The history of the Court of the Silent Word begins in an era lost to time, with the Cathedral of Saint Mercator already a grand, if eventually gutted, structure within the treacherous Freehold of Bone. Its founding remains unknown, its purpose prior to the coming of the Sanctuary obscured by the dust of ages. For years, the crumbling cloisters stood, perhaps a forgotten relic, until a cataclysmic event reshaped the region.

The Dragonbone Vanguard's destructive rampage, tearing apart the very gateways of the Freehold, plunged the area into unprecedented chaos. From the turmoil and instability that followed, a radical new sect emerged: The Sanctuary of the Word. These zealots passionately believed that the world's pervasive corruption stemmed directly from the inherent lies found within currency and commerce.

Their doctrine proclaimed that true purity and honest exchange could only be found through expressions of pure need and the sacred wisdom of written scripture. Seizing the desolate cloisters of the gutted Cathedral of Saint Mercator, the Sanctuary declared the site holy ground. Within these crumbling walls, they decreed that "The Word is law," intending to enforce their stringent beliefs.

However, the harsh realities of The Freehold of Bone soon challenged their purist vision. Displaced merchants and countless unlicensed vendors, desperate to escape the Bone Barons' exorbitant Marrow Tolls, sought refuge and a place to operate. They gradually infiltrated the self-proclaimed holy court, bringing with them the very commerce the Sanctuary abhorred.

An uneasy and peculiar truce began to form between the devout zealots and the pragmatic traders. The Sanctuary reluctantly permitted the market to continue, but only under the strictest conditions: all transactions had to completely bypass traditional currency exchange. Gold was summarily confiscated and melted down, while any silver was shattered into useless shards.

Thus, the Court of the Silent Word transformed into Coia's preeminent barter hub, a unique economic anomaly in the heart of the Freehold. It became a boisterous, often aggressive, arena where magic items, vital secrets, and even human lives were swapped. Goods like food, intricate bone scrimshaw, and valuable favors served as the new tender.

Today, the Court remains a place of intense, loud haggling, thriving under the watchful, judgmental eyes of the Sanctuary's silent inquisitors. It functions as a tense and boisterous market, teetering precariously on the brink of religious purges. Despite the constant threat, its unique system ensures its continued existence as a vital, if volatile, center of trade.