Conclave session
We do not need to like each other to meet as a Conclave, but we must respect each other if we hope to be effective. My Principle of Proportions ensures respect for other magicians is accorded in the most sublime way. Each of us will weigh the balance of our business against the Conclave's precious time using the scales of magic itself. If the price seems too high, then perhaps what you have to say is not as important to us as it is to you...
Iñes i GuerraOverview
Like the Senate and the Military Council, the Conclave conducts its official business at formal sessions, where declarations are debated and then voted on. The rules of the Conclave positively encourage magicians to pursue their goals outside the sessions so Conclave members often meet to discuss business throughout the day, but a Conclave session is the the only time that declarations can be passed.
Under normal circumstances, the Civil Service arrange one formal session of Conclave each evening during the Imperial summit. Each session follows an agenda composed of a small number of declarations. In each case, the declaration is presented, the orders debate it, and then every attending magician is invited to vote on the proposal.
Although the Prefect of the Conclave has a number of legal powers to ensure they can control the proceedings in Conclave, they don't preside over the session in the way the Speaker does in the Imperial Senate. Rather than have a chair, who can speak, the Conclave uses three principles to determine who can speak, for how long and when. These principles allow meetings to proceed in an orderly fashion according to strict rules.
Setting the Agenda
- The Conclave agenda consists of a number of declarations - submitted up to one hour before Conclave begins
- Each order has the power to raise a single declaration of any type to the agenda of every Conclave session
- Some Imperial titles have the power to raise a single declaration of a specific type each summit
The agenda for each session consists of a number of declarations submitted to the office of the Prefect of the Conclave up to one hour before each session begins. Each Conclave order has the right to submit two declarations of any kind, one at each of the two sessions that take place. Each order's declaration may only be presented by a single member of that order, chosen by the grandmaster. The grandmaster may present the declaration themselves, or give the declaration to another member of their order to submit and deliver it.
A small number of Imperial titles have the power to raise a single declaration once each summit. This declaration must be of a specific type; for example the Bursar of the Conclave can raise one Declaration of Endowment each summit, the Imperial Magus can raise one Declaration of Concord each summit. The declarations must be raised and presented by the title-holder or their proxy.
Finally, there is a single declaration each summit auctioned via the Imperial Bourse for mana crystals. The citizen who wins the title Arbiter of the Rogue Declaration is empowered to raise any one declaration to the Conclave agenda for the Saturday evening session. As with other Imperial titles, they must present the declaration themselves, or send a proxy. The mana raised from the auction is added to the font at the next summit.
Order of Business
- Each Conclave session follows a strict order of business
The order of business for each Conclave session proceeds in the following order:
- Civil service announcements
- Address by the Throne
- If the Throne has nominated a prime declaration then this is debated first
- If the Imperial Magus is raising a Declaration of Concord, using Magus' Precedence then this is next
- All other declarations in the order they were first submitted
- If the Throne has nominated a final declaration then this is debated last
- The session ends
The Civil Service will declare the official start of the Conclave Session and make any necessary announcements that are relevant to the Conclave, such as challenges to grandmasters, titles that have become unexpectedly vacant, and so on. Once the announcements are out of the way, the Prefect will declare that the Session has begun and invite the Throne to address the Conclave if they have requested to do so and are physically present.
Following any address by the Throne, the declarations are raised and resolved. The default sequence is the order in which they were submitted to the Prefect, but this can be changed. The Throne can choose to nominate one declaration as the prime declaration and one declaration as the final declaration. The prime declaration is moved to the top of the agenda and debated first, the final declaration is moved to the end of the agenda and debated last. In addition, the Imperial Magus may opt to take precedence over the normal running order, and have their Declaration of Concord debated after the prime declaration or first if there is no prime declaration. In both cases the Throne and the Magus must inform the Prefect of their wishes before the agenda closes (one hour before the session begins).
Finally, in the event that two identical declarations are raised - for example if two Declarations of Alignment are raised to declare enmity against the same eternal - the civil service will combine them. In this case, the declarations are discussed and voted on once but all members of the Conclave presenting the declaration have a chance to put their case and lead the debate. They combined declarations are resolved at the point that the first declaration submitted would have been dealt with.
In each case, the Civil Service announce the wording of the declaration and then invite the speaker to give a formal presentation of their case if they wish to do so. It costs to speak on a declaration in Conclave, so the person must pay for their time according to the Principle of Proportions (one mana for the first minute, two for the second and so on).
Once the final declaration has been resolved, the session ends and any declarations that have passed come into force. If a session ends prematurely for any reason, remaining declarations are abandoned.
