Trinsic is a large coastal city with a thriving port and trade located on the Isle of Deeds, a large island off the bottom tip of Britannia. The city is involved in a great deal of trade, and has extremely productive shipyards which provide the merchant vessels used to transport goods between cities and the warships that are used to protect the trade lanes from the threat of piracy. Trinsic is also home to the Society of Honour, which maintains its headquarters there in accordance with Royal Decree. The name Trinsic refers, properly, to only the walled city itself however the name is also often used when speaking about the city-state composed of Trinsic proper and its client communities on the Isle of Deeds.
The city-state of Trinsic is governed by the Council of Five. This governing body is made up of individuals who are appointed to the council when a previous member dies or retires, by vote within the council. The members are ranked by seniority, but all are considered equal except the First among the Council, who is considered the final authority in decisions made by the council. Any member of the Council, including the First can be retired by the others in a unanimous vote of the other four members, and then a new councilor would be voted on in the same way for a death or normal retirement. The council deals with the governing bodies of other cities and directs commerce, taxation, the military, as well as oversees the lesser governing bodies of towns in the Trinsic territory, according to the standards of common Britannian law. It is normally the case that some of the Councillors are members of the Society of Honour, occasionally as few as one, but sometimes as many as three; there is no requirement for this to be the case, but it tends to occur.
Trinsic is defended by both a standing army and a well-trained citizen's militia. The standing force is fairly small but highly professional and fights as infantry, although there are small detachments of cavalry that are used for tasks requiring greater mobility. The citizen's militia is well patronised by the city-state's aristocrats who supplement Council funding in an effort to outdo each other in civic responsibility. Typically these militia companies drill once a week, with multiple unit drills occurring once a month. Nearly every citizen spends some time as part of a militia company at some point. Each militia company has a specialisation - either concentrating on archery or some form of polearm, in particular the popular halberd. Trinsic's military prowess is demonstrated mostly in its navy. The city-state possesses the largest, and most experienced fleet of warships in Britannia due to its high level of commitment to the Society of Honour's anti-piracy patrols. The bulk of Trinsic's professional military manpower is devoted to the fleets and a sizeable contingent of marines, armed sailors who crew the warships of the city-state, is available to supplement the other defensive forces in times of great need. Although less well-drilled in open engagements, these marines are frequently highly motivated, well-trained in melee and archery, and skilled in smaller fights, such as those that can take place between ships at sea.
In addition the the forces of the city-state itself, Trinsic could presumably call upon the military arm of the Society of Honour, should there be a great threat to the city. The Society maintains a reasonable force of armed men and women at various sites around the Isle of Deeds, on ships, or elsewhere in Britannia and although they are not accustomed to major battles, their level of skill and dedication tends to surpass all but the most capable soldier. The Society of Honour also boasts some of the most puissant combatants in all of Britannia, champions who are well versed in magic useful in military pursuits. Much of the Society's military is at sea, with the Society's anti-piracy patrols or in communities around Britannia.
The culture of Trinsic is a diligent, hardworking people, with bustling and prosperous commerce and dedication to personal virtue and excellence. The people are friendly, civil, and generous, but they expect their generosity to be used by the recipients to become self-sufficient and to pass on the generosity to others. They are proud to be civil and to rise above the pettiness of lesser, uncivil people, and behave in a manner befitting good, civilized people. Fashions tend to be subdued, simple and clean, with quality and cleanliness of the clothing to be striven for, rather than the extravagant and gaudy. Hygiene is an important thing, and people are expected to keep themselves clean and sanitary, and Trinsic has dedicated facilities and personnel to keep the city clean; often those who trangress against the public order are employed to ensure this in expiation of their misdeeds.
Trinsic cuisine has an abundance of seafood, and the seas around Trinsic provide this in great quantity. Trinsic also makes excellent breads and pastries, and a popular import, along with lumber, is honey from Spirthold. Migratory birds come down in large numbers in the late summer and autumn, before passing farther south, and providing a seasonal supply of game bird, in addition to the local game and livestock.