and often keep their hoods raised, making it difficult to tell them apart. When they make their annual visit to the Point of Purity (to remind themselves where true power lies), they wear special cloak clasps shaped like glowing golden keys (which give them access to the Paragon - their transport for the journey - as well as prevent motion sickness and vertigo).

Councillor's Cache[]

All current - and previous - Councillors also possess a small crystal gadget called a cache, which is designed to store Forgotten Secrets (information deemed too disturbing or dangerous for the Councillors to keep in their memories). Each cache contains a different number of secrets, and only the possessor of the cache can access theirs (using a process that's kept highly classified).

The Council and the Rebellions[]

Recent events involving the Neverseen have cast uncertainty on the strength of the Council's power and their right to rule - as well as the appropriateness of certain past and present decisions. And while many - including certain Councillors- have come to agree that changes must be made, it's vital for the safety and survival of the Lost Cities and that the Council's authority remains supreme. Therefore, every effort must be made to halt this rebellion before the world dissolves into war and chaos.

Current Councillors[]

Alina[]

Alina was previously the principal of Foxfire before being elected to the Council in Everblaze to replace Councilor Kenric. Alina is a Beguiler, an ability that enables an elf to persuade another with their voice. She dated Alden Vacker and tried to break up his wedding with Della when their relationship ended. Despite being supportive when she was Sophie's principal, after being elected, Alina has openly sided against Sophie many times.

Bronte[]

Bronte is an Inflictor in charge of mentoring Sophie in her ability at Foxfire, being the only other elf capable of inflicting. Infictors can inflict emotions to harm someone (and in Sophie's case heal minds). He is the only Ancient member of the Council; as such, his ears are pointed. In the first few books, he is almost always in a bad mood and seems to despise Sophie. Sophie mentions that he is her least favorite Councillor. After the majority of the Council turns against Sophie, however, he changes sides and becomes one of the few that support her. He started to change sides when Sophie and Councillor Kenric encountered a bizarre reaction after she inflicted positive emotion on him. Though Sophie suspected that he was her biological father, this is disproved in Legacy.

Clarette[]

Clarette has shoulder length black hair and bronze skin. She is a very powerful Polyglot - the most powerful one in the Elvin world - as well as a Flasher. She can use her talent to command animals and can mimic languages and accents. She was the Councillor that controlled the Arthropleura that injured and almost killed Fitz in Neverseen. Clarette has never voiced support for Sophie.

Darek[]

As of Lodestar, he has the most powerful telekinesis out of all the Councilors. He demonstrates this when he lifts a tarp on the revealing of the remade Foxfire, to show the elves that skills are just as important as abilities. Darek has never openly voiced his support for Sophie. His ability is a Phaser which means he can walk through solid objects.

Emery[]

Emery has shoulder-length black hair, dark brown skin, and sapphire blue eyes. He is a Telepath and mediates the Councilors' communications telepathically during a tribunal. He presents the Council's united front and is said to have an air of power that demands attention without even trying. He has mixed feelings about Sophie.

Liora[]

Liora has bronze skin and is a Conjurer, as mentioned in Everblaze. Conjurers teleport objects to them by snapping their fingers. She conjured the stellarscopes in Everblaze for Sophie and Fitz to use to catch the quintessence to stop the Everblaze. She also conjured the meals during the summit at Lumenaria. She is the second longest-serving Councilor, after Bronte.

Noland[]

Noland has black hair that he wears in a ponytail and very thick, sculpted eyebrows. He is a Vociferator, an elf that can manipulate their voice; because of this, he tends to speak very quietly when not using his Ability.

Oralie[]

Oralie has blond hair and looks like a fairy princess. She is an Empath, and often sides with Sophie. Empaths can decipher emotions. She loved Kenric and was devastated after his death in Everblaze. Because of her relationship with Kenric, Fallon advised her strongly to resign, which she declined. She was one of the Councilors who were firmly against Sophie wearing the ability restricting circlet and she is always on Sophie's side. In Neverseen, Oralie gives Kenric's cache to Sophie. She then continues to help Sophie with various different things. In Legacy, it is revealed that Oralie is Sophie's biological mother. At the end of Legacy, Oralie offers to open her cache, as she believes it contains a Forgotten Secret that might save Keefe.  In Unlocked it is revealed in the Forgotten Secret the existence of a new concept called "Elysian", that Kenric knew Oralie was part of Project Moonlark, and that Kenric and Oralie were in love.

