On the first week of this month the most notable petition was the one made by the Horse Lords, to which we dedicated a full article and so won’t be mentioned here. As well as that the following petition was made by Professor Filiburt:
, being the Chair for the night as the Lord High Chancellor and Vice Chancellors were busy in other meetings replied to this concern:
offered the following statement regarding the incidents at the beginning of the month in Old Town:
Another petition was made on the second week, however out of the stipulated time and with complains about it. Even so it was allowed. It was the invitation by Llywarch ap Lleron, to a tournament held in Lake Everstill between the 8th and 11th of the next month.
This meeting treated three points: the election of the new Chair for the Queen Tiffin Ellerian Memorial Foundation, The Kingdom Accessibility Framework and the upcoming festive events matching the Lunar Festival and Love is in the Air celebrations.
About the first point, at the moment of this meeting there were no candidates, so it was moved. Since it was a meeting with a small number of attendees, I was allowed to ask some clarification question I think readers might find useful:
Gaedryel Ravenshade:
“For what I understood a new Chairperson for the Foundation will be selected on Monday at Court, but... how? Both in the case there's a candidacy and specially in the case there is none.”
Secretary of Internal Affairs, Earl Michael van Rook:
“The selection process is not within the Court as the Foundation is not part of the Royal Court, merely overseen by it.
Now that there are no candidates at all we will continue our search and looking for applicants. The Foundation had hoped to confirm the appointment by Monday, but sadly that is clearly not the case. As for the regular procedure: An application would be received, considered, and then invited for an interview as with any other position. Contrary to regular positions, however, we do not get to select a candidate we like. We are required to make a shortlist and then allow for a public vote as this is a foundation.”
I also asked Lady van Rook later if any requirement was needed to be a candidate, but apart only being able to read and write was highly advised, nothing else.
About the The Kingdom Accessibility Framework the matter at hand was the Visitor section, as explained by the Chair:
“Onto topic number two: The Kingdom Accessibility Framework, especially that of the Visitor section. With the acceptance by this Committee the eyes are focused ahead. The question is in what way a visitor, that is someone coming to the kingdom to experience it and trade in it, would have to differ from a Traveller - as we discussed before.
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While it is clear that a Visitor, one who stays in the Kingdom to stay for a limited time and partake in the culture and economy, needs a different treatment. The question is to what degree and in what fashion. I was hoping to get your opinions, so I would like to go around the table and just hear the thoughts. See how I can use them to formulate the next step.”
I must remark this project is being debated, so this is just the current state of it and should not be taken as more than that. Due to some questions asked by Lady Landgedijk some useful remarks were done for those unaware of this project:
Lady Landgedijk:
"Mhm. A traveller would just travel through the kingdom. Like when he comes from the north and wants to go south? (…) but what if the traveller needs to rest for a night?"
Secretary of Internal Affairs, Earl Michael van Rook:
“In the stipulations as accepted by this Committee the Traveller is allowed to participate in commerce limited to any life-supporting goods. This includes nights in taverns and inns or booking space on private grounds for a night's rest.”
Lady Landgedijk:
"Mhm. But wouldn't it be easier to make him a visitor then?"
Secretary of Internal Affairs, Earl Michael van Rook:
“No, as the Visitor would have the right to freely stay and travel across the lands within a certain time period. One of the main differences is, for example, that a Traveller must adhere to a chosen path. - Think for example of nomadic people or Kul Tiran military passing through the King's Lands.”
Some other questions were made by Lord Griswold which led to new considerations:
Lord Griswold:
"I would say that the most important difference would be -trust-. Our Visitors should be vetted before being allowed to visit, while we can be more lenient with a Traveller, since we should have a good idea of where they would be and how much time they will be around."
Secretary of Internal Affairs, Earl Michael van Rook:
“That is a fair call. I believe you are correct in that we should be able to give more trust to this group. How would you communicate this trust?”
Lord Griswold:
“That would be intrinsic to the system. I assume that the Crown will give some kind of document to all of this people indicatin' if they are a Visitor or Traveller and how much time they are supposed to be inside our borders. This system should be well disseminated to be sure that everyone knows that someone that carries such paperwork is free to circulate in our streets and it was vetted by the Crown.”
Following this the Court Registrar, Lady Zulaiya van Rook, asked a theoretical question about a supposed couple of Sin’dorei wishing to visit Stormwind, people proven to be just merchants with touristic interest. The question was about which category would they fall in, here was the answer given by the Chair:
“Were they accepted - and as Horde members that would have to go by High Command - then they would be classed as Visitors.”
