Batalla Hold

The Batalla Hold is located along the southeastern border of the Vastran Kingdom and shores sit across a small channel from Draconia. People often see the Batalla Hold as one of the laps of luxury within the Kingdom. Filled with dense forests filled with strong lumber, the constant threats from predators making their way from the Blood Peaks Mountains did not often phase the people of this hold as they had natural defences against any predator. This included rival armies, meaning much of the infighting that plagued the humans of Wren prior to the Vastran Kingdom did not affect this area. Now seen as the heart of Vastran culture, the people here have a long and proud heritage surrounding advancements in art and literature. The capital city of Castellano contains some of the finest buildings full of works of poetry and painting from across hundreds and hundreds of years.

Demographics

The dense forests of the Batalla Hold kept many from venturing far into the hold to discover the bustling societies developing within, meaning that for many thousands of years there were very few new groups that settled alongside the humans in the hold. Although for a time there were groups of both Genasi and Dragonborn here, any of them left during the senseless wars as feeling of nationalism increased and what many Vastran saw as outsiders were persecuted and ostracized during this time.

Government

The Warden of the Batalla Hold is selected from the nobility within the hold. Though the position of Warden is coveted by many of the Nobles, there is often very little infighting about who should take the position as many different houses in the hold have great respect for one another that dates back thousands of years. There is a culture of harmony in the hold that has allowed it to expand to become one of the more political dominant regions in the Vastran Kingdom.

Industry & Trade

The lush forests of the Batalla Hold have some of the strongest lumber that can be found in Wren. Used for anything from homes, to tools, to ships, Batallan Lumber is used in only the finest of goods. Already having the Draconians to sell their lumber to, the Batalla Hold only gained more wealth when King Cullen decided that the Vastran Kingdom needed a royal navy that could rival any others on the seas. 
Batallan Lumber is used in the strongest hulls for ships, but it is not what the hold is most known for. The deep roots of the trees here provide good soil for vineyards to be easy to plant throughout the country side. Wine from the Batallan Hold is renown throughout The Reach, and it is seen as the gold standard of wine in Wren.

History

The Batallan Hold has been an area that has known peace for much of it's existence. The people who first settled here were groups fleeing the might of aggressive factions in what is now known as the Hessen Hold. This spawned an adversity to conflict with neighbors among Batallans. This lack of conflict, mixed in with a strong trade relationship with Draconia meant that the people here were able to flourish. For thousands of years small villages and towns dotted the landscapes along the coast line, using the dense woods as cover from invaders as well as ample supply for small navies.
Eventually individuals noble houses began to amass wealth and influence in this region, but many of them had a commitment to their people and saw it as an obligation to funnel the money that the hold produced back into infrastructure. During the few hundred years leading up to the formation of the Vastran Kingdom, towns throughout Batalla were marked with fantastic feats of architecture in which building were infused with unique styles of art that would go on to be replicated by the Vastran Kingdom upon it's creation. 
Once the Batalla Hold joined into the Vastran Kingdom, the nobles here communicated messages of restraint to their people as there was now amble buyers for their coveted natural resources. Wanting to ensure the future prosperity of their people, it was decided that there would be limits on where and when wood could be harvested. This only meant that either lumber was even more prized, and along with their wood also went their culture all over the Vastran Kingdom. Much of the commonly known Eternal Royal's Catherdreals take their inspiration from this region.

Founding Date

5480

Type

Ward