Clovis Concord
Nearly four hundred years ago, an alliance of the Ki'Nau islanders and foreign Marquesian traders founded a new nation on the tropical Menagerie Coast. The Clovis Concord is a democratic nation that enforces law and order, and regulates commerce along the length of the coast. The nation is composed of eight independent city-states, each ruled by its own marquis, which operate as one union under the banner of the Clovis Concord. This arrangement ensures uniform laws, regulation of trade, and mutual protection between the city-states. These eight cities are Port Damali, Port Zoon, Gwardan, Tussoa, Othe, Feolinn, Nicodranas, and Brokenbank.
Open shipping lanes and inviting tropical scenery have made the domain of the Clovis Concord a cultural melting pot and a popular place to live or visit. Knowing this, the respective marquises uphold a long tradition of welcoming all weary travelers and providing an atmosphere of color and delight. If there is gold to be spent, the concord is eager for you to spend it within their cities. Between the venues for entertainment and vice, and the ample business opportunities, the concord hopes to convince those with wealth to spend it here, outside the gates of the Dwendalian Empire.
Internally, each marquis of the Clovis Concord keeps a tight grip on the shipping and trade that comes though their cities, overseeing all guilds that organize imports and exports and managing a handful of guildmasters that form the backbone of local commerce. When a marquis dies or is impeached by the other members of the concord, the remaining members choose a successor.
Warriors who prove their might through gladiatorial bouts during times of celebration and ceremony are asked to join the Zhelezo, a well-paid guard force that works for the governing marquis to enforce the laws. Cities have one or more magistrates that oversee judgment on legal matters and criminal punishment.
While the cities do work together for the good of the concord, they are also each in silent competition with each other, flaunting their affluence and clientele at every opportunity. When a prominent figure from the far reaches of Exandria finds their way to the Menagerie Coast, it's not uncommon for them to be courted by multiple marquises in an attempt to convince the personage to stay as a guest of their city.
In recent times, the Myriad has subtly infiltrated the Clovis Concord, often with the unwitting aid of greedy local politicians. Rumors of criminal collusion have raised suspicion amid members of the concord. Sooner or later, the tension will have to break—and the fallout won't be pretty.
Despite the concord's cordial relationship with the Dwendalian Empire, their proximity to the imperial power is a lingering source of unease. Some of the Shore Wardens are posted inland, scattered around and within the Cyrios Mountains, where they maintain forts along the border with Western Wynandir and the Dwendalian Empire.
Structure
Olesya Lapidus, Marquis of Port Damali
female human The Lapidus family's work in protecting and continuing the prosperity of the city for four generations has kept a Lapidus as Marquis of Port Damali for just as long. Olesya was raised as a boy, but quickly discovered that she identified as female and transitioned in her youth. As the fourth and current leader of Port Damali, Olesya takes pride in her charge and is respected by the rest of the concord. However, with the growing distraction of the Revelry, Olesya failed to notice the infestation of Myriad agents throughout her city and the guilds beneath her. Now realizing the dangerous web surrounding her and the interests of her city, she is seeking a way to turn the tide.Zhafe Uludan, Marquis of Nicodranas
male human Zhafe is a distant relative of Lord Athesias Uludan of the Cerberus Assembly; his placement within the concord was primarily a diplomatic concession to maintain a positive relationship with the empire. However, Zhafe shuns this notion, insisting that he earned his role on his own merits, and eagerly organizing small galas and parades to ensure his popularity among the citizens of Nicodranas. Even so, he secretly fears the assembly and bows to Athesias's requests whenever they meet, making him a useful pawn.Alamads Haddou, Marquis of Port Zoon
male dwarf The old, crotchety, and honorable leader of the industrial city of Port Zoon, and head of the Silverbone Smithing Guild that operates all along the coast, Alamads is widely known for his insurmountable will and strong sense of duty to his people. As a former Shore Warden and a legendary ironsmith, his skill with a hammer—both on and off the battlefield—has earned him great respect, as well as the whispered nickname of "Ironpuss."Vasan Atrith, Marquis of Gwardan
female elf Unflappable and driven to protect the people of her city, Vasan is a bit of an outsider among the other marquises of the Clovis Conchord for her standoffish nature and the way she unapologetically prioritizes the wellbeing of her city over that of the whole coast. Though Vasan presents herself as aloof and uninformed, much of her political persona is intended to sow underestimation of how informed and clever she may be.Portcaller Mazin "Fat Fish" Fahreed
male tabaxi Tough as nails and quick to bite back, Mazin is an honorable tabaxi and dependable leader in times of trouble. This led to his rise as the Portcaller of the island village of Brokenbank, the first major trade junction along the Menagerie Coast. Though the village is small, Mazin deals with a perpetual string of smugglers and pirates while also organizing the incoming and outgoing shipping lanes for much of the coast. Even so, Mazin is rarely included in major concord business, to his obvious and public frustration.Public Agenda
The Clovis Concord is concerned with maintaining the trade and commerce that ensures their continued influence, both in Wildemount and the rest of Exandria. Anything that might jeopardize business is viewed as a major threat to the sanctity of life along the Menagerie Coast. Faced with the hazards of dangerous creatures that lurk in the nearby jungles and beneath the waves, as well as piracy on the open waters, the concord is employing substantial numbers of adventurers and mercenaries.
