The Gregson Accord

The Gregson Accord refers to the articles of unification drafted and signed by Hagstone and Mainstay, merging the Preston Consilium and the Consilium By The Bay.

Background
The Convocation Trials had broken the power of Preston. Many of Preston's biggest cabals had been annihilated in a stroke - The Wicked Sisters were banished, The Poor Knights torn to pieces, and many powerful magi killed, exiled or magically lobotomised. A power struggle immediately followed between the traditionalists, who wished to continue Preston's laissez-faire attitude towards the Lex Magica, and the reformists, who yearned for the rule of law. This led to Mainstay's selection as Hierarch - the reformists felt that he would represent their interests, the traditionalists felt that he was too young to be effective in opposing their agenda. Mainstay saw that he was a sacrificial lamb, and decided that if he was being set up to lose, he might as well change the game.

The Accords
After some preparation, Mainstay contacted Rowntree and Hagstone in their capacities as Factotum and Hierarch of the Consilium By The Bay and arranged a meeting. Upon his arrival he disclosed his purpose: to propose a union of the two Consilia. Despite the initial shock, Hagstone and Rowntree greeted this proposal with cautious optimism. Mainstay explained that there was no way he could balance the two factions of his Consilium, and that left unchecked, the traditionalists would leverage their willingness to be antisocial and violent to regain their lost power. He had to take a side for the sake of the Consilium, and if you're going to alienate someone, alienate them good and hard. This union, he argued, would benefit the reformists, who wished to take their cues from more law-abiding Consilia, while giving the Bay hierarchy the chance to punish any traditionalists who stepped out of line.

What followed was an intense period of legal and political wrangling. The exact wording of the articles of unification were written and re-written. A number of defunct positions within the Consilium were resurrected in order that they might be distributed amongst supporters of the unification, while the number of Sentinels was increased. Influential figures were courted for their support. Eventually, the following statement was released:

Resolved:

As of the day of Easter Sunday 2014 (April 20th), the Consilium by the Bay and the Preston Consilium are to be considered a single Consilium, the name of which will be subject to referendum carried out by the Herald, Achaikos of the Mysterium and of the Cabal of the Rose. Offices of the Consilia are to be combined, the initial holders of each Office to be decided by consultation of Hierarch Hagstone and Hierarch Mainstay, and to be notified prior to Easter Sunday 2014. These officers will stand for the duration of six months; during a Consilium meeting at the end of this time they shall be considered automatically to stand for re-election to their posts. The new Consilium shall hold more Offices, with the Offices of Armourer, Castellan, Chancellor, Nuncio, and Provost reinstated. There shall be five Sentinels, one to represent each Order. Laws of the single Consilium will be modelled upon the laws of the Consilium by the Bay, being the simpler of the two legal compendia to rule upon. Legal action will be brought against anyone found to be holding items belonging in the collection of either the Archivist or the Armourer without the present occupant of that role's permission on the day of Easter Sunday 2014. All those yet to stand trial for crimes against either root Consilium prior to the day of this proclamation will receive amnesty, though the Chancellor is directed to take note of all such Fellows such that judgement of later infractions will reflect prior offences.

Dated this day the 10th April 2014 Agreed by Mainstay and Hagstone on behalf of the Preston Consilium and the Consilium by the Bay and so ordered.

There followed a certain amount of outcry, but it was muted. The fix was in, and nobody was to stand in the way of the now-rolling juggernaut of peace, love and unity, lest it leave them a bloody smear in the road of progress.

The Fallout
A referendum was held to determine the name of the merged Consilium. Following two rounds of close voting, the voters selected 'The Consilium Of The Stone Circle' by a narrow margin.