Freeport

The capitalist centre of Northern Malencia, it is a city bustling with business, traders, and grifters of all shapes and sizes. The city is made up of three districts; the port, the commercial district, and the industrial district. It is commonly said that no one actually lives in Freeport. This is not quite true as the city does boast a small population of permanent residents, mostly shopkeepers and business owners but the vast majority of workers do not live within the city walls. Most labourers travel in from nearby villages and farmland, typically spending three or four days in the city working shifts before returning home. Freeport employs a citizenry tax and factory owners will typically find a workaround, where they're employees are not actually citizens of the city. Historically, The area in and around Freeport was traditionally mainly for fishing and farming. The rapid expansion of the city and its industrial district in recent years has muscled this out, for the most part. The land is said to have soured and fishing is prohibited in both the river and shallows due to health concerns. Other surrounding kingdoms have accused Freeport employing a form of indentured servitude akin to slavery-by-wage. Although Freeport maintains that it is a beacon of opportunity and equality, where anyone with the drive and work ethic can make a fortune, the name Freeport has, for many, become a cruel joke

### The Port

The Port is three tiered, with the different shelter being given depending on how deep a captains pockets are. Firstly, there is the Freeport Marina, typically reserved for pleasure vessels and official visits from foreign dignitaries. It is rare to see any sort of commercial vessel inside, although, theoretically, the marina is open to anyone who can pay a fee. Next is the upriver docks. this is where the bulk of commerce flows, most major import/ export companies use these docks due to the relative shelter and reasonably safe area, being right in front of the business district with ready access to waterfront warehouses. Finally, there is the downriver docks. This area has garnered a dark reputation as the haunt of thieves and murderers. Only the poor and the desperate step foot in this area of the docks. Although tales of a rivermouth choked with corpses and a king of the rats who lives deep in the sewers are undoubtedly exaggerated, it is hard to deny the area has more than earned its status as a place to avoid if possible.

### The Commercial District

Buildings tower high above clean swept streets, business folk of all nations and races hurry like ants to and fro, captains of industry make bold plans in the confines of wood panelled offices. The commercial district of Freeport has been described as uncanny and freaky by many not accustomed to it. It simply does not feel like a city. There are no food vendors calling out their wares from the corners, no odd little shops with wizened owners and ancient magic items, no town guards on the lookout for pickpockets and murderers. The city feels unloved. Like a cold, sterile surface upon which you perform a vivisection. Here, the richest people in the region congregate to make deals, make threats, and make truces. This is where the largest banks on the continent keep there main branches, where trades and stocks change hands like poker chips, where the future of nations is decided with the stroke of a pen. Few live here and those that do frequently travel, leaving the city cold and quiet at night. Even the inns feel frigid in reception, despite the high quality of rooms and food. This is not a place for those who value happiness over money.

### The Industrial District

Reeking of chemicals and smoke, this part of Freeport is kept on the opposite side of the river to the commercial district for obvious reasons. It is foul. The chemicals used in the manufacturing of textiles, chemicals, and other goods create a miasma that can leave newcomers dizzy at best and violently ill at worst. The smog has become so bad at points that mages have been hired to temporarily redirect air flow away from the rest of the city. The workers in these factories have worryingly short lifespans only worsened by rampant crime and murder, typically muggings or robberies gone wrong. The chemicals that leech into the river have given the water a yellowy tinge, called "Freeport Gold" and is inhospitable to most creatures.