Forty years ago, when the concord worked to enforce rising taxation on independent merchant companies operating within the Menagerie Coast, the outrage led a small union of angry enterprises to turn to piracy, calling themselves the Revelry. These pirates have claimed the island of Darktow and terrorized the shipping lanes for four decades, all while deftly avoiding pursuit and naval retribution. The concord is eager to destroy the Revelry in its entirety, and have put massive bounties on the heads of the so-called scourges of the ocean.
Demography and Population
Humans, tabaxi, half-orcs, dwarves, tieflings, elves, half-elves.
Military
Currently, the concord maintains a standing military of 7,800 Shore Warden soldiers across the coast, a nautical fleet of 370 ships, and 5,200 Zhelezo divided between the cities.
Foreign Relations
After the fall of the Julous Dominion and the rise of the Dwendalian Empire, the concord was eager to reach a diplomatic arrangement with the victorious empire. The empire recognized the difficulty of conquering the Clovis Concord and the challenge of managing their immense network of international trade, and acquiesced to a treaty. This loose alliance has been mutually beneficial for many generations, and the concord city of Nicodranas acts as a common ground for people of both nations. Both imperial Crownsguard and local Zhelezo keep the peace in Nicodranas, and both imperial and concord laws hold sway within the city. While this arrangement occasionally causes strain between the two governments, the marquises of the concord are happy to have the buffer of the empire between them and the ravenous wastes of Xhorhas. As tensions between the empire and Xhorhas grow once more, the concord is determined to stay neutral. This has caused some tension with the empire, but nothing the concord worries will overshadow their long-standing treaty.
Laws
All who are found by the esteemed Zhelezo to have broken the fair laws of the Clovis Concord are judged and sentenced by the local magistrate and are subject to punishments befitting the crime. All fines and punishments for crimes against a Zhelezo official or a noble are doubled. All fines and punishments for crimes against a Clovis Concord official are tripled.
Permits must be purchased and owned to do business for more than 15 days in Menagerie Coast cities. Permits are approved and purchased from the Compass Lodge installations.
All religions are legal to practice in private, but public worship of The Betrayer Gods is considered dangerous to public discourse and is strictly forbidden.
Theft: 3–10 days incarceration and/or a fine of twice the worth stolen.
Public worship of Betrayer Gods: 10 days incarceration and/or a fine of 300 gp.
Ownership of another intelligent humanoid creature: 6–12 months incarceration and/or a fine of 1,000 gp.
Trespassing: 7 days incarceration, and/or a fine of 100 gp.
Failure to pay taxes to the Clovis Concord: 3–15 days incarceration and a repossession of property equal to the amount owed.
Damage to private property: 5–15 days incarceration or a fine of twice the worth of property destroyed.
Damage to concord property: 30–60 days incarceration and a fine of twice the worth of property destroyed.
Kidnapping: 30 days incarceration and/or a fine of 500 gp.
Assault with intent to injure: 15 days incarceration and/or a fine of 250 gp.
Assault with intent to kill: 170 days incarceration and/or a fine of 1,000 gp.
Murder: 5–10 years incarceration and/or a fine of 5,000 gp.
The spice must flow.
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capital
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