Debating a Declaration
- After presented is complete, the Civil Service will allow one minute for members of the Conclave to talk among themselves before the formal debate begins
- The debate takes place over a series of rounds; each order has one opportunity to participate in each round in strict order of Precedence, from smallest to largest
- At their order's appointed turn each grandmaster may choose to nominate a single speaker, to pass, or to move to vote
- The debate ends immediately if all seven grandmasters declined to nominate or at the end of a round in which or half or more of the grandmasters moved to vote
After the presentation is complete, the Civil Service allow one minute for members of the Conclave to discuss the declaration with each other before the formal debate begins. The debate takes place in rounds; each order has one chance to speak in each round, proceeding according to the Principle of Precedence, from the smallest to the largest.
On their order's turn, a grandmaster may either choose to nominate a speaker; to pass; or to move to vote. The debate is over at the end of any round during which the Throne moved to vote, or half or more of the grandmasters moved to vote. The debate ends immediately if all seven grandmasters declined to nominate a speaker at the last point they were asked, either by passing or moving to vote.
Nominating a Speaker
- A nominated speaker must either be an Imperial citizen; an eternal with amity; or a herald of such an eternal, they do not need to be a member of the grandmaster's order
- The speaker can speak as long as they please, but must pay for each minute they speak, following the Principle of Proportions
- The speaker may not pass their time to a third party, but may use their time to grant the individual presenting the declaration a chance to respond
A grandmaster can nominate any Imperial citizen who is present to speak, they do not have to be a member of their order or even a magician. They may also nominate an eternal with amity or the herald of such an eternal. Inhabitants of the realms who do not have amity and foreigners or barbarians are not permitted to speak in Conclave during the debate and cannot be nominated.
| Total Time | Total Cost |
| 1 minute | 1 mana |
| 2 minutes | 3 mana |
| 3 minutes | 6 mana |
| 4 minutes | 10 mana |
Every nominated speaker must provide mana to the Conclave in exchange for the right to speak. Under the Principle of Proportions, the first minute costs one mana, the second minute two mana, and so on. Once nominated, a speaker may continue for as long as they can pay mana; when someone plans to talk for more than a minute it is common to provide the civil service with a pile of mana to use as they speak. Since the speaker has paid for their time, those assembled are required to let the speaker use their minute freely.
Minutes are timed using a set of minute glasses provided by the Civil Service, who are also responsible for ensuring that individuals obey the time limits. The civil servants have the legal power to remove a magician once their allotted time has expired, but this is rarely needed, Conclave magicians are positively encouraged to police themselves - by barracking any magician who attempts to carry on speaking until they pay the mana or relinquish the floor.
The speaker may not invite others to speak on their behalf, but they may use any part of their time to grant the individual presenting the declaration a chance to respond.
Passing
- A grandmaster may pass when asked to nominate, to indicate their order is forgoing the chance to speak at that point in the debate
- They will be offered another chance to nominate in subsequent rounds of the debate
- The debate ends immediately if none of the seven grandmasters have nominated a speaker at the last time they were asked
The grandmaster may choose to pass when asked to nominate a speaker. If this happens, the Civil Service will move to the next grandmaster. The order will not have a chance to speak in that round of the debate, but they can participate normally in any future rounds if the debate continues. The grandmaster will be asked to nominate a speaker when it is their turn again in the following round.
If all the grandmasters declined the opportunity to nominate a speaker the last time they were asked, either because they passed or moved to vote, then the debate ends immediately and the vote begins.
Move to Vote
- A grandmaster may move to vote when asked to nominate, to indicate their order has no further interest in debating the declaration
- They will not be offered another chance to nominate a speaker in any subsequent rounds of the debate
- The debate ends at the end of the current round if four or more of the grandmasters have moved to vote
If the grandmaster chooses to move to vote they indicate that their order is finished with the debate and wishes the vote to begin. Once this happens, the grandmaster cannot change their mind. Their order forfeits the right to nominate a speaker in any future round of the debate.
If the Throne has moved to vote or at least half of the grandmasters present have moved to vote, then the debate finishes at the end of the current round and the vote begins.
Voting
- Voting takes place immediately after the debate ends
- Every Imperial magician present is eligible to vote on a declaration
Once the debate has finished, the vote takes place. The civil service reads out the wording of the declaration again, to remind everyone what they are voting for. Every magician of the Conclave who is present has a single vote they can cast as they wish. Citizens may not act as proxies to cast the vote of other magicians in Conclave. Once the vote is complete the results are recorded and announced. The result of the vote comes into effect at the end of the session.
The exact procedure for the vote depends on the Prefect but is usually conducted by show of hands. If the vote is close, the Prefect may instruct the civil servants present to count each hand. In most cases magicians are voting either in favour of, or against the declaration. In cases where a declaration may involve multiple outcomes (especially a Declaration of Candidacy) the Civil Service may ask magicians to move to stand with their preferred candidate, with a civil servant representing the "none of the above" option.
It is rare for citizens who are not magicians to attend a Conclave session, and being a magician is a legal requirement to vote in declarations. It is common practice to assume every citizen present is a magician but magistrates will prosecute any impostors who are uncovered.
Further Reading
Core Brief
Additional Information
- Conclave vault
- Key Appointments to the Imperial Conclave