Republic of Pistallo

Pistallo is a small city situated along the Alcedina coast, near a minor tributary of the Mediolene river. It was established by humans during the Empire of Oleandron, when it was no more than a farming village in the orbit of the nearby Mediolene. Unsurprisingly, this town would become part of Mediolene shortly after that state gained independence. There, Pistallo became an important center for the Mediolener garrison of the territories north of the river, and thus gained value for the blacksmiths which set up shop in the city. Once Mediolene established land-based trade routes with the dwarves of the Hold of Bhur Drizl, the town grew into a city, and had its first set of walls put up.

This situation lasted for several centuries, until Mediolene was defeated in a Coalition War by the other Alcediner. With the inland trade routes definitvely cut and Mediolene clearly in the process of collapse, the Pistallans abandoned their former masters and opened their gates to the coalition. They would soon be rewarded by a grant of independence, though this was fragile. The city was in the sphere of the Republic of Alliogens, but was not on equal footing, while Mediolene still presented a great threat should they restore their military might. Therefore, a costly project was initiated to construct proper walls in the city. In addition to these walls, a modernized and well-developed system of fortifications was built, and the city was totally replanned. It would soon grow larger, its population swelled by construction experts, laborers, and those who provided for these laborers. By virtue of alliance with Alliogens, the land trade routes reopened and metallurgy would continue to flourish. Despite the city having a small hinterland compared to other cities, this was highly developed in its own right, and the farms provided the necessary food to feed the inhabitants of the city.

Despite their lack of resources, Pistallo continued to flourish for centuries, and opened up a new source of minerals by establishing a small foothold on Ifyrial. This would buoy the city's finances throughout the 18th-20th centuries, with imported metals being worked into excellent weaponry before being shipped to Pistallo's allies. However, dark times were ahead, and the city would come under siege by Dragan Ivar's Army in 1954. Selected as a target due to its lack of ancient walls, the Erleting forces assumed it would be easier to crack. They were wrong- the Pistalli expelled them from the walls, and their forts held up admirably.

Pistallo sent a small force of crossbowmen to aid in the Little Dennonian War, but gained no lands because they were hemmed in by Alliogens and Mediolene. However, the war gave them the opportunity to show themselves as a premier military force, if not in quantity, then in quality. They also succeeded in getting out of the shadow of Alliogens, taking on some of the commerce which that city had originally claimed but lost due to wartime devastation.