Anarea > World > Overworld > Free City of Tehmor
The Free City of Tehmor is the Westernmost of the three great Southern Cities of the Overworld, but unlike Vavistor and Iklaron it is situated in the Eastern Plains of the Grasslands rather than in the Southern Desert. It is a key trading point on the great South Road from the Valdrean Empire to Iklaron, at the point where the Road crosses the Rivers Tehm and Mora by their confluence in the safe harbour of Tehmor. Here is where the Great Caravans transship their loads from horse or ox-drawn wagons to camel trains for the final leg across the Desert to Vavistor and Iklaron, or vice-versa heading West and North across the Grasslands to Valdrea. Other cargoes come in and depart by ship from the busy docks. The Arms of the City symbolise its position between Sea, Grasslands and Desert.
This melting point of different cultures and interests prides itself on its independence and tolerance of many different beliefs, which is good for trade but does give rise to conflicts. Tehmor is most famous for its so-called "Forty Factions" - although this is something of a misnomer, as there are in fact many factions vying for power and influence in the City. The "Forty" properly refers to the total number of Seats in the ruling Council of Tehmor, each of which is held by a different group, or Faction. The Council passes legislation and elects the Overlord (or Pasha) of the City, who wields executive power and commands the Army, Navy and City Watch. The various Seatholding Factions are grouped into four loose political parties, the Conservatives, Liberals, Mercantiles and Militants, which form coalitions to gain majority control of the Council. Usually a Conservative and Mercantile Coalition holds power and appoints the Overlord, but allegiances are constantly changing in Tehmor.
Tehmor has a long and rich history. Legend has it that Tehmor was first established by the three Founding Families, the Derevo, Karana and Medoneh Families, who settled in the area around the Year 100 and established farms and trading posts, taming dogs, cats and horses respectively. More people were attracted to the area as its prosperity grew, and the first Town Wall (then simply a ditch and rampart) was built around the Year 250. Due to its favourable location, the town, and later city, of Tehmor became a major trading centre, attracting many different groups, all of whom were welcomed in the spirit of free trade - though not all of them were benign, and the city also became known for its Thieves' Guilds, Dark Cults and Evil Temples. It is said you can buy anything in the Markets of Tehmor - for a price.
The three Southern Cities co-operate in relations with the rest of the Overworld and in trading matters, and their respective Overlords meet regularly in a High Council, but there is an intense local rivalry between the three of them. Tehmor sees itself as the most tolerant and democratic of the Southern Cities and the others as being more authoritarian and autocratic, whilst the others see Tehmor as being weak and degenerate. All three Cities are fanatical about horse racing, a sport in which Tehmor considers it has the edge due to its being in the Grasslands and so having the best stud farms. Tehmorians will (particularly after a few drinks) speak dismissively about Vavistorians as a bunch of Scorpion Cultists and poison dealers and about Iklaronians as a bunch of camel traders and lotus eaters. Vavistorians and Iklaronians, on the other hand, see Tehmorians as a bunch of degenerate, in-fighting Cultists.
The official Language of the City is Southern, but many other Languages are also spoken by the various Factions.
The following are the most prominent Factions in Tehmor, their politics and the locations (on the above map) primarily associated with each:
| Faction | Politics | Category | Council_Seats | Locations |
| Derevo Family | Liberal | Families | 1 | Derevo Estate, Dazhorak / City Brewery |
| Karana Family | Conservative | Families | 1 | Karana Estate, Aldahra |
| Medoneh Family | Mercantile | Families | 1 | Medoneh Estate, Upper Cahloh / Stud Farms |
| Anarchist Movement | Militant | Political Parties | 0 | Various Cells, mostly in The Maze |
| Conservative Party | Conservative | Political Parties | 1 | Coffeehouse of the Golden Sun, Citadel Plaza |
| Free Trade Party | Mercantile | Political Parties | 1 | Free Traders' Coffeehouse, opposite the Mint, Citadel |
| Reform Party | Liberal | Political Parties | 1 | Reformists' Coffeehouse, Citadel |
| Army | Militant | Military | 1 | The Keep, Citadel |
