Elder Joram Steele

“The Pragmatist”

“Sentiment won’t save us. Trade will. The Sky-Guild offers stability, prosperity, and survival. Mira’s compassion is admirable but unsustainable.”

Quick Reference

Attribute	Details
Age	59
Role	Elder of Skyport Eos, pro-Guild faction leader
Personality	Pragmatic, calculating, business-minded, dismissive of sentiment
Philosophy	Economic survival over emotional idealism
Goal	Align Eos with Sky-Guild for stability and prosperity
Political Stance	Opposes Elder Mira’s refugee policies

Elder Joram Steele - The Pragmatist

Overview

Elder Joram Steele represents the pragmatic, business-oriented faction on Skyport Eos’s Elder Council. Where Elder Mira Thornwell leads with compassion and consensus, Joram leads with spreadsheets and cold calculation. He views the refugee crisis not as humanitarian tragedy but as economic burden threatening Eos’s stability.

His solution is simple: align Eos more closely with the Sky-Guild. Accept Guild investment, adopt Guild trade policies, integrate into Guild economic structure. In exchange, Eos gains stability, prosperity, and protection. The cost is autonomy—but Joram considers independence a luxury dying settlements can’t afford.

This puts him in direct political opposition to Elder Mira. He respects her service but considers her policies dangerously sentimental. Every refugee accepted strains resources. Every compassionate decision weakens Eos. And while Mira tries to save everyone, Joram calculates that saving anyone requires hard choices about who to exclude.

He’s not cruel—he’s pragmatic. He doesn’t hate refugees—he fears economic collapse. And he genuinely believes Guild alignment is Eos’s best survival path. That his personal business interests would benefit from Guild integration is, in his view, merely alignment of personal and civic good.

Appearance

Height: Tall
Build: Lean, upright posture
Hair: Dark gray, combed back
Eyes: Cold gray, calculating
Face: Sharp features, stern expression
Clothing: Formal Elder’s robes (dark blues/grays) with subtle Guild-influenced gold trim

Presence: - Authoritative - Cold efficiency - Business-like demeanor - No warmth in public

Biography

Early Life (228-250 S.)

Origin: Born in Skyport Eos to merchant family

Family: Third-generation traders (moderate wealth)

Education: Apprenticed in family business, self-taught economics

Character: Natural head for numbers, emotionally distant

Business Career (250-270 S.)

Success: Built trading company through calculated risk and shrewd negotiation

Reputation: Fair dealer but hard bargainer

Wealth: Accumulated significant fortune (top 5% in Eos)

Philosophy: Business principles apply to governance

Political Rise (270-280 S.)

Entry: Elected Elder at age 51 (270 S.)

Platform: Economic stability and growth

Support Base: Merchants, Guild members, wealthy residents

Opposition: Working class, refugees, idealists

Current Position (280-287 S.)

Role: Senior Elder (second in influence to Mira)

Faction: Leads pro-Guild bloc (4 of 12 Elders)

Goal: Shift Eos toward Guild alignment

Strategy: Undermine Mira’s policies through economic arguments

Political Philosophy

Core Beliefs

Economic Realism: Resources are finite; choices must reflect scarcity

Guild Alignment: Integration with Sky-Guild ensures survival

Limited Compassion: Help those you can save; don’t drown trying to save everyone

Meritocracy: Reward contribution, not need

On Refugees

Position: Strict limits on refugee acceptance

Argument: - Eos can’t sustain current population - Each refugee strains infrastructure - Compassion without resources is suicide - Better to save some than lose all

Proposal: Accept only refugees with skills/resources to contribute

On Guild Integration

Position: Formal alliance with Sky-Guild

Benefits: - Guild investment in infrastructure - Access to Guild trade networks - Economic growth and stability - Protection from external threats

Cost: Reduced autonomy (acceptable trade-off)

Political Opposition to Mira

Disagreements

Refugee Policy: Mira’s open acceptance vs. Joram’s strict limits

Economic Approach: Mira’s compassion vs. Joram’s pragmatism

Guild Relations: Mira’s independence vs. Joram’s integration

Leadership Style: Mira’s consensus vs. Joram’s efficiency

Tactics

Council Debates: Frames issues in economic terms (hard to argue against numbers)

