The City of Ashes
The City of Ashes is a city-state west of Tintagel and South of the Dragon Empire, led by the ArchLich - a mage of inestimable power.
The City:
The city is a massive edifice surrounding a ziggurat of pyramids, with a massive lighthouse marking the harbor, as well as the city entrance. The city is well-regimented, cosmopolitan... and other than the ziggurat itself, very, very new. Walls are raised of a strange black stone, while buildings are in brown sandstone that seems borrowed from the dozens of ruins nearby.
The city teems with life - all races are represented here - perhaps 10,000 strong. And truly all races - the city is neither civilized nor uncivilized, good nor evil, at least by general conception.
Ruled by a Council of Three, represented by an Orc, an Elf, and a Human, the only notable missing races here are halflings, gnomes and dwarves, as well as kobolds. The harbor is incredibly busy, with ships of a dozen descriptions lining the docks - the entire thing makes Crossroads look like a hovel, and even Tintagel proper may not be quite as bustling, though it certainly is larger.
This is a city state, internally called the City of Ashes. It is not a free place, and does not pretend to be one. Every creature within its borders is either a slave, bondsman, or free.
The city is ruled by formalized trials of might - the strongest lead, and the weak are forced to follow. Strong is a relative term - all forms of strength are recognized: moral, personal, physical, mental, even charisma has its place. But strength is all that is respected, and all that sets law and order in place.
The city accepts any coin as legal tender.
A full suite of services is present.
Citizenship:
Citizens must participate in the Rite of Citizenship, the cornerstone of the City of Ashes's government. They essentially demonstrate that they have the strength to support the city, and no longer require its protection, instead taking on the responsibility of protecting it themselves. Every citizen is contractually bound to the defense of the city proper, and, in exchange, the city grants them the Right of Ownership: they may own property, initiate (Rather than become party to) contracts, and may assume responsibility for bondsmen and non-citizens, thus creating their own Household.
Responsibility for a Household means that the citizen is ultimately responsible for every action taken by the members of that Household, claiming their rewards and their punishments in equal measure. The Household becomes the sum of its parts - a crime or insult committed by it against another Household must be paid for in kind, and the Citizen can appeal to the city for summary judgement if recompense is not appropriate. Citizens and members of their household are specifically disallowed from harming another Citizen or their household; Bondsmen - non-citizen, non-residents, fall into a 'crack' here that allow them to act as an agent on a Cititzen's behalf in vendetta against each other, and thus are highly prized for that fact. A citizen is, after all, expected to be powerful enough to defend themselves against that kind of incursion.
Bondsmen cannot normally attack citizens on their own, but can do so if essentially sanctioned by another Citizen - this implies that the sanctioning citizen believes the other to be incompetent, and the bondsman's success proves that to be true.
To become a citizen, the rite involves a test of violence; at its most basic form, two potential citizens demonstrate their prowess in an arena, and the survivor is elevated. However, the rite allows for the declaration of a champion or even unhderhanded means of victory - getting someone to fight for you, or working the system? These are considered measures of strength as well.
One time each year, for one day, potential citizens can become so by pleading their case before the Council - 2/3 of the council must agree that the citizen's capability or contribution makes them worthy of the elevation. If they do not come to this consensus, the potential citizen is executed - as there must be a risk to gain a reward. This occurs on Uruksday, the winter solstice - which is in about 20 days - from sunup to sundown.
Slaves:
Slaves are the lowest city caste, and most numerous - these are people who have chosen to give their freedom away for security. They wear collars (often stylized) to represent their social status, and generally carry a brand or symbol representing their owning house or person. A slave has freedoms only as guaranteed by those who own them - and the protection and patronage of that owner grants them specific rights within the city proper. Rights to fair commerce, rights to order, rights to sanctity of self - these are a function of the strength of the owner, and the willingness of others to cross them.
Thus, those who offer fair treatment - or just good protection - often gain the largest following of willing life-servants.
Owners are expected to provide recompense for their slaves' transgressions, and generally discipline their owned parties appropriately internally. Politics rule the day when the wrong is significant, but rules of custom are followed that generally result in "eye for an eye" ... though just whose eye may be up for debate.
Criminals are forcibly demoted to the slave caste, and are available for purchase by free men - in fact, this is how free people generally build their own house and holdings. Valuable individuals are worth more.
Slaves may be bought and sold and - unless criminal - may earn half their purchase price each time a sale is made. They may also challenge at any time to be free in the arena, simply by reaching the arena doors and declaring their intent.
Bondsmen:
Bondsmen are a step up from slaves - these are contract employees, governed by an agreement between them and another party. They have limited protections as provided for in their contract, and are expected to comport themselves appropriately. They can be challenged by bondsmen and free people alike, and may challenge other bondsmen - but generally must stand on their own and negotiate as an individual, save as specified in their contract.
These contracts are enforced by the city center - and are magical in nature. Breaking a contract is a Bad Thing, and penalties are both mundane and ritual-enforced. Legal resources are available to manage contract disputes, generally in mediation, but the word of contracts, not their spirit, is what is followed and accepted within the city proper. Bondsmen generally employ contract experts to ensure they are not cheated.
New people entering the city become bondsmen at entry, by agreeing to a contract with the city to pass the gates. This requires the individual to obey general rules of conduct that notably include damaging others, but not definitions of things like Theft or Murder. It binds individuals to the rules of the city and the justice within it.
Free Men:
Free men are those who have fought for their right to be recognized as free within the city arena. This is generally a challenge, to the death, which earns the victor the full rights of citizenship within the city. Laws fully apply; murders of free men are investigated by the city, and free men are expected to vote and otherwise support the city proper in exchange for their freedom. They may own others, and register contracts freely, and are generally considered the highest class of citizen.
Contracts:
Every interaction between households and its members is identified with and managed by agreements - ritually enforced contracts that indicate rights, responsibilities, and indemnity for both parties. A person may be subject to many contracts at any moment, from a simple promise to trade to one that denotes house membership. It is important to know that contracts may end - but a contract that would otherwise 'supercede' another (e.g. accepting a household contract while also contracted to, say, fulfill a blacksmithing order) must still be fulfilled; the one who enforces the superceding contract becomes responsible for the contracts so compromised.
In the end, the City of Ashes is simple: it is a city of lawyers, words, and agreements, where contracts themselves are law.