Coar Glossary
Glossary of Coarian governance and geography
Coarian Sovereignty – The nation in which The Unconventionals takes place. The Coarian Sovereignty, or Coar, is rather small and insignificant among the nations of the World. It lies far south of the Great Sea, around which the most powerful World nations lie. But with the help of the powerful Silacian Empire, Coar’s allied neighbor to the north and one of the nine great empires, Coar has achieved a level of advancement and stability not typical for the nations and lands of the World so remote and distant from the Great Sea.
Corvit – Capital and largest city of Coar. Due mainly to the influence of Silacia, from which it receives trade and innovation from the rest of the world, Corvit is a cosmopolitan, modern city. It is also the largest city in the world not located on or near the Great Sea.
Endorsed—The privileged class of Coarian citizens who run Coarian society. In the Coar Sovereignty, only the Endorsed could own property, run a business, and hold positions of authority. Any female or Favored Coarian can become Endorsed by passing a series of examinations. But the education needed to pass the examinations is expensive, so typically only more prosperous Coarians attain the status of Endorsed.
Grand Regents – The nine women who rule the Coarian Sovereignty. Two women representing each of the four gifts make up eight members of the Grand Regents Synod, and the ninth member, elected by the others to be the Prolocutor of the Synod, can have any of the four gifts. The Grand Regents serve for life. When a member dies, the other eight members of the Synod select her replacement.
Marquess – The only class of nobility that exists in Coar. Marquesses are owners of very large estates called Marches. The status and property of a Marquess are inherited matrilineally.
Province – A subregion of the Coarian Sovereignty. Provinces have some autonomy from the government of the Sovereignty and can make their own laws over certain matters. Coarian culture also tends to differ between provinces, with each province having its own food, customs, and way of speaking.
Regents – Regents are leaders of the various Coarian provinces. They are organized very similarly to Grand Regents. Each Chamber of Regents is made up of nine women with two representatives from each gift and on elected Prolocutor. Unlike Grand Regents, Regents do not necessarily serve for life, but can instead retire when they feel their service to the province has been completed. When a Regent retires or dies, her replacement is selected by the other eight members of the Chamber.