Groups: Consilio ex Familia

Consilio ex Familia

The goblin mafia families

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Introduction

     The Consilio ex Familia is the organized crime syndicate formed by the various goblin families. Within the Empire of Ralifon the goblins are the sole producers of cheese, both mundane and magical, as well as dealing in contraband. The Familia is ruled by a council of the five most powerful and influential families.
     The Council heads are currently (listed in order of power from greatest to least) the family of Tesremos the makers of Cheddar; the Selpan the makers of Mozzarella; the Hallein the makers of Lüneberg, Emmental, and Graukäse; the Guxisberq the makers of Areesh, Shanklish, and Domyat; the Evreh the makers of Limburger, Époisses, Valençay, Camembert, and others.
     Beyond the Council there are more than forty families that work within the City of Qidron and within the more rural areas of the various provinces. Each family is given a brief description with the various provinces descriptions. The information presented is usually what gossip can be found out by non-members of the Consilio ex Familia.

General Hierarchy

     Each family is free to determine their own structural hierarchy and send whomever they choose to represent them at full meetings of the Consilio ex Familia. Many of the representatives are male, while the head of the family itself will be female. Within a single family the Matriarchs and Patriarchs word is law. To disobey a direct order is a deadly mistake, though that does not stop many younger goblins from twisting the words of the Matriarchs to their own advantage. This practice is usually well rewarded and is the best way to get ahead of your brothers and sisters within the family.

The Inner Workings

     When it comes to the Consilio there are two full meetings in a year. These are held on the days and nights of the equinoxes and serve two-fold purposes. In the autumn the goblins hold the Comitiatus when the elections are held for all of the important positions for the Corpus Consilio. The Corpus Consilio take care of the day to day business and are elected from among the recognized families. The most coveted position is that of Opulentitas, the treasurer of the Corpus. The Opulentitas is elected for a life term and they control all of the fees and duties paid by the families to the Consilio and make certain that payments to and from the treasury are verified and accounted for.
     Beyond this the ruling families also go over new business opportunities and grant members their Indulgentia to pursue these opportunities and renew old Indulgentia as well. It is this practice that gives the ruling families their greatest power as they can withhold an Indulgentia from disobedient families. Any truly lucrative opportunities will be granted to themselves or a trusted vassal family.
     In the spring the Corpus Consilio assembles to give their fees and duties to the Opulentitas as well as grant new families membership in the Consilio ex Familia. It is also at this time that members may bring grievances against each other, which are voted on and the loser must pay penalty to the winner which is determined by the ruling families. This practice is used as a way to keep the Council in power and the weaker families from gaining to much power.

The Opulentitas

     The position of Opulentitas is one of the most powerful positions that a goblin can hold. The Opulentitas is not just a comptroller for the Familia they are also a religious figure and seen as a physical manifestation of Berrish the Cheesebringer. The Opulentitas can make decrees that the goblins will follow with the same fervor as they follow among their own familial decrees, i.e. they twist them to their own advantage. The Council is always careful to make sure that an Opulentitas is elected from among their own ranks or one of their vassal families in order to keep fringe elements out of the office.
     The Opulentitas will occasionally leave a trusted retainer to take care of business while they take a pilgrimage to the Aegritudo. This is a hidden holy site of Berrish known only to the Opulentitas and a few very knowledgeable historians and sages. When they make the pilgrimage they are usually gone for a few months and when they return they will come back wiser and more powerful. It is rare for the Opulentitas to make more that one pilgrimage in a lifetime and within the entire history of the Familia no more than two pilgrimages by a single Opulentitas have been recorded.