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## **The *Stonehearth Charter* becomes the *Charter of Light***

The Stonehearth Charter was the definition of a living document, or more specifically, a Living Constitution. It was a dynamic set of rules, with timeless guiding principles but protocols built to change and adapt to best preserve those principles while addressing new growth and development.

Likewise, with the growth of a Stonehearth parliament that had no particular affinity or loyalty to Baldur’s Gate, the role of the marquisate as an outgrowth of the “southern City-State” was becoming obsolete. There was also a concern of the marquisate locals, who wanted to ensure their tax was staying within the greater marquisate and wasn’t going back to Baldur’s Gate.

The Parliament of the Marquisate set forth their requests (and a few demands), entering into debate and negotiations with the Coronet of the Marquisate (House Stonehearth).

Limitations of Foreign Expenditure wasn’t so much a concession for House Stonehearth as there was already a policy of separation, but the policy was codified into the Charter.

Several other additions, modifications and evolutions were introduced – and the Charter was “reconfirmed” by the Stonehearth Coronet and ratified by the parliament.

One of the keys was that the charter and the polity it created was now bigger than House Stonehearth. There were dependencies that invested in the relationships with expectations that these institution would last in perpetuity.

More so, there was an articulation (some said admission) that Stonehearth’s own brightly burning ethics could no longer be covered by the pretense of politics. Even from the inside, this was less about the maintenance of a noble House, it was the vehicle of legal authority to take action.

### The ***Stonehearth Charter*** was reconfirmed as the ***Charter of Light***…

The ultimate evolution beyond the charter of a noble house, this was the unifying document of a principality, a marquisate, four counties and nine baronies.

With a nod to the divine work-around, now manifest in the movement of “The Light,” this allusion to magic was strong subtext behind the symbology of the *Light of Truth*, born on a torch to be held high above the lands of the marquisate.

This was *essentially* a declaration of independence from Baldur’s Gate. At the very least, the Charter of Light was a formal recognition that the marquisate was now operating independently of the Council of Four of Baldur's Gate.

### Already on the board for the next revision…

With Lantan in the parliament, there was no question of support – but there was a question of distance. Should a second level of parliament be created? Perhaps a kind of commonwealth that could serve for sovereign adoptees of the Charter?

The tripartite motto of the Charter still stood: life, liberty and justice. Those were the pillars of authority for the common defense. For the traditionalists, they were looking for the symbology of those would be depicted in the crest and arms: who would carry the torch?

There were three divine domains represented: the Life domain, the freedom domain, and the Justice domain. At the moment, there was no official divine associations – as there was no official divine support (if they weren’t within a mile of the request for divine assistance). But there was support for defining the character and prepositioning support should the divine powers return to Toril.

“Liberty” translated into the freedom domain, but was that better reflected by Ilmater or Mielikki? The suffering god, to remind subjects that freedom wasn’t free? Or itinerant god, whose own roaming embodied the quality?

Likewise, Justice was overseen by three and a half gods (at this point), creating a debate that could last a century on its own, assuming the divine world wasn’t itself in turmoil. Amaunator was too absolute, as slavery legal in areas. Bahamut was a strong possibility, but was a platinum dragon too much a distraction? Kelemvor was a strong contender on basis of character, but as he was judge of the dead, that was judged a little too late for mortal affairs. Torm was the dark horse in the conversation, who didn’t officially represent the portfolio (but would eventually inherit the domain as a result of divine infighting).

Life made the rest of the arguments look petty. Overseen in different ways by Amaunator, Bahamut, Berronar Truesilver, Chauntea, Eilistraee, Eldath, Helm, Ilmater, Lathander, Lliira, Osiris, Sharindlar, Silvanus and Sune, they all had an interpretation close enough to grant divine spells based on the portfolio.

This was just on the divine representation of the Charter’s motto – and did nothing to address connections to the underlying light of the torch of knowledge, the development of artifice or the use of magic (be it through the weave… *or not)*.

## **Rumors of the Rebirth of the Charter swept through the Sword Coast…**

The recasting of the Stonehearth charter into the *Charter of Light*, demonstrated regional leadership was happening with or without the Alliance.

There were fears that recognizing Stonehearth might usurp the authority of Baldur’s Gate. It was an ostensible concern: the marquisate itself was the supposed northern defender of the gate, with a marquise subordinate to a duke.

