The Council (possibly The High Council ) is apparently a well-funded conspiracy to establish a new Storm King empire, throwing off the Baron's Peace. However, it is only mentioned thrice in the canon, and while these three mentions are sufficiently consistent that they may refer to the same organization, there is a small amount of room for doubt.
References[]
Anevka observes ✣ to Lord Selnikov that the Order (synonymous with the Knights of Jove) is loyal primarily to House Valois, and not to the Other or the Geisterdamen, despite their agreement to serve them. Because of this, she reassures him that her plan will succeed, presenting the Council with a fait accompli by the time it becomes aware of what is going on. The group is brought up again by Tiktoffen when he refers ✣ to the Council as the party that seeks information about Castle Heterodyne on behalf of the conspiracy of which Zola is a part. Zola herself refers to them ✣ when telling "Gil the Pirate" that "the High Council has Sparks working for the Order — on all kinds of things."
Operatives[]
The operation involving Zola is run by Baron Oublenmach and Duke Strinbeck, who are[1] aboard an impressive modern airship which is, however, currently colored pink (this is intentional, however distressing to the captain and crew of the ship). (The ship had been holding a position whose altitude was poorly defensible (even more distressing to the captain) and well within Mechanicsburg airspace (also intentional, and much more distressing to at least one experienced mate, Kraddok, with what turned out to be good reason).)
On the ground (and showing few signs of distress, not counting perfect readiness to commit various forms of homicide) has been delivered the Council's own fake Heterodyne, Zola and an accompanying coterie of technologically-equipped minions (the remains of which are probably currently taking a breather now that Zola has acquired alternative minions to mortally endanger). Once in Castle Heterodyne, Zola met with the previously placed mole, Professor Tiktoffen, has taken leadership of the prisoners, and ordered them to an (indubitably suicidal) hunt for Agatha.
Strategy[]
The general idea seems to be to recreate the "fairy-tale" of the Storm King marrying a female Heterodyne heir, which according to the opera, The Storm King, is prophesied to bring peace and stability to Europa. Zola, obviously, has been trained to take the role of the heiress.
The Council may be funding a revival of The Storm King in Vienna in order to keep the prophecy firmly in the public consciousness.
Members of the Council[]
More or less confirmed[]
Possible additional members[]
Tarvek, the only known, or at any rate most obvious, candidate for the Storm King role in this pantomime has recently admitted that Oublenmach and Strinbeck (i.e., the possessors of the Pink Airship) were working with his late father, Aaronev Sturmvoraus, prince of Sturmhalten.[2] The Council is therefore most likely the prince's privy council with the Knights of Jove being the military arm of this shadow government. ("The Order" would refer simply to those Knights.)
An order of Smoke Knights, relatives and hereditary personal security force of Tarvek's family (presumably on the Valois side), also exists — as Violetta's appearance reveals. Their representation on the Council is to be expected as well.
Where are Tweedle and Seffie in this?
The mysterious Grandmother sometimes mentioned may be a prominent member.
Disambiguation[]
This Council is most emphatically not to be confused with the town council of Mechanicsburg, which would probably be happy to relieve these worthies of most of their possessions, and possibly their internal organs (if they could be bothered to do it).
Questions and Theories[]
- Could the Council be a subcommittee of the Fifty Families?
- Could, in fact, Tarvek (who is decended from the Storm King on his mother's side, while his father was clearly obsessed with "ladies" other than her) be yet again playing both ends against the middle, and thus the only overlap between the two groups?
- How do or did House Mongfish figure into the Council, since they rejuvenated the Loyal Order of the Knights of Jove?
See also[]
References
- ↑ or were, until the evident ("Are we pirates now?" ✣ ) richly deserved defenestration of Strinbeck ✣
- ↑ "There was a plot to install a false Heterodyne. My father and his men have been working on it for a long time." ✣