Glantrian Foreign Service
by Kit NavarroGlantrian Foreign Service? Bah! No such thing! At least, not in the same sense as the Darokinian Diplomatic Corps. What Glantri does have is spies! And émigrés who have left Glantri (often by force) to save their life! But here are some facts and ideas that might prove helpful...
Pre-Wrath of the Immortals
The Chancellor of Princes (charged with representing the Council of Princes in foreign lands) is Prince Volospin Aendyr of Blackhill, the Principality of those treacherous Alphatians. On one hand, Prince Volospin is a man of strict protocol and etiquette (Should you mispronounce of his many titles, you may find yourself duly sanctioned with some minor magical punishment.).On the other, many of the Princes believe he still has ties and loyalties to Alphatia; the former is true, the latter is equivocal as he also wants to rule his own state independent of the Empire.
Prince Volospin probably works closely with the Ambassadors and Ministers Solidarity, a privileged group of high-ranking government officials who enjoy diplomatic immunity throughout the principalities. Though not explicitly stated, the Ambassadors and Ministers Solidarity probably work closely with the D.C.C. and other diplomats.
Among Prince Volospin's allies is Duchess Margaret Hillsbury of Fenswick (secretly his lover), who is known as the only Glantrian noble who can understand the Glantrian bureaucracy. Her father, Duke Edward began his political career working with the Hall of Magistrates, and Lady Margaret still retains ties with these magistrates and the ministers. Another of Volospin's allies is the Viscountess Arbana Jerbat of Redstone. She is an Alphatian spy keeping an eye on Volospin.
Doņa Esmeralda de Belcadiz y Erewan is a double agent working for both elven Princesses of Glantri. She also has ties with the elven ambassador from Alfheim, Sire Galladin. Certain d'Ambrevilles have foreign connections: Dame Catharine is the Ambassador to Thyatis; Sire Jean-Louis and his elven wife Tariana smuggle clerics in and out of Glantri; Dame Magdalene was an adventurer once and Pere Simon, as a cleric, prefers to wander the Known World, rather than stay with this crazy relatives. One of the most influential spies in Glantri would be Urmahid Krinagar, Count of Skullhorn Pass. He works many in the Ethengar Khanates, but his network probably extends to Darokin and Wendar.
So if the PCs were to be official representatives of Glantri, they would probably be working with Chancellor Volospin and the Ambassadors and Ministers Solidarity, which is not to say, they are not connected with the spies of Glantri--or that they are not spies hired by individual princes with particular interests (such as Prince Innocenti of Caurenze and Thyatis, or Princess Carlotina and Alfheim.)
Post-Wrath of the Immortals
Urmahid Krinagar is now a Prince and the Chancellor of Princes, meaning espionage and diplomacy are much more intimately related.
Doņa Esmeralda now works with the shadow elves of Aengmor, and thus has double-, triple-, nay, quadruple-dealings with elves of Belcadiz, Erewan, Alfheim (refugees), and Aengmor.
Lady Margaret is dead and has been replaced by Princess Dolores Hillsbury of Fenswick (secretly Synn, Queen of the Night Dragons), who has made Glantri a much darker, xenophobic place after the Wrath of the Immortals. (Her main opponent in this is political matter is Chamberlain of the Land, Princess Isidore d'Ambreville, whose projects are to improve Glantrian standards of life, promote influx of travellers, tourists, and economy.)
Sir Lathan Aendyr, Volospin's son and Dolores (alleged) half-brother, is exporting zzonga to Darokin, using the skyships of Urbaal & Montgolfičre, Ltd., which has opened two routes: Glantri City-Darokin City and Leenz-Corunglain--a business that will get sticky in AC 1019.
In AC 1017, the Council of Princes established a new title of Merchant-Mage, responsible for overseeing Glantrian foreign trade (leaving the Chancellor of Princes free to focus on other foreign and diplomatic matters.) The Merchant-Mage will likely work closely with the Chancellor of Princes by definition, and also by circumstances, since the title was awarded to Prince Ralindi Virayana, Chancellor Urmahid's nephew of sorts, and Urmahid's money-minded mundaner brother, Khahak Krinagar, will be working closely with the younger prince.
For more information, check out
http://www.geocities.com/principalities_of_glantri