Free City of Isileum
The Free City of Isileum was a wealthy mercantile state that existed in the former capital of the Empire of Oleandron for roughly a century and a quarter. Isileum was sustained by the large volume of trade which passed through the city, as its citizens were responsible for the majority of the grain exports of Fjalla and trade with Telrai and Gnomes. Isileum is notable for its early adoption of racial equality and its strides towards this goal, which would not be matched until the rise of the Blazennian Empire. With large populations of Dark Elves, High Elves, Humans, and Halflings, as well as populations of merchant Gnomes, Isileum was very diverse by the standards of the time. Although the city did not reach its modern day status of being majority Eldritch, the population did grow substantially during the existence of Isileum.
Culture
Although Isileum was closely involved in trade with the Alcediner city-states, it was the elves and halflings of Fjalla who were also their main trading partners. Since a large proportion of the population was also of these races, Isileum is the only city-state in Alcedina to never disengage from the culture of Oleandron, and consequentially the population remained Casyrian.
Assets
Compared to the modern republic of Isileum, the Free City controlled far less inland territory, but notably more coastline, essentially the shores of the Gulf of Isileum as far south as the Valiena river and west to the headlands.
History
Isileum was founded in 788 after a rebellion toppled West Oleandron's military government. With the state being essentially confined to the island of Isileum itself, with Erleting tribes controlling the majority of the countryside, the citizens decided not the claim the mantle of the Empire of Oleandron, as they felt the title would only bring bloodshed. Although Oleandron was basically defunct, the city of Isileum still had prominent facilities for governing, military barracks, as well as a well-developed port and arsenal. Combined with the drop in population brought by decades of strife, the city had plenty of abandoned homes able to be rebuilt by migrants fleeting the Erelting.
During the early years of existence, Isileum, despite their relatively large urbanite population and historical economic prowess, continued to decline. This was mainly due to the slowly lowering population, due to a gap in births during the collapse of Oleandron. However, within a few decades the city had begun to recover, and even began small expeditions to retake parts of the countryside from the Erleting. Isileum maintained a policy of playing the various Erelting tribes off one another, which allowed them to expand their territory back onto the mainland. These small but important acquisitions greatly increased the city's power and allowed limited farming. Isileum also implemented an early warning system which allowed the forces of the city to relieve besieged farms within a day, though this of course limited their expansion to how far one could travel in a day.
Although Isileum had limited farming production, the majority of their exports were from their merchant marine, which brought grains from the Fjallrock cliffs and exported them across western Telgren. These merchants spent the money gained from these endeavors on fine goods, establishing a prosperous market in Isileum. Elven traders also made great headway in bringing fine cloths from inner Fjalla to the market before exporting them across Telgren, but the trade was oft-disrupted.
By using these strategies, Isileum successfully weathered the invasions of various Erleting warlords, and made a lot of money to boot. However, with the rise of the Kingdom of Sunþiruda, Isileum would be placed under siege from 917-918. Though able to supply themselves with goods from the Alcediner city-states due to their naval supremacy, Isileum was cut off from the Sunþiruda possessions which had supplied their fine goods and grain, and the city found itself going into debt. Though they could have certainly waited out the siege, there is no telling how deep the economic strife would go, and so Isileum's leadership capitulated, marking the end of the Free City.
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