So, I hear you want to know about the Freelands? Well, grab a bowl of stew, City-born, and I'll give you the quick. Basically, the Freelands exist to make sure no kingdom can march their soldiers through and invade the others. It's forever neutral, forever free, forever wild and without official government. If any of the Kingdoms of Novitas march their troops through the Freelands, all the other kingdoms are beholden to gang up and smack the backside of the interloper, and hard.
Now, that doesn't mean the odd squad doesn't happen to travel through the Freelands 'on leave,' or the odd dozen soldiers 'exiled' to the Freelands, and then pardoned in a month. Deniability is key, and no one kingdom wants to press the issue too hard.
But, in their day to day, most Freelanders don't see the machinations of the Kingdoms. They're busy trying to survive day to day, make an honest living, without being beholden to any lord or noble unless they want to be. Add to that that the kingdoms have been successfully pushing, exiling and expelling thieves, orcs, murderers, brigands, undead and other beasts toward the Freelands for decades, and you'll start to get an idea of how dangerous this place can be for your long term health. You can't swing a cat without hitting something that could kill you, or wants to try, and then eat your cat.
To survive, the Freelanders have survived by organizing in a less structured, more functional way than a 'government' or 'nobility' class. Villages pop up around defensible, well watered areas and pretty soon someone with a plan starts organizing the rest so they don't lose as many friends. It's not so much government as a means to survive the night.
Take Elfmeet here. We're close to Fionn A’ilean—that means “Great Forest” in common speech—so it has a wood elf flavor to it. Slaves are freed, everyone eats, everyone pitches in, and the bosses tend to be wise women. Go down to Gardener's Grove, however, and it has a distinctly Vleanoan feel—a Septon is in charge, lots of floppy hats and wine.
It doesn't mean the nearest nation rules it like a “Little Vlean” outpost or something—far from it. Just that people tend to gravitate to the system that works the best for them, and they tend to come from nearby kingdoms.
Aaaaand once in a while, no matter your preparations, it all goes to shit. The Dellins get a Horde together, or enough undead overcome your defenses, or it floods or catches fire, or all the above. When that happens, the lucky ones make it out, and the unlucky ones—well, you can guess.
Does it sound bad to your ears, City-born? It should. But it's right better than living in the Kingdoms. At least here, we're free if we're breathing.
--Ambrose Farfallen, of the Elfmeet Militia