Magpies
The Manifesto
The sodality is dedicated to the acquisition, documentation and preservation of artefacts for the Empire, and the uncovering of lost Imperial history. It holds the following to be true:
- Knowledge of our past is a key to understanding our present and charting a better future
- Knowledge thrives when shared; hoarding it without good reason is unvirtuous. Research should be distributed for the benefit of all
- A virtuous and victorious Empire upholds, supports, safeguards, and rewards its researchers
The sodality therefore exists to:
- Aid and coordinate Imperial efforts to seek out lost artefacts and historical knowledge
- Support the interests of historians and artefact hunters of the Empire
- Ensure accountability, protection, work, and suitable reward for the historians and artefact hunters of the Empire
Symbol
The Magpies's symbol is a magpie perched on a stylised M.
Membership
Any Imperial citizen can join the sodality using the Mark of Fellowship ritual.
Powers
If the title of Speaker of the Magpies is vacant, then the sodality can take a vote to appoint a representative to the position.
The constitutional court identified a range of titles and powers that the Senate could grant the Magpies if they chose.
If an opportunity were identified where the sodality could be deployed, then it would be down to a vote of the members.
Speaker
The Speaker of the Magpies is an Imperial title awarded to a member of the Magpies. The Speaker is expected to be a mouthpiece for the sodality, with the responsibility to represent their sodality's views to other parts of the Empire, to recruit new members, and to advance the sodality's goals and the members' interests.
Appointment
The Speaker is selected by members of the sodality. Only a member of the sodality can present themselves for the title, and only a member of the sodality can vote in the election. The candidate who gains the most votes from the members of the sodality is elected to the title.
They can be revoked by the General Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.
| Summit | Nation | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Solstice 387YE | Navarr | Morgan Waystone Path |
| Winter Solstice 385YE | Navarr | Morgan Waystone Path |
Recent Elections
The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.
History
The Magpies had been active at Anvil, the Speaker having been created by Lizzie Stamp, as the Senator for Bregasland, during the Summer Solstice 385YE. They were recognised as a formal Imperial Sodality by the Senate at the start of Spring 387YE. The original fellowship was granted official recognition two years earlier by Senate establishment of the Speaker of the Magpies Imperial title, whose main responsibility was to serve as the representative of the Magpies as an informal gathering.
This changed in Spring 387YE; the manifesto was established as part of an administrative motion. This saw the amendment of the Speaker of the Magpies title (previously appointed by the Vigilance assembly) to be elected by the members of the sodality. At that time the first Speaker Morgan Waystone Path was still serving in the position. In summer of the same year, the civil service presented a set of potential powers for the sodality, and a number of independent entities expressed their interest in the Magpies, as detailed in the Two for joy wind of fortune.
At the first official meeting of the sodality, the Whisper Gallery declared eternal war against the Magpies until their organisation was abrogated or all the members were dead. This was apparently met with applause.
Further Reading
- Two for joy - Summer 387YE wind of fortune about the establishment of the official sodality