Hjothdal

Hjothdal

Overview

With enemies to the north and south, Hjothdal has been fighting a war on two fronts since the fall of the Amman empire. Having reclaimed their historical borders, Hjothdal has seen its soldiers make deep raids into Nÿgamär and has on several occasions sieged the capital, Azdorimar. The decline of Amman after the fall of their empire allowed Hjothdal to consolidate their forces against their northern neighbor, which saw the balance of power shift in their favor. However, the recent rememergence of Amman ahs meant that Hjothdal are now forced to keep a considerable size of their force in the south, securing their southern borders.

Hjothdal embraced the opening up of trade between the nations in Arrasia after the fall of the old Amman orderwhich saw them flourish. The Gray Mountains are a major source of gold, silver and iron and the coastline awash with alluvial rubies, sapphires, emeralds and topaz, all of which are also mined to some degree or another by the large dwarven population. However, the Gray Mountains are also home to a large number of humanoid and other beasts who are numerous enough to warrant a serious threat and conflicts between the people of Hjothdal and the humanoids, who regularly raid their lands, are common.

Like all the other northern nations whose roots originate from the Norv expansions in the early days of Arrasia, the people are skilled in the ways of ship building and seamanship, though their navy has been decimated in several sea battles with Nÿgamär whose navy ranks amongst the largest, allowing a naval blockade of their major ports by the Nÿgamesse navy to be highly successful, with many of their trade goods falling into the their hands.

Significant Trade Export

Copper Ore: Copper Ore is mined in the Gray Mountains by the dwarves in large quantities and shipped to Dakarn. It is a profitable trade for Hjothdal, especially amongst the settlements of The Savage Coast and the Badlands, where mining can be treacherous.

Gold, Silver: With large gold and silver deposits being mined in the Gray Mountains, Hjothdal is one of the major exporters of these precious metals. However, the Nÿgamär naval blockades make exporting these materials a risky undertaking.

Iron Ore: Iron ore is common throughout Arrasia, but is nonetheless in high demand and supplies Hjothdal with a steady income.

Precious Stones: The coastline of Hjothdal is rich in alluvial precious stones, with Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Topaz all mined here. Mostly they are shipped to Norvsond, where they will be sold all over Arrasia, though must run the gauntlet of the Nÿgamär blockade and the Amman privateers.

Brief History

The lands now known as Hjothdal were amongst the first populated by the early Norv explorers. The coastal settlements that survived the humanoid hordes grew quickly and formed loose political and military alliances to counter the threats that surrounded them. In the north, under the shadows of the Gray Mountains where life was harshest, Keobold Yaruth emerged as a powerful tribal warrior in Hjothdal, leading a powerful alliance of tribal warlords, and through a succession of rapid victories, saw much of the north fall under his sway.

The next one hundred years or so saw Hjothdal in major conflicts as internal strife ripped through the country. However, this did not stop the Hjoth invasions into what is now Nÿgamär with early successes seeing much of that land overwhelmed. It was not until the Battle of the Red Fields that the Hjoth armies were defeated and driven south, though conflict between the two emerging nations remained constant.

The weak political structure of Hjothdal and the internal strife allowed the armies of Amman to march through Hjothdal almost unopposed. Two major battles saw the Hjoth forces annihilated and the country annexed. Although the Hjoth tribesmen put up some resistance to the occupation, the people were soon enslaved and oppressed and Hjothdal, as such, would cease to exist during this time, with many of the men forced into Amman military service, in which their blood would be spilt on many a foreign land.

It was not until the retreat of Amman and the invasion of the old enemy, Nÿgamär which saw the Hjoth people shake off their shackles and make a claim to their land once again. Sporadic fighting soon broke out throughout the country, with both the retreating Amman armies and the invading Nÿgamär soldiers finding themselves under constant attacks from an increasingly aggressive and hostile nation that was emerging from its dormant state.

During these uncertain times, two leaders, Jakobek Thengarde and Hunrik Melde, emerged. Jakobek led his loyal followers in the south against the Amman armies who had finally halted the Nÿgamär advance, while Jakobek led his soldiers against the northern Nÿgamär occupation. It was not until the alliance between these two leaders, and the large armies that served them, that the tide turned. The massive forces under their leadership drove back the Nÿgamesse and pinned them in the north, before swinging south and wreaking havoc on the Amman army that still occupied the southern regions of Hjothdal.

Hunrik was declared the first king of all Hjothdal, though his reign lasted only twenty-seven days as he was killed in the continuing conflict. Jakobek was named as the second king of Hjothdal and it was under his firm leadership that Hjothdal recaptured much of their lost lands in the wars that continue to this day, with the Hjoth armies now once again encamped on Nÿgamär territory and the southern border firmly re-established.

The Major Towns and Cities

Dakarn: (pop: 35,000) A large, bustling port, Dakarn is a typical Norv city, with wooden thatched longhouses the standard fare, usually set in a small plot of land where the family business is set, probably in an outhouse. Several larger stone buildings are visible, which are either owned by the rich or are centers of power. It is also where the Hjothdal navy is stationed, which make regular excursions against the Nÿgamesse warships that blockade the port. Dakarn is also a significant gold mining city, sitting at the northern end of the Gray Mountains, and it attracts significant trade from the dwarves who live there.

Hjold: (pop: 15,000) A highly industrialized city, Hjold has grown up around the large iron deposits which are mined in vast quantities. As well as exporting raw iron ore, Hjold also manufactures steel weapons and armor. The ringing of steel as the smithies work their forges can be heard all over Hjold and only the strong winds stop the constant stream of smoke from sitting above the town as a dense smog.

Brondel: (pop: 7,500) A gold and silver mining town, Brondel also acts as a conduit through which the goods from Hjold reach Dakarn, as well as a significant percentage of the silver mined in the Sol Hills. A large number of dwarves have made homes for themselves in Brondel and so it is not a typical Norv city, with many stone buildings mixed in with the traditional wooden long houses, with more compact streets and less greenery.


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