An idea for the missing black mechanic. This mechanic is 'meant' for group games - espescially for people who can charm the table into doing what they want. But it still plays fine in a 1-on-1 match... the choices will just be a lot more obvious.

I also went against standard Magic parlance for this mechanic and had the caster choose last. I did this because it is much more Black to say something like "It's only fair we vote on this agenda. And also, since I'm the one who brought this vote to the table, it is only fair that I get the final say...".

Wow. Ummm... I really don't see this being a block mechanic. It's just too obviously intended for multiplayer, whether or not it works fine with just two players. If it weren't for the "starting with the player on your left," I guess it would be alright, maybe.
We do have to watch how many keywords and ability words we're using, though. Right now, we have flood, Enlighten, and Democracy. I don't think we've hit the limit yet. But what is the limit per set?

Also, I don't really understand this mechanic being in the black sect. I get that it's the whole "ancient Greece" flavor thing, and that's where Democracy comes from, but it's going to be hard to get other cards to feel black.

Mmm. I thought I was on to something when I posted this, but, besides your concerns, when I went to get lunch, I realized that I had created a very modular mechanic, when we were supposed to find linear mechanic. A very interesting modular mechanic... maybe even appropriate for multicolor. But, tyring to make this thing work in a linear fashion would be pulling teeth. I don't really want to see a creature that gives you an extra vote, for example.

But I do think that the whole voting for things shtick can be viewed as a black mechanic. Liberty and personal freedom may not be commonly used, but are very important to black's philosophy. And the best way to ensure personal liberty is to let individuals have an equal say. Of course, with black being a very selfish color, individuals who vote in that society wouldn't be interested in each other's opinions, or care about the health of their society. Black is selfish, and doesn't care about others, except in how they can benefit them. A Black democracy would probably include a caste system, slavery, and rites of citizenship (non-citizens shouldn't be allowed to have a say!)