The Kingdom of Hyste Talma
Once, there was a dwarf who fell in love with an elf. Their passion burned so bright that they did not fear the cold of Herenyakal. They stood side by side and braved the biting winds and frost to settle in what you, dear adventurer, now know as Hyste Talma—the Kingdom of the uncharted northeast.
Surrounded by high mountains, hidden deep within the land of eternal snow, the city remains a self-sufficient powerhouse. Independent, unbroken by the reign of Queen Anara, they are the heart of the Redoe Alliance. A political organization set to oppose the Fortress of Dragsa Ambitions. If you are desperate enough to travel through the frozen wilderness to reach the city, you must first learn its history and culture. Sit comfortably in front of a fireplace, drink your mulled wine, and try to chase away the cold that my words might bring. The story of Hyste Talma is a sad tale, one to be told on the coldest night of the year.
Structure
Amid the towering mountains and ancient forests, Hyste Talma stands as a bastion against Dragsa's tyranny. Born in an era when dwarves and elves sought unity, the alliance has since evolved, taking in various races and factions with a shared purpose—the defiant stance against the menacing Fortress of Dragsa. The first to join Hyste Talma were free and proud Dryads and the primitive bird race called “Kril.” Then, as Dragsa's oppression grew more severe, the alliance expanded with free Beastkin—centaurs from Banewood and a nation of merfolk that the beastkin had liberated from Dragsa's grip, the Encura.
Yet, the political landscape of Hyste Talma remains harsh like the frigid mountains around them. To the west lies Kallonia, conquered by the Dragsa nation, locked in an enduring war with Hyste Talma, where neither side gains a decisive advantage. The strategic position of Dragsa's Fortress on the western trade routes further complicates matters, discouraging traders to sail all the way to Redoe if they have similar and more accessible trading partners closer to them. Only those seeking the unique weapons and artifacts crafted by elves and dwarves dare venture there. But the ever-progressing magical research of Dragsa is starting to introduce more tempting alternatives.
To the east, stretches an endless sea, veiling unknown lands beyond reach. In the south, the once-trading partners, the Herja kingdoms, perished after an assault by the Disciples, putting even more strain on Hyste Talma's already precarious situation.
In the current scenario, Hyste Talma is able to trade predominately with its Alliance members, relying on the modest resources of Banewood Kutauri and Encura merfolk. However, these allies are quite new and quite poor kingdoms. Additionally, they are fully focused on rebellion to keep the flame of the Beastkin Revolution alive. This means that they can offer little to Hyste Talma in return while the support they provide is crucial for them. This all makes dwarves and elves shift focus toward self-sustainment. Consequently, the kingdom inches toward isolation with each passing decade.
Even as Hyste Talma proudly stands atop its mountain, a symbol of the fight for freedom and justice, considering their position, getting rid of Dragsa from Kallonia would benefit them the most. Also, rumors of betrayal and corruption swirl within the ranks of their officials, leading many to question if they are truly fighting for the greater good.
