The Freeholds of The North

Political control of The North has always been in the grant of the people. It is hilly and cold by Achthalian standards, while you certainly could march an army through it, or station an army in it, no army could ever exert a meaningful influence on all of the homesteads and villages and occasional towns that make up the land.

Government
Settlements are governed almost exclusively through moots, a meeting of all eligible townsfolk - generally all adults, though sometimes only men with age of eligibility also varying from place to place as does whether or not dwarves and elves are included. These moots pass resolutions on laws and justice and in bigger settlements appoint people to various roles.

How regularly these moots take place also varies from place to place. In a hamlet or small village a ‘moot’ might just be decisions made while gathered over a pint of ale to reflect on the days work - these tend to be not particularly serious affairs, with some resolutions being outright jokes. Even the smaller ones nominate a leader make decisions in an emergency, though it is expected to decide stuff collectively wherever possible.

In a larger village it may take place on a weekly or monthly basis with the nominated leader making the minor decisions in its absence.

In a town it will generally meet monthly, typically on market day if the jurisdiction includes outlying settlements or on the day after if not - though some will meet on the day before if a overmoot is held on the day after.

The handful of cities have a strange hybrid approach where people write their name on a piece of paper and give it to a representative at the yearly moot. They can then turn up in person to vote and if they don’t turn up in person the representative can vote for them.