Thrashia
14-10-2008, 05:29
The Land of the Free Cities
History
The Land of the Free Cities is a confederation of small, but rich, city-states that occupy the coastline and hinterland of the Plains of Dardet. They were established by traders, farmers, and craftsmen some four hundred years prior after a migration of men from over the Middle Sea. At first several lords, and even a king, ruled over the land. However many of these high lords became corrupted and the people suffered terribly from poverty and plague. When people protested against the lords, they were massacred by the royal guards. This was the last straw for many. In an act of hatred and fiery spirit of freedom the people rose in revolt and overthrew their lords and kings in favor of self rule. The people turned control over to the burgesses, a group of rich and powerful merchantmen who have ruled over the Free Cities ever since.
Population: 6 million
Society
The Free Cities are fiercely independent and consider themselves enlightened. All gods are considered equal amongst the Free Cities and thus all religions are tolerated to one level or another. As such many men come there to live and worship freely from other repressive regions. To keep their freedom and guard it the Free Cities also have a strong standing army that is armed with the best weapons the smiths and craftsmen of the Free Cities can offer. To guard them they have a strong navy built using designs stolen from the Theocratic Empire of Prazinia, capitalizing on the making of cannon, and on land the strength of arms of the Free Companies are renown across Eldire. Because they are not officially a nation the Free Cities are a metropolis for merchant markets and a world center for talented craftsmen such as elves and dwarves.
Political Structure and Apparatus
There are seven provinces, or city-states, that make up the Free Cities, each ruled by a Lord Magister who owe their power to the unifying figurehead of the Grand Magister. It should be noted that the Free Cities are not a single nation, but a confederation of individual states brought together out of a shared language, religion and culture.
The southern city-states – Ostland, Averland, Reikland, Stirland, - resemble a broad chalice, partially surrounded by near-impassable mountain ranges from which drain the mighty rivers which are the lifeblood of city trade in that region before they come to the great River Running. To the east of these are the Grey Mountains, beyond which lies the outer Dardet Plains. To the south is the great River Running that effectively marks the boundary between the Free Cities and the Kingdom of Aldarland.
To the north, the rolling hills and rapid streams of the south and east are gradually transformed into the forested lowlands and deep waterways at the heart of the Free Cities. The vast forests stretch almost unbroken across the countless leagues from Reikland to the northern border with the Kingdom of Norgardia and the shore Ravenshorn Mountains; called the Great Forest, or Drakwald Forest. These lands are divided into the last three northen states - Hochen, Ostermark, and Nordland. The inhabitants of these northern states generally have to deal with much greater hardships than those of the south, being that much closer to the frontier where wild marauder tribes and beastmen roam practically unchecked except for the vigilance of the Free Companies and a few knightly orders built upon the model of the Hospitlar Kingdom.
Each city-state province is given its name from the very city that is its capitol.
Map of the Free Cities (http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4519/freecitiesmaphv8.jpg)
Important Figures
High Magister Thaddeus Meier (http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1820/potraitofthepresentbykium6.jpg)
- The cunning and unscrupulous master of the Free Cities is a man of many faces. Ever since his youth at the universities of Stirland, Thaddeus Meier was renown for his acute political acumen and prodigious methods at achieving what he desired or thought others wanted. As well as coming from one of the richest merchant houses in all the Free Cities, “Meier & Brothers,” as a backing it was little unexpected that Thaddeus became first the Magister of Reikland, and then eventually rose to the rank of High Magister, and effectively controlling all of the Free Cities. Though a man with the political mindset of a hyena, he is also considered by many to be honorable and forthright in matters that do not concern politics, as well as being a famous hero in the ‘Mountain Wars’ where he won fame as a mercenary captain leading the locals to victory against tribes of goblins that had ravaged that area for years. First and foremost in his mind is the continued existence and prosperity of the Free Cities.
Admiral Rosetta Jacobs (http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/7726/beatricedu8.jpg)
- Once, or so it is believed, to be a pirate that had been captured by the then aging and now deceased Admiral Halls of Stirland, Admiral Rosetta Jacobs is a woman none would dare cross. Renown for having nerves of steel and more experience in naval combat than perhaps even the greatest of sea captains in all the lands of Eldire, she was made the effective commander of the entire navy of the Free Cities. She believes that the sea is where her home is, and one will usually find her on the deck of her flagship, the Bon Jolly.
