The Free Towns and Helmstadt Valley are a geographical location North of Findle and East of Redguard in Thessan. Various small towns have banded together to form a loose confederacy called the Free Towns.
The Helmstadt valley lay between the Pendant mountains and the Scara mountains, just to the south of Kolzamor. This region is heavily forested and had been occupied at various times by dwarves, gnomes, humans, copper elves, and gnolls.
A gnomish home outside of Illden.
Helmstadt Valley is home to a large number of gnomes living in scattered, well-hidden communities in the forests and mountain passes. Gnolls control most of the lowlands and occupy the town of Houndsheim.
The free towns used to include Greenville and New Illden, which were incorporated into the Kingdom of Findle in the fourth age.
The Free Towns[]
- Hillborough - The largest town of gnomes in Helmstadt
- Houndsheim - Ruined town from the second age, currently occupied by gnolls
- Vestoras - Town on the Eastern edge of Morat Ras in the No Road forest
- Skein - a small town on the edge of Stone Lake.
- Illden - The largest city in the Free Towns region.
- Torsheim - Large town of dwarves in Helmstadt. One of the only surviving settlements from before the scattering.
- Harvastveil - Home of the Harvest Brotherhood. Built upon an ancient Danu temple from the Second Age.