Freehold Farms

The Freehold Farms are a region in the Kingdom of Gallerea in the Eastern Realms campaign.

## History

The Freehold Farms are an oddity in the feudal system of Gallerea. The farms are held in freehold by families, which means that the peasants have exclusive possession to their ancestral lands and can will them to their kin. These are the only lands in Gallerea not directly (or indirectly) owned by the Crown. The Freehold Farmers jealously guard their property rights, and no monarch or noble has yet challenged them without facing a substantial and costly uprising that resulted in a public and embarrassing failure. It has been several generations since any noble has bothered to try challenging the Freehold Farmers. The Duke or Duchess of Tenby often limits their substantial dictates to Tenby and serves as little more than a dispute adjudicator among the Freehold Farmers.

## Rebellion

In 1159 rising tensions between the Freehold Farmers and Duchess Elena Whiskerton came to a head. The catalyst was the duchess' son, Devon, and his proclivity to kidnap and starve young women to death before raising them as zombies to serve him.

Whiskerton was ultimately caught with his last victim, Eliza Trant, by the Mighty Misfits and killed (although they covered up the death, claiming he was on the loose.) With proof discovered that Duchess Elana knew of Devon's actions and tolerated them and Eliza's testimonial of Devon's treatment of her, the Freehold Farmers demanded justice. Instead she refused entirely, burning the farms of the peasants as punishment for making such a demand.

This led to the formation of a rebel group called the Shades of Freedom, formed by Eliza's parents, Dell and Sarah Trant, but soon joined by many Freehold Farmers. The movement was secretly supported by the Merchant's Guild, who sought to overthrow the aristocracy in Gallerea.

The Duchess' response to the growing unrest was to hire the Sword and Staff Mercenary Company to join her soldiers to put the rebellion down. In the battle that followed the Sword and Staff and many of the duchess troops were routed and Duchess Elena herself was killed and her manorhouse burned to the ground.

## Free Nation of Gallerea

The rebellion turned to revolution and the Shades of Freedom declared Tenby and the Freehold Farms to be part of the "Free Nation of Gallerea" An ad-hoc ruling council was established consisting of Eliza and Dell Trant and Felicity Overton of the Merchant's Guild.

Aware that this put an enormous target on their backs and that the Crown would retaliate soon, the Council hired the Mighty Misfits as bodyguards. They accepted the job, and assisted the council as they struggled to defend their land from monsters and set up a system of government.

The Crown's response to the Free Nation of Gallerea was to hire the Sword and Staff Mercenary Company to escort Duke Logan Eversheen to Tenby to execute the council. The Mighty Misfits, still employed by the Council at this time, declined to stand down before the Duke's commands and defended their employers.

The fighting was fierce, but the Council and Misfits won the day, capturing Duke Logan, convincing two of the Sword and the Staff to defect and running the rest of the mercenaries off.