[Blackleaf Forest] The Banner of the Merchant Kings (Patreon)

The green of the flag represents the Blackleaf Forest. The five lines are the roads that cross through Orlyggthorp (pronounced or-LEEG-eh-thorp), giving it its infamous moniker--the Great Crossroads. Of course, the five golden crowns are the five Merchant Kings themselves. Ironically, three of the Merchant Kings are actually women who gladly take on the title of "King." Not that any would oppose them. They are wealthy, deadly, and extremely hard-to-kill.

Thanks to the road-building efforts of the Merchant Kings, the Ninth Kingdom is once again a commerce superpower. But the roads imbue the Kings with incredible influence. "Control the roads, control the Forest." 

Already, the Kings have made it quite clear they wish to rid the Blackleaf Forest of the Confederacy. In their minds, the Confederacy creates unecessary bureaucratic hurdles to advancement. Capitalism is what will break the restraints of the old ways, not isolationism.

The Kings are starting to make moves in Bygrove, but Governor Orthrolis keeps a close eye on the plutocrats. However, his mistrust of the other six Governors and the Presidential Council gives him very few allies in this cold war against the Kings.