Glossary
Alliances
Since the beginnings of the War of Mages, humanity has suffered from a lack of trust as all it had built fell around it. As the Angels protected them as they fled to what is now Barbaria, they became insular, only working with those closed to them. The custom of declaring an alliance became commonplace to allay a person’s fear and mistrust, and trust became a commodity difficult to earn and easy to lose. There are three main types of Alliance.
An alliance of minds, or an alliance of hands, is the most basic agreement between two people, in order to display trust. The two persons will press their own hands against their chests, then join hands to confirm the Alliance. In modern times, this has been colloquially shortened to the former, as a sign of trust.
A Grand Alliance can take place between two families for farmland, two businesses for trade, or between two countries for protection. Due to the larger amount of trust involved, a third party is usually sought in order for trust to be created, and written agreements are signed. Most towns and villages will assign this to the local mayor, priest or law courts, whilst there may be several courts in the larger cities.
Finally, an alliance of Hearts takes the place of a marriage agreement between a male and female who wish to have children, and thus are in a mutual loving state. Such a large decision emphasizes the amount of trust needed, and it is very rarely taken lightly. Great emphasis is placed on the agents right to choose, yet for the most part a couple will ally together in happiness.