A Tour of the Free Cities

author: Sir Christian

The Free Cities are independent city-states who owe their allegiance to no one and nothing but themselves. They're hubs of commerce, equal ground where anyone from any kingdom or race can meet and trade. Most have complicated webs of treaties with all of the surrounding nations, meaning that if one country attacks them, everyone else is bound to come to their aid.

During my military career, first as a Knight of the Empire, then as a Privateer Captain, I had the opportunity to visit all the major Free Cities.

Stonehelm is the oldest Free City; although not the biggest one. It was founded in the 48th Year of the Seventh Dragon, soon after Brian Falcon's conversion to Elrath, when some of his subjects, refusing to abandon their patron Dragon of Air in favour of the Dragon of Light, decided to exile themselves. Populated by Humans, Wizards and Dwarves, it is rumoured to have been built on an ancient Shantiri necropolis. A smaller outpost, Vradek's Crossing, serves as a marketplace with the Wolf Duchy.

Far to the west, Hammer Fall also used to be a city of the Shantiris, believed to have been destroyed during the Elder Wars. Shortly after the foundation of Stonehelm, a tribe of worshippers of Ylath moved into the region and inhabited the ruins. They called their city Hammer Fall, because of its natural waterfalls and the name of their legendary leader, Douglas Hammer. Douglas was an illustrious blacksmith who found a way to integrate Dragonblood Crystals into his creations, thus founding the order of the Bloodsmiths, who would bless the city with wealth and fame. Hammer Fall was briefly annexed by the Holy Empire but has since recovered its independence.

Stormcliff was established north of Stonehelm, in a region both strikingly beautiful and eerily desolate known as the Dragons' Causeway. Built on the Serpentine River, just south of the Twilight Falls, Stormcliff has reportedly regular contacts with the secretive Shanriya Nagas.

Listmoor is located in the mountains near the Dwarven kingdom of Grimheim, and therefore harbours a large Dwarven population, but also Humans and Orcs. As a major trade centre between Grimheim, Ranaar, and the Griffin Duchy, Listmoor has been growing rapidly in the last decades: gold merchants and lumber barons have fortified estates, but the city now sprawls beyond the walls into unsanitary slums.

Eridan Crossing is located on the border between the Empire and Irollan. Also known as a major trade crossroads, it is ruled by a council of merchants. One quarter of the city harbours the famous Elven Market.

The most recent Free City is Foster's Reach. It used to be a small port on the Jade Ocean, but with the increase of maritime trade between the Empire and the Lotus Empire, it has become a Pirate haven, populated by Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins...anybody who has money or something to sell. Ale and whores are the prime exports, along with drugs, murder, contraband and slaves. Due to Naga influence, it is also a banking centre, oddly enough. Nobody steals from Foster's Reach -- anybody who tries, dies.

A Tour of the Free Cities

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