Council of Scrutators

The Council of Scrutators is a fictional Council who have control of the world of Santhenar, in Ian Irvine's "The Well of Echoes" quartet.

General Description

The Council of Scrutators are the rulers of the southern continent of Santhenar. They are corrupt to the core and are only kept in power by the unending war with the Lyrinx, which the Council purposely prolongs to secure their own personal power.

All of those on the Council appear to be old, but none look ancient, though several (including the Chief Scrutator) are well over 100 years old.

When the node at Snizort was destroyed, the Council knew that it needed a scapegoat to supply their master so as not to be reprimanded. The Council chose to let Xervish Flydd, a former member of the Council and the only honest man to ever hold that position, to take the blame for their folly. This was only one of many evil deeds done by the Council. Flydd was sentenced to slavery, but he escaped and vowed to bring down the Council and allow Santhenar a chance to win the war.

The council makes its home in the fortress of Nennifer across the Great Mountain range of Mirrilladell. The area is perfect as a natural fortress, surrounded on three sides by the highest mountains on Santhenar and bitterly cold and devoid of water all year round, making an assault by an army completely impossible. All of Nennifer's food and water is brought in by caravan at huge expense.

Known Members of the Council

*Chief Scrutator Ghorr, Head of the Council.
*Scrutator Fusshte, Ghorr's deputy and later successor.
*Xervish Flydd, a former Council Member and Provincial Scrutator for Einunar, broken to just Provincial Scrutator after failing to protect the manufactory at Tiksi and made an Ex-Scrutator and fugitive during the events of Scrutator.
*Scrutator Halie, one of four female Council Members and once ally of Flydd.
*Scrutator T'lisp, a female Council Member.
*Scrutator Barbish, mentioned only by name once.
*Scrutator Ying, mentioned only by name once.
*Scrutator Eober, mentioned only by name once.

Most Scrutators are killed in the attack on Fiz Gorgo or during the subsequent destruction of Nennifer. Only Scrutators Halie and Jal-Nish Hlar (not of the Council) are known to have survived, though Scrutator Halie is missing. Scrutators Flydd and Klarm also survive and become members of the New Council, after the corrupt one is eradicated.

Chain of Command

As well as the Scrutators of the Council, there are many lesser Provincial Scrutators, usually simply called Scrutators, who are in charge of provinces and answer directly to the Council, such as Scrutator Klarm of Borgistry. While the Scrutators of the Council rule Santhenar, lesser scrutators do not rule the areas they are responsible for. Provinces have Governors who answer directly to the Provincial Scrutator but are responsible for the day-to-day running as well as Santhenar's armies. Instead, Provincial Scrutators act as heads of the secret police, gathering information on enemy movements or Lyrinx spies while also investigating and destroying any internal threat to the Council.

Sometimes there is a circumstance when the Provincial Scrutator in charge of an area is supended or incapable of completing his/her tasks. In such a circumstance the Council will delegate the authority of the Scrutator to a high-ranking Perquisitor or possibly Querist and give them a few of the rights of a Scrutator. A person in such a position is called an Acting-Scrutator. They have to justify every act they make and do not approach the authority of a fully-fledged Scrutator. Acting-Scrutators outrank suspended Scrutators, but it is only a temporary position. Jal-Nish Hlar was made Acting-Scrutator when the Council believed that Xervish Flydd failed in his duties as a Scrutator.

Below these are the Perquisitors or provincial inquisitors who act on the Scrutators behalf and perform similar roles. They are also responsible for testing people who come of age to determine which job they are suitable for and whether they have any talent in the secret art.

After Perquisitors, each town or city has a Querist who gathers daily information to report to the Perquisitor. They also investigate anything suspicious or relating to the war in their area. Fyn-Mah is the Querist of Tiksi in Geomancer.

Finally, there are Probers who are spies given specific tasks to carry out. They can work for any level of command. Nish is a Prober for a Perquisitor and reports to him through a Querist while Eiryn Muss is a Prober for a Scrutator and reports to him directly. This determines how much authority a Prober has. Though to use it, they would have to reveal themselves and an (experienced) Prober would never do that.

Scrutator Magic

All scrutators have to have a talent for the Secret Art and on becoming scrutator are given the secrets to the particular form of the Art that the scrutators use. Scrutator Magic (as this form of the Art is known) does not usually involve outright power, but usually is an Art used for spying, sneaking, interrogating and manipulation. As well as the breaking of locks and protections. Scrutator Magic does involve some outright power when need be, in the form of words of power, charged crystals and other artifacts.

The Chief Scrutator (Head of the Council of Scrutators) has his own form of Scrutator Magic called Chief-Scrutator Magic which is passed down from Chief-Scrutator to his successor on his death bed. Part of this power is the secret to opening the Chief Scrutator's chamber at Nennifer. This tradition ended with Ghorr who was killed in battle and appointed no successor as he intended to rule indefinitely.

Scrutators often practice other forms of the Art as well. Jal-Nish Hlar was an average Alchymist (he is a minor-mancer) before he became Scrutator.

Position of Power

It is common belief that there is no power higher than the Council of Scrutators but this is in fact quite wrong. The shadowy Numinator is the power which controls the council.

Responsibilities of the Council

The Numinator gave the Council many responsibilities for them to fulfill. Some of these include:
*The re-writing of the Histories of Santhenar, in particular "The Tale of the Mirror".
*To compile bloodline registers of all the people of Santhenar.
*To monitor any strange talents that any person possessed.
*Take full control of the world.
*To make the war with the lyrinx last as long as possible (the war was not going badly when the Numinator first usurped control and the lyrinx were few).