In the City, the classes do not mix. There are strict rules about the interaction of peoples of different strata. Even with some changes in the law, the social conventions have not changed.

The City has a carnival, quite a famous one all told. There are faires, parties, parades, shows, more parades, music, and did we mention parades? It is a week of revelry and impropriety before the setting in of the Holy Seasons. It has been custom here to join the carnival in mask and costume for nearly three hundred years. Some people will spend most of their year's income on a costume, so they can be percieved as 'high class'. This allows people to be free of their social constraints, allows for free mixing of the classes, and a much needed release from social pressures of The City Society.

The Keepers of the Revel are the organizers. They meet, masked, through out the year to plan and schedule the events. (It just does not do to have two nobles have parties at the same time). They organize their guild and church groups, keeping them on track so things go off flawlessly. Some keepers, while on Keeper business, wear masks and costumes; though it is often an open secret who is and isn't a keeper. Yet there are more keepers than one might suspect. Some are quite secretive.

In recent times, The Keepers have gotten more and more involved in city politics. Since the Keepers represent any number of groups in any number of social layers, they have influence well beyond the mere princely law. Working together they can make changes, mostly for the good, in the city.

Recently, they have become 'king makers', determining who will become guild masters, be allowed merchant licenses, and even who will succeed the city Prince. They will take steps to ensure that they keep their recently aquired power. Sometimes the steps will be quite slippery and dangerous and people get hurt.

Inspiration for image
The image is no longer in the gallery. It will come back when Strolen version 2.1 comes up.
http://www.strolen.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=82

Login or Register to Award MoonHunter XP if you enjoyed the submission!
XP
80
HoH
0
Hits
4,928
? MoonHunter's Awards and Badges
Hall of Heros 10 Golden Creator 5 Systems Guild Journeyman Plot Guild Apprentice Society Guild Journeyman NPC Guild Journeyman Locations Guild Journeyman Lifeforms Guild Journeyman Item Guild Journeyman Dungeon Guild Apprentice Organizations Guild Journeyman Article Guild Master