Culture
The Meaning of Stones
Dwarves might prefer straightforward communication when it comes to interacting with other races, and might have little to no patience for the nuances of elvish gestures and facial expressions, but they do love to send messages through stone arrangements. In a much similar fashion to the flower language of human nobility, dwarves have a separate system of gift-giving. If one is reckless enough—or perhaps simply unaware—presenting your dwarvish friend with a colorful gem can easily turn into a social disaster. Thankfully, throughout my life, I’ve managed to compile a short list of the most common stones and their meanings. For example, if you are looking for a simple gift for your friend, a calcite would be the safest option. Dwarves, especially those settled down, love to grow their own crystal gardens. How can one grow a stone, you’d ask? Well, that part I haven’t yet been privy to. To the best of my understanding, it has something to do with the inherent propensity of dwarves toward stone and earth, in general. Much as tieflings can speak their hellish language and dragonborn spit fire, dwarves can love crystals and gems into growth. Of course, when procuring a calcite, it’s nice to pick uncommon combinations of colors! However, if your dwarvish friend happened to save your life during a dangerous expedition, you might consider gifting him with bismuth instead, or perhaps with an Amazonite, if there were any injuries. A few Verdites would nicely emphasize your gratitude. Whereas handing dwarves gems and crystals for appraisal and consultation is a common enough practice, offering them as payment for services is frowned upon. Precious stones hold meaning, and therefore shouldn’t be considered of equal value to simple coins. That being said, dwarves of course, are perfectly aware that the rest of the world does not share their beliefs. If there are no other options of reimbursement available, they’d take the gems just as easily.Cuisine
Due to their kingdom’s location, many dwarves' and elves' diets lean towards a unique type of vegetarianism for most of the year. It’s not as much a lifestyle or philosophy as much as a necessity in the harsh environment of the Herenyakal mountains. Not many animals survive such low temperatures and biting winds all year round. Moreover, after the Fortress of Dragsa cut out most of their trade routes, importing meat from other places became harder. Therefore, what little meat the people of Hyste Talma can scrounge up usually goes to the Healing Halls, the Knights of Ruth, or its richest inhabitants. But not even the councilors or nobility eat snow rabbits or white foxes, much less Yeti, all the time.The Vindu say that a meal is not considered good unless you don't try to hold your tears back at least once.Eliminating meat from their diets doesn’t mean that there’s no variety. Necessity the mother of countless inventions, and cuisine is not an exception. Where dwarvish cuisine could not use meat, other ingredients soon took their place. And the results are quite spectacular in terms of flavor. I assure you, dear adventurer, that there’s no other race in the whole world more open to experimentation and reinventing even the simplest of dishes. However, dwarvish culinary escapades can end in fabulous disasters as often as in almost holistic experiences. The most favored food item in the caves of Hyste Talma is, of course, mushrooms. Dwarves cultivate them at home and in empty mine shafts. It’s common to find porcini and morel in your breakfasts and suppers, and black trumpets and chanterelles are a staple for any proper dinner. Yellow feet and blewits taste delicious when deep fried or grilled, while shaggy mane spice can turn any dish into a delicacy. However, dwarves have mastered turning even the traditionally poisonous mushrooms into delicious snacks. You might be wary at first, but I assure you that caramelized fly agaric is simply divine, even though it has a bit of a sour aftertaste. Death cap vodka is as biting as the frost outside, while dried conocybe filaris are perfect snacks when you’re drinking the night away. Whereas dwarvish cuisine tends to experiment with flavors, the elvish one follows much simpler rules. While their cousins refrain from most spices, the snow elves know only two types of dishes—mild or as hot and spicy as possible. Manywill assure you that this is for very practical reasons, as they do spend most of their time outside and need to fight the cold by every means possible. If you ever find yourself sharing a table with both dwarves and elves, you’ll be a part of an unforgettable experience. Do not worry too much about the competitiveness and arguments—both dwarves and elves love to discuss their cuisine. Of course, it usually ends with ridiculous dares and even more shenanigans, as dwarves often like to test their elvish companions' limits. And, of course, in a true elvish fashion, one should never laugh at anything as vulgar as a fart joke. Keeping your face through the deadpan delivery of even the best joke is the norm and proof of strength. After a hard day of work, there’s nothing better than a pint of cold ale or a glass of wine. Dwarves love their Honey Mushroom Brew, sweet and earthy in taste. Elves, on the other hand, prefer bitter wines and are especially fond of their localwine—Flaming Red. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s both bitter and could burn through your throat. Yet, it wouldn’t be a proper tavern, without a wide array of fanciful drinks.