Grand Master Mathias Jans (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5136/8aacb22fc5609e82oa7.jpg)
- The leader and grand master of the Knightly Order of the Golden Sun, Mathias Jans is an important figure to the political and military life of the Free Cities. When the Order of the Golden Sun first appeared some seventy years prior, formed by disparate free knights who had lost their kingdom who were paid at first as mercenaries by the then Magister of Hochen. They quickly won acclaim and from amongst their number they chose a captain to whom the title of Grand Master eventually grew when, after the conflict in which they were hired as mercenaries, it was decided that they would be not mere mercenaries, but also protectors of the realm. As such the Order of the Sun is directly funded by the different magisters of the Free Cities, giving them a castle from which they ride out. The 37th Grand Master, Mathias Jans, thereby controls a large portion of land and is often asked to command the forces of the Free Cities, leading the Free Companies to victory many a time.
Karl Wolfhausen (http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/8277/0507ca03fw1.jpg)
- The shadow that follows in the night and the knife that slits the throats of traitors and enemies of the Free Cities, Karl Wolfhausen is the effective leader of the High Magister’s secret police force. They are charged with the protection of the High Magister and of the Realm. It is they who often will hunt down evil witches or warlocks on the loose, or execute a city magister if claims of corruption are found. Besides being a skilled warrior and assassin, Karl Wolfhausen and those like him are very effective at Dispel Magic, a discipline of magic used to counter-act the attacks of magical attacks. He is a dangerous man indeed to those who would oppose the High Magister or the Free Cities.
Military of the Free Cities
The Free Companies is the name of the armed forces of the land of the Free Cities. Each city has its own individual militia that serves to defend it when the force of the Free Companies is not needed. Each city-state is levied to raise ten thousand men to be sent to train at the great Citadel Andbar on the northern frontier where they learn from previous soldiers, blood themselves for the first time in skirmishes, drill in full company formations, and are taught the skills of war. There are also other formations within the Free Companies that have a long standing tradition nearly as long as the Free Companies themselves, and those are the Halberdiers of Ostermark and the Spear Legion of Ostland. Though smaller, differently armed, and dressed in different uniforms, these two organizations are subordinate to the Free Companies who are commanded at different times by either the Magisters, Grand Master of the Order of the Sun, or a general who is promoted to that rank by merit of arms.
The Legion (http://www.keithrocco.com/store/images/lg_wingedhussars.jpg)
-The Legion is a dedicated cavalry force integral to the Free Companies with a long and rich history of service. Unlike the mounted Knightly Orders, the legionnaires are armed with long, sharp lances and curved sabres. Instead of heavy armour, theirs is light and allows them to maneuver faster, enabling them to enact their trademark cut-and-run attacks with ease. Each legionnaire also has a pair of black feathered wings attached to the back of their armour. Not only is it an intimidating sight, but when they charge the wings flap and causes the wind to howl like the baying on banshees, capable of unnerving even the hardest of veterans.
Huntsmen (http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2313/archerok2.jpg)
-In the land of the Free Cities, the bow is the classic weapon of the yeomen, and these troops are normally organized into small groups of skirmishers who support the regimented units in battle. Trappers and hunters from the Northern provinces, such as Nordland and Ostermark, are often called to serve in special units called Huntsmen, which are employed to scout ahead of the main army.
Swords of Reikland (http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/2095/swordsmanui6.jpg)
- Reikland is the largest and most powerful city-state within the Free Cities and as such gives a higher number of recruits to the Free Companies. Most request entry into the Swords of Reikland, a regiment within the Free Companies that is made up of the best sword fighters and duelists in the Free Cities. They are famous for their tenacity and skill.
Pikemen (http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4369/pikemandx4.jpg)
- The most common weapon used by the foot soldiers of the Free Companies is the pike, an 9ft long spear that is designed to kill the enemy at a distance without getting the wielder into any trouble. The regiments of pikemen within the Free Companies are the most numerous, and have, over the years, gained a reputation for being the best marching troops in the lands along the Middle Sea. They are considered to be the most stubborn fighters and soldiers in the Free Companies.
Stirland Handgunners (http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4429/handgunnerdf7.jpg)
- The Stirland Hanggunners are regiments of men who come from the Free City of Stirland which is where the famous Gunnery College of the Free Cities is located. The school has produced some of the best gunnery and artillery captains that the world has ever seen. And that is exemplified in the regiments of the Stirland handgunners, armed with the long-barrelled blackpowder weapons that the Free Cities call handguns. The withering volleys of the Stirland Handgunners' lead shot can break up even the most determined charges, but are traditionally vulnerable to melee combat.
