Hordalant

Regions of Hordalant

Overview

Hordalant is a Jotun territory that lies to the west of Bregasland and Liathaven. It's climate is comparable to that of Bregasland and Upwold - there are cold winds and heavy snows during the Winter, but Summers are comparatively warm and pleasant. The Jotun appear largely unfazed by the weather except when it is at its most violent.

The population is overwhelmingly Jotun orc, and there while the majority of those living here are thralls there are many warriors to protect them. The northern borders of the territory open onto the Gullet – the sea between the kingdoms of southern Narkyst and northern Kallsea, on whose shores the town of Meade also stands. To the south lies further Jotun territory.

There are many Jotun settlements here. They tend to be reasonably fortified with pallisades and low stone walls. Many of the larger settlements here appear to be concerned with trade or agriculture.

Gudmundur Arason, King of Narkyst, He Who Calls Himself Jarl-of-Jarls, Who is Chieftain of the Southern Tribes technically rules here but in practice he does so as “first among equals” - the powerful Jarls of Álftanes and Alsterbo wield the majority of political power here.

During the reign of Emperor Guntherm, Imperial forces seized parts of eastern Hordalant. They claimed the marshes of Blutgahn and the plains of Ashahohn. For several years adventurous Marcher settlers attempted to carve out homesteads here under the watchful eye of Imperial forces and the fortification of the Nail in Ashahohn. The occupation did not last - when the famous ceasefire with the Jotun ended in 248YE, the would-be settlers retreated back into Bregasland and the Jotun ultimately captured the Nail.

The Marcher armies headed down the southern coast of the Gullet, into Narkyst,
and made a spirited attempt to capture the territory named Hordalant on the
border of Bregasland; they successfully overran the marshes of Blutgahn and
the plains of Ashahohn but were incapable of making further progress.

These actions enabled the Empire to recapture a great many prisoners taken from
Wintermark and the Marches during the recent Jotun invasion, but there is plenty of
evidence that efforts to liberate the humans of Kalsea and Narkyst did not go so well.

The local thralls were found to be almost fanatically loyal to their Jotun masters, and
slowed the advance and capture of Jotun territory; those that had taken up the offer
of citizenship were convicted of treason in unprecedented numbers, and the local
population was essentially wiped out in Imperial-controlled regions, being replaced
by settlers from Wintermark and the Marches respectively.

While this offensive was being undertaken, the rest of the Imperial armies were
engaged with the Thule in Miekarova and Volodmartz - indeed, there was some
considerable unrest that Guntherm and those loyal to him were engaging in military

adventures along the coast of the Gullet when long-held Imperial territories were
endangered.

The [[Campaigns of Emperor Guntherm]]

Recent History

In Spring 379YE a spy network was commissioned by the Imperial Senate in Hordalant, but it was not until the Winter of 379YE that a significant force of Imperial scouts was assigned to cautiously explore this prosperous Jotun territory. The Wintermark scouts (assisted by Navarr explorers) were able to prepare a map of the territory including some details of the main settlements, but the information they uncovered during the particularly harsh winter of 379YE was patchy at best. The details of this exploratory force can be found on the Imperial Roll of Honour.

Hordalant has been invaded by Imperial forces on more than one occasion - the most recent, and [[most successful, invasion took place during the reign of Emperor Guntherm. A more recent attempted invasion took place in Summer 381YE. The Black Thorns under general Ulric Y'Basden evaded a Jotun trap in Liathaven by crossing the border to the west; their short-lived attempt at conquest was handily repulsed by the orcs.

After the Summer Solstice 381YE, a significant Imperial fore was assigned to the spy network in Hordalant which lead to significantly updated information about the territory, as well as an improved map.

Major Features

So far Imperial scouts have not identified many sites of major significance in the territory, but this is likely to be due to the small number of scouts rather than the lack of such sites in Hordalant.

The Kings' Road and the South Road

To the surprise of many, the territory of Hordalant has a well-built network of roads that connect the major settlements. The roads themselves are patrolled by Jotun warriors, and maintained by cadres of thralls. While not comparable to the roads of Varushka (and showing no signs of magical wards) they are wide, paved, and supplemented in several places by stone bridges.

Regions of Hordalant

Hordalant is broken up into seven regions.

