Heralds of Gondara
The Heralds of Gondara are a league of nobles, politicians and high-ranking military figures dedicated to bringing the continent of Gondara together as a more politically unified entity, primarily to strengthen against occupation after nearly two centuries of rule by the Holy Empire of Jura, under Emperor Olcadan of Dhund.
Proposed methods of unity vary widely across the league, divided generally into "soft" methods (e.g. an honour system under agreed-upon principles, like a constitution) or hard methods (direct rulership under a Gondaran oligarchy, or even autocrat).
Unification is popular among the various trade guilds who hold a great deal of influence among the oligarchs of Fauregand, Dalmatica and other major political centres. Of course, this is mostly because a unified Gondara would move goods more easily with less investment in security, tolls, bribes and other overhead costs.
By population, the Heralds can be considered headquartered in the great Middish city of Fauregand. They greatly value the cosmopolitan trade city as a symbol of unity and shared goals.Background
After uniting the Lorent (namely the neighbouring nations of Kallor and Nurin) under the banner of the Holy City of Calm, Olcadan promptly set his sights across the Worldscar to the adjacent continent of Gondara. This presented a unique challenge: only two bridges connect the two continents across the Worldscar, making invasion by foot extremely easy to defend against. Meanwhile, invasion by sea played too much into the strengths of heavily nautical Gondaran cultures like the Oztrojans, Allesanders and Æthermarkers.
Olcadan opted for the slower, quieter method: Juran spies and loyalists were slowly seeded into the militaries responsible for manning the Gondaran bridge gates. Within about two decades, there were enough spies of sufficient rank to coordinate a sudden overthrow of the western defenses: combined with additional strike forces hiding among the cliffsides of the Worldscar, Gondaran defence of both bridge crossings fell rapidly, and Lorentian forces crossed the bridges virtually unharrassed.
While Gondaran unity would have hindered the Juran invasion in many regards, it is this event in particular that the Heralds point to: they argue the Juran spies would not have escaped notice if control of the gate-towers was handled in a more objective, multilateral manner. (Indeed, control of the gate-towers has already become more cooperative among a wider number of Middish provinces, which the Heralds claim is a vindication of their views.)Major Members
Members are usually divided into Federates, who support a decentralized, cooperative form of government, and Autocrats who believe Gondara would be better served under a single, competent leader. Most Federates believe in an unelected oligarchy of royals, though some radicals favour even more democratic approaches.Federates
A popular voice for the "soft method" of a unifying document or constitution is the well-liked head of Æthermark's Dreadnoughts, Sunhild of Graalsvesting. In fact she's so well-liked that Outmarcher politicians must be careful when taking views contradictory to hers.
Tarkus of Urnfield, High Greyguard of the Haunt of Jackals (the Dalmatican chapter of Umbraasian Greyguards), is a rare but influential voice in favour of unification in the Allesans, a nation that generally finds the concept of allying with swamp & steppe "barbarians" distasteful. He butts heads frequently with the Senators of the Holy Coronex, but if he is in any danger of assassination, he does not show it.Autocrats
A famous proponent of the "hard method" of direct, unified rule is Heiral von Gormengast, who considers himself strong and cunning enough to be "Gondara's Olcadan" and directly oversee the continent's ascension into an unbeatable planar force.
Perhaps the most powerful rival to von Gormengast is the fabulously wealthy Evander Hardacre of Inverness-upon-Andra, owner of several prosperous vineyards for which Inverness is famed. Hardacre believes himself a worthy candidate for complete rulership, citing his business acumen.Other
Helvetica del Valle is a popular bard from the Middish province of Kintyria-Mors, whose songs have helped popularize unification.
Banner: (Left to Right) Haldane, Duke of Lough Amarant. Sunhild of Graalsvesting. Raffa del Valle, member of the infamous Wizard-Knights of Kintyria-Mors.
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