The 1330 Chancellor's election was something of a vintage one. Far off famrers in Gesund or Schall may have been oblivious, but for the informed Cities residents it was a side-show of no small quality. Sebsen Acrippa was wrapping up his vague, eighteen year reign as Chancellor, with the result that the Emissaries' and Barons' Elections (1328 & 1329 respectively) were packed with significance. These didn't go quite as expected. Though most of the Emissaries were the usual lords of the manor, the uncertainty of the times meant a scattering of unusual characters getting in; a couple of out-and-out seperatists in Zabrial, the peasants' champion Molan Hallack in Dendale, Gesund, Allark Liarno the radical lawyer in Dorlaf and so on. And, with the usual knock-on effect, a couple of the Baron-Electors seleccted by the councils raised eyebrows. Rudanc Orlac, the genteel pain in the establishment's arse kept his seat; and in a result that cheered women's freedom groups everywhere, Lady Kael Arlint slung her ex-husband, Sir Bruchan Fortanu, off his Elsey seat as effectivly as she'd slung him off her lands.
If outsiders can become Barons, people asked themselves come 1330, what price the Chancellor's job? The top layer of political life was rately chosen by the top of the socio-economic pile, who preferred to use the regional power of the lower rungs to seal a grip on their lands. Holstace Fortaine had already ruled himself by restanding for Baron of Dorlaf; other possibles, such as Jerez Esterson, Christos Fielen or Elak Griegson had been happy with Emissary or Councillor posts. A couple of other likely candidates were overtaken by events; Rudanc Briers died of influensa in early 1330, whilst the upwardly-mobil Commander of the Navy, Antolin Berise, irredemably blotted his copybook after the Second Fleet fiasco. By Feburary 1330, the interminably long whittling-down process had passed through the country and emerged with four names deemed suitable to run for Chancellor. Holan Brightson, of thumping pedigree, keen mind and proven abilities (having been Principal Secretary for the past twelve years) was the clear front runner. Then came Lord Rudanc Tannerz, former Baron-Elective of Kratz, who had stood down in favour of his younger brother Sebsen to concentrate on Highest Office; of dubious ability, unpopular with the masses, but the Tannerz family third only to the names of Brightson & Fortraine. Third choice, Molan Grist, the leading government lawyer, rising political star, popular orator, pots of money and Emissary to North Lewis. And the outside candidate, Chela Tatel, another Dorlafan, relatively unkown but once Chair of the United Cities Councils, now building a power base as a gifted administrator inside Huwdone House, and with a widely respected father in Eminace Tatel.
In March, it became known that only three had formally submitted their application to the Hall of the Baron-Electors. Brightson would be acting as kingmaker instead; he had thrown his weight behind the Tatel camp. The Matterchack Men, hastily amending the odds, reckoned this gave Chela more chance than Grist, 7/4 and 5/1, with Lord Tannez the clear front runner. It was a curious move, and most thought that Brightson had been led astray by pride into over-estimating his abilities.
On 7th July 1330, two weeks before the Barons finally met, Molan Grist saw his main opponent off with a speech in Parliament Square that has now passed into legend. The result of months of careful research, he exposed the economic, political and moral shortcomings of Rudanc Tannerz, drawing evidence of the latter's years both as Baron Elector and as a master of his estates. Most of it was highly libellous, all of it was backed up by considerable evidence - Rudanc was a particularly corrupt specimen - and all of it antagonised the Cities enough to seriously influence the Barons. In fact, the speech influenced the Barons directly. Most of the rest of Christotan aristocracy tend to see the Tannerz' as a self-important, corrupt family who long deserved the comeuppance, and Grist's speech helped warn the Barons not to re-admit them into serious pwere. Huwdone News reckoned that what set the seal on the perception of Tannez arrogance was that Rudanc hadn't even bribed the Barons much.
Brightson, though, bribed and bribed well, and did more, scuttling between the Barons' houses when they descended on the Cities for the High Summers meeting. Grist's speech was a double-edged sword for the lawyer. the tone of Brightson's numerious private audiences (a Principal Secretary is well-positioned to demand private audiences) was, well, Molan Grist is full of the right stuff, but do you really want that holding supreme power? If he can rubbish one old family when merely a lawyer, what price the Great and Good when he's Chancellor. That done, Brightson would point to the nice, safe candidate - reasonably popular among the masses, not corrupt, respectful of reputations, versed in what government should and shouldn't do, and from the small but rising Tatel family. Brightson, skilled at subtly nudging people along the right direction, enjoyed himself in the weeks leading up to High Summer's Eve.
On 21st July 1330 the seven Baron Electives sat in the Long Room of Huwdone House. At noon the three candidates made an half-hour long speech apiece; the vote was cast at four. At five, the Marble Messenger, Kerrik Durri, stepped onto the Public Gallary and announced to the crowds below in Parliament Square that the new Chancellor was... well, nobody as yet. Voting rules were that a new Chancellor must have a majority of at least two, and Chela Tatel were tied on three apiece. The groans that greeted this news and that a revote were needed were replaced by cheers with the announcement that the candidate who came in third was excluded from the revote. Rudanc Tannerz, loved by but one Baron was out of it.
Though who actually voted for who is confidential, it is always subject to speculation; as it happened, Huwdone News guessed right in their special edition the next day. It was obvious that Sebsen Tannez polled for big brother Rudanc. As to the rest, personal loyalty, political shrewdness and a guilty feeling caused respectivly Kael Arlint, Holstace Fortraine and Piers Hanseln to vote for Tatel, whilst Rudanc Masters, Tomas Fielen and Rudanc Orlac went for Molan Grist for reasons of a sense of justice (the last) or sexism (the first two).