Hallis
History
Hallis is the oldest nation in northern Menerem, followed shortly by its greatest rival of Kharra. Known for centuries for the ironwood found in the Banded Woods and the ancient wood found in the Great Pine Forest that meet at Whitetail and Erprassa. While Kharra has always favored the preservation of nature over industry, Hallis chose the opposite. Both philosophy and competition in their primary goods have led to a terse relationship that has mostly consisted of border skirmishes but has spurned three brief wars in the last five hundred years. Currently, they are on cool terms but there has not been any open fighting in many years.
A little over a hundred years ago, Orqamma launched an unprovoked war against Hallis, believing that the smaller nation would have support from the ever-greedy Jurim but that never occurred. Orqamma was soundly beaten after a two-year war with King Maloman of Orqamma retreated back to Uxhartan. The Hallis-Orqamma Treaty, negotiated and signed in Penrook, ceded the capitol to Hallis in exchange for an end of hostilities.
Hallis currently has a reputation for being an economically ambitious and ruthless nation, but militarily is focused on defense.
Notable Locations
- Esbar: The capitol of Hallis is a very practical city, less flamboyant and magnificent than the capitols of the south. What it lacks in extravagance, it more than makes up for in population and energy. The bustling anthill of metropolis are known for their no-nonsense personalities and bitter negotiating, from the hard-working lower class, the growing middle class and the ambitious and industrious upper class.
- Qamma: The once-capitol of Orqamma, Qamma is a more beautiful city than Esbar but far less populous. It is situated upon the only adamantine mine on the continent. Qamma has been a part of Hallis for more than a hundred years but is still culturally associated more with Orqamma than Hallis. The citizens are mostly in favor of being a part of Hallis as most have more freedoms and income in the richer nation than they had been while part of Orqamma but there is a small but vocal separatist movement.
- Whitetail: Located on the Gharran River across the border from Erpassa in Kharra, Whitetail is more a lumbering operation built around a large druid grove than it is a city. Both ancient wood and ironwood grow solely in this area, with the druids maintaining their growth and corporations felling prescribed trees for sale. A small group of hunters still compete in the Silver Hunt, an annual event wherein teams compete to slay a silver deer. This fey creature that is the national symbol of Hallis and is revered for the healing properties of its blood and the unique quality of its hide. Only one deer a year is allowed to be hunted and being the team to first complete the hunt for the elusive animal when a significant prize.
Comments