799 EE

In 799 EE, the colony of Gratos in the north-eastern reaches of the Northern Expansion region discovered a rich vein of Spancrystals under their burgeoning frontier town. Seeing the mine as an opportunity for the freshly founded colony to thrive, the people of Gratos invested what little resources they had in establishing mining operations.

When Gratos traders brought their goods to Accord ports with the intention to trade, they were met instead by the First Protectorate - the Accord’s regulatory body for Spancrystal trade. The Protectorate arrested the Gratos traders, impounded their vessel, and claimed their haul as evidence. The mining operation on Gratos was declared an illegal Spancrystal mine, and its traders smugglers. Making good on this declaration, the First Protectorate sent AEF forces to seize the mine.

When a small contingent of AEF forces arrived at Gratos, they found the town unwilling to surrender, and its meager militia took up arms against the First Protectorate. A brief but fierce series of skirmishes in the town, the connected mines, and the colony’s surrounding countryside saw the AEF forced to withdraw.

With the Underhold Riots only recent history, and the dangers of the Sorrows becoming more apparent by the day, the AEF made the decision to withdraw from the region - but impose strict trade embargoes. In response, Gratos declared itself an independent body and established itself as the first of many colonies to join what would become known as the Freehold Collective.

A loose collection of independent colonies, the Freehold Collective has attracted a number of pioneers who seek freedom from the Accord’s taxes, regulatory laws, and oversight.