The Greater Brunnhold - Muffey Regional Metropolitan Council

Being a preliminary description of the governance of the Brunnhold - Muffey region. I am trying to account for the variance in narrative with

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Runcible Spoon
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: The Great Convoluter
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Tue Sep 22, 2020 1:26 am

This is a preliminary writeup on some of my thoughts concerning the Brunnhold-Muffey region and how it might be governed. With respect to the Inner and Outer Stacks, these exist partly to expand that town, but also to try and reconcile some of the discrepencies that have arisen over time concerning precisely where Gated Passives are permitted. Here I am proposing a 'why not both?' solution which hopefully papers over the seeming variance.

And now, without further ado, Runcible Spoon, in accotiation with too much caffeine, presents for your consideration:


The Greater Brunnhold - Muffey Regional Metropolitan Council
The University at Brunnhold, and its attached collage town, known universally as the Stacks, comprise only the central portion of a large and dispersed conurbation which includes the city of Muffey as well as numerous towns, autonomous colleges, villages, and stretches of rural and natural areas. This wide region is governed under the aegis of the Greater Brunnhold-Muffey Metropolitan Council.

The Metropolitan Region (hereafter the Region) is divided into a number of Boroughs, each responsible for the administration of purely local matters, but which elects or appoints delegates to the Metropolitan Council to address larger regional concerns.
The Academic Boroughs
Those parts of the Region which are directly subject to academic law and administration, including the University itself, are collected together under the umbrella term of Academic Boroughs. Academic law and custom are observed and these Boroughs are under the authority of the Assembly of the Chairs at Brunnhold.
The University at Brunnhold
The University itself is the most influential of the Academic Boroughs and serves as both the seat of learning as well the direct province of the Headmaster or Headmistress of the University as exercised through the authority of the Assembly of the Chairs.

Brunnhold itself is divided into two regions: The Cloisters of the Learned, and the Red Courts. These are the old administrative names and appear on various archaic official records. Within the Cloisters of the Learned is the University campus itself, its buildings and fields, quadrangles and dormitories. It is a self-contained town with a population of about 35,000, most of whom are students, along with the more senior faculty and various administrators.

The Red Courts cover the region of the University containing the inner portion of the Stacks, as well as several gardens, parks, and outlying regions. In size it is notably larger in population than the Cloisters with a population of perhaps 65,000 including academics, merchants, shop-keepers, markets, and all the services and industry required to maintain both itself and the Cloisters.

The Red Courts are governed, at least in theory, by the Warden of the Inner Courts. In recent decades the powers of the Warden have been slowly devolved either to the Assembly of the Chairs, or more controversially, to the Academic Prefect. This Prefect is the chief administrator of the local Seventen and is charged with maintaining public order. As a college town, this is by no means a simple job.

The current Warden of the Inner Courts is the energetic Amelia Compyson who is dedicated to restoring her ancient powers. She has so far met with only very limited success.

Both the Cloisters and the Red Courts are ‘Behind the Wall’ and are entirely within the purview of Academic law. This has some practical effects on life within. Gated passives are permitted to exist ‘Behind the Wall’ and it is not wholly uncommon for them to act as servants to professors, dignitaries, and visiting scholars who cannot be bothered to bring their own households with them. Their degree of freedom within the Red Courts is variable, depending upon their assignments and the disposition of their masters.
The Secular Boroughs
The vast majority of the Region is made up of the Secular Boroughs. These are under more ordinary jurisdictions, and not directly subject to the University. That said, they gain considerable prestige by their proximity to that great institution, and thus are dependent upon it. This fact is not lost on the Secular Boroughs and can be a source of grievance.
The Outer Courts
The Outer Courts, commonly referred to as the Outer Stacks, is something of an overflow town which grew up around the walls of the University. It is notably larger than the Inner Stacks, with a population approaching 100,000. Here the chief magistrate, the aptly named Warden of the Outer Courts, holds considerably more sway than their counterpart ‘Behind the Walls’ and tensions between the two Wardens have been common throughout the centuries.

As the Outer Stacks is ‘Before the Wall’ it is subject to secular law, and so the Gated are not permitted within its streets.
Muffey
The largest and most influential of the Secular Boroughs, Muffey holds considerable sway within the affairs of the Metropolitan Council. The preponderance of influential families, the townhouses of the owners of great estates, and the proximity to the prestige of the University all contribute to this undeniable status.

In addition to the weight of influential families, the Borough of Muffey has a thriving textile industry and the owners of such businesses, as well as tailors, weavers, dyers, and clothiers play a not-insignificant part in local politics. This has led to no small amount of tension between the great families and the upstarts who have made their fortune in the cloth trade.

Some Further Notes on the Stacks
As the functional bridge between the Academic and the Secular, the Stacks (both inner and outer) are a hotbed of local politics. The Inner Stacks often claims to be the superior of the two, being ‘Behind the Wall’ and many citizens certainly behave in that manner. The Outer Stacks counter with being the richer of the two, having broader and more elegant streets, finer, newer houses, and a more genteel air from the ancient labyrinth of the Inner Stacks.

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