The Storm Concord

Overview

The Storm Concord is the governing body of the Sereans. It is a council formed by captains and sky-clans who live in floating habitats above storm worlds. The Concord manages extraction rights, safe-weather schedules, and survival rules for all Serean systems. While it appears loose in structure, its rulings are binding and respected by most clans. Across the Rim, the Concord is one of the most important authorities for resource trade and storm operations.

Headquarters

The Concord is based on Varo-Blue, the largest and most stable of the Serean habitats.
Varo-Blue is suspended in the upper layers of a violent storm giant, connected by towers, cables, and floating platforms.
It houses the Great Hall of Captains, where Concord rulings are debated and recorded.
From here, the Concord issues official storm quotas, retrieval licenses, and safe-weather decrees.

Structure

Captains’ Council: The main decision-makers, formed by elected leaders of the strongest sky-clans.
Quota Masters: Officials who regulate chemical extraction quotas and ensure fair division of resources.
Weather Arbiters: Specialists who track storm patterns and declare safe-weather windows for travel and retrieval.
Clanship Delegates: Representatives from smaller clans who bring disputes and petitions before the Council.
Skyward Guard: Defense and escort crews who protect retrieval operations from raiders, syndicates, or storm damage.

Methods of Power

The Concord holds authority through its control of storm operations and extraction rights.

Quotas: The Concord decides how much gas and chemical material each clan or company may extract. These quotas determine economic survival.
Retrieval Licenses: Only licensed crews may enter storm layers to retrieve rare resources. Unauthorized crews risk seizure or banishment.
Safe-Weather Decrees: The Concord controls when travel is allowed. These rulings prevent disasters but also give them leverage over trade routes.
Dispute Arbitration: The Concord settles conflicts between clans over territory, storms, or lost ships. Their decisions are final.

Reach by Region

Core: The Concord has little direct presence, but Core corporations buy heavily from Concord-certified exports.
Mid: Concord rulings are respected by most Mid ports that trade in storm-processed chemicals.
Rim: The Concord is strongest here. Rim routes rely on Concord approvals to secure storm products and safe-weather travel schedules.

Weaknesses

Storm Losses: When storm cycles destroy too many ships or habitats, the Concord faces criticism and blame.
Clan Rivalries: Sky-clans often compete for quotas or retrieval rights, causing rifts within the Council.
Limited Enforcement: The Concord depends on respect and clan loyalty. It lacks large fleets to enforce rulings outside its zones.
Syndicate Interference: Syndicates infiltrate storm retrieval operations, bribing crews to exceed quotas or steal licenses.

Everyday Impact

For Crews: Crews must hold retrieval licenses and follow safe-weather rulings. Those who disobey risk blacklisting and clan hostility.
For Ports: Ports that trade in storm chemicals rely on Concord seals to verify legitimacy. Without them, shipments are often rejected.
For Citizens: The Concord’s rulings affect food, medicine, and energy prices, since storm chemicals are used in countless industries. A bad season can drive shortages across entire regions.

Reputation

The Storm Concord is seen as both respected and unstable. Many across the Rim trust its rulings because they prevent chaos, but others view the Concord as divided and slow to act when storm losses mount. Some sky-clans accuse the Captains’ Council of favoring stronger clans over weaker ones. Despite its flaws, the Concord remains the only authority capable of managing storm retrievals, and without it, storm-space would collapse into lawless competition.