Sign Language of Elves
As I’ve mentioned before, Vindu are very particular about their communication. Like all other elves, they are quite secretive by nature and do not share their secrets and private life as willingly as other races. But because of the constant need to live among brutish and often gossipy dwarves, they developed special sign languages. Some even forgo normal communication, so it is not rare to see whole reports given by scouts without any use of words. Elves, of course, are perfectly capable of speaking if the need arises. However, due to their lifestyle, especially outside of the safe walls of Hyste Talma, they prefer to keep their silence and instead use only signs or whistles. Their sign language is a complicated system of hand gestures, curated expressions, eye contact, and short sounds. It is said that only elves can truly understand each other, for any outsider will forever wonder about the nuances of their communication. And, of course, none of the elves want to teach it to anyone. Yet, as political alliances needed to be established, book after book on Vindu was published. I managed to get my hands on a few of them and intend to share with you the most important and useful parts. According to Doctor Bakur Arveladze, an accomplished scholar and philologist, elven sign language has a basic alphabet that can be used to simply spell words as needed. It’s a simple method of communication taught to children and outsiders. From there, the language only grows more and more complex and individualized. Names, not only for people but for objects, places, and situations, for example, can change depending on the elves who speak. For one snow elf, the nearest tavern might be, indeed, Brawny Barrel, but another can address it as something entirely different, like “the place where ale stinks of piss.” For one elf a “knife” might mean a utensil, for another, a sharp dagger. An elf might be addressed by a different name by different individuals. It might sound natural, for we, too, communicate in a similar way. However, in the case of snow elves, it is a rather frustrating issue, for usually none of them are willing to elaborate or explain their signs. With elves, apparently, one can only hope to decipher the meaning of their words. Another layer of complexity added to their communication is their facial expression. Snow elves’ character is often described as “glacial.” It’s truly magnificent to look at their serious faces, unmoved even by the strongest of emotions. They take pride in never betraying what they think or feel unless they want to. That is to say, when an elf signs “home” and his left eyebrow twitches, it might mean something completely different to “home” with a frown or a smile. Doctor Arveladze tried to study the intricacies of these types of intuitive, non-verbal communication, but sadly he ran out of time to do so—as as would probably most mortal humans treading the same path. He did, however, publish a rather practical dictionary and is said to have been editing it even on his deathbed. Leporis the Young, a dragonborn wizard who resided in Hyste Talma many years ago, attempted to understand elves from a more practical angle. He had married an elf and dedicated many entries of his personal diary to explaining their culture and language. Leporis claimed that snow elves have an excellent sense of humor and will often resort to mischievous pranks if they know that they can get away with them. “Elves take pleasure in flummoxing us, mere mortals, at every turn,” he wrote in one of the entries, “to such an extent that I am certain some of their traditions evolved from pranks taken too far. Eye-staring contests, for example, are nothing but a childish game adorned with pompous purpose.” Not many people agree with Leporis on that matter, as they firmly believe that snow elves solve their quarrels not by brawls or duels, but instead by staring at each other. The first elf to blink, of course, loses the argument entirely.Language of Dwarves
On the other hand, the language of dwarves is simple and full of charming idioms and stone-related turns of phrase. If you wish to blend in with the locals, it might be wise to brush up on these.Elves and Dwarves
Elves and dwarves, distinct in their cultures and outlooks, harbor a certain level of healthy competition. At times it might be pushed to rather ridiculous lengths, but there isn’t an elf in Hyste Talma who hasn’t embarrassed themselves in trying to prove their point to a hotheaded dwarf, and there isn’t a dwarf who hasn't had to swallow their pride when an elf beat them at their own game. Though most of the time harmless and constructive, their competitiveness can at times turn ugly. Over the years, there have been a couple famous feuds between the races that started with a simple challenge over a pint of beer. Most notable among them is the Stinking War. Nowadays, though, both elves and dwarves enjoy keeping up the façade of rivalry for the sake of tradition while secretly appreciating the companionship.History
Story of Prince Germund and Talmani
