Lords' Alliance

The Lords' Alliance, also known as the Council of Lords, was a partnership of merchant cities founded in the early 14th century DR. Its members were from the Sword Coast, the North and Western Heartlands, including Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Baldur's Gate, and Neverwinter, as well as other free cities and towns in the region, which made up the bulk of the organization. It was formed to oppose the growing influence of the Black Network in the North, the Shadow Thieves of Amn, rampaging hordes of orcs, and Northlander raiders.

“For a century and a half, and more, the Lords' Alliance has stood as the most important and influential group in the North. Its power has kept towns safe from the predations of larger powers, has kept the ambitions of Luskan in check, and has taught the rulers of many cities that it is better to cooperate, even for a time, then to merely shut one's doors and allow the storms to rage outside.” — Andew Cururen, a Lords' Alliance agent of note.

Organization

Depending on who was asked, the Lords' Alliance was considered either a strong coalition, or unsteady pact of political powers. While the Alliance was said by some to be a collective of aggressive and self-serving figureheads, others insisted they were among the most secure governing bodies in the west. The truth, as it usually was, lay somewhere between the two extremes. While the members often held opposing views and held interests that conflicted with their peers, these rivalries were set aside when true danger emerged to threaten their collective safety and prosperity. The true strength of the alliance, it was said, manifested when its members banded together on collaborative endeavors.
While some of these cities and city-states held more influence than others, they aligned their goals for the greater good and prosperity of the whole alliance. Collectively they believed in the preservation of civilization for the better of their people.
The alliance's emblem was a golden crown set over a field of red.