Grounders/Coalition

The Coalition
Overview
Type	Coalition of Clans (former)
Government	An absolute power vested in the Commander (former)
Leadership	Lexa† (founder; former) Ontari† (by ruse; former) A.L.I.E.† (through Ontari; former) Roan† (acting; former)
Founded	2140s
Dissolved	2150 (succeeded by Wonkru)
Territory
Capital	Polis (former) Second Dawn Bunker (former)
Headquarters	Polis Tower (former) Second Dawn Bunker (former)
Locations	See Locations
Relations and associations
Child Entities	See Clans

The Coalition, also known as Kongeda in Trigedasleng, was an alliance of twelve Grounder clans and the Sky People, whose territory stretched across the former Northeastern United States. The twelve Grounder clans were first brought together by Commander Lexa, and the Sky People later joined as the thirteenth clan.

After a long history of in-fighting, the twelve Grounder clans were unified under the absolute power of the Commander. Each clan continued to have its own leader who answered to the Commander, and the clans chose their leaders differently. The Commander was chosen through a Conclave.

If a Nightblood from a different clan, becomes the Commander, his or her clan will take power and control.

The Coalition fought against various enemies including the Mountain Men, Reapers, and Sky People, the last of which later became an ally and eventually a member of the Coalition. They also faced internal threats from the likes of Azgeda.

After the Final Conclave, the remaining eleven Grounder clans (all of Floukru died) and the Sky People were merged into a single clan, called "Wonkru", thus succeeding the Coalition. Led by Octavia Blake, they survived the Second Nuclear Apocalypse together within the Second Dawn Bunker.

History

Lexa, first Commander of the Coalition, in her throne room

Commander Lexa founded the Coalition, becoming the first person to unite all twelve Grounder clans under the rule of the Commander. Before the Coalition, the clans had spent many years fighting each other and various characters expressed concern that the Coalition would collapse without Lexa in charge. Azgeda in particular was long considered the biggest threat to the alliance of the twelve clans, with the clan having joined the Coalition three years prior to the events of Season Four, on the condition that their Prince was banished.

Under Lexa, the Coalition were at war against the Mountain Men and the Reapers. When the Sky People landed in the Coalition's territory, a series of conflicts broke out between the two sides. Tensions escalated and after the massacre in Tondc, Lexa demanded that the Sky People leave the Coalition's territory or die. The Sky People instead offered a way to cure the Reapers and save both of their people imprisoned within the Mountain Men's fortress: Mount Weather. The Coalition and the Sky People thus agreed to a truce, forming an alliance to take down Mount Weather. The alliance was later jeopardized when Lexa betrayed the Sky People by making a deal with the Mountain Men to ensure her own people's safety.

Ambassadors of the 13 clans

After Wanheda's destruction of Mount Weather, the Coalition was shown to be highly unstable, with the clan ambassadors believing Lexa to be weak and unfit to rule. Queen Nia of Azgeda began plotting with the ambassadors to overthrow Lexa in an attempt to seize control of the Coalition for herself. Meanwhile, Lexa convinced the Sky People to join the Coalition and become the thirteenth clan. A ceremony was held in which Wanheda bowed to Lexa in the presence of the ambassadors, so as to affirm Lexa's strength and authority. Marcus Kane received the Coalition brand on his forearm on behalf of Chancellor Abby Griffin and the rest of the Sky People. Undeterred, the ambassadors attempted to remove Lexa from power by calling for a vote of no confidence. Lexa secured Wanheda's support in the vote, however, and the motion thus failed.

Nia challenges Lexa

After the attempted coup, Queen Nia challenged Lexa's position as the Coalition Commander and selected her son Roan to fight her in a Trial by Combat. Lexa won the trial, but instead of killing Roan, Lexa killed Queen Nia as she spectated the fight. She then declared Roan the new King of Azgeda.

The fracturing of the Coalition continued however, as the newly elected Chancellor of the Sky People, Charles Pike, rejected their joining of the Coalition. He, along with his group including Bellamy Blake and Hannah Green, killed the army Lexa had sent to Arkadia to protect the Sky People from an Azgeda attack.

Lexa was later accidentally killed by Titus, her adviser and the spiritual leader of the Flamekeepers. She was succeeded by Ontari of Azgeda who had slaughtered the Nightblood children Lexa had been grooming for the title. Meanwhile, the Arkadian Civil War ended with Pike's faction defeated and Skaikru wanting to be reinstated into the Coalition. There was further chaos, however, as A.L.I.E. came to possess Ontari and gained control of the Coalition through her. After Ontari's death and A.L.I.E.'s termination, King Roan became the acting head of the Coalition and Skaikru was once again recognized as the thirteenth clan. Without a Commander to lead them though, war quickly broke out among the clans.

