If you like you can look at the (sketchy, incomplete) GM notes as well.

Elections

Goodly Chamber Elections

How the Election Will Work

Based on the population breakdown, there will be:

• 140 wards in the Slums.
  
• 100 wards in the Docks.
  
• 90 wards in the Steam.
  
• 90 wards in Trade.
  
• 90 wards in the Ruins.
  
• 70 wards in the Craftsman's Quarter.
  
• 20 wards in the Upper City.

Now, of course the gangs collect protection money in many districts, and thus gang-sponsored candidates should be able to rely on the vote of much of the local populace in their home turf. Any gang member of Rank 3 or above, or any individual with the endorsement of a gangster of Rank 3 or above, should be able to get themselves elected to the Goodly Chamber in one of the wards in their gang's territory - unless, of course, someone meddles with the vote, or acts to prevent them standing.

Here is a list of the parties that have sprung up so far. More are liable to arise in the near future, now that the wars are over and people's minds are turning to the election.

Major Parties

Horizon People's Party: At its core, this consists of (mainly Richterist-leaning) HPLF cells which have renounced violence, but it has won the support of the Steam Union as well. The Horizon People's Party has a decidedly socialist agenda, and whilst it denies being modelled on Daniel Priestly's Lasinian People's Party it has expressed admiration for some aspects of Soviet policy - although it is as quick as the other parties to denounce the excesses of the Priestly regime.

Democratic Party of Horizon: Springing from the ranks of the Democratic Congress of Horizon, the Democratic Party seeks to further the decidedly socially libertarian, economically liberal/borderline socialist policies of Mayor Wright.

Minor Parties

CASA: Citizens Against Shamanism and Alchemy is a one-issue party: they want to agitate in the Goodly Chamber for a blanket ban on shamanism and alchemy within the city. (They're also decidedly down on sorcery.)

Colonies and Countryside: Campaigning mainly in the rural areas of the True Lands controlled by Horizon, and in the Treacherous Lands colonies, Colonies and Countryside aims to provide a voice for folk who don't live in the city itself. Their major hope is that they will be able to convince the Chamber to devolve significant powers to rural and colonial councils.

The Circular Voice: The Voice consists of the members of the Ghoulish Circle, standing for election. They're only canvassing amongst the Ghouls, and don't expect to get more than a dozen seats, at most.

Mayoral Elections

Not everybody can vote in Horizon. In fact, only 15 Electors count. Together they are known as the Moot of Years.

There are:

• The Seven Heptarchs, the heads of the seven oldest noble houses of Horizon (excepting the extinct Imperial family, of course). These occupy the Seats of Autumn and Winter. The Heptarchs used to be Octarchs; the fourth and last Seat of Winter (the Seat of Beginning and Ending) was once occupied by the Emperor: it is now empty.
  
• The Four Ambassadors of the Four Nations. These occupy the Seats of Summer, which were formerly occupied by the High Governors of the North, South, East and West.
  
• The Four Goodfellows, representatives of the people, occupying the Seats of Spring. They are supposed to be chosen by a nebulous sort of popular acclaim, but in practice they are the four people most capable of stirring up trouble amongst the proles if they feel their voice isn't being heard in the election.

The Electors meet at dawn on Horizon's Day, the anniversary of the death of the God of Oaths, at the Imperial Palace. Horizon's Day is a day of festivities throughout the city, when all don masks and all doors are open and all wine flows freely and a beggar may dance with a duchess in the filthiest brothel or the finest ballroom in town.

At the same time at which the old Mayor (if he is still alive) is released into the streets to take part in the festivities of the day, they begin their deliberations. Hours later, having chosen the new Mayor, they drink a toast to his health, don masks and join the Horizon's Day festivities. By tradition, at this point the old mayor has slept with a vast number of prostitutes, gulped down a tremendous amount of drink, taken an awful lot of illegal substances and is now sailing up and down the river on a pleasure-boat full of ne'er-do-wells, screaming obscenities and making speeches loudly denouncing the regime of the old Mayor (because, of course, on Horizon's Day nobody can reveal their own identity) and ridiculing the candidates; as soon as he hears who the new Mayor is, tradition dictates that he must bellow "LONG LIVE [name]!" at the top of his voice and jump in the river.

