Sloboda

“Alone, ours and upon our own.”

Deep in the forested frontier between Smyklion and Licca, where the chirping of birds and howling of wolves are common ambient, is Sloboda. A large village of wood and thatch, which has developed entirely isolated from the world - save an unfortunate encounter with Smyklian trailblazers, whom the “ban” ordered killed. The people here wear a strange traditional uniform - not always, but owned by all - consisting of a mask and hooded cloak. The mask traditionally depicts a caricature of one's neighbor, while the cloak is adapted to suit needs of profession (camouflage, temperature regulation or flashy appearance).

Unlike the many settlements of its kind, Sloboda stands out with their rich culture. Every inch of their palisades is covered in rich colours plastered across it. Runic symbols dot the parapet and keep evil spirits out from the chimneys of the hearths inside. Inside, the entire village is constructed in the style of a motte and bailey - the wooden keep built upon a great hill that overlooks the entire settlement. Even in approaching this fort, the visitor is treated to masterful sculptures carefully carved from wood and painstakingly painted into styles of absurdism and realism. The well spews out a faint mist at all times, great and the only structure made of stone. Deep inside is an entrapped monster - or so the fishwives say to any who would listen - that is forgotten to time and word of mouth. Alas, past all of these vivid sights, one can ascend the long staircase to the keep.

Inside, at the end of a long table flanked by personal guard who live in the keep with their leader, is the “ban” - roughly translating to duke in Ascorni. Upon taking on the title granted to them by a series of shamans, the ban is treated as having divine right and judgement. Their word has the weight of the gods’, and it is their duty to keep the village alive and prospering.

The previous ban was a cruel and treacherous man known as Mislav, and he had attempted to turn over his radiant settlement to the Warning Star - not only committing the taboo of inviting foreigners to staff his court, but condemning his own gods and shamans in favour of the old enemy.

Mislav was executed by drawing and quartering when Enye, princess of Leoviedo, had led a successful assault against his keep and elevated the level-headed and intelligent Marko to the title. From then, Marko has led Sloboda down a path of tranquility. Life slowly became normal again, the memory of the silent occupation fading into scars as scythes were taken up again without fear for what comes in the future. Slobodians value it most, after all, when the only worry in their mind is how they will feed their family and make them smile.

Today, Sloboda is an independent duchy under the protection of Leoviedo, as Marko is a close confidant and ally of the queen. Perhaps this calm may well be the finest way to fight the world’s chaos, as Slobodians are among the rare peoples to always greet the morning with a smile.