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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AnonymousOne" data-source="post: 3732515" data-attributes="member: 50316">    The Garic City States“Freedom is not bought with gold or treasure.  It’s paid for with the blood of free people and built on the foundations of free exchange.”  –Gwendolyn Shaal, Mayor of New GarenPolitics    The Garic City States (GCS) are defined more by their lack of a political structure than by the existence of a certain kind of specific political nature.  As the different cities are all independent of one another their styles of government can change from city to city though the overarching themes of the GCS is one of libertarian freedom.  The State as each city governs it is based on the protection of private property and the rights of the citizens.  As such, there is a very advanced legal structure in the areas and the cities have, as a whole pretty much agreed to a fairly consistent legal structure across the Whole of the GCS.      The typical City State is governed by an elected official whose job it is to streamline trade, protect the property rights of the businesses and citizenry, and ensure that the City is ready in event of war.  These are the only responsibilities of these governors whose actions are subject to the review of the courts and the constitution of the City itself.  The legislatures of the Cities are usually small, no more than 40 individuals who each represent a segment of the populace.      Since the State does not intrude much into the lives of the citizens it is not uncommon to see markets emerge in every sector of society, everything from magical healing, which one can obtain from any number of clerical orders within the GCS, to legalized prostitution and brothels, to fine wines and liquors, to weapons.  This level of competition has led to more and more advancements in virtually every aspect of life in the GCS.  The drawback is that the business is cutthroat and if a venture fails, the governments of the cities will not bail the entrepreneur out.    The decision to go to war with another country is not one that is easily made in the GCS and usually happens after their lands have been moved against, though they are close allies with Wistron and have in the past aided the small nation in maintaining its independence from its large neighbors.  The decision to go to war is one that is decided by a council of all of the rulers of each city.  The decision to send aid to another state is often the call of the local ruler who may designate a small group of troops or specialists to be sent on loan and for a price to a country.  As such, mercenary groups may often be legitimate City State troops who are being supplied and paid for by another country, usually Wistron, but occasionally Garic troops have aided Skårl in curtailing Areen expansion.    There is not any political ill-will per se between the GCS and other countries.  They are highly suspicion of Areen as a rule because of the attempts by Areen to take control of Garic lands but see that more as a flaw of the Areen government than its people, and because of this illicit trade to Areen merchants is common.------------------------------------Characters of Garic origin or inclination may be the target of random searches and seizures if they are openly operating in Areen.  Characters of Garic heritage get +2 to all diplomacy, sense motive, and gather information rolls made during economic exchange.------------------------------------Though this trade is not looked down on by any Garic institution, Areen is trying to actively curtail the flow of goods which has led to tension between armed merchant trains and organizations and Areen troops.  This hostility has led to a large sector of smugglers who attempt to move goods into Areen against the embargo.  ------------------------------------Rewards for moving or helping to move smuggled goods into other countries are treated as being one or two treasure categories higher, depending on the risk and success of the venture.------------------------------------Though this may be politically hazardous for the GCS as a whole as it has prompted some sharp words from the Areen Legislature known as the Seated, the GCS does not seem to desire to stop or control this black market trade. Social Structure    The Garic City States are a diverse mishmash of races, cultures, ideas, foods, goods, religions, and trades.  The people as a whole are generally successful.  There is a lower class, but its economic well being is much greater than that found in countries like Lumen or Areen.  The economic system has led to a greater degree of upward mobility meaning that the people who live in the GCS are more likely to be successful, if they want to.  ------------------------------------Rewards for completing quests for an affluent Garic Citizen should be considered to be one or two treasury categories higher than the Encounter Level would dictate, depending on the perception of the petitioner of the job done by the players.  Rewards may include land, company stock, which may be sold or held by the PCs, Gold, or magical items. ------------------------------------    There are many elves that have chosen to remain in such middle-class professions as a wood carver and furniture maker, or blacksmith, or trade boat captain and the long life span has given them the opportunity to fine-tune and advance their profession into an art-form.  Meanwhile many human entrepreneurs have skyrocketed to the higher levels of wealth through inventiveness and wit.  This mobility has made the people living in the GCS very competitive by nature.    The GCS has another major advantage; they have the highest population of Elves in the Northern Reach.  This has led to major businesses growing to become extremely efficient and competent because many of the owners are Elves who look at economic and social growth in the long term.  ------------------------------------Contrary to other campaign settings, the Elves in the Northern Reach do not have a drastically low birth rate.  While they may not have the reproduction rate of their Human counterparts they are more than capable of sustaining and growing their population, albeit at a slower rate than Humans.------------------------------------The GCS have the fortune of also being the single largest target for refugees from other lands.  As such it is a very culturally diverse and one can find everything from Lumen citizens who descend from refugees who fled the People’s Revolution eighty years ago, to Skarl warriors who are working for private police or security firms, or simply living a normal life as an inn-keeper, or dockmaster to Wistronian recruiters looking for potential mercenary candidates.  There has also been an influx of those following the school of Technomancy.  This school which is based around the discovery of the operation of the natural world comes at the hands of the exile of those practicing this art from the Isle of Manse.  PopulationHumans: 47%Elves: 38%Halflings: 5%Gnome: 4%Goliath: 4%Other: 2%------------------------------------Players playing as an Elf are considered to be well to-do enough to increase their starting wealth by one level.  All other races are treated relatively equally though some discrimination may exist------------------------------------</blockquote>

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