The Trinity
Perhaps the most hands-off state government, the Trinity is dedicated to keeping the citizens it rules safe amidst the economic wild-west environment they encourage among the merchants and similar ilk. Don't mess with the local populace, and they will leave you to your business.
The Trinity is composed of three families, each of which share equal responsibility in the daily governance of the city, as well as interactions with outside political entities. At every level of management and administration, there will be three members of the Trinity at the head, one from each of the families. Even their ambassadors to other nations are not a single individual, but three who collectively represent the interests of the Trinity, and the city itself. To an outsider, this shared responsibility would appear to be cumbersome, with disagreements between the three families always threatening to tear things apart and, in truth, it is not always smooth sailing for the families. Yet, in many ways, this unusual arrangement has proven a strong, reliable, foundation upon which the small village of Calibal eventually grew into the bustling metropolis is it is today.
Structure
The Trinity consists of three families, each of which can trace its lineage back for centuries, to the original pirate princes that rescued Port Calibal from near disaster. These families are:
- The Balforts: The Balforts are known as the voice of reason and caution within the Trinity. They are often the most difficult of the three to convince to sign onto a course of action. However, once the decision is reached, the Balforts will do whatever it takes to see the chosen course through to the end.
- The Coleburns: Always outlandish in appearance and seemingly fickle to outsiders, the Coleburns are often viewed as the weakest, most easily influenced of the three families. They always appear to sign onto whatever the latest idea brought to their attention is, or side with the faction that has literally talked to the most recently. In truth, they take no council save their own. It is always wise to remember that just because a Coleburn seems to agree with you, does not mean they actually do. One will never know what they really think until it comes time to make that final decision. And, unlike the Balforts, a Coleburn is more than willing to change course midstream if they believe it is in the best interest of the families and the city.
- The Taywoods: The Taywoods are known for their aggressive posturing and confrontational ways. They will often be the ones to pose the most questions to any who would negotiate with the Trinity. Their mannerisms often come off as harsh and obstinate. More than one supplicant has walked out of a meeting shaken to the core by the way a Taywood's questioning can drill down to the core of a matter and get at the real motivations behind any proposal. They are masters are detecting deception and are known for asking essentially the same question in a dozen different ways, searching for small changes in answers that might reveal something beneath the surface.
Culture
The families of the Trinity are tied to together by a long history of cooperation and alliance. They are tied together both by blood, and by tradition. To outsiders, they always show a united front. In private, they can often bitterly disagree and it is known that debates within the families can often be fierce and lengthy affairs. Even so, these debates rarely result in more than heated words and once in the public eye, all trace of such disagreements vanish.
Whether for good or ill, the families of the Trinity prefer to stay aloof of the goings on in their city. If one wishes to do business within the port, one need only show up and do so. One might expect that, because of this, the families may be ignorant of much of what happens within their city. It is an assumption that one makes only once for the Trinity has eyes even in the darkest corners of their city.
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Comments