The Veteran Privy Counsellor

The Veteran Privy Counsellor is an older man with a bald head and a neatly groomed walrus mustache. As the name suggests, he is a long-time member of the Privy Council, a formal body of advisers to The Empress. A Duke of significant influence, he has spent 60 years at Court and has amassed extensive connections. His office, located far from the Throne Room, is decorated with expensive furniture, old paintings, and wallpaper made of zebra hide.

The Counsellor wields considerable power, appointing the position of Imperial Artist-in-Residence. He has a penchant for pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, often encouraging artists to create works that offend the sensibilities of the Court. When they reach a certain level of renown, he approaches them with an even bolder proposition: to compose an opera so scandalous it would result in their banishment. Should they accept, he ensures they remain shielded from lesser scandals and the constraints of the Ministry of Public Decency while they work. Once banished, he arranges for them to serve a stint at The Foreign Office, before securing them a Governor position in Port Carnelian, even offering advice on how to be unbanished.

His motivations for these machinations remain unclear. It is not out of revenge, nor does it seem to be part of the Great Game's plots. However, he is known to hold clandestine meetings on the palace roof with an enigmatic entity—something that can fly. He bears a Correspondence tattoo meaning "faith kept," suggesting a long-standing, perhaps supernatural, allegiance. The Masters of the Bazaar may be involved, as they have an interest in shaping notable Londoners.

Despite his refined tastes, he is a typical old aristocrat in many ways. He dislikes poetry but adores ballet, even performing spontaneously—though his skills are atrocious. He dismisses modern technology and maintains a private club where he socializes with fellow nobles. His preferred drink is port wine.

Yet, his reputation is not without stains. He is notably lecherous, with many illegitimate children scattered throughout London, some are probably Urchins. He neither acknowledges them nor provides financial assistance, though he remains keenly aware of the damage they could inflict on his reputation should the truth come to light. If exposed, it would harm them far more than it would harm him. Feducci, however, has taken an interest in seeking out one of his offspring.

His political maneuverings extend beyond the arts. When The Great Hellbound Railway reached Balmoral and fell back under the Crown’s jurisdiction, he appointed the Unyielding Highlander as its Castellan. Now, he primarily unveils paintings sent from Balmoral. During the crisis of the Starved Men attacking London, he went so far as to restrict any mention of the matter within the Palace, turning away any pleas for help from the city.

The Counsellor is a man who knows how to survive. He possesses enough blackmail to threaten all of London’s Ministers, and some suspect he may have been replaced by a Snuffer recently. Even within his private residence, his secrets are at risk—his home is under surveillance by Rattus Faber.