Free Cities Alliance

About

The Free Cities Alliance (自由都市地帯, Jiyū Toshi Chitai; Literally meaning "Free Cities zone"; frequently shortened to the Free Cities) is the name given to a group of independent city-states in the south-eastern corner of The Continent.

Population: Approximately 48 million people live within the Free Cities, with city populations varying between 20,000 and 300,000.

Capital: N/A

Leader: N/A

The Free Cities Alliance was founded at some point between the years GI0530 and GI0800, when a trading group that did not want to be tied down to a single one of the three great nations decided to found their own city-state. Over time, it began to grow in size, inspiring other organizations to follow suit and form their own small nations. Eventually, the collective became large enough to be recognized as a major world power.

Each of the city-states that make up the Free Cities possesses its own distinct size, culture and government, making it the most diverse region of the Continent by far. While the leaders of each territory are required to maintain contact with each other in order to regulate their power, they are otherwise free to use their land for whatever they please. This allows for a level of freedom and flexibility not seen in anywhere else in the world, which has resulted in the Free Cities becoming a center for innovation and development. Many modern conveniences, such as the all-purpose healing medicine Seirogan, were conceived within the Free Cities' boundaries. At the same time, however, this lack of a centralized government has allowed for several criminal organizations to take root and even gain total control of sections of the region as a consequence, turning them into lawless wastelands. Because of this, traveling from one Free City to another can be a dangerous task for an untrained and unprotected person.

The Free Cities enjoy strong trade relationships with all three of the nations that border it, resulting in the coalition developing a booming economy. In particular, the city of Portugal, which is located on the other side of the Tenma Bridge that connects the nation of JAPAN to the rest of the Continent, has become a very popular trading hub due to it being the sole exporter of JAPANese-made goods in the world. It is believed that anyone who trains as a merchant in Portugal is guaranteed to become successful and wealthy.

Despite its economic and technological advancement, the Free Cities Alliance historically lacked any kind of formalized military for most of its existence, forcing it to rely heavily on the nations that it maintained trade relations with for protection during times of war. This finally changed in the year LP0003, when, in response to the Free Cities becoming nearly completely occupied by the nation of Helman during the 7th Helman-Leazas War the previous year, an agreement was reached between the various city officials declaring that the alliance's most powerful cities would temporarily join together to form a unified defensive front in the event of a future enemy attack. While a powerful force composed of thousands of hired mercenaries and adventurers, the organization, known as the Free Cities Army, requires all of the major city leaders to be in full agreement with each other before it is allowed to take any kind of action, making it difficult to deploy if any of them are unable or unwilling to cooperate.

List of Free Cities

The Copa Empire

A new nation founded by Copandon Dott. While Copandon is not the officially recognized leader of the Free Cities, she indirectly controls most of the territory that forms it due to the large amount of power and influence she has amassed as a merchant. An amusement park called M Land is located nearby.

CITY

An ultra-modern city built by the Dott Corporation. The headquarters of the Keith Guild recently moved here.

Rance Castle

Built in CITY, Rance Castle is the home of the great adventurer and hero Rance.

Ice

Rance's hometown. The main offices of Happiness Pharmaceutical are located here as well.

Kathtom

The most technologically advanced city in the Free Cities. The Four Witches of Kathtom live here.

Portugal

A mercantile city. People from Portugal have a distinct accent. It's connected to JAPAN via the Tenma Bridge. Copandon is from here. She later later bought it to become part of her Copandon Empire.

Red

A city made entirely of red bricks, controlled by the Red Lord. Sel Catchgolf's resident church is located here.

L'Zile

A small city that connects many other cities. Maria has her factory located here.

The O

The birthplace of Arios Theoman, the most recent Hero of the System. The Battle of the O during the 7th Helman-Leazas war took place here as well.

Kanra

Just a regular city. Shamoji's weapon shop is located here.

Rockearth

A city controlled by the criminal syndicate known as the DX Association. It serves as the base of operations for the organization's prostitution ring.

Hanna

Home of Gengorou Shinoda, the greatest strategist in the world.

Mars Star

A city at the southwest corner of the Free Cities that houses several illegal Level Cap-modifying shops. Formerly known as Mars, its name was changed to commemorate its bizarre ruler Starlevel the Great's ascension to the position of Level God.

Toushin City

A city created from the ruins of Toushin Toshi Upsilon when it fell to the ground. Previously known as Ylapu City while it was still in the air.

Kingdom of Parancho

A small and peaceful kingdom that is free from conflict. The main location of the events of Kaeru nyo Panyo~n.

Gomorrah Town

The small town where Rance grew up during the first years of his life.

Strotsend

A majorly fertile land that grew rich and powerful due to exports of rice, wheat and natto. Sadly, the soil became contaminated and nearly everyone in the Kingdom died. As of LP0006, the entire town is a quarantined death zone.

Forest of the Lost

A forest north to Kathtom that is known for its illusory passages. The Rapu, a fairylike species, live here.

Arekino Country

A small country that controls a walled city that fell to ruin long ago.

Ifo

A forested area where Kibako grew up in.

Rising Dragon Mountain

A towering mountain that is rumored to be home to the last surviving members of the Dragon race. KD spends most of his time here.

Diphteria

One of the only places on the Continent with a harbor. The harbor sends ships to and from the Sacred Island of Kawanakajima, capital of the AL Church.