The Free Confederacy

The Free Confederacy

Made up of disparate colonies from other empires who joined together for mutual self defense. The mongrel nation was practically unknown until 500 years ago when the elves of Asari started their first colony, followed by the druids of Gesankholm seeking religious freedom, and the dwarves who bravely sailed the sea to mine Newdvarfholm. The islands were populated by savage orcs, who organized into tribes sometimes allied with the colonists and sometimes sought to wrest power and raid from them.

Political Structure of the Free Confederacy

Orcs still have a huge effect on the culture of the mongrel nation, with many early colonists taking orcish spouses or partners in order to survive the threats of the new islands. Many humans and half elves carry some orcish blood especially in wild areas. Each colony has its own unique culture.

New Asari - Fertile, ancient and almost entirely elven, this dominion is one of the oldest, and one of the richest. They have come a long way from their ancient aristocratic days, but still continue to maintain a certain flavor of aristocracy and superiority.

Augsdale: Augsdale began as a colony ruled by a powerful necromancer, until during the slaver war he was overthrown by the maiden of bearun . It still maintains rather peculiar religious practices regarding the dead. Some claim that invaders would have to deal with an army of ghosts because the dead do not rest in augsdale

Paehgand: Paehgand is a dryish word for compact, and represents the fact that that province was founded on the uneasy truce between those exiled from augsdale in its early days, druids seeking to expand their territory, and relatively peaceful orcs seeking to hold back invaders. As such they have a very well developed political and court system, and a culture that emphasises cosmopolitanism and cooperation.

Newdvarfholm: Is the name given to a colony of wayward dwarves for the purposes of mining rare gems and precious metals. Mostly they found standard industrial ores, but their influence and subsequent freedom from the efficient and strict dwarves hierarchy. While it has become much more cosmopolitan, even becoming tolerant of the occasional elf and orcblood, it still retains it's dwarven culture architecture and work ethic.

Theol: Theol is a province of rogue monotheists, who worship a god called Pelor, and claims that he is the only true God. Their rejection of other faiths has led to an exile to what was thought of as too remote and close to Orcholm to be hospitable. Despite their arrogance they have always come to the aid of those in the federation with their many cavaliers and paladins. They also are the most respected by the orcs of Orcholm, after their many clashes.

Gesankholm: Renegade druids fleeing religious persecution found a home that they could make their own. While initially they lived in harmony with the orcs, the others were quickly pushed out. While beautiful and verdant, non-druids find it a harsh and strict environment.

Orcholm: Orcholm is the land ceded to the native orcs after the slavers war, granting them their own homeland, though it is terribly desolate land of swamps, mountains and deserts. They have a lot of small nomadic settlements, with doomport being their only well known permanent settlement. Their main export are strangely enough spell components and weird pelts, bits and organs of creatures that likewise retreated there.

Mountholm: A settlement of primarily Thurian settlers, this is the most frontier dominion, with most citizens respecting self reliance and industriousness. There is a severe mistrust of the central government, and has tried to defend themselves as much as possible.

Strongguard: Stronguard is a settlement created by immigrants from the kolovian alliance, thurland, and urcfeld who soon banded together to throw off their governors, and then were challenged by the orcs to their east. They have an independent and militant culture, with a severely limited democratic government, direct elections for all new laws, and an expectation that everyone is armed at all times. Surprisingly the high gnomish population has also led to a relatively innovative and technological structure in many towns.

Iron Island: So named because of its black color. The iron island is a former prison colony, and a magical wasteland. Despite this a number of important products come from there, and it is the home of the confederacy navy.

Aeserit: Aesari was an isolated settlement during the slaver wars, as a few ambitious entrepreneurs sought to open up trade with the area imperial island. Try have the best and most advanced magical university in the continent.

New Stori Islands: The new stori islands, were part of a settlement from the stori empire that quickly took it's leave during one of that empires many wars with its neighbors. It's incredibly cosmopolitan, and very culturally tied to their old world ties. They also have been mining and exploring their own island.

Economics