The island chain to the southwest of Achera—now known as The Jirran Freeholds—had once been thought a frontier and was often treated as such. The settlements there were actually the refuges of pirates, outlaws, refugees, and other outcasts from mainland society. As these settlements grew, and the independent “freeholds” began to trade with each other (and even with mainland settlements), the need for common governance began to grow. Thus the Freehold Charter was born.

Under the Freehold Charter, each city is an independent entity (“freehold”) with a Representative on a Charter Council made up of representatives from each Freehold. The Charter details the powers of the Charter Council as well as the responsibilities of each Freehold. Each city maintains its own laws and regulations, with Charter law trumping all others. This document has held the islands together for nearly three centuries.

The spirit of the law under Charter rule largely favors personal freedom over governmental rule. Further, as each city grew from seafaring settlements, local laws tend to mirror shipboard law and punishments tend to be summarily issued by magistrates and often fit the individual crime. However, there is also a spirit of “every man has his say” before the law.