The Hestmark Highlands owe allegiance to no overlord. It is scattered with independent tribes and villages of humans, gnomes, dwarves, goblins and kobolds. Some dragons even are known to live in the range. While many of the tribes are law-abiding, others have taken to banditry. There are also bands of renegades from Medegia and Ahlissa, some are oppressed peasants looking for freedom, others are outlaws looking for opportunity away from authority.
The Glorioles are the mountainous northern extension of the Hestmark. These mountains are populated by 10,000 mountain dwarves, who follow King Uffa the Stout. They are intensely isolationist and repell all visitors politely, but firmly. There is one official trading post in the southern section, where excellent prices are paid for food stuffs and high quality tools and armament are sold. King Uffa has a personal grudge against the Herzog of Ahlissa.
Dullstrand: is an independent coastal town of about 5000 people. It is a market for the Highlands and is oftentimes a safe refuge for freebooters and rebels against the overking both.