I have yet to see such a hard core clique in Battlemaster though I do not doubt others may have encountered something like it.
The few that I have seen ended up being multi-accounting rings. The vast majority of realms these days will let damn near anyone join their councils, so long as the character involved is willing to work with the realm. i.e. as long as the character isn't a known troublemaker. And some realms will even embrace those.
The fact still remains, however, that BattleMaster is a game of popularity and gives player the tools to make that popularity count. If a player can not find a way for his character to gain the support of enough other characters to crack or displace the clique, then I am guessing that most players in that realm like things as they are and your character should probably move on.
This is a very important point. With the fact that most elections and campaigns are based on completely fictitious platforms, and there is no way to really do your research on the issues, everything comes down to popularity. Its like high school all over again...
It is very possible that a character rejected from one realm may find a perfect fit in another. The classic case of this was Vatticus Vashmere on AT. He quickly got run out of several realms, completely reviled and hated, with several bans on his head. He made his way to Darka, and immediately found a home. He didn't really "fit in", but everyone found a way to make it work. He almost immediately became a central figure. He just had to find the right place for that particular character to fit.
Relating to new players, I still think that this is a matter of education. Make sure they know what options they have and that it is OK to just leave and find a realm that fits better.
This is another great point. Fits right in with that proposal about new character mobility, and and allowing them to rapidly switch realms.
