Though it holds a population rivaling Gransport, vibrant districts, commerce, and its own internal governance, the Republic refuses to designate it an official city.
No mayor.
No charter.
No tax rolls.
No borders on a map.
And yet — to its people, it is a city.
They simply call it:
Because everything south of Silverpoint slopes downward until it hits the marshes… then the sea.
But no outsider uses that name.
They call it:
“The Ghost City.”
Not because it’s haunted — but because the Republic pretends it does not exist.
The Lowlands sits on:
a humid, subtropical coast
long marshy stretches
pine-swamps leading to Lennix Hill
canals carved by natural tides
boardwalk districts raised above the water
Weather is almost always warm, sticky, and musical — thunder rolling far more often than it falls.
The Lowlands is defined by three pillars:
Drums echo from the riverfront.
Open-air bands gather on balconies.
Entire blocks break into dance during storms.
Music is how the Lowlanders:
settle disputes
remember their history
declare joy
welcome Lennix when they descend
Every child born here can keep rhythm before they can walk.
No kings.
No mayors.
No officials.
The Lowlanders elect “voices,” temporary representatives who rotate monthly to prevent corruption.
Rules are few and simple:
Do not betray the Lowlands.
Do not speak of Lennix Hill to outsiders.
Do not endanger the peace.
Everything else is personal freedom.
Visitors are welcomed warmly…
until they ask the wrong questions.
Strangers who pry into the hill, the Lennix, or the settlement’s odd traditions will quickly find themselves guided back to the highway with firm hands and polite smiles.
The Lowlands exists because their greatest secret lives above them.
Everyone knows:
The hill belongs to the Lennix.
The Lennix belong to no one.
And protecting them protects us all.
This pact shapes all behavior in the settlement.
crowds clear the street
vendors place food outside as gifts
musicians fall silent
doors open and heads bow
Not from fear — from respect.
Conversations die instantly.
The person is escorted out of the district.
The Lowlanders live comfortably — not rich, not poor.
fishing
spice markets
swamp herbs
metalwork
boatcraft
distilleries
handcrafted jewelry using river-stones and drift-metals
small docks that move more goods than the Republic knows about
But the real wealth is community wealth — everything is shared.
No family starves.
No child is homeless.
No elder is forgotten.
The beating heart — food stalls, music, river festivals, night parades.
Where storytellers, poets, and craftspeople live. Known for smoky taverns and constantly lit lanterns.
Spice stalls, herbalists, and curious apothecaries. Smells like pepper, sugar, and swamp mint.
Raised wooden homes on stilts. Families who’ve lived here for generations.
Where boats enter and exit the marshways — a maze of docks and piers.
The path leading up to Lennix Hill.
No music plays here.
No vendor sets up a stall.
No child plays within sight of it.
It is kept empty out of respect.
Lowlanders are vibrant and welcoming until you violate one of the Three Forbidden Questions:
“How far up does the hill go?”
“What are the Lennix really?”
“Can you take me there?”
Asking any of these results in instant escort out of town.
Journalists, influencers, and thrill-seekers rarely return twice.
Despite the Republic’s assumptions, the Lowlands is not lawless.
There are no gangs, no syndicates, no extortionists.
Because anyone who disrupts the peace risks attracting Lennix attention.
The town’s last severe outsider disturbance occurred fifty years ago. Witnesses say:
“They screamed once.
The hill answered once.
They never screamed again.”
There were no bodies left.
I can generate a full roster if you want, but here are the guaranteed roles every generation holds:
The Three Voices (rotating civic leaders)
Age: 42
Occupation: Community organizer / cook at Dockside Kitchens
Personality: Warm, calm, unshakably grounded
Reputation: “The Lowlands’ heartbeat”
Handles disputes, neighborhood affairs, public concerns
The face outsiders meet first
Known for solving arguments with empathy and directness
Keeps street peace better than any officer
Refuses bodyguards: “If I need a shield, I’m not doing my job right.”
She is the only person in the Lowlands who can calm a street brawl with five words and a look.
People trust her completely.
Age: 34
Occupation: Event coordinator / musician / dock manager
Personality: Charismatic, unpredictable, wildly creative
Reputation: “The man who keeps the Lowlands breathing.”
Oversees markets, docks, nightlife, festivals
Keeps commerce flowing between Lowlands and Silverpoint
Maintains old cultural traditions: parades, night chants, food fairs
Designs the annual Tide-Walk Festival
Has the keys to every warehouse and stage in town
People say: “If you want the Lowlands to live, you choose Jazz.”
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired paramedic, unofficial Lennix liaison
Personality: Quiet, analytical, fearless
Reputation: “The Line Between Peace and Disaster.”
Manages communication with Lennix Hill
Ensures the three rules of the pact are never broken
The ONLY civilian trusted by the Lennix
Intervenes if tourists stray too close to the boundary
Coordinates street clearing when a Lennix descends
Oversees the protection of the “Farm of Plenty”
Rhema once saved the life of a Lennix child. The Hill never forgot.