Frae (Fray)

Frae is a Constitutional Monarchy with merchant oligarchic influence. The monarch reigns, but does not rule unilaterally; power is tempered by advisors, laws, and political contracts. While the monarch does hold veto power over The Crown Council's decisions, it costs considerable political capital to use it.

The Crown Council

A rotating council of noble house representatives, guild speakers, and clergy leaders, formally established to prevent total monarchic dominance after the Founding Accord (signed ~200 years ago).

Members:

• One seat per Great House (e.g., Serantes, Manlayag, Dalomir, etc.)
• One seat per Major Guild Bloc (Mariner’s, Iron Banner, etc.)
• One seat for the Sanctum Eternal (Miell’s representative)
• One seat for the Temple Conclave (rotating faith leader, currently Sevast)
• Two Floating Seats, appointed at the Queen’s pleasure (typically go to royal bastards, powerful commoners, or war heroes)

Powers:

• Drafts and votes on law, policy, tariffs, and infrastructure.
• Can declare martial law, sanctions, or magical restriction zones.
• Decisions require majority support, but certain matters (e.g., war declarations) require a supermajority or royal assent.

The current members are:

Queen Auvina Serantes III

Ruling Monarch of Lum

• Seat: The Tide Throne (non-voting, unless to break ties)
• Key Influence: Final veto power over council decisions

Lady Caeryn Vellistra

Head of House Vellistra

• Title: Archon of Lore
• Faction: Arcane Loyalist
• Position: Defender of Miell, outspoken against anti-magic legislation
• Agenda: Preservation of arcane tradition, containment of cultic influence

Baron Vorek Brognar

Head of House Brognar

• Title: Warden of the Forgehalls
• Faction: Militarized Loyalist
• Position: Supports the Queen, wary of uncontrolled magic
• Agenda: Expand the influence of the Iron Banner Guild; modernize the royal guard through invention

Lord Marcan Dalomir

Head of House Dalomir

• Title: Rivermaster of Frae
• Faction: Obstructionist / Secret Cult Sympathizer
• Position: Conservative on trade; quiet advocate of magical limitation
• Agenda: Undermine arcane dependency; subtly support the spread of anti-magic sentiment

Lakan Datu Syriel Manlayag

Head of House Manlayag

• Title: Envoy of Islas Maharluin
• Faction: Seafaring Progressivist
• Position: Advocate for Maharluini inclusion and arcane innovation
• Agenda: Protect Maharluini spiritual sovereignty; weaken old noble monopolies

Matriarch Tala Salyndael

Head of House Salyndael

• Title: Sentinel of the Riverwatch
• Faction: Fractured Traditionalist
• Position: Neutral leaning reactionary
• Agenda: Preserve honor and stability; internally divided on halfling liberation and arcane control

City Government

In addition to the Crown Council, there are three other governing/administrative bodies, the Office of the Steward-Mayor, the Guild Compact and the Outer Tribunal.

The Office of the Steward-Mayor

• Acts as mayor of Frae, appointed by the Queen but drawn from eligible noble scions or merchant dynasties.
• Handles day-to-day administration, public works, taxation, sanitation, and festival coordination.
• Often embroiled in court politics, as real authority overlaps with the guilds and noble networks.

The Guild Compact

• A confederation of merchant, artisan, and trade guilds.
• Has legal arbitration rights, power to levy guild dues, and may field private security forces in guild halls and markets.
• Overseen by the Gilded Chancellor, currently Senet Drayven Vaskel, a cunning populist with ties to at least two noble houses.

The Outer Tribunal

• Local court system handling civil and criminal matters.
• Judges called Wavebinders wear robes woven with silver threads and are trained in magical discernment.
• Justice in Frae varies: rich nobles duel for honor, while the poor are often at the mercy of guild loyalty or divine arbitration.

Institutional & Rotating Seats

Elid Varnoss

Steward-Mayor of Frae

• Represents: The Crown’s civic interests and day-to-day administration of Frae
• Agenda: Maintain political equilibrium, suppress unrest, and delay divisive reform through bureaucratic maneuvering
• Note: Rumored to surveil both the Fangs of the Shadow and Ashroot Concord; none are clear on his position on either.

