The Free Cities are south of Arrival, and occupy a large territory. There are five cities, the largest of which is Three, the home of the third giant stone number. Many small farming villages are also scattered around. The Free Cities were considered the breadbasket of the Glass-Guarded World, with large, easily plowed fields, and little in the way of forests or hills. The reduction in the Broken River’s flow, and the accompanying drop in rainfall, has taken a toll on the area’s farms. Many people have moved closer to the sea in order to use its water for irrigation. This movement of people away from the midlands has made the region more vulnerable to the Magistracy. Recently the Keepers have begun to offer aid to struggling farming communities, in exchange for control. So far, the fiercely independent residents of the Free Cities have mostly resisted, but a few towns have pledged their allegiance to the Magistracy. The largest mountains of metal lie in the free cities, and they have attracted more than the usual number of dwarves. The residents of the Free Cities take pride in their horsemanship, and can field a sizeable and dangerous cavalry force—if they can manage to work together.