Ramira[]

She has short, natural black hair and dark brown skin. She is one of Wylie Endal's Councilor contacts for Team Valiant and she is a Vanisher. Vanishers can use light to turn invisible. Her cache holds the most secrets.

Terik[]

Terik has wavy brown hair and cobalt blue eyes. He is one of Sophie’s supporters and helps her the most in Exile and Everblaze. Terik is a Descryer, a special ability that allows him to sense potential. He finds it a burden to be the only Descryer because parents always ask him to descry their children, who may have a lower chance of living up to their potential when they know what it is. In Lodestar, his leg was injured during the collapse of Lumenaria, then later amputated and replaced with a mechanical limb.

Velia[]

Velia has long, straight black hair and blue eyes. She is good with maps and not the type to ask questions, as mentioned by Councilor Oralie. She is a Guster, meaning that she can control the wind.

Zarina[]

Zarina has bronze skin and long white-blond hair, usually kept in a singular braid. She is a Charger, which allows her to control electricity. In Neverseen, she accidentally created the explosion that almost killed Fitz. She considered resignation not long after being elected. No one except her fellow Councillors know why.

Jeweled Circlets[]

Each Councillor has a different-colored jewel in their circlet[2] that matches their throne.[3]They, however, wear matching circlets when they want to look unified.[4] For example, they wore diamond-encrusted circlets to Kenric's funeral.[5]

Known Previous Councillors[]

Kenric[]

Kenric was a stocky redhead with a large, toothy smile. He was clearly in love with Oralie, who also had affection for him. He died in Everblaze at Fintan's healing while saving Sophie, Fitz, Alden, Tiergan, Terik, and Oralie as Everblaze consumed the building. At the beginning of Neverseen, Oralie gives Sophie his cache, as instructed before he dies. His full name was Kenric Elgar Fathdon.

Fintan[]

Resigned from the Council after Pyrokinetics were forbidden, because five elves died from a Pyrokinesis training session and became one of the Neverseen's leaders before he was captured.

Fallon Vacker[]

Alvar, Fitz, and Biana's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, and part of the first three original Councillors. He resigned to get married.

Rumors and Controversies[]

Council and the Other Elves[]

“The Council understands nothing. They sit in their crystal castles, basking in their brilliance, while the Emissaries are out there doing their dirty work. They have no concept of what it's like for the rest of us, and worse yet, they don't care. All they are about is keeping the status quo.”

Jurek, in Book 3: Everblaze, page(s) 53, Paperback

Rebel movements[]

Despite the many centuries of the Council's rule, the ongoing and increasingly open warfare against the Neverseen has demonstrated the perhaps increasing distain for the Council harboured by those it is meant to serve. Throughout the series so far, the Council is frequently found at fault with the decisions of numerous individuals and both the Black Swan and the Neverseen were founded as resistance movements founded on the belief that the Councillors rulings were failing.

The Neverseen[]

Though their glaring faults are obvious, various members of the Neverseen were shown to have legitimate grievances with the system upheld by the Council that motivated them against the elvin government. In their initial efforts at open rebellion, a leading member of the organisation was Fintan Pyren, who was a former member of the Council forced to step down after the banning of Pyrokenetics. Such a ban left Fintan and others able to control fire being forced to claim they were Talentless, which apparently left their mental stability at risk. This same fate befell the young Brant, forcing him to feign being Talentless and causing his engagement with Jolie Ruewen to be deemed a bad match. Believing he had been denied his rightful place in society, Brant, who was secretly mentored in his ability by Fintan, therefore joined the Neverseen, inadvertently leading to the death of Jolie. Lady Gisela, meanwhile, spoke of the rulers of her world with nothing short of distain and called it out for how it had hidden what she claimed was a "tremendous source of power and then tried to bury any proof of its existence." It is implied that this belief led to Gisela joining the Neverseen, as she claimed her aim was to find the power source and take back what the elves had been denied.

