The Free Cities of Vandermark

The Free Cities of Vandermark is a confederation of plutocratic merchant republics brought together by mutual pursuit of profit and trade. Nothing brings more pleasure to the Vandermark ear than the sound of coin being counted. Their government operates as a plutocracy, with each of the wealthiest families in Vandermark getting a vote to elect one of the Patricians as the Pater of Vandermark, who operates as their defacto head of government. For all intents and purposes however the merchant families operate largely autonomously only deferring to a direct order from the Pater. Their ships are rich and the Free Cities invest much in attempting to uproot the piracy that plagues the Sea of The Damned. Recently trade negotiations between the Free Cities and the Arcanium of Zoath went horribly wrong resulting in the death of several prominent Vandermarkians. War between the two seems inevitable.