As he branches out over the city, he finds a few unusual bits about the political system. First, there's very little hereditary nobility; high-society is determined by the wealthy, and the wealthy live in the towers, and are generally expected to contribute, quite significantly, to society. Many families come and go, over the course of a few generations, though there's a handful that have remained rick, for centuries. The city is run by a pair of councils; a council of guild representatives, where each worker's guild elects a single member, to represent their interests, and a generally elected council of twenty-five members. From among the two councils, they elect a single unified head of state, treated much like a king in other countries, although he or she still holds their position on the council, in addition to other duties. New laws must pass through both councils with a majority vote, although a three-quarters vote from one council can push it past the other; likewise, the leader can choose to veto a law, but a three-quarters majority in either council can push it past, though it cannot be pushed past both the leader and the other council.<br/><br/>As a result, a significant amount of political power resides in the hands of the guilds, and almost all legitimate workers are members. Even the thieves have managed to band together enough, under the guise of a freelance mercenary guild, which gives mercenaries and guilded adventurers a bad reputation. Political struggles tend to surge highest around election time, as members of the various guilds jockey for the valuable 'second' seat, on the elected council and, while it's never led to outright war, has caused more than a few small-scale battles and assassinations.<br/><br/>Currently, however, the city is relatively calm; elections came and went only a few months prior, and people are busy using their new positions to the fullest extent. As he listens, especially in the Artificer's district, he'll catch wind of a fair bit of disquiet, over their guild's recent choice, and that many crafters are dissatisfied that the incumbent was chosen, again, and not a rather popular-sounding young woman, named Esmyra.