Longbowmen of Averland (http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8631/longbowmenbyatomosowg8.jpg)
- Another integral part of the Free Companies are the longbow regiments from the city-state of Averland. Considered, even by the Huntsmen of the northern territories, as some of the best archers in the land (as far as Men go), they are a strong force within the Free Companies. They take their emblem, a blooming lily, from the famous flowers that are spread all over the northern banks of the River Running.
Free Companies Officer Corp (http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1549/swordsman4bf9.jpg)
- The Free Companies is also one of the first nations in the world to have a traditional and formal officer school where cadets are trained to fight in war as leaders of men. They are taught tactics, strategy, politics, economics, logistics, and other various arts that are required for a man to be an effective leader in war.
Halberdiers of Ostermark (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4025/halberdierbc7.jpg)
- One of the independent organizations within the Free Companies is the Halberdiers of Ostermark. They consider themselves elite fighting troops, using shorter pole-arms than the pikemen and are far more aggressive in how they fight. Trained at their own barracks within Ostermark, the regiments of Halberdiers are men of exceptional skill in war, honed by the skirmishes between Norgardian raiders or interloping beastmen. Many magisters across the Free Cities pay vast fortunes to hire companies of these men to fight for them at need, though the High Magister can requisition them for the needs of the Free Cities as a whole.
Spear Legionnaire of Ostland (http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4361/spearmenig2.jpg)
- The Spear Legion was formed at the very beginning of the creation of the city-state of Ostland. At the time, the spear had been the easiest and most numerous weapon on hand for the locals to use and so when they marched to war is seemed that an entire forest of metal was moving. That garnered those who fought with the spear, in Ostland, the name of the Spear Legion. Afterwards they were officially formed into an organized formation of troops and wore the colours and livery of Ostland. They carry the trademark ‘Ostland Spear’ which is six feet long with a long blade, round shield, and side sword.
Man-o-War (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7784/ca070721ri2.jpg)
- The ship-of-the-line warship of the infamous Navy of the Free Cities was first designed fifty year previously when designs from the Theocratic Empire of Prazinia were stolen and brought over by mercenaries who sold to the highest bidder. These ships became the standard of the Free Cities navy. Each is armed with fourteen great cannon, made at the Stirland Gunnery College, on a single firing deck. They are roughly ninety-feet in length and twenty-eight in width. Their multiple masts and innovative sail disposition make them some of the most maneuverable ships with cannon on all the inner sea, though they are a far cry from the sleeker, faster ships of the Elven kingdoms.
History
The Land of the Free Cities is a confederation of small, but rich, city-states that occupy the coastline and hinterland of the Plains of Dardet. They were established by traders, farmers, and craftsmen some four hundred years prior after a migration of men from over the Middle Sea. At first several lords, and even a king, ruled over the land. However many of these high lords became corrupted and the people suffered terribly from poverty and plague. When people protested against the lords, they were massacred by the royal guards. This was the last straw for many. In an act of hatred and fiery spirit of freedom the people rose in revolt and overthrew their lords and kings in favor of self rule. The people turned control over to the burgesses, a group of rich and powerful merchantmen who have ruled over the Free Cities ever since.
Population: 6 million
Society
The Free Cities are fiercely independent and consider themselves enlightened. All gods are considered equal amongst the Free Cities and thus all religions are tolerated to one level or another. As such many men come there to live and worship freely from other repressive regions. To keep their freedom and guard it the Free Cities also have a strong standing army that is armed with the best weapons the smiths and craftsmen of the Free Cities can offer. To guard them they have a strong navy built using designs stolen from the Theocratic Empire of Prazinia, capitalizing on the making of cannon, and on land the strength of arms of the Free Companies are renown across Eldire. Because they are not officially a nation the Free Cities are a metropolis for merchant markets and a world center for talented craftsmen such as elves and dwarves.
Political Structure and Apparatus
There are seven provinces, or city-states, that make up the Free Cities, each ruled by a Lord Magister who owe their power to the unifying figurehead of the Grand Magister. It should be noted that the Free Cities are not a single nation, but a confederation of individual states brought together out of a shared language, religion and culture.
The southern city-states – Ostland, Averland, Reikland, Stirland, - resemble a broad chalice, partially surrounded by near-impassable mountain ranges from which drain the mighty rivers which are the lifeblood of city trade in that region before they come to the great River Running. To the east of these are the Grey Mountains, beyond which lies the outer Dardet Plains. To the south is the great River Running that effectively marks the boundary between the Free Cities and the Kingdom of Aldarland.
