. . . "During the Age of Ice, it was uncommon for anyone to live for very long. The chaos and destruction cut many lifespans short, and many of the older men grew powerful as they aged, attracting to themselves even more hostile attention. Nevertheless, there were those who survived, and often they would gather into councils of their own. There, issues concerning the community would be discussed and debated, and the council would offer the community the advice that the wisdom of their age had provided them. There were many different Elder Councils, some of them choosing their membership simply by age, while others demanded additional merits. Sometimes Elder Councils would consist of people too old to otherwise partake in the daily activities of the community, while sometimes the majority was made up of relatively young, active people. Sometimes the councils would be entirely supported by the community and sometimes the members would still need to earn their own living. Sometimes the councils would only include members of certain professions while others accepted everyone, and so on. No two Elder Councils were ever exactly the same. Eventually the Age of Ice passed but the tradition of Elder Councils remained, their membership slowly growing more exclusive as the average longevity increased. Lately they have been growing unpopular, with some of the younger upstarts claiming that the Elders frown on any new cultural developments, preferring to uphold only the old traditions. Yet nobody can dispute that the Councils remain an important resource for many communities, helping look at problems and issues from a perspective that no youngling could ever have."@en . . . "The Elder Council is the leadership of the Earthen Ring, but is rarely spoken of. A few of those who have earned great esteem among the Earthen Ring may be given tokens of gratitude from the leadership."@en . . . "The Elder Council is the leadership of the Earthen Ring, but is rarely spoken of. A few of those who have earned great esteem among the Earthen Ring may be given tokens of gratitude from the leadership."@en . "Elder Council"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "During the Age of Ice, it was uncommon for anyone to live for very long. The chaos and destruction cut many lifespans short, and many of the older men grew powerful as they aged, attracting to themselves even more hostile attention. Nevertheless, there were those who survived, and often they would gather into councils of their own. There, issues concerning the community would be discussed and debated, and the council would offer the community the advice that the wisdom of their age had provided them."@en . . . . . . . "Elder Council"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .