The Talenta Plains
The Talenta Plains are a vast grassland stretching from the Blade Desert to the borders of Karrnath and the Mournland. It is the home of wandering herds of buffalo-sized dinosaurs and tribal halflings remaining true to their ancient nomadic way of life since the days before humans walked the lands of Khorvaire.
The Talenta Plains have remained unconquered for thousands of years. Nobody knows exactly where the halflings came from, but they have wandered the plains since before the Dhakaani empire. As the centerpiece to Eastern Khorvaire, the Talenta Plains have seen countless armies march across its surface. The grasslands of the plains are ill-suited to intensive agriculture, as attempts by colonizing armies have quickly discovered. Rather, the plains support nomadic herds of herbivores that replenish soil nutrients before being hunted and consumed by vicious clawfeet and swordtooth titans. Ancient ruins dot the landscape, unspoiled by the ravages of civilization. Undocumented manifest zones form bridges between worlds are common in the plains.
The Tribes
Each halfling tribe (ranging from fifty to over a thousand members) is led by an elected Lath, the strongest and wisest warrior. Laths are advised by maskweavers, halflings gifted with magic and the ability to connect to the spirits of the land. Elsewise, tribes have little internal structure, treating each member as an equal. New Laths are usually elected when the prior one leaves their post through death or resignation. On occasion, a popular movement within a tribe will demand a new Lath, and the tribe will convene for a snap election. Elections are decided by a simple majority vote of full tribal members, but the actual ceremony and ritual of an election takes several days as each of the candidates demonstrates their qualifications and takes oaths. Challenges may include races, climbs, and other feats of athleticism. Particularly heated elections may feature ritualized combat. The halflings of the Talenta Plains are fully aware of the magical accommodations of the Five Nations - they simply have no use for most of them. The nomadic lifestyle leaves no room for wasteful bulk and weight. To them, many "conveniences" are little more than gimmicks or toys rather than truly useful. Some tools or resources have been adapted, especially Jorasco medical advances like extra-absorbent cloth for treating puncture wounds, but most simply don't fit with the realities of life on the road. Justice on the plains is simple yet brutal. Allegations are heard and decided by the Lath, who serves out punishment. For minor crimes, the punishment is usually a payment of goods, but major crimes are punished by branding (with the brand representing the crime) and exile. Without the support of their community, exile is often a slower execution. On occasion exiles will unite to form a bandit tribe, surviving off of raids. These bandit tribes rarely last long, either dissolving to internal strife or a band of warriors from one of the legitimate tribes. When confronted with external threats, the Lath recruits volunteers for an expedition. On occasion other events will require a Lath's attention, forcing them to appoint a lieutenant to lead an expedition, but most Laths prefer to appoint a trusted lieutenant to steward the tribe while they themself go to confront the threat. Infrequently, an external force will not only threaten a single tribe's existence but the halfling tribes as a whole. To combat this threat the tribes elect a Lathon, a leader of leaders. The most recent Lathon is Lathon Halpum, of the Abramam tribe, who was elected to lead the halflings in protecting their lands from the war. Now that the war is over he wishes to step down from this position, however, he also recognizes that the Treaty of Thronehold did not settle the underlying conflict. Unlike the avaricious nobles of the Five Nations, Laths do not collect tribute or taxes from those they lead. Laths do take the most desired selections from community resources - camping spots, cuts of meat, and the like - but still, limit themselves to their fair share. Leaders who go beyond risk losing the support of their tribe and having their position challenged in a fresh election. Each tribe is bound together by a complex web of marriages. Halfling family songs keep the story of relatives as well as a Vadalis Geneology tree, and joining two separate songs is virtuous. This high rate of tribal intermarriage binds what would otherwise be disparate tribes. The domesticated dinosaurs are central to the Talentan lifestyle, providing not only mounts but feathers, meat, and eggs. Only a small portion of the arid terrain's vegetation is edible by humanoids, making the herds of animals that can eat the vegetation an invaluable resource. Wynarn scholars studying the plains have questioned the continued use of Threehorns in favor of exclusive Tribexes, given that the former do not provide fur or milk. Further study has revealed that the Threehorns compensate by almost unnatural growth - across Talenta, dinosaurs simply grow bigger and faster than mammals do with the same amount of food. The lack of this effect outside of Talenta likely explains why dinosaurs are not as present in the rest of Khorvaire. While raiders and the elements are occasional concerns, disease can threaten to wipe out entire herds. As such, the tribes have developed limited relationships with Houses Vadalis and Jorasco for veterinary care. Despite this, it can take weeks for an expert to arrive after the maskweavers have reached their limits.Culture
The wandering nomadic halflings form the overwhelming majority of the population in the Talenta Plains. With an obvious shortage of permanent settlements, few of the other races find the restless wandering nature of the halflings as comfortable as they do. Tribes vary in size from less than a hundred to over a thousand. Each tribe has an appointed lath. The lath is determined through merit and not bloodline as many of Khorvaire's other leaders are. All members of the tribe are treated as equals but the lath determines the movements and settles disputes within the tribe. The lath remains in power until death or until something causes the tribe's confidence in their lath to change. At any time a lath can be replaced by someone else if a significant voice for change is stirred up.
