The Convocation of the Five
Structure
Each of the five cities of the Convocation is ruled by a council modeled after the Imperial Senate. A Master of the City is elected from this city council, for a term of one year, though in effect there is a sub-council of three of these executive magistrates: the current Master of the City, the outgoing Master, and the next year's Master. The Empress had gotten fed up with the delays that would follow a term as the council could often drag their feet on elections and, in an effort to appease her, this method of three Masters of the City was instituted.
The council and the Master of the City are responsible for all internal civic affairs as well as for policies between their four sister cities. They maintain the upkeep of the cities, negotiate with the Merchant Families and are responsible for policing their own populaces. The Iron Empire handles all foreign diplomatic affairs for the Convocation.
The Merchant Families of the Iron Empire are similar to those of the Merchant Families of the Jeweled Cities, but they have less political authority. Rather than control entire markets or being the ones who license the industries in the Iron Empire, the Merchant Families of the Iron Empire are those who have the rights to sell foreign goods to the Iron Empire at a standard rate, in exchange for keeping a portion of their stock that they can then sell at the Open Markets. This way, the Empress is able to control the prices of foreign goods that are distributed throughout her Empire but when the supply runs out at the standard rate, the merchants can sell the remainder for as much as people are willing to pay.
Despite the fact that this reduces the amount of profits, the market size of the Iron Empire is enough that the Merchant Families of the Iron Empire are still willing to abide by the Empress's rules, though many do try to take more than their agreed upon cut.
The Convocation of the Five are all walled cities, but defense is handled primarily by the Iron Legions, though each city also has its own guard.
Culture
The citizens of the Convocation of the Five have a culture somewhere between that of the Jeweled Cities and the Empire. Though the Empress's Law is not enforced as strictly in the Convocation cities, they try to avoid allowing too much chaos and conflict arise from this limited independence. They are more restrained than their southern cousins, but they chafe when the Iron Legions crackdown on the Broken Crown too tyrannically.
Public Agenda
The Convocation of the Five's goals are to appease the Empress while retaining their nominal independence.
History
The five cities on the Peninsula of the Stormwatcher are called the Convocation of Five and they are considered to be both part of the Empire but free cities. They answer directly to the Empress rather than any provincial governor or Legate and as such have different restrictions placed upon them compared to other cities in the Empire. The Empress's Law has been revised with agreement with the Empress to allow more economic freedoms to better facilitate trade with other nations without reducing her own control over her internal markets. This has had the side effect of granting it more political independence as well, though the Empress will occasionally make a display of control over the peninsula to remind them that they are still her subjects, especially when the Broken Crown become too much of a thorn in her side.
Type
Political, Confederation
Currency
Imperial Crowns and Gold Dominions
Parent Organization
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
