The Ninefold Concord of Cerenys Outpost

A great deal has changed in the last three years at the Cerenys Outpost. Once only a lone fortress clinging to the edge of the frontier, it has since grown into a strange yet prosperous community. The Dream Wood remains perilous, but homesteaders have arrived from far and wide, raising farms, shops, and homes. For many, the dream is simple: survive a year and a day, and the land becomes theirs to shape as they will.  This is the golden age of a land rush. People of every station now move into the Dream Wood—some chasing fortune, others seeking only the security of soil to call their own. As the population has swelled, the outpost has been forced to evolve. What was once overseen by a single Commander and one Magistrate has outgrown its roots as a military bulwark and become a true system of land management and governance.

The reach of the Cerenys Outpost now stretches across the entirety of the Dream Wood, bringing both its hidden mysteries and its rising settlements under the outpost’s authority. This includes the newly developed Hinterlands and Emberton. The sole exception is Lake Town, which remains in trust to the Grand Concord. Until the completion of the Grand Canal, Lake Town is administered by an appointed Reeve—protected by the outpost, yet standing outside its official jurisdiction.

With the rise of new nobility and the increasing complexity of settlement, more hands have been needed to guide the community. To meet this need, the Ninefold Concord was formed: an advisory council drawn from the strength of the Orders. The Concord exists to give voice to the people and to counsel the Commander. It is a body free of guilds, lobbyists, or naked ambition. Its purpose is simple: to gather the best among us and shape a better way forward. The Ninefold Concord serves as the governing council of the outpost. Composed of the seven long-standing Orders and the newly recognized Eighth Order, the Concord acts as both steward and advisor, offering guidance in matters of law, trade, diplomacy, and survival. Though the Ninefold hold voice and influence, their authority remains strictly advisory: they serve at the pleasure of the Commander, who retains final judgment in all matters. Membership is not permanent, and representatives may be dismissed from the council at the Commander’s discretion. The Magistrate’s former role has been folded into this body, its duties now shared equally among the Ninefold—an arrangement that reflects the altruism and balance of the Grand Concord itself.

Membership in the Ninefold Concord is regarded first and foremost as an act of service. Raw ambition and power-seeking are frowned upon, for the council exists not to elevate the individual but to safeguard the community. Any member of an Order may be chosen to serve, regardless of nobility, station, or status. What matters most is the willingness to guide others, to place the needs of the people above personal gain, and to uphold the ideals of the Concord. Each Order independently selects its representative to sit upon this august body, a process that reflects both their traditions and their values. In this way, the Ninefold ensures that every voice is heard in shaping the path of the outpost, and that its counsel is drawn from a broad tapestry of perspectives rather than a single hand upon the reins of power. The Concord is further supported by two appointed offices: the Master-of-Arms, who safeguards the assembly during its deliberations, and the Historian, who records its proceedings as the official chronicle of governance. These positions are open to any willing citizen, regardless of Order or standing.

Now that the Dark Prince has gone to atone, Lilah is no more, and the Beings of Power lie in slumber, the burden of survival rests upon mortals alone. It is upon our laws, our hands, and our civilization that the future must be built. The Outpost Commander bears a heavy burden in this new era, but with the counsel of the Ninefold, there is hope for a bold and lasting future shaped by mortal hands. Yet as shadows linger on the edge of the Dream Wood, one question remains: will we rise together to shape this new age, or falter and let the wild consume us once more?