to whom vos and mul Girthak reports,
might *not* be the only group of shakira trying
to control Mythal and all of Arcana.
I can imagine there being more than one such group,
each trying to maintain secrecy while trying to rule,
to destroy/absorb other such groups, and maybe do
other things, all at the same time.
It is different to maintain secrecy while taking actions.
Each action taken, risks exposure.
And, of course, any exposure risks destruction.
Such a group must watch all Shakira coming of age,
lest they form a rival group!
HTM
brnicholas wrote:My speculation is that the Group of 12 is a group of caste lords conspiring against their fellow caste lords. Their goal being to ensure that the political policies they believe are right are followed. They manage to hide because they are caste lords and have near absolute authority over their clans. There is nothing explicit but I read this statement that vos Hoven's dishonorable discharge would result in "the sort of disgrace no shakira caste lord would tolerate in a member of his clan" (Hell's Gate, Chapter 20) in combination with mul Gurthak's threat to make vos Hoven commit suicide as implying that a caste lord can order member of his clan to suicide. The members of the Group of 12 having that type of power over some Shakira is also implied by the fact that mul Gurthak was trained from childhood for his role.
NicholasLouis R wrote:But what were they conspiring for, or against? Are they selected by, and from the caste lords? If so, how do they ensure that nobody who might spill the beans becomes a caste lord? If not, how do they manage to hide from the 100 or so most powerful men in Mythal? Especially when they're busy squirreling away WMD those lords have agreed to destroy? The name itself creates echos of Venice's Council of Ten, but, while the membership was secret, the existence of the Council itself was not. Mythal is clearly a lot more complex that it looks.
...snipped...