With the impending Second Nuclear Apocalypse, the Floukru clan were completely wiped out from radiation exposure. A Final Conclave was held to determine the fate of the twelve remaining clans including Skaikru. Octavia Blake won and merged the remaining clans into one clan that she named Wonkru. This new clan thus succeeded the Coalition, with Octavia as their first leader.

Leadership

Commander

Main article: Commander

The emblem of the Commander.

Commander, also known as Heda in Trigedasleng, is the title given by the Grounders to their highest-ranking leader and the current bearer of the Flame.

The Flame itself is a neural implant that merges its user's brain with an artificial intelligence known as A.L.I.E. 2.0. It was created by Becca Franko who then became its first user and thus the first Commander. Since the Flame is only compatible with Nightbloods, they are the only ones able to become true Commanders. The Grounders believe that the Flame contains the "Spirit of the Commander", and that the Spirit helps choose and guide the next Commander.

Under Lexa, the Commander became the absolute leader of the Coalition of the 12 (later 13) Clans.

Ambassadors

Each clan has its own Ambassador to the Coalition, who represents the clan's interests before the Commander. Besides death, a unanimous vote of no confidence by the Ambassadors is the only way to remove a Commander from power. According to the Boudalan Ambassador in "Echoes", Polis, the Coalition's Capital, is to be ruled by the Ambassadors when there is no Commander.

Known Ambassadors of the Coalition:

Azgeda Ambassador^† (Azgeda)

Boudalan Ambassador^† (Boudalan)

Floukru Ambassador^† (Floukru)

Sangedakru Ambassador (Sangedakru)

Louwoda Kliron Ambassador (Louwoda Kliron Kru)

Rafel^† (Trishanakru)

Uzac (Yujleda)

Podakru Ambassador (Podakru)

Blue Cliff Ambassador (Ouskejon Kru)

Plains Riders Ambassador (Ingranronakru)

Clarke Griffin (Skaikru)

Clan Leaders

Every clan in the Coalition has its own leader, all of whom answer to the Commander. The clans choose their leaders differently, but most are chosen after the old leader has died. For example, Azgeda are ruled by a monarch while the Sky People have a democratically elected Chancellor.

Each Grounder village within a clan also has its own leader. Village leaders earn his or her place at the top through acts of strength and ferocity (as in the case of Indra, the Chief of Tondc) and through mentorship from previous leaders.

Clans

The thirteen clans of the Coalition were:

• Trikru
• Azgeda
• Floukru
• Sangedakru
• Yujleda
• Boudalan
• Trishanakru
• Podakru
• Ouskejon Kru
• Delfikru
• Ingranrona
• Louwoda Kliron
• Skaikru

Trikru

Main article: Trikru

The Woods Clan, also known as People of the Woods, Trigedakru, Trikru, or Tree People, are a group of Grounders who inhabited the expanse of Virginia's woodlands. Their borders also extended to the ruins of what once was Washington, DC and near the ruins of the Lincoln Memorial. In "Remember Me", it is revealed that Lincoln's village was named Tondc, probably due to a damaged sign nearby that read "Washington DC 10 Miles." The name "Tondc" is from the five last letters in Washington DC.

Commander Lexa, the founder of the Coalition, was from the Woods Clan.

Azgeda

Main article: Azgeda

The Ice Nation, also known as Azgeda in Trigedasleng, is a clan that was ruled by Queen Nia and later King Roan. The Ice Nation's territory stretched for a thousand miles. It bordered Trikru territory at Sector 8, but the ice was farther to the north. This clan was in the land where the Southern Canadian and Northern U.S. borders met.

Prior to joining the Coalition, this clan had been at war with Trikru. Under Queen Nia, the Ice Nation had captured Lexa's girlfriend, Costia, thinking she had information about the Commander. They tortured, killed, and decapitated her. The Ice Nation joined the Coalition around 2147, though Nia was forced to banish her son, Roan, as part of a deal with Lexa.

Ontari, the pretender to the Commander's throne upon Lexa's death, was from the Ice Nation.

Floukru

Main article: Floukru

The Boat People, also known as Floudon Kru or Floukru, was a clan led by Luna. This clan was allied with Trikru and, according to Lincoln in "I Am Become Death", they live "east to the sea, then across it." Floukru lived on an old oil rig in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and used boats for transportation to land.

Floukru were a pacifist clan that avoided war and violence. Lincoln had met Luna on his travels, and was going to take Octavia to Floukru in order to keep her out of the conflict between the 100 and the Grounders, though the two never made it. In "Wanheda (Part 1)", it is alluded that once the Commander placed the kill order on Lincoln's head, Luna was no longer willing to take them in.

In "The Four Horsemen", Luna became the last surviving member of the Floukru clan when the rest of her people died from radiation sickness after ingesting irradiated fish. Luna only overcame the sickness on account of her being a Nightblood. When Luna was killed by Octavia in "Die All, Die Merrily" during the Final Conclave, Floukru became extinct.

