Reading Part 2 of Phandelver has me headscratching a bit over several entries like this:

If the party (does thing), (person) privately approaches certain members of the group to urge them to join (faction).  S/He speaks with those who (match the group).  If a character agrees, (person) awards the individual the title of (title).

There's at least three of these.

Googling, say, "Lords' Alliance Cloak" (being that faction and rank) nets nada.  Not even someone like me going "where on the internet are the details of this stuff".

Is this an FR thing that I'd know if I was in the club?  Or is this another new and as-yet published thing?

This is probably related to the Organized Play stuff. It assumes that players join in-game factions (similar to Pathfinder OP) and receive extra missions and perks.

You can read up more about that stuff in the OP section of the Wizards page: http://dnd.wizards.com/playevents/organized-play
I would just ignore it for regular campaign play.

Quote from: mcbobbo;784035Is this an FR thing that I'd know if I was in the club?  Or is this another new and as-yet published thing?

Its an FR thing (ever since the 80s).

Page 109 to 111 of the free Basic D&D PHB details the factions (which is also in the PHB). For example, on Lord's Alliance it says:

QuoteThe Lords’ Alliance is an association of rulers from cities and towns across Faerûn (primarily in the North), who believe that solidarity is needed to keep evil at bay. The rulers of Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Neverwinter, and other free cities dominate the coalition, and all lords in the Alliance work primarily for the fate and fortune of their individual settlements.

Alliance agents include sophisticated bards, zealous paladins, talented mages, and grizzled warriors. They are chosen primarily for their loyalty and are experts in observation, stealth, innuendo, and combat. Backed by the wealthy and the privileged, they carry fine equipment (often disguised to appear common), including large numbers of scrolls scribed with spells of communication.

Agents of the Lords’ Alliance ensure the safety and prosperity of civilized Faerûn by standing united against the forces that threaten civilization. They proactively eliminate such threats by any means, fighting with pride for the glory and security of their people, and for the lords who rule over them. However, Alliance operatives are often glory hounds, looking to gain a leg up on their counterparts from other Alliance cities. The leaders of the Alliance know that the order will survive only if its members support each other, requiring a balance between pride and diplomacy. Rogue agents within the Lords’ Alliance are rare, but defections have been known to occur.