Alshar Garden Society

The Alshar Garden Society is the covert intelligence service of the Duchy of Alshar, operated by Princess Rardine from her seat as Anguin's consort. It is the southern counterpart to Queen Grendine's Castali Family — built on the same ruthless model, but by a daughter who learned the business from her mother and then ran away from it.

It is introduced in Footwizard by Pentandra with deliberate, deadpan irony:

Her Grace has started the Alshar Garden Society, to promote the beautification of the duchy. It's by invitation, only. Only the best and most prestigious gardeners are allowed in Her Grace's society. I'm honored to be a member, as is Rondal. And others. We're hoping to expand membership in the northern provinces, this summer.Pentandra, Footwizard

The cover is horticultural; the reality is a fully operational covert service with flower code-names, a "Head Gardener" at the top, and safe-houses in every major Alshari port.

Its signature recruits are the shadowmages of House Furtius. Gatina and Atopol are both Society agents by Hedgewitch, with Gatina using Society infrastructure to infiltrate Nemovort slave-holdings and uncover Mycin Amana's network. By Practical Adept the Society has become indispensable to Minalan's Farise operation — he draws on their files for a comprehensive brief on the political situation, and continues to rely on their existing agents while his own cover holds.