King of Jabaji

Information taken from the 'The Great Hunt, a History vol.5: Hill Giants', 'The Hobbit Shire' and excerpts of 'The Doldrei Times'

Written by David_Ulph

One would never think that the idyllic hillocks of golden fields and gentle streams would be contested in anyway, but the ancient lands of two Tribes of Humans - Yosha and the Great Analand - have both proclaimed Shamutanti as their own lands over the centuries. Some titles are worth dying over one must assume.

— Introductory paragraph to the chapter about the Jabaji Title in 'The Hobbit Shire', a descriptive book detailing the Shamutanti region. Highly criticised by learned Halflings for re-writing the history of the region to suit Analand's colonisation attempts

Introduction

To the east of the Analand and west of Yosha is the once-gentle region of human and halfling farmers known as the Shamutanti Hills. Often operating rather independently to the outside world in Shiredoms, a historic and honourific title connected to the region allows for anyone with the Coronet of Jabaji to legitimately hold complete internationally respected ownership over the lands between Analand and Yosha.

The title of King of Jabaji brings great benefits with the ownership of such arable and available land so near developed civilisation, and is so named after the great Jabaji River which lines the edge of the region and through the city-state of Yosha itself.

History

Chiefdom of Jabaji

Once the region of Shamutanti was known instead as the Chiefdom of Jabaji (retroactively referred to by historians as the Kingdom of Jabaji) and was populated by the largest tribe of Hill Giants ever seen in the Second Era. The centre of the Hill Giant civilisation was in the highlands of Shamutanti in the north near the earliest iterations of Yosha when it was a pirate den, and in this highland region known as Jabaji was the now-ruined city of Lea-Ki.

The Hill Giants ruled over the Hills as gluttonous obese lords, as native halflings and humans who lived in the region sent large portions of food up to the Giants who would prowl Shamutanti protecting the arable land from all outside harm. The Laird of Lea-Ki was the only ever recorded High Chief of Hill Giants, named Grok Goatherder and famous for apparently being the individual who bred Dire Goats into existence.

The Great Hunt was an event which occurred throughout the early years of the Third Era, where in revenge half the Great Dragons scoured the Mortal Realm with their Draconic Legions surviving after the failure of the Invasion of Mortis Realm in an attempt to enact a genocide against Giant-Kin. The Green Dragon Belisaria struck east from Analand and came firstly to the great Hill Giant society. The stoic Fire Giants could not send any support to the Chiefdom of Jabaji in time, so the Stone Giants opened up their doors to any Hills Giants that could reach them from Lea-Ki in time.

It is believed, and officially written in 'The Great Hunt, a History vol.5: Hill Giants', that Belisaria ate her fill of the gluttonous Hill Giants of Shamutanti including High Chief Grok himself, and afterwards rested in the ruins of Lea-Ki slowly poisoning the rich Hills below. The aforementioned source notes how a rest is the likeliest option as she has not been seen in any historiography until the end of the Great Hunt where she assaulted High Xamen in the last stand of the Fire Giants before their disappearance.

Contesting Powers

In the fallout of the Great Hunt, the growing powers of the Kingdom of Analand and city-state of Yosha greedily eyed the bountiful land between them left up for grabs as Belisaria's legion scattered on her death at High Xamen. Analand owned much more land and resources than the mere Yoshan city, so quickly pressed their claim on the region stationing troops in the ruins of Lea-Ki. When Yoshan Horsemen extended their power swiftly over the Hills managing to outmanoeuvre Analander units, the King of Analand knew a title would be the only thing to give one side true legitimacy to rule.

And so, in the ruins of Lea-Ki, a makeshift coronet was fashioned by a Priest of Fourga and a rushed coronation was conducted to make the Kingdom of Analand and Jabaji, making the King of Analand the true successor to High Chief Grok Goatherder by means of conquest. This enforced presence in Shamutanti was only shortly enjoyed, as the growing Empire of Midland to the west of the Jewels Mountains to Analand sought a new military foe.

With its military presence on the western border rather than facing east, the Prince of Yosha claimed the title of King by too conducting a rushed coronation ceremony with a new coronet and proclaiming a Kingdom of Yosha and Jabaji. With peace on the western front for Yosha, and their skilled horsemen collecting Shamutanti grain and produce to feed the capital, they expanded their influence to the seas southward establishing various colonies and becoming the Yoshan Trade Empire even building the lucrative Ruby Road running through the Kakhabad Wastelands into Shamutanti and connecting to Analand for trade with the Empire.

Warlord Period

When the Empire of Midland fell in the late Third Era, the Kingdom of Analand breathed fresh air as the Imperial lands to the west factionalised and fought amongst themselves. Just like decades past, the claim on Shamutanti was pressed but Yosha was now just as powerful as Analand having the ability to hire mercenaries from across the Mortal Realm to compete with Analand's straight manpower.

