SIM: The Free Lands

For an upcoming novella and novel …

The Free Lands

The Free Lands – formally the Free Lands of Nesbyen – are a historical anomaly that would never have come into existence, were it not for a combination of a brave and daring founder and the sheer chaos unleashed by the collapse of the empire. A combination of terrain, tactical brilliance, and a willingness to fight for their territory have ensured that the Freelanders maintain a certain degree of independence, despite the constant pressure from the Duchy of Hardwick and, to some extent, the Kingdom of Ruthenia itself.

Surprisingly, their history is well documented. Marion Nesbyen – a young freewoman, born on the edge of the Duchy of Hardwick – ran away to sea at a very early age and spent fifteen years of her life exploring the world and learning techniques for farming and animal husbandry that were uncommon, if not unknown, in the kingdom. Upon her return to the Duchy, she made a deal with the then-Duke Hardwick, offering to purchase Scorpion Swamp  – a vast and incredibly treacherous patch of land to the south, which technically belonged to the Duchy but served little purpose beyond providing a natural barrier against enemy attack – and turn it into a new settlement. The terms of the agreement, in hindsight, seem foolish: if the debt was paid back on time, the free lands would be independent of their aristocratic masters. But to the Duke, this would not have seemed a very likely outcome.

He had good reason to be confident. Scorpion Swamp was a wasteland, a mixture of flat and incredibly treacherous swamps and hillocks that were almost as dangerous; the swamp had a reputation for dangerous magic, dangerous creatures, and generally being incredibly unsafe even to the locals. The idea of a small party of freemen entering the swamp and turning it into something habitable would have seemed absurd; indeed, it was quite likely the party would die in the swamp and the debt would never be repaid.

Marion Nesbyen knew better. She had learned techniques for turning their watery landscape into fish farms, and obtain seeds from halfway across the world that would grow in such conditions and blossom into food. She knew how to build stilt houses that would take full advantage of what solid lands there were, as well as homes that strange mixtures of buildings and bolts. Her first settlement expanded rapidly as it cultivated the land, clearing out the more dangerous monsters and inviting more settles to set up home with the new community. It also started develop a militia that was of dubious legality, and a fighting tradition that very definitely was not remotely legal. And within five years, well before the deadline, she had repaid the debt.

This was a challenge the aristocracy could not ignore. It was bad enough that the Freelanders – as they came to be called – had paid their debts, but far worse that they were inviting runaway serfs into their territory, as well as developing roads that allowed a certain degree of travel from north to south in relative safety. It was not long until the aristocracy mounted the first invasion of the territory, although – in raw numbers – it was little more than an aggressive raid. The aristocrats grossly overestimated their power, and underestimated their enemies, and the invasion became a total disaster. They would mount similar invasions four times in the next two decades, only to be turned back – with heavy losses  – every time. The King eventually convinced the two sides to agree an uneasy peace, although the aristocracy have kept up the pressure as much as possible – often violating the edge of Freelander territory and daring them to respond – in hopes of eventually suppressing the Freelanders.

On paper, the Freelanders own title to most of the original swamp. In practice, there community is a number of semi-independent cantons scattered throughout the territory that cooperate with their fellows, but rarely – if ever – subordinate themselves into a greater whole. Each settlement has two elected headmen – one to serve as the canton’s leader, the other to serve as its representative to the great council – but their powers are very limited, deliberately so. Every citizen has the right to speak in front of his fellow villagers, and decisions are generally made through consensus – after a great deal of argument – and once a clear consensus take shape it is considered legally binding. This process is hedged around with custom, guaranteeing that villagers may speak freely and bluntly; the taking of revenge for anything said during the meeting, whatever it may be, is strictly forbidden.

The vast majority of homes are extremely communal, even by the standards of most peasant villages. There are few cases of truly private property; everything is expected to be shared, from basic household tasks to the family business. Many families are centred around a single cottage industry, such as blacksmithing or woodworking, and everyone is expected to support the business. The adults all have a certain degree of say in family affairs, although the elders tend to have more influence and anyone who believes he can have a say without doing any of the work is normally set straight very quickly. This unity endangers very strong feelings of communal solidarity among the Freelanders, and it is rare for one Freelander not to come to another’s aid if required. There is no shame or guilt in accepting help from a peer, as far as they’re concerned; the only shame lies in not returning the favour when called upon.

Unlike most other places, that is a strong tradition of sexual equality. Adult men and women – after passing the test of adulthood – are regarded as members of the community, as everyone else. There is also a considerable degree of sexual freedom, although – again – this is hedged around by custom and a young couple who have an unplanned pregnancy are expected to discuss the matter with their parents and arrange for the future care of their child. As a general rule, marriages are agreed between the couple themselves, but their parents and extended families do have a say if the couple expects to live with them after marriage. There are also strict limits on just who is considered an acceptable partner, with custom decreeing about anyone closer than second cousins cannot wed.

Children are raised communally, taught their letters in school – unsurprisingly, the New Learning went through the Free Lands like lightning – and generally offered a choice between following their parents into their trade or taking up an apprenticeship with someone else. They are also taught military skills, mainly archery (technically, as commoners, the Freelanders are not supposed to own swords), and a number find themselves drafted into the militia, hunting parties, or scouts. It is not uncommon for a young Freelander to leave the community for a year or so, in honour of their founder, before returning to the world that gave them birth. A number never return.

Magic is fairly common amongst the Freelanders, but few choose to develop it. The ones that do leave and rarely return. There is no autonomous magical community within the Free Lands and what few magical services exist are generally no more than hedge witches or local apothecaries, although there are rumours of evil sorcerers lurking within the darkest recesses of the swamp.

It is unusual for a Freelander to commit an outright crime, although crimes of passion are not unknown. The near-complete social and sexual equality removes most of the incentive for any other sort of crime. If accused of a crime, a Freelander is generally judged by his village and, if found guilty, can be sentenced anything from exile (temporary or permanent) to execution. More limited offences against custom can be punished by ostracism, on a case-by-case basis, although enforcement is somewhat spotty.

The long-term future of the Free Lands remains in doubt. The Duchy of Hardwick has not abandoned its conviction that it was somehow cheated of its territory, and that it has the right to seize control of the new trade routes running through the Free Lands. The prospect of the kingdom bringing its full might to bear against the  Free Lands remains ever present, although – so far – successive monarchs have declined to take the gamble of launching a military operation that could easily end very badly. The collapse of the Allied Lands, and the de facto collapse of the Magical Compact, has unleashed a surge of social change that could easily threaten or undermine the Free Lands.