To be a candidate for Mayor you must:

• Meet the approval of three of the Four Embassies. (Such approval is only denied if an Embassy is convinced a candidate's election will be especially bad for their nation's interests - if the Embassies are too picky, after all, no candidate will be legitimate and Horizon will be Mayorless, and that sort of instability isn't helpful.)
  
• Gather a thousand signatures in your support, at least 200 of which must be from the common people of the lower city and at least 50 of which must be from people of noble blood.
  
• Pay a thousand guilders to the Mayor's Office. This is a Major investment.

A new mayor swears an oath before the Lord Chancellor that:

• He will not break the Last Treaty.
  
• He will defend the right of Horizon to control entrance into the Treacherous Lands.
  
• He will reside in the Mayoral Palace and spend no more than three months in a year outside the City.
  
• He will uphold the rights of the dogs.
  
• He will uphold the pact made with the ghouls.
  
• He will remember the words of the Intercessor and tolerate no cults or avatars of the malign and inhuman gods.

The Seven Heptarchs

• The Ferrars family, easily the eldest noble family in Horizon, are descended from one of the Emperor's first advisors. For over three thousand years the Ferrars had the ear of the Emperor - yet in 3347 HR the Emperor dismissed the then-Duke Ferrar from his service over what should have been a minor disagreement, and the Ferrars never regained his favour. Ever since then, with a few exceptions, the Ferrars have been regarded as frivolous wasters, a successsion of playboy Dukes and "it girl" Duchesses squandering the family fortunes. However, during the Last War Lady Christina Ferrars, a scion of a minor offshoot of the family, managed to restore some honour to the family name in her role as Mayor of Horizon and leader of Horizon's anti-Imperial insurrection. Meanwhile, most of the heirs of the Ferrars were killed defending the Empire in doomed battles, leaving the current Duke - Vincent Ferrars - to inherit the title. The now-ancient Vincent is said to be keen to restore the family's lost glory. Voted for the Hound.

• The Dalcrow family are an ancient house with roots in the First Age and longstanding ties with Jurica. The first Earl Dalcrow was enobled by the Emperor for bringing Jurica into the Empire - he did this by saving Jurica's Fertile Band from a catastrophic drought using an irrigation system of his own design, winning the hearts of the Jurican people. Henceforth, the head of the Dalcrow household was always the Imperial Governor of Jurica, until the Emperor suddenly placed a military governor in charge of Jurica and summoned the Dalcrows back to Horizon (the new governor's despotic ways ended up provoking the Great Storm). This marked a downturn in the fortunes of the family, until during the Third Age they turned to trade and politics and began to rebuild their fortunes. The word is that the current Earl, Cornelius Dalcrow, is something of an eminence gris, and commands a significant amount of influence within the Goodly Chamber - although he rarely speaks openly himself. Voted for the Hound.

• The Voltrapp family are an old, old institution in Horizon. They've survived mainly by sticking to tradition and following their own self-interest with rigid determination. In fact, they've been doing this for so long now that their own self-interest mostly consists of consolidating their position and supporting the status quo. During the Last War, Lord Voltrapp fought alongside the Imperial Legions just until it became apparent that the Emperor's forces were going to lose; at which point, he joined the side of Horizon like a shot. During the Year of Chaos, they did as they have always done: battened down the hatches and weathered the storm in their Gothic cancer of a family home. More than anything, the Voltrapps want stability: stability has always served them well in the past, and Lord Vincent Voltrapp sees no reason to do things any differently now. Voted for the Hound.

• The von Jägers trace their origins to Vegarbarra, but have been nobles of Horizon for ten generations. The first von Jäger made his name as a trader and adventurer, most famously killing a fire daimon which had been formenting rebellion in Vegdarbarra. They have retained their merchantile instincts, adventurous inclinations and their passionate questing for unusual and obscure artifacts to this day, and are a major supplier of alchemical ingredients. The current head of the house, the Gräfin Marie von Jäger, is the mother of three adult children, each of whom in their own way are continuing the family's traditions of adventure, esoteric research, and shrewed business practices. Voted for the Hound.

• The Milton family has a long running connection with the Church of the Intercessor, with four of the current Duke's eight children having entered the Church. Apart from that, they are generally well-liked by the common people and are well known for their generous donations to both the Church and the del Orto orphanage. Despite this, there has been on occasion some stife within the family, mostly down to the reluctance of the heir of the duchy to fully embrace the church. Voted for the Demagogue.

