Populace: Dwarves (Jena Hills), Humans, Plains Barbarians; 74,900 people
Capital: Seagate (pop. 65,560)
Government: secret oligarchy
None known to the public, although speculation is rampant (Acting for the Circle of Lords) Othorian Keove, Captain-General of the City Watch and Guard National Alignment: neutral good
Languages: Common, Eastern, High, and Southern Ullysian, Dwarven, Karmani*, Kingdom* (*=minor)
Seagate is an independent city and major port on the mouth of the Seagate straits, in eastern Cassenland. Its location allows it to control all trade through the straits, amassing the city great wealth. It was once part of the Ullysian Empire but broke away many years ago and to this day, has cold relations with that giant nation. Seagate is currently under a semi-siege by forces of the Uhlmanite Church of Tabolport, who have already successfully subdued the entire Storm Coast. Seagate is ruled by a Circle of Lords, none of whose identity is known to the public.
Geography: The Seagate straits are squeezed between the foothills of the Lunderhart Mountains to the east and the Jena Hills to the west. The city itself is located where a southeastern spur of the Jena Hills meets the Sea of Storms, no more than three leagues from the entrance to the straits. The Jena Hills stretch all the way to the Needle Mountains, and the Free City has in the past extended its reach this far. Given the current situation, the government no longer has the resources to enforce this control and the dwarves who inhabit the western Jena Hills do not consider themselves subjects of the Free City. The Free City relies on food from the fertile farmlands along the Storm Coast to the southwest, and claims the land for about ten leagues, past Falstone Castle.
History: Seagate was the capital of Issachari Cassenland, which stretched as far west as an outpost at Rockport. It was also the location of the customshouse for the Seagate itself, which led to Seagate’s taxation of trade through the Navigation Guild once it received independence from Ullysia. Cassenland remained relatively unscathed during the Great Dragon Wars, for reasons that are still debated among scholars.
731 Fd - Great Desert War where Seagate receives its independence from Ullysia
838 Fd - Formation of the Southern League, including Watersdowne and Llaren
1168 Fd - Llaren capitulates to the Uhlmanite Church; Church envoys are promptly arrested or kicked out of Seagate; the Church forces soon hold Seagate in a virtual siege
Politics: Seagate is a nation under siege from the Uhlmanite Church by way of Llaren and a loose sea blockade. Therefore, a close watch is kept on all strangers in case they are spies or assassins from Uhlman. A secret Circle of Lords governs Seagate with seven members. The Circle’s members’ identities are secret because, before Seagate received its independence from Ullysia, the Lords served as Seagate’s underground leaders. The threat from Llaren makes the secrecy just as useful today. Few know of their real identities, including the Captain-General of the Watch, who receives orders from them.
The Navigation Guild, which is the only legal owner of maps of the Seagate straits, is very powerful, because virtually all shipping must use its services. The Free City also uses the Guild as a source of income, because they tax all parties using the pilots.
Military Units: Othorian Keove is Captain-General of the City Watch and Guard. The City Watch, responsible for inside the city walls, is about 450 strong, while the Guard, responsible for the lands outside the walls, is 1,200 strong and has some excellent light cavalry. The dwarves of the Jena Hills have formed their own militia and engineers corps, numbering 350. The civilian militia can be raised in times of war and commanded by officers from the Guard; it was recently increased to 8,000.
Major Locations:
Castle Falstone: furthest Seagate presence along the Storm Coast, nine leagues from the city itself.
Important People:
Abanther, Jolias - a wealthy leather merchant;
Callendor, Dannolin - a Seagate noble, whose family was formerly from Watersdowne but fled when the Uhlmanite Church took over the country;
Daman, Liat - guildmage of the Sagacious Society of Seagate;
Eeolstan, Joam - innkeeper of the The Sahuagen and Lady Inn;
Keove, Othorian - Captain-General of the City Watch and Guard; knows some of the Circle of Lords and receives orders directly from them;
Krinsh, Hamash – the Ullysian refugee who rose up to become Guildmaster of the Navigation Guild.
Lysaght, Ilia - very powerful mage in Seagate; head of the Sagacious Society of Seagate; many people suspect her of being one of the Lords of Seagate;
Manarech, Junstal - paladin of Carmichal;
Maniera, Kallimar - innkeeper of The Hand of Zerys Inn; caters to many sailors;
Raiby - most powerful mage in Seagate; reclusive and gone a lot; member of the Dodecadrate;
Sixyear, Sir Tyon - Knight-Lieutenant of the Swords; leader of the Swordslands delegation to Seagate;
Strikestone, Duar - a dwarven leader from the western hills of Seagate;
Trethyr, Belvey - leader of the Seagate Free Mercenaries, the largest and most skilled mercenary group in Cassenland;
Free City of Seagate
