The Free Cities of Alderun

Once known as South Kapesh, Alderun has a history of oppression and rebellion. Despite its difficult past, Alderun now flourishes with life and culture. A land where anyone can choose to be who they want, but with great freedom comes discourse.

• Tenzentak - The Rift City, built on the very edge of the world
• Rails - The City of Trains
• Holocene - The City of Art and Beauty
• Deepspell - The City of Magic and Innovation
• Zessgorn - The City of Cups
• Hanen - The Quaint City of Heroes
• Ka’thoor - The Border City of Orcs

Diverse like no other region of its size, The Alderian wilds contains a menagerie of animals, plants, and monsters that differ wildly as one travels from Zessgorn to Holocene.

The regions diversity gives much opportunity to its people, but its monsters cause for many problems. The Cities of Alderun spend much of their resources focusing on inner workings of their urban centers. This leaves the wilds an untamed and lawless place. Criminals and monsters roam the remote places of Alderun. While not as dangerous as its western neighbor, Kapesh. One would not want to be caught off the safe path in these wilds.

Geographical features vary from gorgeous coast lines, rolling hills, spanning rivers, large lakes, and the ever strange cliffs of The Grand Nothing. -Its climates vary from the tropical coasts near Zessgorn to the frigid stretch of the Dyed Forest.

During the First Age, human sovereigntists claimed that the Off-Humans must live a life of servitude under the Human population. The Humans of Kapesh enforced themselves as ‘higher beings’ over the Off-Human races. The oppressed people were forced to undergo oppressions, slavery, and in some cases even dark experiments. These tests were intended to discover a way to restore the Great Magic of the humans by recombining the Off-Humans with their once hosts. The humans were understandably met with resistance.

Rebellions against the humans rose and fell. The true overturning of South Kapesh was not until Eirmond the Brave rose to glory. Eirmond was a stellar fighter, and a great leader to the Off-Human People. A Half-Orc man, born in Ka’thoor. He won Alderun, city-by-city, a civil war that is now known as the Alderian Rebellion.

The Kingdom’s population consists mostly of Off-Humans and Humans, but does contain many members from all the Races of Zol. Each city has its own unique culture and peoples.

The kingdom is governed by the Alderian Council. A senate of representatives from each of the cities who work as a unit to make decisions, and delegate resources across the cities.

The high degree of freedom given by the Alderian Laws has allowed for a thriving economy where any enterprise can succeed given it has merit. However this freedom does also bring discourse and chaos.

Governing people with a high degree of freedom is quite difficult. This means cut throat competition between businesses, crime, and those unlucky few who fall through the cracks of a well intentioned system.

Art and culture is very abundant in The Free Cities. This is due to the fact each city upholds a unique culture, and every individual is allowed to worship any benevolent god they choose.

Within the Free Cities, academics are associated with Kerketh Academy. An institution open to anyone who can prove themselves under examination, and pay the high tuition costs.

There is also a fair degree of education and apprenticeship that occurs at The Bladehammer Guild. As well as the occasional private tutelage is conducted here and there.

The Free Cities are on good terms with almost all kingdoms of The Three Corners save for their neighbor Kapesh. The relationship with Kapesh is difficult due to their history, but in modern times it has resolved to reluctant amicability.

Within the Kingdom, the various cities have complicated relationships. The court of The Free Cities constantly changes friendships and rivalries, however there are a few constants amongst the chaos. Zessgorn is a notably difficult city to organize as its crime has gotten far out of hand, and Holocene does not play nicely with the overall mission of The Free Cities as their nobility is known for exploiting the less fortunate.

The Kingdoms military is comprised of the cities’ garrisons. It may not be the most grand of militaries, but it is well supplemented by The Bladehammer Guild and Kerketh Academy. It also has a sizeable navy within Zessgorn. The Kingdom would not be a great threat if it were to attack, but it is well placed for defense due to its mountains.

The Free Cities border the kingdoms of:

• Kapesh
• The Ward

As well as the wilds of:

• The Fetterpeak Mountains
• Stormwall
• The Grand Nothing
• The North Sea
• The Archsea