Senet Drayven Vaskel

Gilded Chancellor, Speaker of the Guild Compact

• Represents: The guilds of commerce, labor, and manufacturing
• Agenda: Protect merchant power, suppress worker uprisings, co-opt resistance through regulation
• Note: Ambitious; rumored to be backed by Brognar and possibly bribed by Dalomir

Archflame Etrada Sillaris

High Priest of Miell, Sanctum Eternal

• Represents: Arcane and spiritual order of Miell
• Agenda: Preserve the Weave, advise the Queen spiritually
• Note: Speaks rarely; when they do, the flame in the Sanctum flares

Speaker Ilmin Corva

Temple Conclave Appointee (Currently from the Temple of Faelahn)

• Represents: Faiths outside Miell’s domain
• Agenda: Preserve the influence of traditional temples; opposes both cultism and arcane overreach
• Note: May rotate out next season; Deskeylla’s and Elaith’s clergy are pushing for replacement

Floating Seat 1: Kaelen Brightomen

Heir of House Brightomen

• Appointed By: Queen Auvina
• Position: Rising star of reform; charismatic and moderate
• Agenda: Reunite fractured council, introduce halfling reform proposals quietly
• Note: Hinted by many to be the “true future king”

Floating Seat 2: Mother Tihani

(Unofficial )

• Position: Spiritual advisor of Maharluini descent, not publicly acknowledged
• Agenda: Represents the Ashroot Concord’s interests quietly through emissaries or proxies
• Note: May be working through a false identity or appearing as a "healer-consultant"

Powers:

• Drafts and votes on law, policy, tariffs, and infrastructure.
• Can declare martial law, sanctions, or magical restriction zones.
• Decisions require majority support, but certain matters (e.g., war declarations) require a supermajority or royal assent.

Frae's location allows for a robust trade economy. Each major industry has a guild, and their leaders hold seats on a council, the Guild Compact, that governs city policy.

• Guilds may compete for influence over customs tariffs, shipbuilding contracts, and magical regulation.

Maritime Economy

Port Trade & Shipping

• Frae is a major trade hub for goods coming from inland via the river and heading out to sea.
• Large merchant guilds operate fleets, importing spices, textiles, rare metals, and exporting lumber, fish, and crafted goods.
• A shipwright district specializes in building and enchanting sea vessels (some might be semi-living wooden ships grown from forest trees).

Fishing & Whaling

• Rich coastal waters support a vibrant fishing industry (cod, crab, eel, kelp).
• Some crews hunt sea drakes or magical leviathans for rare materials used in enchantments and potions.

Fishmongers’ Guild controls the docks, and tensions may rise with inland traders over tariffs.

Forest-Based Industry

Lumber & Carpentry

• Surrounding forest provides fine hardwoods (ash, oak, possibly magical trees like ironwood).
• Home to a powerful Woodworkers’ Guild, possibly competing with druids or rangers who seek to protect sacred groves.
• Exported lumber supports shipbuilding and trade in carved furniture, bows, and wagons.

Herbalism & Alchemy

• Forests yield rare herbs, fungi, and magical plants for apothecaries and alchemists.
• A respected Alchemists’ Guild purchases raw ingredients from foragers and turns them into high-value goods: healing potions, fire bombs, even anti-venoms for exotic creatures.

Crafting & Trade

Artisan Quarters

• Frae is known for fine leatherwork, thanks to nearby game and river trade of hides.
• Glassblowers and jewelers craft goods from imported sands and gems; a coastal volcano nearby might even supply obsidian or unique minerals.
• Enchanters work alongside mundane crafters, creating items for navigation, weather resistance, or underwater exploration.

Coin and Commerce

• Frae mints its own currency, backed by silver from inland mines.
• A robust banking system might operate through temples or powerful merchant houses, issuing letters of credit for ocean trade.

Adventurers’ Economy

• Frae is a staging ground for expeditions into deep forests, lost ruins upriver, or sea-bound islands.
• Inns, smithies, and gear shops cater to adventurers; local lore-keepers and bounty boards drive commerce in exotic jobs.

The Tide Crown

Eelmarket

Barangay Maharuwa

Loammarket

Kahayupan Hollow

Ironring

Embrelle

Brambleward

Quillreach

The Sanctum Steps

Ashward

Most prominent Houses in Frae

These houses form the backbone of the court and city politics. They each hold seats on the Crown Council, advising and scheming beneath the surface.

• House Dalomir
• House Vellistra
• House Manlayag
• House Brightomen
• House Brognar