The Free Cities

Origins
The Free Cities began as the nation of Iptus in the land currently occupied by the Malorian Empire. In 511 C.E. Ataleo Lerona founded the nation of Iptus. This was the first human led nation in all of Acios. Lerona was able to achieve this feat through an alliance with two other tribal leaders within the region. Tired of the constant fighting, Lerona allied with the like-minded warlords, Irini Mavroti and Isaac Burgos to found the nation. They defeated the other tribes who opposed them and integrated them into the new nation. They decided on an electoral monarchy with three rulers as their governmental system. There would be three kings and/or queens from each family line ruling over the kingdom. The nobles would elect the most fit member to rule for each family instead of a direct line of succession.

This system of government led to frequent infighting between the families and a near constant power struggle. However, a civil war never erupted due to the shrewd choices the nobles made in the elections. If an heir to the throne was too headstrong, they were passed over for a more timid member of the family. While both the nobles and the monarchs knew this was not a sustainable system of government, both sides feared what would happen if a civil war were to erupt. Would the other nations take advantage of the infighting to conquer Iptus? This is what kept the nation from breaking into an all out civil war. Other than the dysfunctional government, the six centuries of peace were good to the Kingdom of Iptus. The Iptians worked with the Elves and Dwarves, much like the other human nations, to construct gorgeous cities and learn the ways of magic. Their capital city, Udirma (now Fosvern), for example, is famous for its beautiful hanging gardens.

The Invasion
This peaceful time for the four nations was ruined by the arrival of the Malorians who invaded Iptus in 1144 C.E. The war went poorly for the Iptians. The infighting of the three monarch was only made worse by having to strategize for war. Disagreements led to scrambled battle plans and chaos. This resulted in numerous losses to a Malorian military that worked like a well oiled machine. The Iptians were only kept afloat due to the intervention of the Wildcrest Kingdom and the Kingdom of Rysland. However, when the Ryslanders turned on the Iptians, the war was lost. Hundreds of thousands fled their homelands in a huge refugee train that worked its way from Iptus through the Wildcrest Kingdom and down to the Hulvern Mountains. Thousands were captured or killed on the long journey to the Hulvern Mountains. While the Ryslanders did not give chase, the Malorians continued to follow the refugee train, fearing what could happen if the Iptians were able to reform their nation.

Fleeing the Homeland
The leader of the refugees was King Saul Lerona. The other members of the three part monarchy were captured and executed. Lerona therefore was in charge of those loyal to the Mavroti's and Burgos family lines. Despite their differences, he was able to rally the refugees and make it to the Hulvern Mountains. The Iptians pled the dwarves to aid them, and the dwarves agreed. When the Malorians arrived they were met by a dwarven army that had prepared for thousands of years to defend their mountain homes. The Empire stood no chance and the Dwarves beat them back. When the Malorians attempted to attack from the other side of the penninsula with an Armada, they were met by a horiffic storm and the forces of the Lhazaar Principalites which drove them back.

Beyond the Hulvern Mountains lay untouched land that the dwarves had not touched. The Iptians were granted free reign over the land. The dwarves felt guilty for not aiding the war effort sooner and viewed this as their gift to a demoralized and lost people. The Iptians, with a common goal and free from the horrors of war immediately set about building their new home. The dwarves aided them in this pursuit and soon the settelments of Sektos, Thirgos and Lerona were created.

Three New City States
King Saul oversaw all of this but he soon realized that those who were not loyal to him or his family in the days of the monarchy would want to found their own nations. He met with the leaders of Sektos and Thirgos and agreed to allow them to break away. The nation of Iptus was no more. The Free Cities stood in its place. Lerona remained an electoral monarchy. The most fit heir was chosen by the nobles of Lerona to lead the nation. In Sektos and Thirgos, however, the people decided they no longer wanted a monarchy to rule them and decided on two seperate republic systems.

During the two century long reign of the Malorian Empire, the Free Cities blossomed and became grand merchant republics. The lands they had settled contained great amounts of valuable minerals, gems, and metals. They worked with the Hulvern Dwarves to mine the mountains and soon the cities of Lerona, Sektos, and Thirgos had riches that rivalled the massive Malorian Empire. With this money, they helped to fund rebel groups in Karkoth and the Wildcrest Kingdom. This funding went a long way in leading to the Great Rebellion that led to the freeing of the Wildcrest Kingdom and Karkoth Confederacy from the Malorian Empire. The Treaty of Thirgos officially recognized the Free Cities as their own sovereign nations. The peace has only made the city states richer as the nations rebuilding from the destruction of the war rely on the materials provided by the Free Cities. After their near total destruction by the Malorian Empire, the people formerly known as the Iptians are the envy of the world.