• The del Orto family have suffered the embarrassment of their most recently-famous member - celebrated physician and charity worker Rosie del Orto - being a disowned daughter of the house, having been cast out by the Duke del Orto for some obscure infraction. The current Duke, Lucius del Orto, has publicly condemned his father's treatment of his sister, and - aside from making donations to the Montague-del Orto Orphanage and the Rosie del Orto Memorial School - has established the Orto Foundation, a charitable trust that gives money to the families of working-class individuals who die or go missing under traumatic circumstances. Lucius is also a devotee of the sport of skylarking. DISGRACED.

• The Hague family are the second youngest of the Heptarchs, having achieved their position in the aristocracy through the marriage of Montague Hague, grandfather of the current Lord Hague, to Lady McDunn, the last of a Heptarchic family whose members were decimated in the Irgar uprising of 3902 HR. The Hagues themselves were a merchantile family, and still maintain a stake in the Jurican trade (as well as, rumour has it, the smuggling trade). For some generations they were associated with anti-Imperial agitation, and Alfred Hague, Lord of the house during the Last War, was a close ally of Colonel Zero and Marshall Blanchard, eventually marrying the Colonel's sister. The current Lord, Admiral Michael Hague, is thus a favoured nephew of the Mayor, but has also led a distinguished naval career in his own right. Voted for the Demagogue.

• The d'Avenant family are the newest Heptarchs. Their leader, Christopher d'Avenant, is a prominant monarchist; he is constantly embarrassed by the antics of his outcast pirate brother, Michael Avenant. Voted for the Demagogue.

Such is what is known to all and sundry; naturally, additional information can be uncovered by those who wish to devote time to the research.

It should be noted that assassination has rarely proved to be an effective means of removing Heptarchs one does not like; the murdered Heptarch's successor, of course, will want to uncover who killed their father/mother/sibling, so unless the individual responsible for the assassination has an... understanding with the new Heptarch they're back to square one. Eliminating entire families in order to cause a friendly family to ascend to the Heptarchy has been known to happen (in the Third Age the Emperor put the Silverberg family to the sword when it became clear that they wouldn't support his choice of Mayor), but doing so is monstrously evil, tremendously difficult to pull off, and a terribly messy way to go about things: if you kill that many people, sooner or later you're going to make a mistake and leave behind an important clue.

The Four Ambassadors

• Bjorn Svensson was been one of Irgar's longest-serving ambassadors, and a very publicly loved figure back home - mainly because his public face served exactly as the archetype of what every Irgarim should be: loud, determined, self-reliant and fiercely patriotic.

  Svensson is also the leader of the Raging Sky tribe, one that until recently had yet to cast its lot on the side of either the Broken Jaw or the Deep Stone. This put Svensson in a perilous position; for a time he managed to keep balance in the Embassy by expelling both Broken Jaw and Deep Stone sympathisers within it back to Irgar, leaving him with a cabinet of fence-sitters. He succeeded in this since he was sufficiently well-loved in Irgar that if the King were to, say, sack him and have him replaced by a Deep Stone crony then the backlash back home would have caused some vital fence-sitters - in particular the Raging Sky themselves - to join the war on the side of the Broken Jaw. As it is, the Raging Sky found themselves drawn into the fight despite Bjorn's best efforts.

  Svensson was replaced by Klaus Brecht, a fierce young general from the Broken Jaw tribe, until the end of the civil war in Irgar. The new ambassador from Irgar - who will be voting in the election - is expected to be a Deep Stone loyalist. Voted for the Hound.

• The ambassador of Jurica is Kameel Rashid al Din, a Machiavellian schemer who's been known to take a bribe if he thinks it's worth the risk and will lead to an outcome in his favour. Rumour has it that there aren't many lines he won't cross in the pursuit of his own agenda, but at the same time he won't do anything that could lead to him being recalled to Jurica and beheaded in front of the Caliph's palace. Voted for the Hound.

• The ambassador of Lasinia is Commander Henry Marston, a stauch left-winger and very much Priestly’s right hand man. Over the past few years Marston has come up against Colonel Zero several times, due to his eagerness to see social change in Horizon and his lack of diplomacy about the matter. He led a sucessful military career, including playing a large part on the side of the LPLF in the revolution. He retired from active service two years back to take on a more political role, but some say he still holds a great amount of sway with his homeland’s secret police. Voted for the Demagogue.