Before the world bent its knee to Queen Anara, before the Fortress of Dragsa spewed out the first of beastkin, dwarves and elves roamed the lands of Kallonia. They named the mountains and plains, and they ventured from the north to the south and from the east to the west. They braved the Murknen Sea and settled in the Sunset Plains. They were both travelers and settlers, explorers, and inventors—but quickly, their wit and talent were surpassed by the tenacity of humans. As years passed, elves and dwarves found themselves left behind, always catching up to the ever-changing, chaotic nature of the short-lived and ever-present humans. Before either King Ebbe of the Mountains or Queen Alma of the Sunset Plains could comprehend what humans were doing on their borders, another kingdom was already there. They were showing up everywhere. To forge an alliance and persevere through the sudden influx of humans, Ebbe and Alma decided to offer their children in an arranged marriage, the first union of such kind to take place between the two races. The first union to signify a new era. Talmani of the Elves was the fairest woman of the land. With long hair of spun gold, milky skin, and bright, green eyes, she was the epitome of beauty and grace. The rumors of her angelic voice and healing talents spread throughout Kallonia and garnered her the title of the “Realm’s Sweetheart.” Her husband-to-be was a match of equal fame and splendor. Prince Germund, though his ax had never seen a true battle, was a mighty warrior capable of trouncing any dwarf in a fair tournament. His skill with the bow and arrow oftentimes surpassed that of the finest of elven archers, and he had an uncanny talent for masonry. On the day of their first meeting, the whole realm seemed to have held its breath in anticipation. The alliance between dwarves and elves was, after all, brokered on the backbone of their relationship. Unbeknownst to their children, King Ebbe and Queen Alma decided to help them out and sought the aid of an infamous witch—a human sorceress named Berea. Soon, the first love potion in the world was concocted, potent and dangerous. The King didn’t waste time and doused his son just before the Prince and Princess’ first meeting. Queen Alma, though, did not have the heart to deceive her child so wickedly. She didn’t use the potion on her daughter and hoped for the best. Prince Germund fell in love instantly, and though Talmani was charmed by his affections, deep in her heart, she did not reciprocate his feelings. Nonetheless, their marriage was a successful one, even if childless. For years they were the most famous couple of Kallonia, working to bring their peoples together and face the ever-changing nature of humans. In the wake of their successful alliance, Talmani and Prince Germund, bound by duty and goodwill, faced an arduous decision. The changing tides of Kallonia prompted them to seek refuge in a new realm, far from the encroaching dominion and the tumultuous affairs of the ever-expanding human kingdoms. United in purpose, they led their people to the uncharted northeast, where they laid the foundations of an underground city hewn from the very heart of the mountains. The dwarven architects and elven artisans combined their talents, creating a subterranean masterpiece that echoed the harmonious union between their races. The City, concealed beneath layers of frost and stone, became a sanctuary where elves and dwarves coexisted, forging a new identity which in the future would be known as the Redoe Alliance. They found a stronghold for their people. Prince Germund insisted on naming it in honor of his beloved. Hence the name Hyste Talma was given to it. Yet, Talmani was unmoved by it—her heart remained as cold as the surrounding lands. Beneath the surface of unity, the strains of unrequited love lingered in Germunds's heart. In the hidden corridors of The Black Castle, whispers of betrayal took root. Unbeknownst to the royal couple, a clandestine plot unfurled in the shadows. A treacherous advisor, envious of the city's prosperity and fueled by ambition, sought to exploit the fragile emotional terrain within the royal court. The seeds of discord sprouted, and the alliance between elves and dwarves began to fray… but this is a story for another time.It is not nature that made these halls so cold, but the lack of love.
List of Dwarves Idioms and Saying
“To throw someone’s emerald away” In the most basic sense, it means rejecting someone's romantic advances. However, most people use it to say that someone’s idea is useless. “To love each other like dwarves and elves” To get along just fine, despite all the differencesand quarrels. “To have the heart of a snow elf” To do one’s duty, despite contrary emotions or to keep your emotions in check during difficult situations. “Grace of a dwarf” Used to describe clumsy and boisterous behavior. “To listen to the stones” To follow the path that’s destined to you; to not fight against your own nature. “As deep as the dwarvish mines” Indicates that something is endless, without boundaries. It can be used as a positive eg. love or wisdom; or negative eg. stupidity or greed. “Set in stone” Something is already decided and is not going to change, no matter what. “Once upon a time, when the mountains were younger and the dwarves hatched from golden eggs” This strange phrase is often found at the beginning of children’s tales and fables. It indicates that the story took place in times so far away from ours, when impossible things could happen.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Hyste Talma, part of the Redoe Alliance, shares its antagonistic stance towards Dragsa, driven by its foundational opposition to Dragsa's tyranny and aggressive expansion.
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