Local Government, Occult Underworld Style

The High Council
(note, this and the connected cabals all are in the same setting, a city (in my mind Toronto, but you can change that))
The High Council contradicts what a lot of people say about that Occult Underground. They say adepts of the same path can’t work together. They say avatars and adepts can’t run an organization. They say adepts can’t hold positions of mundane power. They’re wrong. All these things are possible, if there is something to bind them together.
For the High Council that thing is “The Good of the City”. One goal, binding them together.
The High Council wants the City to prospers and grows, and to that end they see themselves as the governing body of the city’s Occult Underworld. They claim they do not take sides in any dealings within the OU, they simply work to make sure that any conflict or working does not hurt the City.
They aren’t a shadowy group meeting in the dead of night (that’s the Order of 9 Crosses). They’re part of legitimate organizations that have reasons to be in communication. When they do need to talk in private, a telephone conference works better. The High Council is known to the entire Occult Underworld of the city, and the members are known in their mundane capacity to the rest of the city.
The High Council has only three rules they expect the rest of the city’s occult underworld to obey. Do Not Wake The Tiger. Do Not Harm The City. Do Not Defy the Council.
Those are the only rules, everything else is Orders and Projects, and those are all on a need to know basis.

Organization:
The High Council has 12 members, 6 urbanomancers, 6 avatars of the High King. Each is in a position of mundane power within the city; social, political, criminal, financial or bureaucratic. Or some combination of those.
Their first step in this regard is to prevent any conflict within the High Council. No urbanmancer’s Turfs overlap, nor do any King’s (or Queen’s) domain. When possible they cooperate, or at least stay out of each other’s way. When there is conflict they are expected to bring it before the whole Council.
The actual inner workings of the High Council are hidden from outsiders, but they are fairly legalistic and democratic.

Assets.
Between their mundane and mystical power, the High Council is a force to be reckoned with, and other members of the City’s OU do what they can to avoid the Council’s attention.
While they lack the power to completely control the City’s power groups, they can exert a great deal of influence. Police Raids, gang hits, access to any public records, and even creating local laws are all possible, but they use their influence sparingly when possible.
The Urbanomancers on the Council are able to generate large numbers of charges through their positions and the Council’s influence, but they are restricted in there charging by the Council’s decree to not harm the city. The Urbanomancers use the formula “Napoleon of Knotting Hill” to assure that the Avatars and their followers hold many key positions.
The Kings and Queens of the Council use their capacity to excel in their position, (all have access to at least the second avatar channel). They and their followers take the more public positions of power that the Urbanomancers obsessions and taboos keep them from holding. Their followers include both clueless and clued in, and some are formidable in their own right.

Liabilities:
The City is the Council’s strength and their weakness
Their public positions grant the High Council a great deal of power, but also require a great deal of responsibility. Much of their time and energy is taken up by their more mundane duties, and they have little opportunity to pursue mystical power. They’re public personas make them easy to find and identify, and they are vulnerable to character assassination.
Outside of they are almost powerless outside the City. Some members have at contacts outside the city, but they don’t have many favors to call in, having spent most of them getting resources for the City.
For all their power, the High Council knows not to be arrogant. They watch those in the Firmament (Cosmic Power) and avoid them. The business of the Council is worldly, and they want know dealings with those who seek to go higher.

Rumors:
There is a 13th member of the High Council. Some say he’s avatar and an adept and totally mad. Some say he’s neither, but still control the rest. Some say he’s the Spirit of the City, possessing some poor schmuck.
As if the police and thugs they’ve got weren’t bad enough, the Council has an Executioner working for them. They call him the Final Censure. But he only goes out if all the Council agrees to use him, so try to keep at least one of them on your good side.

Andrew Phillips. Head of the City’s Waste Management Services.

People used to think Andrew Phillips was the weakest member of the Council. Then there was a two week strike. People have come to respect that while it’s a dirty job, they’ve very glad he does it. People who actually knew Mr. Phillips know how much dirtier the job is than people think.

In his own words
How important is the garbage man? Do you have any idea how many tons of waste this city produces each day? The cities like a living thing, you don’t get rid of the waste and it poisons itself and dies. And garbage doesn’t just magically disappear. There’s something nasty you want gone, while someone’s got to get it and take it away. Someone’s got to take out the trash. I’m the one who makes sure that happens.

Descriptionb: Burly and slightly overweight, Mr. Phillips wears a suit and tie to work and carries a briefcase. But he’s got two pairs of coveralls in his office, and they see plenty of use.
Personality: Gruff, Forceful and Businesslike.
Obsession: Keeping the City Clean
Fear Passion: Agoraphobia (isolation)
Rage Passion: Layabouts and Parasites.
Noble Passion: Helping those who Help themselves. For Andrew that’s not condescension. If you’re willing to work to make your life better, he will bust his back to make sure you get a chance to do that.
Body: 60 Burly
Gen ath 35%, Struggle 40%, Large and Hard to Move 20%

Speed 45 Moves Like a Bear
Dodge: 30%, Drive 20%, Initiative 28%, Firearms 30%

Mind 65 Sharp
Notice 45%, conceal 40%, Gen Ed 25%, Authority 15%
Soul 70 Forceful
Charm 35%, Lying 40%, Urbanomancy 65%

Inventory: Low end suit, briefcase with letter opener, wallet with city ID, driver’s license, Metropass, and $60 and credit cards, smartphone.
Possessions: Small house downtown. Big Ass truck. Keeps a handgun in his office and a shotgun in his house. Keys to basically every public building in the city. Several well used coveralls. Lots and lots of cleaning supplies.