• Milan Grapon, ambassador of Vegdarbarra, is said to be a trusted servant of Baron von Litkinstein, despite rumours of Grapon's father being executed for treason. An intensely private man from a nation which discourages the free flow of information, little is known about his past; it is known, though, that for a decade he was von Litkinstein's governor of Urtovsk. It is said that von Litkinstein was pleased with Grapon's work in Urtovsk, creditng Milan with keeping the village a profitable venture despite Vegdar-Dust sources beyond the Wall being exploited more and more. Grapon came to Horizon ten years ago, as his predecessor was one of the last victims of the Versinya Plague; he is known to be a cruel and callous man, his pale skin and dead eyes providing ample fodder for newspaper cartoonists. Voted for the Loser, and then - reluctantly - transferred the Vegdarbarran vote to the Demagogue in order ot break the Demagogue/Hound tie.

Again, additional information on these individuals can presumably be uncovered by those willing to put in the research.

If assassination is ineffectual as a means of influencing the Heptarchs, it is utterly useless when it comes to the Ambassadors: there is no way to remove a particular nation from the Moot of Years short of eradicating it (which is kind of beyond the means of most mayoral candidates), and you can never predict who the replacement ambassador will be. Furthermore, the death of ambassadors will be thoroughly investigated by the foreign government in question, the government of Horizon, and the criminal underworld if there seems to have been some kind of mob involvement in the death (the Under-Chamber has rules against meddling with the Embassies, remember?).

The Four Goodfellows

Assassination as a means of removing unfriendly Goodfellows from the Moot of Years can be decidedly effective, if one is fairly sure a sympathetic individual will replace them as head of their organisation. It's part of how business gets done in the underworld, after all.

In the 4021 HR election, the Grey Order voted for the Hound, and the representatives of the Family, Rats and Boys all voted Demagogue.

The Candidates

I'm having so much fun with the poisonous people
Spreading rumours and lies and stories they made up...
- David Bowie, Candidate.

An old tradition of Horizon's press - which has returned to the fore in this latest election - is applying a little epiphet to each Mayoral candidate, a nickname designed both to sum up the candidate's public image and to help newspaper readers keep the candidates' names straight. The candidates who have so far announced themselves in the Mayoral race are:

• Daddy's Girl is the dismissive name given to Jessica Waite by the Liberator, due mainly to her father, Emmanuel Waite, being a major player in the Merchant's Arm (as well as a minor aristocrat). Perceived as being cold and unemotional, Jessica is keen on supporting the rights of factory owners, increasing the powers of the Watchdogs, and continuing Horizon's technological expansion. DADDY'S GIRL HAS ASCENDED TO THE STARS.

• The Demagogue, David Wright, is a popular figure in the Democratic Congress of Horizon, and spends most of his time campaigning for social reform. Publisher and editor of the Democratic Voice - the newspaper of the DCH - Wright's vision of democracy in Horizon is most similar to that of James Ridgway; like Ridgway, Wright has criticised the excesses of Soviet Lasinia, and has been quoted as saying "violence is certainly a tool for social change, but only if the change is for the worse". THE DEMAGOGUE HAS WON THE ELECTION.

• The Architect, Mister Faithman, came to Horizon just over twenty years ago to study Politics and Law at the Imperial University. Whilst he was away his family, minor members of the aristocracy, were killed in the Revolution, and the 21-year-old Faithman became a citizen of Horizon when it became clear that all he had left behind in Lasinia was lost. It has recently come to light that around this point he was killed and replaced by the Emperor, a millennia-old former dictator of the world who went on to enjoy a two decade career in the Ministry of Public Works, becoming a prominant figure within it. His most famous accomplishment was his design for the Hive, the new Mayoral Palace, but his work can be seen elsewhere in the city - he was responsible for several tenement blocks being built in the Slums, vital repair works that have improved the efficiency of the subway system, and the preservation and restoration of several buildings of historical interest. Much of his work was devoted to improving the living environment of Horizon's poorest citizens; his oft-stated belief that through such means bloody revolution can be avoided seemed to be the cornerstone of his political philosophy. Then he was exposed as the bloody-handed tyrant of legend and was swallowed by a sea monster whilst trying to escape. THE EMPEROR SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES.

