Ilgame

Ilgame is a fictional city-state commonly referenced in speculative fiction and role-playing game settings. It is described as a major commercial hub located along the delta of the river Vethyr, featuring a network of canals, fortified walls, and a dense mix of stone towers and timber districts. The city is known for its grand markets, harbor facilities, and layered urban geography that blends administration with trade.

According to in-universe lore, Ilgame arose around 900 BCE as a coalition of merchant guilds seeking autonomy from a larger imperial power. It grew through river and maritime trade, eventually functioning as an independent polis with a standing fleet. Chronicles across sources offer differing accounts of its early reforms and later political struggles, reflecting a diverse tradition of municipal self-government.

Government beneath the walls is described as an oligarchic council drawn from leading guilds, with governance centered on commercial law and arbitration. The economy is traditionally market-driven, trading textiles, metals, spices, wines, and glassware. Legal codes emphasize property rights, contract enforcement, and dispute resolution among merchants, craftspeople, and ship captains.

Culturally, Ilgame supports a plural religious landscape and public life centered on festivals, theaters, and civic ceremonies. The city is said to preserve a distinct Ilgan language, with substantial loanwords from neighboring regions, and to host academies and guild houses that foster literacy and technical skills.

In modern media, Ilgame appears as a stage for political intrigue, diplomacy, and economic maneuvering. Its portrayal varies by author or game, but it is frequently depicted as a cosmopolitan center where trade networks influence regional power.