The reach of the marquisate, however, was now far beyond that of the Gate’s Grand Dukes.

On the coast, the marquisate was every bit the equal of Baldur’s Gate or Waterdeep – if not pulling ahead. On the back of the maritime capacity alone, the ships and cannons were the big stick of the marquisate, though the true measure was in the soft power.

Closely related, ship building was *not* an SMC business, though it was closely guided by the House as a strategic concern. Business was so good building ships in North Point, that agents and brokers for Orlumbor shipwrights now kept offices in North Point.

### As a polity, the sphere of Stonhearth influence was potent.

That their voice wasn’t among the leaders of the Lords’ Alliance was seen by many as a travesty, an opinion shared by the ancient (but well preserved) Laeral Silverhand. She saw how dwarves, elves, half-elves, humans, halflings and gnomes worked together in the marquisate and it was inspirational. There was even an orc presence that Stonehearth didn’t just tolerate, it protected.

Her major reservation: as a Chosen of Mystra, tapping raw magic was… *controversial*.
Likewise, Taern Hornblade was invested in the weave and knew enough even without confirmation to know that Stonehearth may have mastered arcane magic from the raw source. This wasn’t forbidden, per se, but it put him on edge for the amount of power it opened. It was a great unknown – but the marquisate was achieving things that nobody had done before. The mass-produced mana potions, which even worked for those using the weave, was a hands-down miracle…

His major regret: that Silverymoon was so far away from the marquisate.
Stonehearth held quiet alliances with the Harpers and the Emerald Enclave (who had a major interest in the new “posi-divine” casting methods). Stonehearth stood behind the Order of the Gauntlet, who had some turbulence of ethics without divine morals as their *Church of the Light* now advanced… but there was no question they were blindingly good.

## **Outside the Lords’ Alliance**

Stonehearth had consulates dotting all over the Sword Coast and the Western Heartlands, including close diplomacy with Elturgard (who had been, but was not currently a part of, the Lords’ Alliance). This was the Stonehearth neighborhood.

There were very good relations with Tethyr to the south, and to the east… a family history, blood connections, and intriguingly good relations with Cormyr.

Stonehearth kept all of Amn at arm’s length, mostly because Athkatla was a slaver city. The marquisate distrusted them almost as much as the brute-force Zhentarim. They did not trade with Calimshan or any other polity that endorsed slavery.

To the north, they invited refugees from Neverwinter and maintained trade to support those who remained. There were possibilities of annexing the remains of Luskan – *or razing it entirely simply as an act of mercy*. To the east, Stonehearth allegedly had spies in Westgate, but that couldn’t be confirmed.

There was open hostility between Stonehearth and the Red Wizards of Thay, as well as the Shadovar Netherese and much (but not all) of the drow-driven Underdark.

## **The members of the** **Lords’ Alliance** **extended a hand to the Marquisate**

House Stonehearth regularly downplayed and undersold their influence. In comparison to groups like Thay or the Zhents, who effected a very long reach indeed, Stonehearth was indeed discreet, accomodating, and comparatively non-interventionist.

*House Stonehearth was also accused of false modesty…*
The marquisate played minor roles in regional political intrigues, but used their mid-sword coast location, away from the Coast Way and removed from the inland Trade Way, to maintain their sense of neutrality.

In that respect, they were still limited to the slow pace of sailing – though Stonehearth ships were clipper speed. More so, though, the Stonehearth portal-ships were open secrets. Operationally, the Stonehearth could be as fast or far as they wanted to be.

The reality was that marquisate was already well-occupied with a running low-intensity conflict with Larloch and the regional population of Trolls. Of all the enemies they could’ve picked, they picked some of the most powerful and persistent.

In that respect alone, Stonehearth made people nervous. They were “new,” they were growing, and to invite them might change the power structure forever.

No place was that more apparent than in Cormyr. Certain nobles were desperate for Stonehearth assistance, while the great council forbid it. Even without the firepower, or the magic, or divine non-divine, the very nature of the “House of Commons” in the Stonehearth parliament was a threat. The “Charter of Light” multiplied the threat.

Give the commons a sniff of that freedom, and there would be a revolution…

The Lords’ Alliance officially lent a hand to House Stonehearth. The ones to suggest it were the Grand Dukes of Baldur’s Gate…