Slateholm, Free City of

Slateholm was founded as an Urdish colony on the site of an ancient, possibly nonhuman settlement. The city is set on a group of islands in a coastal swamp, with a single causeway extending from the city inland. Slateholm has an excellent seaport, however, and the vast majority of visitors to the city arrive by sea. When the Empire of Urd fell, Slateholm's governor, Saman Valdis, declared his city to be autonomous and began to call himself Duke. His descendants have continued a relatively stable and prosperous rule in the city since then. The current ruler is Duke Helsung II. Slateholm is the site of the largest cathedral of the Church of Tah, Reformed, a large construction completely built from the fire-resistant wood found in the surrounding fens. Ownership of slaves is strictly forbidden in the city, making Slateholm a popular destination for recently-escaped slaves. Slateholm is also a popular city with those whose businesses are less than legal elsewhere, excepting slavers of course. The city is said to have the only organized Thieves Guild in existence, but this is merely a rumor.