Occasionally a lath is so charismatic they are able to attract multiple tribes beneath one banner. To these, the title of Lathlon is bestowed. The most recent occurrence of this phenomenally rare event was when Lathlon Halpum stood as a representative for the many varied tribal interests of the Talenta Plains in the signing of the Treaty of Thronehold which recognized the Talenta Plains as a sovereign nation.
The tribal halflings exhibit traditional hunter-gatherer civilizations moving their herds across the plains in constant pursuit of food, water, and better grazing. The halflings ride either clawfoot or fastieth dinosaur mounts across the plains, keeping their herds of cattle, tribex, and herbivorous dinosaur in check as they go. There is a special bond between a halfling rider and their dinosaur mount that is formed when the rider captures and domesticates his own beast. In addition, the halfling rider has a hunt-mask which further establishes their connection with their own unique mount.
However not every halfling you meet is a dinosaur-riding, restless nomadic hunter; there are those so-called civilized halflings who have grown up in the cities of Khorvaire. Descendants of halfling families that long ago broke from the traditions of the nomadic tribes, these halflings are as varied as the other civilized races. Holding little value in the ancient ways of their nomadic kin, they are more at home in the sprawling cities of the other nations than the open grasslands of their ancestors.
Still, other halflings exist in both realms. Upon the open grassland, they observe the ancient rituals and practices of their tribe, but they will often put that aside for periods of time to spend time in the cities. Typically these are members of the dragonmarked houses of the halflings.
The dragonmarked houses of the halfling race are House Jorasco and House Ghallanda. House Jorasco, the house of healing, has moved its base of operation to Karrnath to better serve all of Khorvaire. House Ghallanda, the House of Hospitality, has remained centered in the Talenta Plains in the single established settlement of the plains, Gatherhold. Though many of Ghallanda blood have spread out to provide their service to the other nations, the base of operations has remained in the Talenta Plains since its founding.
Demography and Population
Population - 400,000
| Races | % of Pop. |
|---|---|
| Halfling | 80% |
| Human | 10% |
| Changeling | 4% |
| Dwarf | 4% |
| Other | 2% |
Territories
The Plains stretch out across the Mideast of Khorvaire stretching from the Endworld and Ironroot Mountains to the very border of the Dead Gray Mist on the fringe of the Mournland and encompassing Lake Cyre as part of their own territory. Their southern border with Valenar is tenuous cutting through the largest part of the Blade Desert; the border is less hotly contested than the one to the north with Karrnath which has no natural demarcation. Disputes over the precise location of the border have come up on numerous occasions and talk of constructing stone markers every five miles along the official border have been brought up.
To the average member of the Five Nations looking at a House Sivis produced map, the Talenta Plains look like endless miles of empty space, the only distinguishing features being Gatherhold and the lightning rail that runs along the western border. What these maps don't show is the variety of mortal and immortal life, a life that inhabits both the natural and supernatural worlds.
The most important cycle in the arid plains is one of fire and water. Brushfires renew the land, clearing old grasses and making way for new ones to fertilize the soil. Almost all are started by a bolt of lightning, the fire using several years of built-up detritus as fuel. Ash rising to the air promotes cloud formation and brings rain for new growth.
This fire cycle can grow particularly dangerous when Fernia grows coterminous, the plane's power amplifying the speed and intensity of the fire. Both the halfling tribes and wildlife respect this cycle, living around the fires rather than seeking to extinguish them. Some of the most important rituals performed by maskweavers involve journeying to the handful of Fernian manifest zones in the plains and divining the paths of future fires, ensuring the safety of their tribes.
Less common and less important to the ecology of the plains is the tornadoes that will occasionally tear through the landscape. One battle during the war was disrupted by a fire whirl, where a tornado picked up flaming debris from a brushfire in a terrifying combination of air and fire.