Another Neverseen operative that expressed a negative attitude towards the Council was Glimmer, who's true name was Rayni Aria. Rayni was the daughter of a couple that the Council had banished after they were found guilty of hiding the fact that their union was a bad match. Rayni believed her father, who was a matchmaker, should have been thanked by the Council for exposing the glaring flaws in the system of matchmaking, and thus had good reason to hate the Council. When she spoke about how she had been approached by Gisela and recruited to the Neverseen, Rayni Aria said she had decided she "wanted to help get rid of a broken, unfair system the elves had all been stuck with for way too long because some people benefit from it and the rest are too afraid to speak out!". Though she defected from the Neverseen, Rayni still showed a distain for them and also felt that the Council would still turn on the Black Swan before the conflict was over, although this belief has yet to be proven correct. Trix, a Guster and lover to the late Umber, also said once that Sophie Foster had no idea what the Council was capable of, implying that he had his own grievances.

Black Swan[]
See Also[]
Characters
Main Characters

Teenagers
Sophie Elizabeth FosterFitzroy Avery VackerBiana Amberly VackerDexter Alvin DizzneeMarella Adene RedekKeefe SencenTam Dai SongLinh Hai SongWylie Zoran Endal

Adults
Known Black Swan Members
Mr. ForkleBlurCoiffeDella Adara VackerGraniteJuline Kalea DizzneeLivvyLurMagnate Leto KerlofMityaPrentice EndalSiorSir Tiergan Andrin AlenefarSir AstinSquallTimkin HeksTinkerWraithJolie Lucine Ruewen

Known Neverseen Members
Alvar Soren Vacker/The Boy Who DisappearedBrantFintan PyrenGethenLady Gisela Minette SencenRuy Tonio IgnisTrixUmberVespera Neci Folend

Important Bodyguards
SandorGrizelFloriRomhildaBotrosNubitiTarina

Other
Alden Dedrick VackerElwin HeslegeLady Cadence TalleLord Cassius SencenEdaline Kelia RuewenGrady Howell Ruewen

Secondary Characters

Elves (Category)
Councillors (current and former)
Councillor AlinaCouncillor BronteCouncillor ClaretteCouncillor DarekCouncillor EmeryCouncillor LioraCouncillor NolandCouncillor OralieCouncillor RamiraCouncillor TerikCouncillor VeliaCouncillor ZarinaCouncillor Kenric Elgar FathdonFintan PyrenFallon Vacker

Teenagers
Stina Destry HeksJensi BabblosMaruca ChebotaDempseyValinLexRexBexDamel KafutaShayda AdelTrellaAudricHuxley

Mentors
Sir AstinLady GalvinLady IskraLady BelvaSir ConleyLady AlexineSir DonwellSir RosingsSir HardingLady VedaLady AnwenSir BeckettSir CatonLady DaraLady EveraSir FaxonLady NissaLady ZillahLady SanjaCoach RohanaCoach BoraCoach Wilda

Other
Benesh VackerKesler DizzneeBrisaCaprise RedekCeriCyrah EndalHarlin VackerJujiJurekMarella's DadLuzia VackerMai SongNorene VackerOllie HeksOrem VackerQuan SongQuinlin SondenSilla HeksLady Pemberley

Humans (Category)
Foster (Freeman) Family
Amy Rose FosterEmma Iris FosterWilliam David FosterConnor, Kate, and Natalie Freeman
Other
Mr. SweeneyBethany LopezEleanor WrightEthan Benedict Wright IIGarwin Chang

Goblins (Category)
Queen HyldaBrielleBunheadCadocCouncillors' BodyguardsLefty and RightyLoviseWoltzer

Ogres (Category)
King DimitarQueen GundulaCadfael

Gnomes (Category)
CallaBarth the ReaperBrierLurMityaSiorGoraGerdaYuriAmisi

Dwarves (Category)
King EnkiErmeteIrjaKrikorKunYegor

Trolls (Category)
Empress Pernille

Animal Characters

BullhornIggyMartySprocketWatsonThe VerminionVerdiSilvenyGreyfellLunaWynnGildieLinh's Murcat

Stuffed Animals
Bun-BunElla the ElephantHarry the JackalopeLady SassyfurMr. SnugglesMrs. StinkbottomStinky the Stegosaurus

References[]

  1. Councillor Bronte, in Book 1: Keeper of the Lost Cities, page 67, Google Books
  2. Exile, page 107
  3. Flashback, page 21
  4. Unlocked, page 230
  5. Everblaze, page 338
  6. Neverseen, page 317
  7. Everblaze, page 108
  8. Everblaze, page 56
  9. Exile, page 422
  10. Flashback, page 45
  11. Keeper of the Lost Cities, page 303
  12. Unlocked, page 581
  13. Legacy, page 641
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