Sektos
The city state of Sektos is a republic ruled by a Count or Countess. The Count(ess) is elected by the nobles of the city state every six years. The current Countess is Sophia Contalli. As the Countess, she is the head of state and head of all government institutions. She also is the commander of military forces in times of war.

The Great Assembly of Sektos which is the legislative body and is an oligarchical parliament made up of the wealthiest citizens of the nation. There are 45 members of the Great Assembly who are chosen by lottery every four years. In order to become either Count or a member of the Great Assembly you must be a member of the noble class who are listed in the Golden Book of Sektos. Currently there are about 130 noble families whose members are placed in the lottery. Those who are in the Golden Book are either the old noble families from the original nation of Iptus or the wealthiest merchants who have become rich through their businesses in Sektos. As long as they are above 25 years of age, a family member listed in the Golden Book is eligible to join the government (regardless of sex or race). The Great Assembly has the job of passing laws to the Count(ess) which can either be vetoed or approved. If vetoed, the Great Assembly must achieve a plurality of votes for in order for the bill to become a law. The Great Assembly also has the power to veto the Count(ess) in matters of foreign affairs, declaration of war, and taxation

Thirgos
Thirgos also became a pseudo-republic. Much like Sektos, Thrigos has an elected head of state. He or she is known as the Doge. The current Doge is Efrem Nazuti. The Doge is chosen by lottery from a large pool of nobles and rules for two years. The Council of Thirgos is made up of nine men or women who are chosen based on a lottery system that occurs every two months. Only nobles are eligible to become a head of state or a member of The Council. To be eligible, one has to have sound finances, no arrears or bankruptcies, has to be older than thirty, and has to be a member of Thirgos' seven main guilds (merchant traders, bankers, two clothe guilds, and judges). Unlike Sektos, there are no new noble families that can be added to the government. The ones that were present for the founding of Thirgos are the only ones that are eligible to become members of the government.

The job of the Doge is very similar to the job of the Count in Sektos. He is the head of state and head of all government institutions. He is also the commander of military forces in times of war. The Council acts as the legislative body and introduces laws which are then ratified or vetoed by the Doge. Once a law is vetoed, there is no way to reintroduce it to the Doge. Therefore, it would seem as the Doge is very powerful. However, the nobles are the true power because if the Doge vetoes a popular law, the nobles can cripple the military and economy until the Doge acquiesces to their demands.

Lerona
The city state of Lerona is a traditonal monarchy with a king or queen of the ancient Lerona line as the head of state. The current head of state is Thiago Lerona. He has control over the creation of laws, the enforcing of laws, foreign relations, the military, and taxation. While the other Iptians opted for a different form of government, those loyal to the Lerona family are fine with a traditional monarchy. The Lerona's led their family out of opression and to a new era of prosperity. Therefore, Thiago does not rule with an iron fist and his people have just as many freedoms as the citizens in the oligarchies that neighbour his city.

Foreign Relations
The relationships between the city-states themselves are cordial for the most part. They do compete over trade routes and their proximity to each other's land fosters rivalries. However, the rulers of the nations have so far been able to make deals before open war breaks out. The Free Cities also strive to avoid war because they know that if they are not united in defense against an invading army, they may not be able to stop the invader from taking all three of their cities.

The Dwarves of the Hulvern Mountains are the Free Cities closest allies. They have worked together since the Malorian Invasion to mine the precious gems and minerals from the Hulvern Mountains and the ground of their peninsula. They share in the riches gained from the trading of these materials and from the manufacture of goods with them. Their next closet allies are the Wildcrest Kingdom and Eserion Elves. Both of them are trusted trading partners due to the Amber Road which is a great economic boon for all sides. The Wildcrest Kingdom has also pledged to protect their former allies. If any nation attacks any one of the Free Cities, the Wildcrests will join the war on the side of the Free Cities. The Confederacy of Karkoth are also very friendly with the Free Cities and the two nations are happy to work together.

The Free Cities are happy to trade with the Malorian Empire but do not want to have any other discussions with them. They know that the Malorians have designs on their lands and they have not forgotten how the Empire drove them from their homeland. The Free Cities treat the Ryslanders the same way, they are happy to trade with them but do not want any further alliances. The Free Cities feel how most of Acios feels about the Ryslanders, they trust them as much as they can throw them. The rivalry between the Stormcrest and Hulvern dwarves means that the Free Cities do not have many diplomatic discussions with the Stormcrest Dwarves.

The Lhazaar Principalities are seen as the Free Cities greatest threat at the moment. While the Principalities did stop the Malorian fleet from reaching their penninsula, the Principalities attacked mostly out of self-preservation. They wanted to control the untouched penninsula and if the Malorians had taken it, they would have had no chance to settle there. In the present day, pirates from the Principalities regularly raid the trade routes of the Free Cities. The Principalities do not sanction piracy, but they also do not try and stop it. This has led to heated confrontations between the two sides on numerous occassions. The Free Cities do not want war, but will not hesistate to attack if the Principalities continue to assault their trade routes.