Sangedakru

Main article: Sangedakru

The Desert Clan, also known as Sankru or Sangedakru (sometimes misspelled "Sandgedakru"), lived in, and are named after, the desert near the Dead Zone, but are separate from the Nomadic Grounders who inhabited the Dead Zone. According to Brell, the clan's capital punishment is stoning to death.

Sheidheda was a Commander from Sangedakru, and the clan's greatest champion.

Trishanakru

Main article: Trishanakru

The Glowing Forest, also known as Trishana or Trishanakru, is where Ilian is from. Some members of Trishanakru have been known to decorate themselves with lines of dots tattooed onto their foreheads. Trishanakru was one of the allies Trikru called upon to help retake Polis from Azgeda.

The clan's death ritual includes securing the dead body against a tree and having radiated glowing butterflies place their larvae to make a cocoon around the body. After metamorphosis, glowing butterflies emerge from the cocoon. The butterflies give the clan their name.

Yujleda

The Broadleaf Clan, also known as Yujleda, is where Ambassador Uzac is from. They were allied with Trikru and were willing to fight against Azgeda.

Notable Members:

Ambassador

Uzac

Final Conclave Champion and Warchief^†

Boudalan

The Rock Line, also known as Boudalan or Boudalankru, is the clan that was represented by the ambassador killed by Echo. Some members wear the stones of their ancestors in order to honor them. They were allied with Trikru and were willing to fight against Azgeda.

In the episode, "A Little Sacrifice", it was revealed that a Boudalankru member named Maffei, was a Nightblood, who became a Commander.

Notable Members:

Ambassador^†

Unnamed scavenger^†

Final Conclave Champion^†

Maffei, the Commander^†

Podakru

The Lake People, also known as Podakru, is where Terro was from. They were allied with Trikru against Azgeda.

Notable Members:

Ambassador

Terro^†

Guara^†

Ouskejon Kru

The Blue Cliff is also known as Ouskejon Kru and Ouska Ejon Kru.

Notable Members:

Final Conclave Champion^†

Ambassador

Delfikru

The Delphi is also known as Delfikru.

Notable Members:

Final Conclave Champion^†

Cabor^†

Delphi Delegate

Ingranronakru

The Plains Riders are also known as Ingranrona(kru). They were a part of the Trikru alliance during the war against Azgeda.

Notable Members:

Gael^†

Ambassador

Louwoda Kliron

Main article: Louwoda Kliron Kru

The Shallow Valley is also known as Louwoda Kliron Kru. Their territory, like the clan, is called Shallow Valley, and includes the Virginia town Shenandoah. This is the clan Madi is from. The people of this clan tend to wear reds and browns, they decorate their villages with colorful cloth and weaves wrapped around trees.

Skaikru

Main article: Sky People

The Sky People, also known as Skaikru, joined the Coalition as the thirteenth clan in 2150.

Locations

Known locations include:

• Polis – capital of the Coalition
• Tondc – Trikru village
• Arkadia – Skaikru settlement
• Rendon – Trikru village
• Doah – Lowouda Kliron village
• Troit – Azgeda village
• Reva
• Rappahan
• Mana
• Drom
• Woodstock
• Rockburn
• Xandria
• Beda
• Nadal
• Bowie
• Dalk
• Aldo
• Nopar

Notes and Trivia

• It was originally assumed that all Grounders were a part of the same clan. It was revealed by Lincoln, however, that there is more than one clan. A more definite number of clans is given by Gustus in "Remember Me".
  • The Sky People become the 13th clan in "Ye Who Enter Here", after Lexa initiates them into the Coalition.
• The forging of the Coalition, as well as pre-Coalition wars, involved a lot of bloodshed.
• Lexa forced Azgeda to join the Coalition.
• The Commander (Heda in Trigedasleng) is at the head of the Coalition. The title can only be assumed by Nightbloods.
• The Coalition's capital is Polis. The Commander holds court and the Coalition member ambassadors assemble there.
• Members of the Coalition are bound by a covenant and are expected to fight in its honor.
• According to the Coalition's laws, only a unanimous vote of no confidence by the ambassadors or death can remove the Commander.
  • In "Watch the Thrones", Lexa's rule is challenged by Azgeda when Queen Nia declares a motion of no confidence in her. All Ambassadors of the original 12 clans stand up in support of the motion, but the vote fails because the Ambassador of the newly-inducted 13th clan rejects it.
• The Coalition was involved in the Coalition-Skaikru Conflicts, Mount Weather War and the Final Conclave.
• Floukru is the first known clan to go extinct.
• If a Nightblood from a different clan, becomes the Commander, his or her clan will take power and control, just like with Lexa's Trikru, and Sheidheda's Sangedakru. Queen Nia also planned to have Ontari become Commander, so that Azgeda can take control of the Coalition. Maffei of Boudalankru and Kemji of Trishanakru were also mentioned, implying that their clans took power and control as well.