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The Affiliation is the name of the alliance formed particularly by the Inner Baronies in the wake of the collapse of the Kingdom of All-World after the unified Kingdom fractured into smaller governmental entities. This new network of economic, political and military alliances set Gilead as their base of power and provided military and economic aid to even the most distant Outer Baronies such as Mejis.

It was this Affiliation that helped maintain in these now independent Baronies the civilised traditions of Arthur Eld and held back the tide of chaos which threatened to destroy the fragile peace of Mid-World.

This loose Affiliation began to crack when the first signs of civil war broke out in the Baronies west of Gilead. As the wars raged for years, even affecting places far from the warring Baronies, the Affiliation began to lose its influence in war affected areas. It was because of this opportunity that John Farson began his plans to topple the Affiliation and install his own government, gaining followers by saying the Affiliation had no right to rule the common people of Mid-World. Sadly, the arrogance and dismissiveness of Gilead's residents fed into this, though Farson and his followers were always careful only to make the vaguest of promises as to how their rule would be better.

After Farson's rise to power the Affiliation risked total destruction unless they could cause him a major defeat. Because of the surreptitious plans of the Crimson King and his sorcerer Walter Padick, they were never able to do this. With each defeat, the Affiliation began to decay from the inside. Affiliation traitors multiplied, even into Gilead itself. The Fall Of Gilead and the Battle of Jericho sealed the fate of this last remnant of the civilization that had rebuilt from the ashes of the wars of the Great Old Ones. No real central government of any kind existed after this, and increasingly, cities and towns were completely on their own. Presumably, some survivors of Farson's campaigns came to regret tearing down what was without having something workable to replace it.

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