The Saoi do not rule Dra\u00edod, they are very clear on this point. The realm, like all the others, is protected and overseen by the R\u00e9ig\u2019s duly appointed Iarla and the riders chosen by them. They have ruled Dra\u00edod in centuries past however, and it was the Saoi who accepted the overlordship of the R\u00e9ig and entry into the unified Tirneach. It is from this legacy that they derive their current, nebulous, authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They say it was the Saoi who banded together millenia ago to defeat the Mad King and end his reign of terror across Tirneach. It was the Saoi who saw the dangers of absolute rule by a single mortal and decreed that Dra\u00edod would forever more be ruled by the moderating influence of a council of the learned. It was the Saoi who guided Dra\u00edod through centuries of isolation and onslaught by the Gwyllt. And it was the Saoi who saw that while no mortal may appoint themselves ruler and remain uncorrupted by the power, the Shaper can see into the hearts of mortals and choose a ruler worthy of the crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Saoi are a subset of the Riders of Dra\u00edod. They appoint their own members and, although there has been more variety in the past, currently they are all Vartach and the vast majority of them are Sunspears. They consult and cooperate with each other in the running of the realm, they work closely with the Iarla to advise on their decisions, and some say they even consult with the R\u00e9ig on their choice of Iarla. The Iarla of Dra\u00edod has almost invariably been chosen from amongst the Saoi but is formally no longer considered a member of the Assembly once so appointed. Membership of the Saoi is, to many Vartach, the greatest achievement they could aspire to and there is fierce competition within the realm to gain the attention and admiration of the council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The precise criteria for admission to the Saoi are not publicly known but it is understood that to be considered, a candidate must demonstrate great mastery and understanding of their chosen area of expertise. For the majority, this is magic and it is believed that this is the preferred art form of the council. There are Saoi however who appear to have been admitted on the basis of their martial prowess or other skills. There is undeniably a social aspect to the selection process as well and ambitious citizens of Dra\u00edod do all they can to curry favour with the existing members of the Saoi. It is also known that potential Saoi are expected to have walked the Way of Wisdom, with many new Riders undertaking the pilgrimage soon after their appointment in the hopes of attracting the approval of the Assembly. Potential Saoi are subject to a long and serious period of scrutiny and will be assessed by several existing members. It is rumoured that this process begins long before the candidate becomes aware of it (even before they become a Rider) and that the Saoi carry out secret tests and interviews upon those that have attracted their attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officially, the sole authority to appoint Riders lies with the Iarla. The Riders of Dra\u00edod form the selection pool for the Saoi however and so it is of great interest to them who gets placed in the role. It is an open secret that the Iarla consults with the Saoi on the appointment of Riders. Being granted an above-ground Riding is considered a political dead-end in Dra\u00edod. A definitive statement that the Saoi have no interest in your career or the prospect of welcoming you into their ranks. Being granted a below-ground Riding, on the other hand, is taken by many as confirmation that they are being considered for membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relatively important above-ground Ridings may, however, be granted to the most promising of the Saoi\u2019s rejects and rarely, it has become useful to induct them into the Assembly. The one current example of this practice is the Riding of Shepherd\u2019s Stand. This above-ground Riding contains the most logistically important access to Crag Oscionn and this is not the first time that its Rider has made a member of the Saoi. When it does happen, membership from above-ground Ridings is commonly seen as backhanded or begrudging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is common for Sunspears from well-placed families to be cultivated from the first appearance of their mark. Ushered into the Arcane College, tutored by the most prominent professors, recognised for their mastery, offered the opportunity to make a name for themselves, appointed to a well-admired Riding, and finally invited into the Assembly of the Saoi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once admitted, the newly made Saoi takes up their duties in the Assembly. They meet regularly with their neighbouring Saoi and with the entire Assembly once a season (by tradition the Iarla is invited to attend the Winter assembly). The Saoi are expected to take a realm-first view of the management of their Ridings, and even to consider the well-being and direction of Tirneach as a whole. There are other gatherings and ceremonies involved at other times with which the Saoi are kept busy but these are not advertised to the general populace. Although all Saoi are considered equal, extra duties and authorities accumulate to more senior members of the Assembly. It is the Saoi who have been serving the longest who most directly \u201cadvise\u201d the Iarla, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Saoi rarely need to enact their will through force. The Iarla heeds their words, of course, and the common riders know not to reject the advice of their betters. Through well chosen words in the right ears, the decisions of the Assembly filter down to guide all in the realm of Dra\u00edod. Occasionally, the Iarla might dispatch gall\u00f3glaigh to end threats on the advice of the Assembly. Or funding might be arranged for a Saoi to hire a band. There are rumours, of course, that there are a number of Clashing Swords loyal to the Saoi, who will discreetly and quietly end threats to Dra\u00edod. The Saoi, naturally, would never dream of raising armies or sending assassins. But defending Dra\u00edod is, of course, the destiny of the Clashing Swords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The typical view of the Saoi from without Dra\u00edod is one of suspicion and mistrust. They are viewed as a scheming conspiracy, usurping authority from the R\u00e9ig\u2019s duly appointed underlings. The Iarla of Dra\u00edod is sometimes looked down upon by their peers, who often see them (rightly or wrongly) as a puppet relaying messages from their handlers. Within Dra\u00edod of course, such things would not be said. The Iarla is humble, and listens to their advisors. The Saoi are wise, learned beyond all other mortals. The Saoi are compassionate, working for the good of the realm. The Saoi are dutiful, putting tradition above their personal ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the Saoi do not rule Dra\u00edod, they are very clear on this point.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Saoi do not rule Dra\u00edod, they are very clear on this point. The realm, like all the others, is protected and overseen by the R\u00e9ig\u2019s duly appointed Iarla and the riders chosen by them. They have ruled Dra\u00edod in centuries past however, and it was the Saoi who accepted the overlordship of the R\u00e9ig… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":246,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1328"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1329,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1328\/revisions\/1329"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiveoaths.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}