Public Opinion: Appeals to merchant class and wealthy residents

Patience: Waits for Mira’s policies to show strain (crisis proves his point)

Respect: Never attacks Mira personally (maintains civility)

Personal View of Mira

Respect: Acknowledges her service and dedication

Frustration: Considers her dangerously idealistic

Pity: Sees her being crushed by impossible burden

Calculation: Knows her policies will eventually fail (positioning for aftermath)

Council Faction

Pro-Guild Bloc (4 Elders)

Joram Steele: Leader, merchant background

Elder Harven Coldwater: Warehouse owner, logistics expert

Elder Senna Brightcoin: Former Guild Factor, direct Guild connection

Elder Torvald Ironwright: Manufacturer, benefits from Guild trade

Strategy

Economic Arguments: Frame every issue in cost/benefit terms

Guild Pressure: Leverage Guild influence and resources

Slow Erosion: Gradually shift Council toward Guild alignment

Crisis Exploitation: Use refugee strain to prove point

Relationships

Elder Mira Thornwell

Political: Direct opposition (respectful)

Personal: Cordial but distant

View: Respects her but considers her policies fatal

Secret: Doesn’t know about her Rot corruption (would use politically if discovered)

Elder Lysara Kind

Political: Opponents (she supports Mira)

Debates: Frequent Council clashes

Mutual: Both competent, neither budges

Factor Marlena Swift

Relationship: Allies (Guild interests align)

Coordination: Regular meetings about Guild integration

Mutual Benefit: His politics help her Guild position

Guild-Master Elara Song

Connection: Indirect (through Marlena)

Support: Joram advocates for Guild interests

Awareness: Song knows he’s valuable ally in Eos

Merchant Community

Base: His primary supporters

Relationship: Represents their interests

Loyalty: They fund his political activities

Secrets and Complications

Financial Interests

Conflict: Owns businesses that would profit from Guild integration

Disclosure: Publicly known but downplayed

Justification: Claims personal and civic interests align

Reality: Genuinely believes in Guild alignment (but profit doesn’t hurt)

The Calculation

Knowledge: Has detailed economic models showing Eos’s decline

Projection: Current trajectory leads to collapse in 5-10 years

Solution: Guild integration only viable path

Dilemma: Models are accurate but politically weaponizable

Private Doubts

Question: Is he right or just rationalizing greed?

Suppression: Refuses to examine motives too closely

Conviction: Believes pragmatism is virtue, not vice

Quest Hooks

The Economic Report: Joram’s collapse projections leaked (accurate? Propaganda?)
The Guild Deal: He’s negotiating formal Guild alliance (stop? Support?)
The Opposition: Needs help countering Mira’s policies
The Crisis: Refugee situation explodes (proves his point)
The Conflict of Interest: Expose his financial stake in Guild integration
The Hard Choice: He’s right about economics but wrong about humanity (which matters?)
The Alliance: Offers party Guild connections in exchange for political support

GM Notes

Using Joram

Not a Villain: He’s not evil, just coldly pragmatic

Legitimate Arguments: His economic concerns are valid

Moral Complexity: Right about economics, wrong about humanity

Foil to Mira: Represents opposite approach to leadership

Potential Arcs

The Takeover: Guild integration succeeds (consequences?)

The Vindication: Crisis proves him right (at what cost?)

The Revelation: His models are accurate (hard truths)

The Humanization: Something breaks his cold pragmatism

“I don’t enjoy limiting refugee intake. But I won’t apologize for choosing Eos’s survival over sentiment. Someone has to make the hard decisions Mira won’t.”

“The Sky-Guild isn’t perfect, but they’re stable, organized, and growing. We’re fragmented, struggling, and declining. The math is simple.”

“Call me cold if you like. But when Eos is still standing in ten years because of my policies, you’ll thank me. If we follow Mira’s path, there won’t be an Eos to save.”