• The Hound, Mariana Hess, has spent a twenty-five year career in the Watchdogs developing a reputation for honesty and incorruptibility; unusually for the Watchdogs, this doesn't seem to have impeded her career. Currently Commissioner for Civil Order, Mariana has a seat on the Central Committee and supervises specialist units such as the Flying Squad and the Horse Guards. Her nickname stems from her being one of a very few Watchdogs who are also full members of the Loyal Order of Hounds, as opposed to being mere paid employees; this is widely perceived to be a sign of their trust in her. THE HOUND HAS LOST THE ELECTION.

• The Loser, Anarcholes the Black, is a 61-year-old Vegdarbarran sorcerer and warlord. (For "sorcerer", read "deluded nutjob", and for "warlord" read "landlord of popular drinking venue the Dark Tower"). Ever since he immigrated, Horizon has been subject to his rambling speeches, proclamations, handwritten pamphlets and self-published manifestos. Having established himself as the village idiot of the world's largest city, Anarcholes's bid for the Mayor's Office is the latest in a string of world domination attempts. He is dubbed the Loser because he has a snowball's chance in hell of becoming Mayor. We include him here for completeness. THE LOSER HAS LOST THE ELECTION.

• The Merchant, Kevin Loveday, is an industrialist and a member of the Merchant's Arm. Entering the Mayoral race late, following the assassination of his brother Ian "Mogul" Loveday, Kevin's policies involve reduction of trade restrictions, tax reform, "changes" to labour relations (since he's a member of the Merchants' Arm, it's fairly clear what "changes" he means), increased law and order, and assertiveness on the international stage. THE MERCHANT IS DEAD.

• The Mogul, Ian Loveday, is the 42-year-old son of demised industrialist Lucas Loveday. For the past ten years he has owned both the Horizon Times and the Horizon Illuminator. While he is known to be friendly with the Merchant's Arm, he is reviled by more progressive organisations. THE MOGUL IS DEAD.

• The Patriot, Victor Lorcam, is tangentially related to the Ferrars family, and through shrewd investments has accumulated a considerable personal fortune. In his earlier years he enjoyed a short career in the Mayoral Legions (he attained the rank of Major, although he does not use the title or wear the uniform in public), but these days is a full-time politician. The central tenet of his campaign seems to be the idea that Horizon "needs to regain its pride" - hence his nickname - but he is also keen on law and order, and on providing a fair deal for the working classes. THE PATRIOT HAS QUIT THE RACE.

• The Reverend, Andrew Gribble, is something of a dark horse. A merchant from the Trade District, Gribble inaugurated his electoral campaign with a series of inflammatory speeches denouncing criminals, foreigners, non-humans, slackers, the working classes, and indeed just about everyone fun or interesting. Occupying a position on the political spectrum slightly to the right of the Emperor, the Reverend is struggling to match even the Loser's level of public support; Anarcholes, at least, has a certain charm, like that of a big friendly dog which was dropped on its head too much as a puppy - by contrast, the Reverend comes across as genuinely hateful. THE REVEREND HAS QUIT THE RACE.

Candidate Status

Candidate: The nickname of the relevant candidate is given. If it is crossed out like this, that means that the candidate has withdrawn from the race.

DCH Primary: Indicates whether the candidate has entered their name for the Democratic Congress of Horizon's nomination vote. The nomination vote is administered by the DCH, but all citizens of Horizon may vote. Candidates in the election have sworn Oaths to stand down and support the winning nominee if they lose the vote, and the DCH are encouraging people not to sign the petitions of candidates who have not put their name down. There is no obligation to join the DCH vote in order to become Mayor.

Lower City: Indicates whether the candidate has obtained the 200 signatures required from the common folk of the Lower City.

Upper City: Indicates whether the candidate has obtained the 50 signatures required from individuals of noble blood.

Total Signatures: Indicates whether the candidate has acquired the 1000 signatures in total needed.

Embassy Approval: Indicates whether the candidate has yet received the approval of three of the Four Embassies.

Deposit: Indicates whether the candidate has paid the Major sum of money in administrative fees.

Candidate	DCH Primary	Lower City	Upper City	Total Signatures	Embassy Approval	Deposit
Daddy's Girl		X	X	X		X
The Demagogue	X	X	X	X	X	X
The Emperor	X	X	X	X	X	X
The Hound		X	X	X	X	X
The Loser		X	X	X	X	X
The Merchant		X	X	X	X	X
The Mogul	X	X	X	X
The Patriot
The Reverend