The Cloister of Peace

Consilium of Salem

The Consilium of Salem is utterly dominated by the Guardians of the Veil. Since the 1950s, the Guardians have claimed Salem as their own to protect, citing Seer preference for infiltration of government structures and organizations and the need to keep the state’s resources out of their hands. To their credit, they have done a remarkable job of keeping the Seers out of the city and state infrastructure. Of course, by the same token, most other magi aren’t interested in being around the paranoid consilium strictures and traditions that have evolved in Salem, either.

The Salem Consilium includes cabals with non-Guardian focuses as well; however, none of those cabals claim territory in Salem proper, instead existing in outlying townships including Dallas, Lyons and Albany/Corvallis. One of the Guardian cabals isn’t even truly based out of Salem, either, instead operating out of the town of St. Benedict.

Traditionally, the Cloister of Peace's councilors have been chosen from its few "core" cabals, with each Councilor also fulfilling a role in the Consilium's operation based on the duties of the cabal from which they are derived. For more than twenty years now, this has resulted in three positions, based on the three cabals that have been in the Cloister the longest: a political position (that of the Hierarch), an archival and spiritual Councilor (the Prelate) and a security and inquisition Councilor (the Reeve).

Hierarch

Stoughton, of the Chancery. The Hierarch of Salem is Stoughton, a Mastigos Guardian of the Veil and initiate into the Bearers of the Eternal Voice. Though Stoughton is not the Epopt of the Oregon Caucus of the Guardians, his local political power is more than sufficient to put him in a position of importance not just in his consilium, but with the Guardians of the caucus in general. Indeed, most Guardians agree – if he wanted the position of Epopt, it is doubtful the Abbot could stop him.

Hierarch Stoughton severely dislikes Agrippa, the Hierarch of Portland. The previous Hierarch of Portland was Stoughton’s initiator and mentor in the Guardians of the Veil. Moreover, the Guardians had long dominated both the Consilii of Portland and Salem; indeed, it had become something of a tradition that a Guardian served as Hierarch for Salem before taking on the duties of Hierarch in Portland. With the assumption of power by Agrippa, all that changed, of course. It is well-known that Stoughton keeps several agents active in Eugene and Springfield as well, ready to deal with any violations of the Mysteries should their little quibbles boil out of control. Stoughton is single-minded and dedicated in his relentless pursuit of preventing the Seers of the Throne from gaining any hold over Salem and the rest of Oregon.

Prelate

Sacrist, of the Cenobium. Responsible for the lore accumulated by the Cloister of Peace, and tending to its spiritual well-being is Sachrist, a dark-skinned man of Latino blood, who keeps his head shaved bald, and sports a salt-and-pepper goatee. Younger members of the Cloister and the Guardians Caucus of Oregon sometimes refer to him as "Torquemada" for his severe judgment of those around him, his watchful eye for what he perceives as those fallen from Wisdom and for fools who have managed to maneuver themselves into positions where their foolishness may hurt the Cloister or Caucus. Where the Cloister fears the bark of Stoughton, it is Sacrist's silence that brings them dread.

Reeve

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Charter Declaration of the Cloister of Peace

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Cabals of the Consilium

No one has any illusions about the cabals of the Cloister of Peace - those who are Guardians of the Veil, or work toward Guardian goals and interests will have the power in the Cloister. Indeed, they all bear the same kind of naming scheme, being named for constructions that support the kind of activities the cabal focuses on. They are also the cabals that the city's Councilors are chosen from.

The Hierarch of Salem is traditionally very particular about who he permits into the unofficial inner circle of Salem's Consilium: cabals who do not meet his requirements that try to name themselves in the style of the favored are asked to change their name. Those who refuse to do so are simply not accepted into the Consilium.

The Chancery

Guardians of the Veil. One of the two cabals who claim Salem proper as their own, the Chancery is an immensely political cabal - both in terms of Awakened politics and those of the Sleepers. They know that the Seers of the Throne often go out of their way to secure power in mortal power structures, so they work tirelessly to prevent such an occurrence. They are somewhat notorious among the Awakened of Oregon, given that they are almost single-handed responsible for keeping the state political seat in Salem, rather than allowing it to shift to Portland and risk the incompetence of the Consilium of the Rose protecting its halls from the Seers.

The Bastion

Guardians of the Veil. The second of Salem's cabals, the Bastion acts as the primary defenders of Salem's consilium (two of their number are Adamantine Arrows, in fact). They are also heavily influential in law enforcement (both locally and on the state police and highway patrol levels) and even have fingers in the Oregon National Guard.

The Cenobium

Guardians of the Veil. A cabal based out of Mount Angel Abbey in nearby St. Benedict, Oregon, the Cenobium are dedicated researchers and instructors. Behind the scenes of the Abbey’s combination monastery, seminary, library and retreat house, the Guardians operate a training facility for those who have just been brought through the Veils. The Abbey itself sits on a potent Hallow (Rating 4, Introspection Resonance).

The leader of the Cenobium, an Acanthus simply called the Abbot, is the Epopt of the Guardian Caucus. The relationship between the Abbot and Stoughton is one of delicate balance; though the Hierarch prefers that the Epopt relegate his activities to the training of Guardians and cultivation of Labyrinths, the Abbot is a wise and canny man with more than his fair share of political savvy. He still is careful to walk a fine line with Stoughton, however.

Members: The Abbot (Acanthus, Epopt); The Sacrist (Obrimos, Prelate); The Circuitor (Mastigos); The Infirmerer (Thyrsus); The Cantor (Moros)

The Verdant Heart

Mysterium. Albany/Corvallis cabal, based around university and agriculture.

Brotherhood of the Argent Torrent

Inter-Order. Lyons cabal exploring the mystic resonances and secrets of Silver Falls State Park.

The Cythiana Sodality

Inter-Order. Dallas cabal, very informally organized, made up of a few mages who all happen to live in the same town. Most of the Cloister knows they are a cabal only so that their voice is heard in Consilium.

Stoughton's Representatives

Stoughton has sent several emissaries to Portland. Salem Mages