Dean of the First Voice Glade

Overview

The Dean of the First Voice Glade is an Imperial title created by the Imperial Senate in Autumn 382YE. The First Voice Glade School was destroyed by the Empty Hands shortly before the Winter Solstice 385YE. The Dean lost their seasonal income of herbs, but the title remained and retained its responsibilities. Shortly before the Winter Solstice 387YE, a new school was built in the glade and became an inspirational location dedicated to the teachings of the exemplar Geralt Brackensong. It currently serves as a great work supporting the herb gardens of Miaren.

Responsibilities

The Dean of the First Voice Glade is expected to uphold the musical and cultural traditions of the Navarr. These responsibilities include encouraging emerging and potential talent, ensuring Navarr musical traditions and history is honoured.

They have little in the way of administrative responsibilities to the school, but it is assumed that they will frequently lecture or run workshops, and so should be at least somewhat familiar with Navarr musical traditions and are expected to be passionate about furthering Navarr culture. If the Glade were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Dean to deal with those threats.

Appointment

The Dean of the First Voice Glade is appointed by unanimous decision of the Navarr senators. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the title may be appointed by the Senate instead.

The title can be held by a Navarr citizen. The Dean has tenure, and serves until they die or step down. They can be revoked by the General Assembly, the Navarr National Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.

First Voice Glade

There have been two schools built at First Voice Glade. The original stood in a glade in Oakways that was chosen to mark the memory of the exemplar Gerallt Brackensong, a Navarr bard who fell battling the vallorn at Return. Splitroot Striding, the Splinterspears and the Twisted Tree Tradehouse funded and built the small school at the location as part of an effort to ensure that Gerallt continued to provide a lasting legacy for future generations. The school quickly became a gathering place for members for several stridings. The music school was strictly focused on Navarr traditions, training students in the musical traditions of that nation as well as other performing arts skills such as dancing, juggling, and fire performance.

When the eternal known as Cold Sun sent its scions to attack the Empire in 385YE, one of its armies - the Empty Hands - appeared in Miaren. All the armies of Cold Sun are drawn to places of beauty, art, and culture and this brought their devastating attention down on First Voice Glade. The grand archon of the Empty Hand itself lead the force that burned the school, and while most of the staff and students made it to safety, the structure itself was torn apart. The beautiful trees and gardens that surrounded the school were transformed into cursed stone effigies, a painful symbol of the damage being done to the heart of the Navarr nation.

Then in Spring 386YE, Gerallt Brackensong was the subject of one of the first writs of consecrations issued by the Synod. Among the locations proposed for an inspirational location dedicated to his life, the ruins of First Voice Glade were preeminent. Doing so would require that the school be rebuilt however, a task that took over a year to complete. Shortly before the Winter Solstice 387YE, however, a new school building was built in First Voice Glade. Brodi Brackensong was entrusted by the General Assembly with the solemn task of consecrating the new inspirational location.

The new structure stands as a monument to the Pride Gerallt inspired in performers and storytellers across his nation. Pilgrims leave with a greater appreciation for Navarr music, and many are be inspired to celebrate and explore the songs and stories of their own people. The location also celebrates the kind of celebration of culture and beauty the Pride assembly proposed as a response to the hateful destruction of Cold Sun. While the site remains primarily of interest to the Navarr, it also serves as a place of pilgrimage for those who have seen the things they love ruined by the forces of Oblivion, providing reassurance that the beauty of the orc and human spirit can never truly be burnt away.

The twisted petrified trees created by the scions of Cold Sun still stand in the grounds of the school, but their austerity is counterbalanced by a profusion of brightly coloured flowers and new growth trees that blossom in the surrounding areas.

Opportunity : Botanical Gardens

The original First Voice Glade school had extensive botanical gardens, but they were overlooked in the rebuilding proposal presented by the civil service. With scores of visitors coming to the shrine, however, there is now a chance to recreate the gardens and take advantage of that with the school itself.

The work proposed is not insignificant, but if the gardens were restored to their former glory and a new classroom built, the Dean would resume receiving a bounty of herbs, but they would also be able to select a member of the Vallornguard to train and study with Navarr masters of herb lore. Provided the student was not already highly proficient, the skills they gained would provide them with permanent benefits, allowing them to grow more herbs each season.

This opportunity is described in the Every path you know wind of fortune presented during the Winter Solstice 387YE and remains available in its current form until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE (or until the situation changes significantly as per the opportunity rules).

Summit	Elected
Winter Solstice 382YE	Idwynn Splitroot

Recent Elections

This title is currently held by Idwynn Splitroot. This title has tenure, the occupant may hold the title until it is revoked, they die or they relinquish the position. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.