Glossary

A quick reference to the offices, institutions, ranks, and terms that recur across this wiki.

Government and Office

• Council of the Free Cities — The governing body of the confederation, convening at Ardaene.
• Council of Trade Princes — The internal government of Ardaene alone, ruling from the High Counting House. Not the Council of the Free Cities.
• Mayor of Ashford — Governs the city of Ashford: its law, taxes, public works, markets, and security.
• Principal of the Western Marches — Governs the Western Marches region under a Free Cities charter. A different office from the Mayor of Ashford, though both sit in the same city.
• The Two Bloods Seat — The joint human-and-elven authority that rules Port Arenhold under treaty.
• Preeminent King · lesser kings — Among the dwarves, the king of Mott Caridin holds precedence over the independent kings of the other holds without ruling them.

Seats of Power

• The High Counting House — Seat of Ardaene's Council of Trade Princes.
• The Principal's Hall — Seat of the Principal of the Western Marches, in Ashford.
• The Salt Hall — Blacktide Haven's fortified town hall, over its harbour and prize courts.

The Membership Tiers

See Membership Tiers of the Free Cities for the full table. In brief: Free City, Chartered City, Free Port, Dependent Town, Recognised Port, Shared Waters, and the regional Chartered Region.

Bodies and Institutions

• The Inner Sea Authority — The treaty body overseeing the Inner Sea and its sacred boundaries, backed by Elandris.
• The Conclave — The inner governing council of the Order of the Pale Flame.

Common Terms

• Charter — The written grant that fixes a settlement's standing, rights, and obligations.
• Local law — A settlement's own magistrates and rules. Harbour law is the part governing the waterfront, docks, and ships in port.
• Charter law — The terms of a settlement's charter, under which disputes may be appealed as far as the Council.
• Trade law — The common law of commerce shared by all members; enforced chiefly through the Iron Scales Assembly.
• Prize law · prize court — The law and courts governing privateering and captured ships.
• Registry — Two unrelated uses: the archive-buildings of The Grey Order, and the notary-like offices of the Quiet Ledger's clerics. Context tells them apart.
• Crossing — A riverside chapel of the Shore-Walkers, the funerary clergy of Ossara.
• Grove-site — A neutral grove kept by the Greenward Fellowship.

Do Not Confuse

• Council of the Free Cities (the confederation) vs Ardaene's Council of Trade Princes (one city's government).
• Mayor of Ashford (the city) vs Principal of the Western Marches (the region).
• The Grey Order (a secular arcane institution) vs The Unfinished Hand (the religious order of Sulé).
• Order of the Pale Flame (the faith) vs the Conclave (its inner council).