A confederation is a subset of alliances that share culture + geography. When the conditions are met, members gain passive bonuses unique to that culture's confederation — typically a network mechanic (Drum-Speed, Adoption Network, Elevation Logistics).
Confederations are an important asymmetric power-multiplier. Some cultures are built to confederate (Cairnveil, Thunder Lodge, Condor Crown, Red Earth all have governance-form names that include "Confederacy" or "Confederation"); other cultures get only modest confederation bonuses.
A confederation forms automatically when:
When all four hold, confederation status activates. Status is reviewed weekly (in-game).
| Culture | Confederation bonus |
|---|---|
| Cairnveil Tuatha | Sacred Stone Network — omen tilts compound across all members' sacred sites. |
| Thunder Lodge Confederacy | Adoption Network shared — defeated rivals can be adopted by any confederate. |
| Condor Crown Confederacy | Elevation Logistics empire-wide — road bonuses extend across confederation territory. |
| Red Earth Covenant | Drum-Speed Coordination shared — drum signal reaches all members regardless of distance. |
| Fjordborn Clans | Oath-Bond Hosting — shared recruitment cap during alliance war. |
| Sun Dune Sultanates | Sacred Trade Routes — caravan fatigue immunity in attunement. |
| River Crown Kingdoms | Imperial Bureaucracy — research speed multiplied across confederation. |
| Jade Lotus Empire | Mandate of Heaven — legitimacy compounds across confederation. |
| Ironpeak Holds | Deep Road Network — tunnel network connects all confederate capitals. |
| Azure Isles League | Wonder Bastion Port — joint port wonders span the confederation. |
(The "Tuatha", "Confederacy", "Covenant", "League" suffixes already hint at the culture's confederation strength.)
Confederations are not permanent:
Confederations are a soft scaling mechanic:
| Layer | Members | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Player-formed, any culture | Voluntary |
| Confederation | Culture-pure subset of alliances | Automatic when conditions met |
| Concordance | Multi-alliance peace structure | Charter-signed; gates Peace Victory |
A typical late-game empire might be: Player → Alliance → Confederation → (eventually) Concordance signatory. Each layer is a different game.
Sources: confederation_mechanics.md (9.1K), per-culture sections in cultures.md, political_system.md.