The Adrah Clique is a technically illegitimate group that controls numerous port cities and territories of Ravenna through either force, coercion, or bribery of local officials.
The Adrah Clique was formed after the defeat of Uthan in the Blood War, after the collapse of the trade giant had left severe power vacuums throughout the world. While The Gilded Pact would fill most of these vacuums, the Adrah filled the niche in Ravenna. Founded by a coalition of shipping cartels, notable now unemployed privateers, and local bandit gangs, it would grow to fit the power struggle present in Ravennan trade logistics.
Under their founding leader, Godegisel Perrod, they would fill the gaps left behind by the collapse of Uthan. See, Ravennan shipping and overseas trading had always been a moderately big market, and while the central government was either too weak or unwilling to provide the resources needed to fuel the industry, Uthan had stepped in, providing the ships and traders necessary to move Ravennan agriculture and crops to oversea markets. With the absence of Uthan, an opportunity presented itself. The East Ravennan shipping industry needed a new patron, and that's were the Adrah would move in.
And that's exactly what happened. The Raouth Agreement signed in the town of Raouth dictated what the new Adrah Clique would look like, who would be leader, and what the plan was to seize power. The more prosperous among the Adrah would buy out local mayors and leaders to sway them to their side, plus provide all the financial needs while the bandits would serve as the 'military' force for the Adrah. Since The Eari were unwilling to stretch their maritime security against pirates as far north as Ravenna, the Adrah would fill that niche too, and protect ships from pirates, pirates that were often their control to drive up a demand for protection.
The plan went as was expected, with the corruption of local leaders meaning that the takeover was easy to execute, while the desperation of the local industry mean that many welcomed the Adrah. Inquisition troops had not yet moved to secure the eastern coastline, meaning that there was little conflict except with local peasant militias who didn't like the Adrah, or local bandit groups who saw the Adrah as infringing on their territory. Within the span of a month or two, the Adrah had expanded to cover most of the eastern coast and the vital port cities that came with it. Foreign governments didn't really care who was keeping the cities running, as long as they were running, and so accepted the Adrah Clique.
Over the years, they would war and skirmish with several other local warlord states plus The Inquisition on some occasions, but remain powerful and influential due to their role in sea trade in the north plus their control of several important cities. Godesgisel would pass down leadership to his son, setting the precedent for a Perrod dynasty over the Adrah for years to come.
The government of the Adrah consists of many different interest groups. While the Adrah are one coherent nation on paper, in reality, as with much in Ravennan poltics, there are many different groups struggling against each other for power and influence. On paper the Clique is under the command of the Tyrant-Marshal, a Perrod. However, the power of the Tyrant-Marshal tends to fluctuate a lot over the years, depending on the strength of the leader and how connected they are to other groups within the Clique. Several important factions are the Raouthian Army, the formal name for the bandit coalition that joined the Adrah, and the Private Navy, a coalition of the old shipping cartels and privateers. There are a few independent factions that are not coalitions like the Fishing Guild, which is not a fishing guild and is instead the guild of one of the more influential financiers of the clique. All these different factions hold sway over the shoddily defined laws and power of the Adrah Clique, and often meet in committee to discuss matters of politics, state, and trade.