For decades Tyr’s slaves whispered about a hidden village called Freedom that welcomed anyone who escaped from bondage. Unlike many slave tales, this one is true—Freedom exists, hidden in a remote crater in the foothills between Tyr and Urik. The village’s former slaves raid to support themselves; however, with Kalak’s fall and the liberation of Tyr’s slaves, the village elders are pursuing a new path: trade, or at least trade with Tyr.
From their hidden refuge, the ex-slaves have sent trade delegations to Tyr, presenting themselves as House Lirr, a new minor merchant house. The delegations are led by Bartras, a male human who once worked as a slave for House Vordon. Bartras rose as high in the house as a slave could before he fled with a purse of stolen gold, and he fears he would be recognized in Tyr. Therefore, Bartras travels in disguise, wearing the long black robes and hood of a desert ascetic. He usually lets his assistant Fathalia speak for the so-called House Lirr.
In addition to raiders trying to turn over a new leaf, Freedom is home to ex-slaves who hold grudges against their former masters. A group calling itself the Winds of Vengeance secretly hires bounty hunters and assassins to eliminate the slavers. Unfortunately for travelers in the region, the hired killers (who travel in small groups disguised as dune traders) do not discriminate when it comes to lopping off slaver heads. If they can save themselves a bit of work by killing a stranger who can pass for their intended target, they will.