Free City of Irlas

The **Free City of Irlas** was a city state in High Rock.

## **Geography**

The city of Irlas was situated on the small island of the same name, some distance west of Evermore. It was closer to Wayrest than the former, but spilled out onto both the western and eastern banks. A great stone bridge joined island to mainland on either end, restricting access and commanding the innermost part of the bay.

The city’s geographic advantages were key to its continued independence. For an attacker to lay siege, he was required to blockade both the inner and outer bay. It was also necessary to prevent access or escape by either the western or eastern bridge.

## **Government**

There were three primary governing bodies in the Free City of Irlas: the Short Council, the Tall Council, and the Council of Seventy. Authority de jure belonged to the first, but its members rarely held de facto power.

### **The Three Councils**

Of these three ruling councils in Irlas, two were elected: the Short Council and the Council of Seventy. The former was elected by the city’s free citizens while the latter was nominated by and from the Tall Council. Membership of the Tall Council was determined by a biyearly lottery.

The Short Council convened in the Hall of Stone. This was a comparatively small place to the Hall of Timber, where the Tall Council gathered, and some believe this to be the origin of their names. A second theory attributes *short* and *tall* to the size of the plaques displayed in either building, which listed the names of each standing councilman. Membership of the Tall Council far exceeded that of the Short Council in number, therefore requiring a taller plaque.

Sovereignty over Irlas formally existed in the Short Council. Its members were responsible for guiding the city, proposing actions (such as a declaration of war) and appointing officials. It was also possible, but uncommon, for the Short Council to propose law. Together, members of this council furthermore possessed the power of veto.

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#### **Short Council**

The Short Council was comprised of seven members. Each wore a large coin as a brooch, using this coin as proof of their identity when necessary.

Members of the Short Council were elected, serving four year terms. While any citizen of the city could vote in these elections, a system of unequal voting gave significant advantages to members of the city’s recognised guilds. An affiliate to one of these guilds could cast three votes, while an unaffiliated individual could only cast one. A member of the Short Council could serve a maximum of three consecutive terms.

Voting took place in Roger’s Square, lasting one week at the beginning of the year. Votes were cast using small coins made from stone; this was done in full view of anyone who cared to look.

To be eligible for the Short Council, one was simply required to:

* Be a free citizen: one not in significant debt (usually held to be a month’s wages as a stonemason), not bound in indentured servitude, and not a criminal.
* Be thirty-two years of age prior to the beginning of the voting period.
* Serve at least one term as a member of the Tall Council.
* Successfully pass civil service examination prior to the beginning of the voting period.

#### **Tall Council**

The Tall Council was comprised of seven hundred members. Each was given a simple wooden tally as proof of their identity.

These members were divided across the city and given parcels of equal size to manage. There were no elections to the Tall Council. Instead, a regular lottery ran at the beginning of every two years in which any eligible citizen could be selected. If chosen, a councilman’s duties were mandatory. A small stipend was paid to every member of the Tall Council to offset potential financial loss. A person could only serve in the Tall Council once every other term.

Sortition took place in the Hall of Timber itself. To be eligible for the Tall Council, one was simply required to:

* Be a free citizen: one not in significant debt (usually held to be a month’s wages as a stonemason), not bound in indentured servitude, and not a criminal.
* Be thirty years of age prior to the beginning of the voting period.

## **Origin**

The humble origins of Irlas are to be found in its oldest tavern, The Seven Coins. Established by Roger Macey in 2E 594, the inn quickly became a vital rest stop for travellers. The very first households in the area were Roger’s own and those of his staff. Irlas developed into a small but thriving village. Records, namely a list of signatures across several documents, indicate the existence of a council of property owners who likely governed the settlement.

There exist remains of a legal code produced in 2E 747. It is likely Irlas became significant around this time. A census of its inhabitants produced three years later, the earliest complete record of its kind found in the city, refers to the settlement simply: *‘the Town of Irlas’*. The census lists some four hundred households, each of course varying in size, recording property and profession. It is not known to which kingdom the town belonged.

The Green School, which later became the College of Elemental Studies and later again absorbed into the University of Irlas, was founded in 2E 798. By this time, the City of Irlas (named as such in deeds issued by the King of Evermore), was governed by a Lord Mayor. These officials were elected for ten-year terms, most often—but by no means necessarily—chosen from the ranks of the city’s leading guilds at the time: the Potters, the Gilders, and the Brewers.

Tiber Septim subjugated the Kingdom of Evermore in 2E 856, among the first of his victories in High Rock, when its ruler surrendered before the might of his army. Independence and Imperial immediacy for Irlas came finally in 2E 894, exactly three centuries since the founding of The Seven Coins. The King of Evermore, newly crowned and his father’s opposite, sought to unturn the Imperial conquest. He launched an abortive uprising in 2E 893 and was utterly defeated in battle just two months later.

The Treaty of Evermore, humiliatingly signed on the streets of the rebellious king’s own city as his subjects watched, sought to cripple the Kingdom as a warning to all others. The city of Irlas was released from Evermorean rule and was declared a *free city*: a direct vassal state to the Emperor.