Governor

When they work, they work

"Dilan!"

Dilan looked up, startled. They had reached the portion of the annual meeting in which the Silver Spinner assigned governors. The old Silver Spinner usually began by asking which guild members might be interested in governance, which Dilan was decidedly not. Apparently the new leadership also came with new ideas.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm assigning you to Änä."

"Governance. Of Änä."

She had clearly been prepared for his protest, but he attempted anyway. "I don't want to be a governor."

"Then you can leave the guild."

A tense silence followed, which felt like it lasted an eternity. Then the Silver Spinner looked out the window and announced, "I think it's about lunch time. We'll return in an hour. I'd like the report on Nibikuräk when we do."

Last year's governor of the city nodded to the Silver Spinner and everyone filed out. Dilan stayed, trying to process the sudden turn of events.

The Silver Spinner sat, finger weaving, not even looking at him. Finally, she said, "You're not really thinking of leaving the guild, are you?"

He didn't respond. He had considered threatening, but she had a suspicion she would call his bluff.

Taking his silence for further protest, she reminded him, "You're a guild member, which means I have the right to assign you to a governorship."

Finally, he got his thoughts into words. "Is this because people in the guild have been complaining about me? I fly in for the weekend, and then I go gallivanting off through the canyon? I--"

"Dilan." She didn't raise her voice or chastise him. As soon as he knew she had something to say, he fell quiet. She smiled slightly, and he got a sick feeling in his stomach, wondering if he was pleased at how well-trained he was. She continued an a calm, steady voice. "I have defended you at every turn. You always come to the meeting, and you've completed every assignment you've been given, without complaint. But now I'm giving you another one."

She paused, likely gathering her own thoughts. Suspecting she had more to say, he waited.

"Your grandmother has been governor of Änä for three decades. She established system that works so well, even the Orb Weaver can't remove her."

At this, Dilan smiled. "Gramma says she tried. The city just ignored the new governor. Kept running itself."

"Exactly. My predecessor began sending young guild members to Änä to train under her. I'm continuing her tradition. And I think it's your turn."

Dilan shook his head. "I'm not governor material. I'm an out of season Weaver with Jumper wings."

"Then why'd you join the Dye Guild?" For a moment, her calm gave way to frustration. Then she settled herself and continued. "I trained under your grandmother. The first thing she taught me was to listen. She said she made almost no decisions her first year--just let the people teach her about their city. All that 'gallivanting around the canyon'? It's made you a good listener."

It was then Dilan realized he had proven the Silver Spinner right by falling silent when she spoke his name.

She stood. "Get lunch and think about it."

"I don't think I have to."

"In that case, thank you for not calling my bluff."

Surprised, he caught her eyes again. "You wouldn't have actually revoked my membership."

"I don't believe in forcing people to do things."

"No, just having long conversations to convince them."

"That's something else your grandmother taught me."

Type

Government

City Governance

Governors are put in charge of cities in Kivika Canyon. They create laws, collect taxes, put legal systems in place, and help their cities grow and prosper. Because each city has a different governor, every city is governed differently, and a newly arrived governor may choose to leave existing systems in place or overhaul them entirely. They are assigned to their cities by the leaders of the guilds.

As there are five guilds, a city can have up to five governors, who form a Governing Council. Generally, the bigger a city, the more governors it has. A governor's term is always one year, during which they are paid a salary from the city taxes in addition to any money earned from other guild work. At the end of the year, the guild leader may choose to keep the governor in place, if they are pleased with their work, to reassign them to a city where they will be a better fit, or to remove them from governance altogether. Most governors serve in one city for 3-5 years before being re-assigned to another. In some cases, however, a governor may serve many more years--even decades or their whole lifetime.

From One to Five

When the Weavers Guild was formed, it was the only source of governors, and the guild members welcomed the creation of the other guilds to improve governance of the canyons. Guild leaders may choose to send governors to previously ungoverned cities to prevent chaos, or to send governors to serve on Governors Councils, usually in larger cities.

Governors Councils allow guilds to check each others power by preventing a single guild from having absolute control over one city. These require governors to work together by coming to consensus or dividing different aspects of governance. In many cases, however, governors may find themselves struggling to stand up to governors with more personality. Governors from the Dye Guild, being the least political of the five, are least likely to be swayed by the clout of those from more prestigious guilds.

Assigning Governors

Guild leaders will assign governors to cities for a variety of reasons. Most guild leaders select guild members who they believe will best forward the agenda of the guild (and their own). First time governors are often assigned to a city where an established governor from another guild can train them in the art of governance. As governors prove their value, they are given more and more prestigious assignments. In some cases, governors are sent to a city that has been without governance recently in order to handle a crisis or dispel growing dissent against the guild. Other guild leaders are very particular about matching potential governors with the cities they are mostly likely to thrive in, and in turn, help to thrive.

Cities Without Governors

Many smaller cities are not assigned governors. When this happens, the people of the city govern themselves. Most self-governed cities have town council meetings at which they elect leadership, develop laws and systems to carry out these laws. Some of the townsfolk even think they're better off never getting noticed by the guilds. Many Diving Belle cities remained ungoverned for long periods because potential governors were wary of living in underwater cities.