The Kingdom of Fraine
The Basics
Even after the recent plague swept through the region, the Sister Cities are the largest and most densely populated urban area in the Basin by a large margin. WestKeep and EastGate began life as two distinct entities, but eventually merged into a single urban colossus. The city is just mind-bogglingly huge. In fact, it would be entirely possible to be born, live and die without ever setting foot outside of the sprawling urban landscape (which has almost certainly been the arc of a great number of people’s lives). You can find literally anything in the Sister Cities. You want magic? It’s here. You want poison? It’s here. Drugs, gambling, “Lady Favors” (nod to Critical Role) – all here and easily accessible. Goods from all corners of the Basin pass through the city. Almost all of the trade goods from the Loch region flow through the Sister Cities and given that the Silver River is the main trade route for the west, everything coming from that direction flows into the massive city as well. Naturally, the Queen of Fraine charges hefty tariffs on trade in both directions, siphoning up enormous profits with every shipment. For most of the Basin’s history, the Sister Cities were controlled by the Mourngrym family, most recently, Lucian Mourngrym, who fought in the Great War. In that war, the Sister Cities played a pivotal role, being the place where the united forces of humanity retreated to when they were forced to withdraw from Kell. Humanity’s last stand against the Dark God was here, and it was fighting tooth and claw, block by block in the streets of WestKeep and EastGate that humanity prevailed. After the war, Lucian married Franchesca DuFraine, a beautiful but cold woman from IronPort. Although no one dares speak this openly, popular opinion is that she poisoned her husband so she could rule in his place. With Lucian out of the way, she proclaimed herself Queen and named her impressive holdings Fraine. Structurally, Fraine is run like a Renaissance Italian City-State. All the power is confined to the city itself. The rural areas are important only insofar as they exist to serve the city. Rural Lords who don’t comply find themselves overrun by the city’s massive military might, and once they’re out of the way, a friendlier and more understanding rural Lord is promoted. If you are of the ruling class inside the city, you matter. If you’re not inside the city, even if you have some or other title of nobility, you’re nothing. Even the commoners inside the city matter more than a rural Lord. Everything outside of the Sister Cities exists to serve and further enrich the Sister Cities, and that’s all. As far as the Queen is concerned, the rest of the Basin is expendable.Acquisition of StroudHaven
In recent years, the combined armies of the Furies and the Free Folk dealt a devastating blow to the Order of the Pine Cross in StroudHaven. Reeling from that defeat, the leaders of StroudHaven ran straight into the waiting arms of the Queen of Fraine, who agreed to shelter them and protect the Order from further aggression by the Furies. Naturally, she did this because there was something in it for her. By gaining control of the forest of StroudHaven, she now controls the World Tree, and is determined to unlock its secrets to further her own power. She also controls the conservative "wing" of the Holy Church, giving her a powerful new tool she can use against the Holy Lands...Political Situation
It probably goes without saying, but Francesca DuFraine’s view of the world hasn’t won her many friends, and certainly none outside of her beloved city. She has tried to have the High Prelate assassinated, is openly hostile to both Fury and the Council Lands and has vowed to reacquire Norlund and possibly the Vales either by force of arms or by throwing enough gold at the leadership that they’ll bend the knee. She’s honestly fine with either option, and unfortunately, she has both the money and the monetary resources to pull either one of those off, especially with her recent acquisition of Stroudhaven. The general consensus of pretty much everyone not living in the Sister Cities is that the woman is a menace and has got to go. How that happens though, is anyone’s guess.
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Capital
Government System
Despotism
Judicial Body
The Justicaari
Neighboring Nations
Towns of Note
Villages & Hamlets
Landmarks of Interest
The Forest of StroudHaven
Lakes & Rivers
Loch Laern
The River Rushing
The Silver River
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