To the north, the rolling hills and rapid streams of the south and east are gradually transformed into the forested lowlands and deep waterways at the heart of the Free Cities. The vast forests stretch almost unbroken across the countless leagues from Reikland to the northern border with the Kingdom of Norgardia and the shore Ravenshorn Mountains; called the Great Forest, or Drakwald Forest. These lands are divided into the last three northen states - Hochen, Ostermark, and Nordland. The inhabitants of these northern states generally have to deal with much greater hardships than those of the south, being that much closer to the frontier where wild marauder tribes and beastmen roam practically unchecked except for the vigilance of the Free Companies and a few knightly orders built upon the model of the Hospitlar Kingdom.
Each city-state province is given its name from the very city that is its capitol.
Map of the Free Cities (http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4519/freecitiesmaphv8.jpg)
Important Figures
High Magister Thaddeus Meier (http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1820/potraitofthepresentbykium6.jpg)
- The cunning and unscrupulous master of the Free Cities is a man of many faces. Ever since his youth at the universities of Stirland, Thaddeus Meier was renown for his acute political acumen and prodigious methods at achieving what he desired or thought others wanted. As well as coming from one of the richest merchant houses in all the Free Cities, “Meier & Brothers,” as a backing it was little unexpected that Thaddeus became first the Magister of Reikland, and then eventually rose to the rank of High Magister, and effectively controlling all of the Free Cities. Though a man with the political mindset of a hyena, he is also considered by many to be honorable and forthright in matters that do not concern politics, as well as being a famous hero in the ‘Mountain Wars’ where he won fame as a mercenary captain leading the locals to victory against tribes of goblins that had ravaged that area for years. First and foremost in his mind is the continued existence and prosperity of the Free Cities.
Admiral Rosetta Jacobs (http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/7726/beatricedu8.jpg)
- Once, or so it is believed, to be a pirate that had been captured by the then aging and now deceased Admiral Halls of Stirland, Admiral Rosetta Jacobs is a woman none would dare cross. Renown for having nerves of steel and more experience in naval combat than perhaps even the greatest of sea captains in all the lands of Eldire, she was made the effective commander of the entire navy of the Free Cities. She believes that the sea is where her home is, and one will usually find her on the deck of her flagship, the Bon Jolly.
Grand Master Mathias Jans (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5136/8aacb22fc5609e82oa7.jpg)
- The leader and grand master of the Knightly Order of the Golden Sun, Mathias Jans is an important figure to the political and military life of the Free Cities. When the Order of the Golden Sun first appeared some seventy years prior, formed by disparate free knights who had lost their kingdom who were paid at first as mercenaries by the then Magister of Hochen. They quickly won acclaim and from amongst their number they chose a captain to whom the title of Grand Master eventually grew when, after the conflict in which they were hired as mercenaries, it was decided that they would be not mere mercenaries, but also protectors of the realm. As such the Order of the Sun is directly funded by the different magisters of the Free Cities, giving them a castle from which they ride out. The 37th Grand Master, Mathias Jans, thereby controls a large portion of land and is often asked to command the forces of the Free Cities, leading the Free Companies to victory many a time.
Karl Wolfhausen (http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/8277/0507ca03fw1.jpg)
- The shadow that follows in the night and the knife that slits the throats of traitors and enemies of the Free Cities, Karl Wolfhausen is the effective leader of the High Magister’s secret police force. They are charged with the protection of the High Magister and of the Realm. It is they who often will hunt down evil witches or warlocks on the loose, or execute a city magister if claims of corruption are found. Besides being a skilled warrior and assassin, Karl Wolfhausen and those like him are very effective at Dispel Magic, a discipline of magic used to counter-act the attacks of magical attacks. He is a dangerous man indeed to those who would oppose the High Magister or the Free Cities.
Military of the Free Cities
The Free Companies is the name of the armed forces of the land of the Free Cities. Each city has its own individual militia that serves to defend it when the force of the Free Companies is not needed. Each city-state is levied to raise ten thousand men to be sent to train at the great Citadel Andbar on the northern frontier where they learn from previous soldiers, blood themselves for the first time in skirmishes, drill in full company formations, and are taught the skills of war. There are also other formations within the Free Companies that have a long standing tradition nearly as long as the Free Companies themselves, and those are the Halberdiers of Ostermark and the Spear Legion of Ostland. Though smaller, differently armed, and dressed in different uniforms, these two organizations are subordinate to the Free Companies who are commanded at different times by either the Magisters, Grand Master of the Order of the Sun, or a general who is promoted to that rank by merit of arms.