After some clarification about how their residence or even affiliation to a neutral organization will not change the fact that they will be considered as Horde members, this started a debate about if Horde members should be allowed -at all-, even if they belong to a neutral organisation or are proven to be neutral in their actions. Some sides argued given recent events it is too soon for this, others supported a more individual approach, in the end the Chair closed the debate with the following statement:
“It is clear that the current state of peace with the Horde is fragile and that admittance of Horde races into the Kingdom is very much a hot point of debate when it gets to the framework at hand. At this point I am willing to remind the Committee that the current approach will be that no allowance to enter will be given to any members of a Horde race -unless- there is a very good reason for it. The last discussions I had included mentions of armed guards at all points with them and only under severe diplomatic circumstances.”
Finally, the last point, the provisional date for the celebration of the Lunar Festival and Love is in the Air, is 12th of February. The place is still under consideration but seems somewhere within Stormwind will be the most probable option.
Inside the Other Business of the meeting, Lady Landgedijk informed of a collection of blankets and clothes to be donated for the less fortunate; and Lady Zulaiya van Rook asked for more Kaldorei voices to be found at meetings, as lately many comments are made about them without none present but this reporter. This task was delegated in Lady van Rook.
Closing Court Meeting
During this atypical meeting there were no Secretary reports or petitions. There was however one announcement, the naming of Sir Darius Agrovane as Second Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Crown, and hence Deputy to the First Knight, Sir Cailen Cadogan.
The Court was closed with a speech by the Lord High Chancellor about the different motions passed and implemented, and lines of work of the Court, to name a few: the S.A.M.P.A. proposal by Sir Andrew Cadwell and Director Joshua Dorian, The Blood Drive proposal by Dame Milldred Fairbanks, the works of Secretary Kelly Jendrock in her first Diplomatic Mission in Kul Tiras to improve cross-nation crimefighting, the new Order of Knights led by Sir Cailen Cadogan mentioned before, the work in difference projects and collaboration in Magical Affairs led by Secretary Aldieth Cloudwhisper and, of course, the great work of Secretary Michael van Rook most Fridays to help many proposals come to life, as well as other Internal Affairs.
The Lord High Chancellor also addressed the situation of the King, gave some words regarding Winter Veil and the next year:
“The Executive is aware that the prolonged absence of our beloved King poses many a challenge for our people. In these dark days it is easy to slump into stagnation, to wallow in self-pity of the external wounds that are inflicted upon our home, our Kingdom of Stormwind. Often the times between wars are filled with an absence of duty, purpose and direction. It is in these days that we may not find the greatest challenge as a Kingdom, but we surely find the greatest challenge as individuals, as a society, as a person... adrift in the times we live in.
While we may not have heard the drums of war, the call of duty, we may find these coming days to be filled with the warmth of what makes us all unique: our humanity. As snow falls from the skies, a blanket of snow will soon cover the lands. Under this blanket and in the rest offered by Winter's Veil, we are offered the warmth of something we can now cherish and value: Family and Friends. In the absence of war or great turmoil, treasure these essential aspects of what makes us, conscious beings, "human".
As this Council will recess till the tenth of January, I ask you to contemplate this complicated question. As the new year will dawn on us, how will you show your humanity? How will you act to better the Realm, the Crown, the Kingdom, its people, our people. As we rest, I challenge you to find a purpose to which we can gather out renewed energies when we reconvene in the new year.
Feel free to reach out to me, to the executive, to share your thoughts on a new purpose to which we can gather at the next State Opening.
Today I am left to thank you all for your continued commitment to the Court. I thank the Vice Chancellors and Secretaries for their continued efforts and commitment to being part of the Executive. I thank the Councilors for being Councilors and allowing the Court to function. But most of all we thank all the visitors that come here every week to participate, to debate, to present petitions, but mostly, that they put their trust and faith in this Council and the work performed by its members. Thank you.
As the feast of Winter Veil will descend on us, all that is left for me to say is: Merry Winter's Veil and I hope to see you all again in the New Year.”
Editors note:
The court will re-convene in the new year on the 10th of January, hopefully the Lord High Chancellor will use the time till then to come up with a more inclusive focus for the next political term, perhaps something which embraces all the races living in the Kingdom, and not just the humans.
