Concordat of Lyon
The Concordat of Lyon is the standing treaty organization that coordinates governance among the Folk worldwide. It is not a government. It is, by design and by necessity, something weaker: a framework for mutual recognition, shared rules, and collective defense, held together by the fact that every member government knows what happens without it.
It was signed in 1797 in Lyon, France. It remains headquartered there, in a hidden compound beneath the old silk quarter that has been continuously maintained for nearly two centuries.
Origins
By the late 1700s, the Folk diaspora had been organizing locally for three centuries. Dozens of regional governments had emerged across Europe, the Americas, North Africa, and the Ottoman territories, each structured differently (councils, elder circles, clan hierarchies, theocratic assemblies), each independent, and each increasingly aware that independence had limits.
The French Revolution provided the final motivation. Not as a direct threat (most Folk settlements weathered it without incident), but as a demonstration. A human society that had seemed stable for centuries tore itself apart in months. The Terror catalogued citizens, hunted the suspicious, and executed 17,000 people in a single year. For a hidden population, the lesson was clear: human instability could reach them at any time, and when it did, an uncoordinated response would be fatal.
Representatives from the major Folk settlements convened in Lyon in 1797 and negotiated a charter. The process took four months. Most articles were contentious. One was not.
The Veil Accord (Article I)
The first article of the Concordat passed unanimously, the only article to do so. It established the Veil as inviolable: no Folk individual, government, or organization may act in a way that risks exposing the existence of the Folk to human society. Violations answer to the Concordat directly, not to local governments. This is the one area where the Concordat's authority is absolute and unquestioned.
Every delegate in that room was the grandchild or great-grandchild of someone who had survived the Inquisition. No debate was needed.
Core Articles
The Concordat's charter establishes:
- The Veil is inviolable. Any Folk who threatens it answers to the Concordat. (Unanimous.)
- No Folk government may wage war on another. Disputes are brought to arbitration. (Contentious. Passed narrowly.)
- Menagerie creatures are regulated. Breeding, trade, and release of magical creatures require Concordat permits. (Moderate debate.)
- Academies operate under Concordat charter. Including Nawadzi School for Forgotten Folk and its counterparts worldwide. Accreditation, curriculum standards, and graduate service obligations are coordinated centrally. (Ongoing friction.)
- The Concordat maintains shared services. An intelligence arm (Arachys-sworn), an enforcement corps (Zela-sworn), and a small diplomatic staff. Member governments contribute funding and personnel. (Perennially underfunded.)
- New settlements must register with the Concordat to receive recognition and mutual-defense protection.
What the Concordat Cannot Do
- Tax individual Folk (only member governments contribute, and contributions are voluntary in practice)
- Override local law on anything not Veil-related
- Compel military service (it requests; member governments decide)
- Regulate faith (explicitly excluded from the charter after heated debate between Aldor-aligned delegates and the Veridael clergy)
- Dissolve or restructure a member government
Regional Representation
Each recognized Folk government sends a delegate to the Concordat Assembly. By 1990, fourteen regions hold seats:
| Region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Iberia | The oldest settlement. Where The Rift opened. Claims historical primacy, and is not shy about it. |
| Western Europe | France, Low Countries, Britain, Germany. Home to Concordat HQ. |
| Mediterranean | Italy, Greece, the islands. Strong Morgol traditions rooted in Roman-era catacombs. |
| Eastern Europe & Ottoman Lands | Turkey, the Balkans, the Caucasus. Settled under Ottoman tolerance. More diverse lineage mix than Western Europe. |
| North Africa | Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt. Crossed from Iberia early. Desert enclaves with deep ward traditions. |
| West Africa | Gulf of Guinea coast. Arrived via Portuguese trade routes. The Folk here integrated deeply with local magical traditions. |
| Eastern Africa | Horn of Africa, East Coast. Smaller, newer. Indian Ocean trade connections. |
| South Asia | India, arrived via Portuguese colonial routes through Goa. Small but old. |
| East Asia | China, Japan, Korea. The latest major settlements. Monk traditions may trace partially to this region. |
| South America | Brazil, Argentina, the Andes. Crossed with colonial ships. Large and well-established by 1990. |
| Central America & Caribbean | Mexico, the islands. Early colonial-era settlement. |
| Eastern North America | US and Canadian East Coast. Urban enclaves in old cities. |
| Western North America | Includes Nawadzi Valley. The newest of the American settlements. |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand. The youngest regional government. Still establishing. |
In practice, five or six regions dominate Assembly politics: Iberia (historical authority), Western Europe (hosts the HQ, largest contributor), South America (largest Folk population outside Europe), Eastern North America (economic weight), Western North America (controls Nawadzi, the most prestigious academy), and Ottoman Lands (swing vote, brokers compromises). The remaining regions form shifting coalitions.
The Concordat in 1990
By 1990, the Concordat is 193 years old. It is slow, political, underfunded, and indispensable. Its intelligence service tracks Veil breaches and Unbound activity worldwide. Its enforcement corps is small but respected. Its arbitration panels settle more disputes than anyone would like to admit.
The institution's greatest strength is that no one has proposed a better alternative. Its greatest weakness is that this is also its only defense against calls for reform.
Negotiated under Aldor's banner. Enforced by Zela's sworn. Watched by Arachys's agents. Debated endlessly by everyone else.