The City-States

These kings may dream of resurrecting the Sylvan Empire but there are two difficulties with any plan such as this. First, the city-states are all roughly evenly matched—any advantage one may enjoy is countered by a different advantage somewhere else. All of them are well-fortified and organized, else they would never have survived the time after the Fall. Taking them militarily would not just be a difficult campaign, but it would open up the attacker to in turn being attacked by outlaws or other city-states.

The other difficulty is the orcs. If someone were to proclaim themselves emperor over a new Sylvan Empire, the orcs have made it clear they would band together again and destroy that city. Though they have been peaceful for a generation, given their previous success it is not hard to imagine them following through on this promise. Some believe all the city-states together could oppose them, but since today the orcs do not leave their Commonwealth it is difficult to imagine what would bring the human kings to face them in a unified front.

There are five city-states. They do not control all the territory—there are still lawless lands between them. Karm Lema still controls the north and the tribes and Republic the south. The Gaitye Forest is ruled by the wood elves, if anyone can be said to rule that place. Many Halfling clans or villages insist on independence and remain too small or out of the way to be worth bringing under control, at least for now. But if ambition is a resource, the city-states are the main producers and business has been good.

The City-States

 * Demos
 * Ixthos
 * Medissa
 * Soros
 * Zandria