A premier organization of Crystal Priests makes the decisions behind Druse Academy and runs the island of Teslan — the Inner Circle.
Xan’dar’s quiet solution
When Xan’dar Teslan established the Independent Freeland of Teslan, they couldn’t have imagined how important the nation would be or the effort it would take to run it. For the first decade of the nation’s existence, Teslan ran Druse Academy and the island with the aid of a close group of Azurebenders that they had recruited.
However, once they announced the Cobalt Mutation to the world, it was clear that a better structure was needed. Teslan was now a nation at the forefront of the study of Azurean and its applications. Xan’dar knew that other nations would eventually come calling, and if Teslan didn’t have a solid governing body, the results could be bad for their goals.
Exactly when the Inner Circle was established is unclear, as Xan’dar did so mostly in secret. The organization’s name matches how it was formed — an inner circle of Crystal Priests. People who understood what was going on because they were those people. Xan’dar didn’t want a nation where those running it didn’t live the experience.
Not a government — a trust
Xan’dar didn’t want to create a governmental body that needed to justify its existence by always making policies, either. The first Crystal Priest wanted a unique entity to match the unique situation they were in. Because of that, all the members of the Inner Circle have active roles outside of just governing. It’s not about an elite ruling class — it’s about a small, dedicated group of top Crystal Priests who can make the big decisions. Except what the Inner Circle is dedicated to is not ruling but knowing how best to use the power Teslan has and what’s best for the order and Azurean.