The Barge Assembly
Tier: I, Weak Hold
The Barge Assembly is a community court formed by and for the canal workers, barge operators, and Woundfolk of Salve. Built from necessity and maintained through trust, it exists to resolve disputes, enforce fair trade, and maintain peace along the waterways—especially in places where official power is absent, indifferent, or unwelcome.
The Assembly conducts open-air hearings, facilitates repair-based restitution, and offers space for collective decision-making. Its rulings are respected not because they’re enforced by threat, but because they emerge from shared investment in the wellbeing of the community.
Turf
The Assembly’s authority is concentrated in Salve, especially in places where barge families live, work, and settle grievances. Operating from a cluster of semi-permanent barge-docks and floating platforms that host impromptu tribunals called The Knotworks (HQ), the Assembly also considers The Wound part of its jurisdiction.
Notable Assets
- The Knotworks : A shifting constellation of lashed barges, dry-rotted pontoons, and scavenged decking lashed with oily rope and pitch.
- Patchkit Circle: Instead of fines, most resolutions involve repair labor, facilitated by a floating depot of tools, timber, and grease—donated or bartered by the community. “Fix it or patch it” is a common sentence: if you scuttled a rival’s hull or lost someone’s gear, you join the Patchkit crew until you’ve made good.
Quirks
- The Stewboat: once a month, the Stewboat pulls up to the Planks—run by elders, stocked by donations—and offers hot stew to all. The price of a bowl? Share a grievance or offer to help settle one. These informal “stew sessions” often resolve issues before they ever reach a hearing.
- Testimony-by-Oathpaddle: During hearings, it’s customary to touch the community’s Oathpaddle—an old oar carved with the names of generations past—before offering testimony. You’re not swearing to law or gods, but to the memory of the dead who kept the water honest.
Allies
Widows of the Wound, The Brinebright League
Enemies
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