Military and Law Enforcement
The populations of the Free Cities are quite small. Therefore, while they do have enough troops to field an army, they would be woefully outnumbered if they were to fight a battle against any of the other nations that populate Acios. The Free Cities therefore rely on mercenary troops to aid them in warfare. These mercenaries come from across the continent to serve the leaders of the Free Cities. They constantly switch sides depending on which City is willing to pay the most. As there is no warfare between the Free Cities, at the moment, they are mostly used to protect merchant vessels from the pirates of the Lhazaar Principalities.

The greatest mercenary company in Acios is currently employed by Lerona. They are known as The Divide and are mostly made up of Dragonborn soldiers and spellcasters. This company has existed for centuries and has been employed by almost every nation on Acios. They distinguished themselves as great warriors during the Great Rebellion. They served with the Karkothians in the south and during the invasion of the Empire itself. They earned the respect of Karkoth, which has some of the greatest foot soldiers on Acios, and helped to liberate the nation from the tyranny of the Empire. They are incredibly expensive to employ but King Thiago belives that they are worth it to protect his nations interests in these fraught times. The leader of The Divide is Toskan Ilkes, one of the most feared warriors on the continent. The Divide provide King Thiago with a great amount of power in the Free Cities. If any nation wants war with him, they will first have to go through the greatest mercenary company in the world.

Geography
The Free Cities are located on a small penninsula on the eastern end of Acios. The Hulvern Mountains are directly to the west while the beautiful Azure Sea borders them on the east. The nation is made up of mountains and rolling hills for the most part. The cities themselves are built on flatland and encompass a large portion of land. There are small towns and farms in the central and western part of the nation, but the majority of the countryside has been ripped up by mines. This is why it has become known as the Blasted Land. While the penninsula was once a virgin soil, untouched by mortal hands, it has know become a land of destruction. Torn apart by the dwarves and humans seeking riches beneath the ground.

The climate of the Free Cities is quite warm once you move east and away from the mountains. There are very short winters and long springs and summers in this part of Acios.

Economy and Infastructure
The economy of the Free Cities is centered around the shipping and mining industries. The Hulvern Mountains provide precious gems, minerals, ores that fetch a high price at market and provide the Free Cities with abundant materials to produce highly prized goods with. The Free Cities create a great amount of the weaponry, armor, jewlery, and iron goods on Acios. If a citizen of the Free Cities does not work within the city or on a boat he or she is usually found in the mines of the Hulvern Mountains or in the Blasted Lands. The Blasted Lands contain many shantytowns that spring up whenever a new and profitable mining area is found. While the Free Cities do not have many farms, the few farms that do exist are able to provide enough food for the small populations that make up the city states. The Free Cities do ship in extra food in case of a bad harvest and also import numerous luxury products that cannot be grown in the Free Cities. The other most important industry is the shipping industry. The Free Cities build a great many ships to ship their fine goods across the oceans and seas that surround Acios. Without trade, the Free Cities would not be as wealthy as they are today.

The Free Cities, mostly due to their small size, have a very good road network that links their mines directly to their cities. The Amber Road also provides a land route for their goods to be shipped across the continent. The cities are incredibly well built and layed out. This encourages a great amount of tourists to come and visit the splendor of the Free Cities.

Demographics
The Free Cities are one of the most diverse nations in all of Acios. There are a large amount of humans, dwarves, and halflings. Many elves have also moved to the Free Cities from both Almorin and Eserion due to its prosperity. When the Malorians invaded, many Goblinoids, Orcs, and Half-Orcs fled Karkoth and arrived on Free Cities. Many decided to stay at the conclusion of the Great Rebellion due to the welcoming nature of the citizens of the Free Cities. The nation also boasts the highest populations of Dragonborn and Gnomes. The Dragonborn are mainly mercenaries but there are also many Dragonborn miners and traders found within the Free Cities. The gnomes came here because they saw the Free Cities as a great place to develop innovations that would be scrutinized in the more strict Kingdoms that make up Acios. There are Tieflings, but as in much of Acios, they are not very common.

Culture and Religion
The people of the Free Cities are a peaceful people who have always sought to avoid conflict. They were able to avoid it for centuries, before the Malorians tore apart the land of Acios. However, with a new homeland their knack for diplomacy has helped the Free Cities reach a level of prosperity they never achieved in Iptus. The Free Cities place great importance on hospitality, and they welcome strangers into their settlements and homes with open arms. The people who live within the cities are often good-natured and cheerful owing to their incredible prosperity. The people who work in the mines and live within the blasted lands are not nearly as cheerful. The mines are hard work, but the job pays well and there is a chance of upward mobility within the mostly free societies that make up the Free Cities.