The Free City of Nhinemarq

KINGDOM AT A GLANCE: Nhinemarq is a large, bustling port city full of people of all races and creeds. Nhinemarq's Archon and his General Assembly focus more on the development of technology and trade, meaning that if it's illegal elsewhere, there's every chance that it is legal in Nhinemarq. The city-state is a massive trading hub, home to exotic goods both on the black market and the open market, and defended from pirates and brigands by the Archon's Navy.

SIZE AND LOCATION: Small. It is located to the south-west of the continent of Ardell, commanding the Bay of Swords from its northern-most cape.

WEALTH: High. Nhinemarq is the centre of a large trading network that is well-protected by a large professional Navy. It is also a legal haven for many illegal industries, all of which are taxed.

STABILITY: Medium. Currently the city-state is relatively stable, but the status quo is often punctuated by violent workers' strikes and rioting. The City Watch is currently far too small to deal with the high crime rate and keep public order intact.

DANGER TO TRAVELERS: High. Take a wrong turn in Nhinemarq and you are likely to find yourself staring at the pointy end of a dagger.

FORM
OF GOVERNMENT: The Archon of Nhinemarq is a Prince of sorts; a high-ranking and respected merchant elected to make executive decisions on behalf of the city-state for a term lasting no longer or no less than the span of his life. Most day to day decisions in Nhinemarq are decided by the General Assembly, 256 of the city's most powerful merchants and scientists. The Archon reserves veto power over the decisions of the General Assembly.

FREEDOM
AND OPPRESSION: Citizens of Nhinemarq hold many more freedoms than citizens of other Kingdoms throughout Ardell, though this is in name only. Freedom of the press is held at Archon-level, and his means of propaganda are many and powerful.

COMMON
SPECIES: Humans 65%, Dark Elves 15%, Dwarves 10%, Elves 4%, others races 6%. The population lives in an uneasy peace with each other. Memories are still fresh in the mind of the Race Riots of ten years past during the fall of the Empire, where subsets of the human population rioted and slaughtered hundreds of Dark Elves.

MILITARY FOCUS: The Free City of Nhinemarq has a very strong Navy, and the Archon holds the right to sieze and make use of any vessels within his ports in the event of a military crisis. Using these estimates, Nhinemarq could theoretically call upon a thousand fighting ships at any one time, though this is unlikely. Nhinemarq also has a small professional Army of about six thousand troops, and bolsters its forces with contracted mercenary companies, though the Free City of Perona generally gets better and more reputable mercenaries than Nhinemarq.

TECHNOLOGY: Late Medieval to Early Renaissance.

PLAYER CONTROLLED: Yes.