The Legion (http://www.keithrocco.com/store/images/lg_wingedhussars.jpg)
-The Legion is a dedicated cavalry force integral to the Free Companies with a long and rich history of service. Unlike the mounted Knightly Orders, the legionnaires are armed with long, sharp lances and curved sabres. Instead of heavy armour, theirs is light and allows them to maneuver faster, enabling them to enact their trademark cut-and-run attacks with ease. Each legionnaire also has a pair of black feathered wings attached to the back of their armour. Not only is it an intimidating sight, but when they charge the wings flap and causes the wind to howl like the baying on banshees, capable of unnerving even the hardest of veterans.
Huntsmen (http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2313/archerok2.jpg)
-In the land of the Free Cities, the bow is the classic weapon of the yeomen, and these troops are normally organized into small groups of skirmishers who support the regimented units in battle. Trappers and hunters from the Northern provinces, such as Nordland and Ostermark, are often called to serve in special units called Huntsmen, which are employed to scout ahead of the main army.
Swords of Reikland (http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/2095/swordsmanui6.jpg)
- Reikland is the largest and most powerful city-state within the Free Cities and as such gives a higher number of recruits to the Free Companies. Most request entry into the Swords of Reikland, a regiment within the Free Companies that is made up of the best sword fighters and duelists in the Free Cities. They are famous for their tenacity and skill.
Pikemen (http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4369/pikemandx4.jpg)
- The most common weapon used by the foot soldiers of the Free Companies is the pike, an 9ft long spear that is designed to kill the enemy at a distance without getting the wielder into any trouble. The regiments of pikemen within the Free Companies are the most numerous, and have, over the years, gained a reputation for being the best marching troops in the lands along the Middle Sea. They are considered to be the most stubborn fighters and soldiers in the Free Companies.
Stirland Handgunners (http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4429/handgunnerdf7.jpg)
- The Stirland Hanggunners are regiments of men who come from the Free City of Stirland which is where the famous Gunnery College of the Free Cities is located. The school has produced some of the best gunnery and artillery captains that the world has ever seen. And that is exemplified in the regiments of the Stirland handgunners, armed with the long-barrelled blackpowder weapons that the Free Cities call handguns. The withering volleys of the Stirland Handgunners' lead shot can break up even the most determined charges, but are traditionally vulnerable to melee combat.
Longbowmen of Averland (http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8631/longbowmenbyatomosowg8.jpg)
- Another integral part of the Free Companies are the longbow regiments from the city-state of Averland. Considered, even by the Huntsmen of the northern territories, as some of the best archers in the land (as far as Men go), they are a strong force within the Free Companies. They take their emblem, a blooming lily, from the famous flowers that are spread all over the northern banks of the River Running.
Free Companies Officer Corp (http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1549/swordsman4bf9.jpg)
- The Free Companies is also one of the first nations in the world to have a traditional and formal officer school where cadets are trained to fight in war as leaders of men. They are taught tactics, strategy, politics, economics, logistics, and other various arts that are required for a man to be an effective leader in war.
Halberdiers of Ostermark (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4025/halberdierbc7.jpg)
- One of the independent organizations within the Free Companies is the Halberdiers of Ostermark. They consider themselves elite fighting troops, using shorter pole-arms than the pikemen and are far more aggressive in how they fight. Trained at their own barracks within Ostermark, the regiments of Halberdiers are men of exceptional skill in war, honed by the skirmishes between Norgardian raiders or interloping beastmen. Many magisters across the Free Cities pay vast fortunes to hire companies of these men to fight for them at need, though the High Magister can requisition them for the needs of the Free Cities as a whole.
Spear Legionnaire of Ostland (http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4361/spearmenig2.jpg)
- The Spear Legion was formed at the very beginning of the creation of the city-state of Ostland. At the time, the spear had been the easiest and most numerous weapon on hand for the locals to use and so when they marched to war is seemed that an entire forest of metal was moving. That garnered those who fought with the spear, in Ostland, the name of the Spear Legion. Afterwards they were officially formed into an organized formation of troops and wore the colours and livery of Ostland. They carry the trademark ‘Ostland Spear’ which is six feet long with a long blade, round shield, and side sword.
Man-o-War (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7784/ca070721ri2.jpg)
- The ship-of-the-line warship of the infamous Navy of the Free Cities was first designed fifty year previously when designs from the Theocratic Empire of Prazinia were stolen and brought over by mercenaries who sold to the highest bidder. These ships became the standard of the Free Cities navy. Each is armed with fourteen great cannon, made at the Stirland Gunnery College, on a single firing deck. They are roughly ninety-feet in length and twenty-eight in width. Their multiple masts and innovative sail disposition make them some of the most maneuverable ships with cannon on all the inner sea, though they are a far cry from the sleeker, faster ships of the Elven kingdoms.