Invading armies throughout history have on occasion attempted to settle the plains, diverting the few rivers that flow across the land to support their agriculture. What they quickly discover is that this way of life depletes the soil and water reserves in under a decade, creating a local ecological collapse. When the settlement packs up and abandons the site, maskweavers mix magic and physical work to rejuvenate the land. A herd of animals, rather than trampling fledgling vegetation, actually rejuvenate the land when it passes through. Combined with primal magic, the land returns to its healthy state in a matter of years rather than decades.
Without the benefit of settled agriculture, the winters on the Talenta Plains are harsher than the dry, hot summers. Food stores are carefully planned to last through the reduced bounty from the land. Most tribes settle down for the winter, establishing more permanent camps in the knowledge that food won't be available regardless of where they travel.
When winter turns to spring, the danger only transforms as flash floods threaten to reshape the land and sweep away supplies, especially in the aridest regions bordering the desert. Eyre (April) is particularly intensive for the halfling tribes as they protect their herd for calving season. Tribex are impregnated in the winter, while Threehorn eggs are laid during Therendor (March) and hatch about a month later. Fortunately, the abundant rains ensure that most years the herds have plenty of food even without wandering far. When the rain doesn't come, the tribes are forced to make difficult decisions that lead to violence.
Religion
The strong oral traditions of the halfling tribes instruct members from a young age how to respect the spirit world that overlays the Talenta Plains. A scholar from the University of Wynarn might analyze this spirit world as being the mix of extraplanar creatures from Thelanis, Dolurrh, and Lammania, but a maskweaver would counter that ultimately everything is the creation of the progenitors, and these spirits are as natural as the inhabitants of the material.
While Thelanis, Dolurrh, and Lammania are the most common sources of manifest zones, the Talenta Plains could have zones linked to any of the plains. Furthermore, manifest zones may not always be active - a zone linked to Risia may only operate during the winter months, when the cold and snow forces tribes to settle and stagnate. Actions taken by mortals can also increase the intensity of a connection, such as a zone linked to Shavarath that was intensified by the fighting that occured in it during the last war.
The stories the halflings tell contain wisdom no amount of "objective" field study by a scholar can uncover, because they carry with them millenia of refined learning. For example, Koh the Face Stealer preys on fear and surprise, but those brave of heart who express no emotion are safe from his magic. Tales about Koh are amongst the many told by the halflings, kept alive through an oral tradition that carries with it the weight of ageless values. An important theme across Talentan stories is generosity to strangers. Halflings who violate the principles of hospitality are cursed, while those who respect them are blessed by the stranger.
Foreign Relations
While the Talenta-Mournland border is relatively short and split by the Cyre river, creatures still crawl out of the mists and make their way into the plains - frequently across the lightning rail bridge heading from Metrol. While the tribes have not yet set up a formal guard charged with protecting the border, a new wave of monstrosities may inspire Lathon Halpum to. If he doesn't, Lath Uldra may see it as an opportunity to assert her leadership against the corruption wrought by the arcane magic of the Five Nations.
Just to the south of the Talenta Plains lies Valenar, a nation filled with elven warbands looking to prove themselves against great foes. Without Cyran forces to occupy their attention, an increasing number of warbands have struck north. While the halfling tribes quickly realized that avoiding fights would cause the warbands to ignore them, the Karrnathi forces have responded with increasing militarization. Valenar raids on southern Karrnath have led to Karrnathi warlords pushing for "active defenses", sending patrols of Karrnathi soldiers into the Talenta Plains to head off Valenar raids. Some have even taken a "ask for forgiveness rather than permission" approach to constructing fortifications and traps.
The rising risk of conflict between the two forces is Lathon Halpum's most immediate concern. If the halflings unite as a proper military force to drive out the two, the war-hungry Valenar will only see it as a challenge. At the same time, allowing the status quo to continue likely results in Karrnathi armies marching south across the landscape and more destructive war magic. Picking a side almost guarantees conflict while risking that the halflings become a vassal state to whoever they ally with.
House Lyrandar, which has taken over most administrative functions in Valenar, has begun accompanying warriors to study the arid climate. The weather wizards wonder whether the rain patterns could be managed to promote agriculture and tame the Blade Desert, expanding the house's potential land grab and plans for a proper Khoravar homeland.
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Capital
Demonym
Talentan
Government System
Tribalism
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Gift economy
Location
Neighboring Nations
