The Freemen

Put simply, freemen are citizens of the city who are not owned by the king, the templars, or the nobility. By virtue of their birth status, they have the right to reside within the protection of its walls and, theoretically at least, to enjoy the benefits of its laws. But if a freeman cannot pay his debts, exhibits knowledge of reading, writing, or magic, or undertakes some other forbidden activity, he is judged to be in violation of the king's edicts. The templars have the right to (and almost certainly will) seize him and sell him into slavery. This practice is a source of considerable income to many templars. The bulk of freemen are craftsmen and artisans who keep their shops within the city walls. Heavily taxed by the king and harassed by the corrupt templars, they are generally ill-contented and suspicious, but too cowardly and intimidated to openly resist their tormentors. Less common in the class of freemen are the clerics. Clerics are priests who worship the elemental planes and draw their magical energies from them. If their devotion allows them to live in cities, they make a nice living by selling their services as healers or workers of minor miracles. Templars tend to regard these true priests with suspicion and animosity, though most have learned that it is wiser not to harass a cleric.