| Navy | Militant | Military | 1 | Naval Docks, Citadel |
| City Watch | Conservative | Executive | 0 | Watch House, Citadel Wall |
| Treasury | Mercantile | Executive | 1 | Mint, Citadel |
| Alchemists' Guild of Tehmor | Conservative | Guilds | 1 | Alchemists' Island |
| Associated Guilds of Beggars, Buskers and Rumourmongers | Mercantile | Guilds | 0 | Rumour Market |
| Bookmakers' Guild | Liberal | Guilds | 1 | Racetrack, Circus |
| Conclave of Binders | Mercantile | Guilds | 1 | Binders' Island |
| Guild of Caravanserai | Mercantile | Guilds | 1 | Caravanserai Plazas East & West |
| Guild of Craftsmen | Mercantile | Guilds | 1 | Artisans', Jewellers' & Glassmakers' Quarters |
| Guild of Seamen | Liberal | Guilds | 1 | Docks, The Master Mariner Tavern, Shipwrights' Quarter |
| Mercenaries' Guild | Militant | Guilds | 1 | Mercenaries' Guildhouse, Mora Plaza |
| Merchants' Guild of Tehmor | Mercantile | Guilds | 1 | Merchants' Hall, Mora Plaza |
| Racing Club of Tehmor | Mercantile | Guilds | 1 | Racetrack |
| Brotherhood of the White Hand | Conservative | Thieves' Guilds | 1 | Chapterhouse of The White Hand, Lower Barro |
| Honourable Guild of Assassins | Independent | Thieves' Guilds | 1 | contact at Statue of Hooded Woman, Crossroads of the Dead (South Road/Way of the Dead) |
| Thieves' Guild of Tehmor | Liberal | Thieves' Guilds | 1 | Thieves' Guildhouse, The Maze |
| Temple of ALTIS | Militant | Temples | 1 | High Temple of ALTIS, Garrimoh |
| Temple of BUDIF / WACON | Conservative | Temples | 1 | High Temple of BUDIF/WACON, Tehm Plaza |
| Temple of CAERULAS | Conservative | Temples | 1 | [High] Temple of CAERULAS, East Phare |
| Temple of DALA | Liberal | Temples | 1 | Big Temple of DALA |
| Temple of ESCUS | Conservative | Temples | 1 | High Temple of ESCUS, Upper Barro |
| Temple of FIDAR | Conservative | Temples | 1 | High Temple of FIDAR, South Road N of Tehm Bridge |
| Temple of HAERIM | Militant | Temples | 1 | High Temple of HAERIM, Garrimoh |
| Temple of KOROS | Mercantile | Temples | 1 | High Temple of KOROS, New Temple of KOROS |
| Temple of LOFIR / WAGREN | Militant | Temples | 1 | High Temple of LOFIR/WAGREN, Old Town |
| Temple of MIRIMI | Liberal | Temples | 1 | High Temple of MIRIMI, Any pool of Moonlight, New Silver Mines |
| Temple of ORIL / OPSOR | Liberal | Temples | 1 | High Temple of ORIL/OPSOR, Black Tehm Gate Fruit & Flower Markets |
| Temple of PAREL | Liberal | Temples | 1 | High Temple of PAREL, South Road W of Tehm Bridge |
| Temple of RAYLIT | Liberal | Temples | 1 | High Temple of RAYLIT, West Phare |
| Temple of SARAN | Conservative | Temples | 1 | High Temple of SARAN, Citadel Plaza / Old Temple of SARAN, Caravanserai Plaza West |
| Temple of SHELDA | Liberal | Temples | 1 | High Temple of SHELDA & Chapterhouse of The Knights of the Rose, Plaza of Love |
| Temple of SOROK | Militant | Temples | 1 | [High] Temple of SOROK, Necropolis / Tower of the The Old One, Necropolis |
| Temple of TERRIK | Militant | Temples | 1 | High Temple of TERRIK, City Dump |
| Temple of TIPRE | Liberal | Temples | 1 | High Temple of TIPRE, crossroads between Racetrack & Circus |
| Temple of ZAKEL | Militant | Temples | 1 | High Temple of ZAKEL, Armourers' Quarter |
| False Gods | Militant | Cults | 0 | The Street of False Gods |
| Rat Cult | Conservative | Cults | 0 | Sewers (especially around Docks & Necropolis) / Dumps / The Sick Rat Tavern, start of Way of the Dead in Garrimoh |
| Scorpion Cults | Militant | Cults | 0 | Temple of SKARZ, Street of False Gods / Secret Cave of Red Scorpions, the Maze |
| Snake Cults | Liberal | Cults | 0 | Temple of YSSA, Street of False Gods / Snake Market |
| Iklaron | Conservative | Nations | 0 | Embassy of the Free City of Iklaron, Citadel Plaza |
| Kuntax | Mercantile | Nations | 0 | Merchants' Guildhouse of Kuntax, Merriva Park |
| Kyr | Mercantile | Nations | 0 | Kryrian Embassy, Western Promenade, Merriva |
| Valdrean Empire | Conservative | Nations | 0 | Valdrean Embassy, Citadel Plaza |
| Vavistor | Conservative | Nations | 0 | Embassy of the Free City of Vavistor, Citadel Plaza |
| Desert Nomads | Militant | Races | 0 | Desert Nomad Camps beyond East Gate / The Blue Oasis Tavern, Mazhak |
| Dwarves | Mercantile | Races | 0 | Embassy of The Kingdom of The Dwarves, Dwarvish Quarter |
| Elves | Liberal | Races | 0 | Elvish Enclave |
| Grasslanders (Plainsmen) | Mercantile | Races | 0 | Horse Market, Cattle Market |
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Go to A Possible and Partial History of The Free City of Tehmor