However, Yosha had not conducted a conflict which occurred to this magnitude since its rise to power, and could not hold against the veteran armies of Analand over Shamutanti. The Yoshan Empire imploded as its coffers run empty from internal corruption and mismanagement, leading to mercenaries switching sides and colonies such as Khasahmir and Xhinjai breaking free. Analand surrounded the now-isolated city of Yosha and demanded the aristocratic state be disbanded and replaced with a council which would revoke any and all claims to the Kingdom of Jabaji. Yosha had no option but to agree to this Treaty of Birritanti.

Kingdom of Analand & Jabaji

Throughout the early Fourth Era, the title of "King of Jabaji" has come and gone in the list of titles used by the Arkle Dynasty of Analand. After the Dark Century where Vampires, Fiendish and Necromantic powers plagued the Mortal Realm, Analand conducted a Great Crusade throughout their land to purge any necromancers, vampires and remaining giant-kin. Survivors were pushed eastward into Shamutanti towards Yosha and Kakhabad, and between 4E 261 and 285, the Great Wall of Analand was built across the Kingdoms entire eastern border and Jabaji was given up on. Shamutanti was cut off and treated as a Greater Kakhabad, as the halfling communities fall into destitution white trade completely stopping and refugees of the Great Crusade pillaging crops for survival as they flee.

With the coronation of Faust Arkle in 4E 293, the new King aspired to reclaim the riches of Shamutanti and sent out scouts into the now-suffering halfling shirelands to discover the lost Coronet of Jabaji, a group headed by the adventuring group led by Glandragor. In 4E 295, King Faust officially declared Shamutanti as Analand's rightful soil once more, even including Yosha to be forcefully brought under the legitimate control of Analand. With the title of King of Jabaji, King Faust has effectively shown the effective powers the title conveys.

Powers

• 4E 295 - Using the title, King Faust declares himself the cultural and political ruler of the halfling race. The Shiredoms are cruelly taxed despite their livelihoods having been destroyed from isolation for a decade, a famine and outbreak of blight in crops (4E 286) and the outbreak of Mummy Rot across the Ruby Road (4E 288-290)
• 4E 296 - Using the title, King Faust declares himself overlord and Grand Laird of the Shamutanti Hills and starts the Shamutanti Clearances. Non-essential halflings are forcefully removed from their lands if they cannot pay taxes, and their lands are sold to Analander aristocracy and merchants who replace people with more profitable livestock due to their sovereign rule derived from the title.
• 4E 296 - As overlord of Shamutanti and the halflings, halfling culture is systematically outlawed to enforce Analander culture onto the region. Even Halfday (22^nd Middleharvest), the celebration of when halflings are believed to have been created by divine power, is outlawed on pain of death.
• 4E 297 - With Yosha being a crumbling husk of itself, and the city lying on the Jabaji River, King Faust uses the title as a means to without negotiation claim it is a city within their Kingdom's borders and sends the Holy See to establish control points all over the city, undermining the council.

Prompts Advent Calendar #14

WorldEmber Article #16

Type

Nobility, Non-hereditary

Form of Address

His / Her Majesty

Alternative Naming

Queen of Jabaji

Source of Authority

Tradition of Conquest

Length of Term

Until death

First Holder

Grok Goatherder

Current Holder

Faust Arkle of Analand

---

The Ceremonial Coronation of 4E 297

Yesterday was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the King of Analand, current holder of the Crown of Thorns, as he finally held possession of the long-lost Coronet of Jabaji. Being coronated under this third crown would allow King Faust the legitimacy he has long sought to enact his somewhat controversial "Shamutanti Clearances" and take-over of previously sovereign city Yosha without any complaints from his peers elsewhere in the Territories.
However, the plans were cut short due to an unexpected weather front appearing from the Kakhabad region meaning that the ceremony would not be able to take place at the proper site of Lea-Ki, ancient city of giants. Clearly not wanting to delay this moment any longer, a stage was set up just within the Shamutanti Hills within throwing distance of the Great Wall so that the ceremony could occur on that day as planned. Investigations into the true legitimacy of King Faust's actions were theories to having been taken place by Archbishops of the Holy See, with some rumours claiming the Pontifex Maximus himself was taking charge of the legal case. While not officially declared, the rash decision of King Faust to conduct the coronation without thorough planning and protection of the Sightmaster Corps proves my suspicions at least.
Though the lack of divination protection would prove to be King Faust's downfall and cause the 16^th Sinastal to be a mournful day of woe for all holy subjects of the Territories. On the cusp of the storm, quite clearly a ploy by the malevolent Throff - curse her name - Birdmen descended upon the coronation and stole the Crown of Thorns itself before flying back eastward unchallenged.
An investigation has gone underway as to who the culprit of this horrific spit upon our faith is, but all suspicions suggest the new Archmage of Mampang, who recently conducted a coup d'état on the arcane fortress atop High Xamen and is rumoured to be a cultist of Throff herself.

— Article in the newspaper 'The Doldrei Times' dated 17^th Sinastal 4E 297