Council of Merchants

GENERAL

The Council of Merchants is a ruling body in Arad Doman consisting of twelve of the most powerful noble in the country, who are also the heads of the merchants guilds. These are most often women. The only purpose of this group is to appoint and depose the kings and queens of Arad Doman. A vote of three-quaters, minimum, must be given for the monarch to be deposed.

After the Alsalam, the king, and several members of the Council of Merchants disappeared, rumor had it that the Council of Merchants kidnapped the king (TGS, Chapter 31).

When Rand send the Aiel to find the Council of Merchants, he only captures four, though we are given the name of another. They are: Milisair Chadamar, who lived in Bandar Eban itself, Alamindra Cutren, who was captured after discovered hiding on her cousin's land's near the northern border, and Meashan Dubaris, who died at the hands of a mob before being captured. By Rand's count, this makes four captured and two dead. He has only to capture four more before he has enough members to order a vote for a new king (TGS, Chapter 31).

MISCELLANEOUS

The king's palace is said to be inferior to the houses of the members of the Council of Merchants. (TGS, Chapter 29)

QUOTES

"What?" Ituralde snapped. "You think I'm some fancy merchant with a palace? . . ." - Ituralde to a messanger boy as rand arrives. (TGS, Chapter 10)

"The Council of Merchants has been too disorganized lately, each member trying to keep their own chunk of Arad Doman from unraveling. If they'd had the Kind, they'd have revealed him by now." - the innkeeper Quillin to Rand, when informing him of the rumors and his own opinions on them (TGS, Chaper 31)