The Council of the Wise was the advisory board for Clan Plagueis and its Summits. After the Rite of Supremacy, however, the Council was dissolved due to its failure in providing leadership and direction for the clan.
Council Background
In the depths of Korriban, the Eldritch Cabal awakened the spirit of Lord Plagueis, and in their mortal forms, he invested some part of his great and expansive power. Into Dark Adept Kir Katarn was given the secret of Plagueis’ wisdom, and when he returned from the necropolis world, he forged a Council of the Wise, to preserve and maintain Plagueis legacy, for all time.
The Council members are the wisest, most powerful and most loyal of the Children of Plagueis, and as such, are entrusted with sacred duties to carry out to preserve the Clan of Life and Death. Each of these duties, when joined together, form the part of the Mystery of Plagueis, and the Council as a whole reveals his Wisdom.
The Council meets in a secret chamber within the fortress of Clan Plagueis, accessible only to the Consul, Proconsul and the Council itself. In their areas of control, the Councils word is law, and beyond reproach; they oversee matters, so that the business of command and leadership can continue.
Appointment to the Council is not easy to obtain. Kir Katarn brought back from Korriban an artifact called the Staff of Veils, an ancient symbol of Wisdom throughout the galaxy, blessed by the spirit of Lord Plagueis. Through its own mysterious powers, the Staff selects the council members. Should any position in the Council be vacant, the reigning Consul brings candidates to the great vault where the Staff resides, and one by one is presented to the artifact. When the ceremony ends, the Staff will spin and glow a color that represents the Council position being vied for. When it comes to rest, the one who is chosen will find the Staff pointing at their heart, and will be invested with the duties of their new position.
Council Positions
- Loremaster (Purple)
- The greatest and wisest scholar of Plagueis is chosen for this post. To them is entrusted the ancient knowledge of Lord Plagueis, and control of the Book of Shadows. They are the greatest teacher of the Clan, the Master of Masters, and keeper of the sacred histories and artifacts. To them falls the duty to preserve these things, and teach the younger members the ways of Plagueis and the Dark Side. They are acknowledged as the most skilled in the Force and the powers of the Clan, and are consulted for long forgotten lore and answers. The Loremaster is also head of the Council of the Wise.
- Swordmaster (Blue)
- Champion of Plagueis and General of the Armies of Life and Death, the Swordmaster is sworn protector of the summit of Clan Plagueis, and guardian of its fortresses and domiciles. They are greatest and most skilled combatant within the Clan, and lead the armies into battle at the summits’ decree.
- Watchmaster (Yellow)
- Regent of the Jusidah system, the Watchmaster is governor of the planets and peoples thereupon, given trust to oversee the races under the Clan’s control and liase with their governments so that the summit is freed to continue its business. The Watchmaster is also the chief spy and espionage agent for the Clan, in charge of brining technology and information into Clan Plagueis, and keeping the summit up to date with current affairs. They also act as the envoy and ambassador for Plagueis to the rest of the galaxy, should the need arise.
- Nightmaster (Red)
- Lord of the eternal night of space, the Nightmaster is commander of the fleets of Clan Plagueis, their admiral and protector of the entire Jusidah system. To them falls the charge to guard and ward the space above planets, to keep ever vigilant duty and fortify the sanctum of the Clan of Life and Death.
- Shadowmaster (Green)
- Master of the shadows and the arts of stealth and murder, the Shadowmaster is the chief assassin and bounty hunter for the Clan, controlling the specialized Jedi assassins and hunters for the summit to eliminate enemies who must be silenced quickly and effectively, without all out war, or bringing in avowed enemies of the Clan. The Shadowmaster is also Plagueis link to the criminal underworld of the galaxy, and is skilled in obtaining resources and information not otherwise available.
Council Appointment
When a position on the Council of the Wise is vacated, the reigning Consul may choose a member within the Clan to fill the void. The Council appointee must possess the qualities of wisdom, dignity, fortitude and prudence. The appointee should have possessed a multitude of leadership positions throughout the clan and improved the clan in various ways and at several levels.
Most often than not, the appointee had resigned from a leadership position due to issues outside of his control and his appointment becomes an honor and revelation of gratitude for the efforts made by the member. In addition, the appointee is most likely an upper-echelon Equite or Elder ranked member.
Although the Consul has complete authority to appoint members onto the Council of the Wise, it is recommended that he consult the Council and other Plagueis summit members before officially appointing the new Council member. In addition, the Council may make recommendations on members to appointment but the final decision rests with the Consul.
Council Authority
The Council is strictly an advisory body to members of the Plagueis Summit. The Consul may choose the capacity to which he utilizes the Council. Each Consul will work and coexist with the Council in his own way.
The Council of the Wise may make recommendations to the Consul and may assist in projects and tasks within the clan, however; overall authority remains with the Consul. Any other format is a distortion of the chain of command.
Council Requirements and Removal
Members of the Council of the Wise are required to fulfill certain amounts activity while in their positions, therefore, the Council does not serve as a “retirement” community for those past leaders who would otherwise be in the Rogues.
A Council member should continue to possess a 24 to 48 hour email response time and be able to assist in clan projects and advise the Consul at any time. In addition, a continued visible presence as a role model and active member of the clan is a necessity.
If the Consul believes that the Council member is not fulfilling his duties and obligations demanded from those bestowed the honor of a Council member, the Consul may remove the member from the Council of the Wise. If done so, the Consul must possess valid reason for his actions. In addition, if the member goes to the Rogues, his status on the Council will be revoked, however, if he returns to active duty, he has a chance to return to the Council once again.