Blutgahn

Quality: Marsh
A large marshy area on the east of Narkyst, it is largely uninhabited (at least by the Jotun, who appear to give it a wide berth) - but there are signs of a significant Feni population dwelling within, mostly clustered around the mouth of the two rivers, the small Hjatter and the much larger Volg estuary. The Feni are not interested in receiving visitors - Wintermark forces are warned off but the Feni appear more than prepared to take pot shots at any scouts they identify, especially if they are Navarr.

Alsterbo

Quality: Coastal
The deep dangerous marshes of Blutgahn give way to more open and accessible fens, with significant dykes built to drain the land and keep the sea out. On the other side of the King's Road the land is dryer still - a result of over a century of work to drain and protect it. Here the land is completely given over to farmland. The King's Road leads to Dalvi on the coast, a large port ruled over by the Jarl of Alsterbo. Dalvi is heavily fortified, defended against attack from both land and sea. (OOC Information: In game terms it is a rank one fortification). The less prosperous rival port of Raufarhöfn lies on the western side of the promontory, but is notable for the inclusion of a large Grendel embassy.

Kalmar

Quality: Coastal
The open fields of Alsterabo continue into the rich prosperous region of Kalmar. To the south begins the Forest of the Mures, a dense forest of tall dark pines. The Kings Road runs along the border of the forest as it heads west into Ashahon. The busy trading town of Álftanes lies at the junction between the King's Road and the South Road - the prosperous settlement is the seat of the Jarl of Álftanes. The Jarls's rule extends to the coastal settlements of Bjark and Foss where predominantly human thralls engage in extensive fishing. They harvest fish not only from the coast, but also brave deeper waters to bring back tuna and whale meat.

Ashahon

Quality: Hill
This crucial region at the centre of the territory is largely filled by the Ash Mountains, a line of tall grey mountains that runs north-south through the territory. The Kings Road goes through Ashahon, passing through the Fortress of the Pale Queen which guards the pass as well as serving as the most important Kirkja of the Skjaldir. The name of the fortification refers to the legend that Cathan Canae took Skaldir, the Jotun faðir of the Skjaldir as a shield bearer and lover. Spies report seeing several creatures that are clearly not Jotun orcs around the fortress – servants and heralds of Cathan Canea.

Imperial scouts report that it would be challenging to pass from Ashahon into Kalmar without first conquering or destroying the Fortress of the Pale Queen. With the peaks of Angfors being quite inaccessible, an Imperial force would otherwise need to skirt round the hills and mountains and pass through Alsterbo to reach Kalmar. (OOC Note: The Fortress of the Pale Queen is a rank 2 fortificaiton).

Sigla

Quality: Forest
A large region, dominated by the Forest of the Mures that dominates most of Sigla. There is significant forest clearance along the South Road - with small settlements surrounded by farmland on either side - all the way down to the town of Sig near the southern border of Narkyst.

Along the eastern borders of Sigla, where the forest gives way to the Ash mountains, stands the Lion Palace – a large stone fort built as a residence for Eleonaris, the Lion of Summer. The building seems to serve a ceremonial function but according to Imperial scouts it is built around a potent Summer regio, and appears to be inhabited by both Jotun orcs and a small court of heralds of the Lion of Summer – something like an embassy to Eleonaris.

Angfors

Quality: Hills, Impassable A hilly, mountainous region defined by the border between the Ash Mountains and Forest of Mures in the West to the line between the mountains and the Dead Forest in the east. There are few settlements in the east, only the Hawk Eyrie – a tall and imposing tower of mithril and white granite built for the Hawk Lord Hayaak. As with the Lion Palace, it seems that the structure serves as a kind of embassy between the Jotun and the Summer eternal.

The western side is dominated by the mining towns of Geets, Flud, and Hekla. Each of the three mining towns supports several deep and apparently quite prosperous mining endeavours, cutting deep into the depths of the mountains, and providing a steady stream of green iron, orichalcum, and tempest jade to the Jarl of Alftanes.

There appears to be no easily accessible passes through the Ash mountains here; an Imperial army would struggle to pass through Angfors to attack the settlements on the western side, or to reach Sigla or Kalmar without going through the pass in Ashahon controlled by the Fortress of the Pale Queen.

Vallorberg

Quality: Forest
A largely uninhabited region under the grip of the Dead Forest, the Jotun name for the massive forest that covers Liathaven and beyond. Some of the forest here has been cut down - and the land cleared for farming - focussed around the two rivers, the Hellis in the north and the Volg in the south.

At the point where the two rivers meet, there is the great Green Iron Eye, a set of metal monoliths arranged in the shape of an iris. According to legend it was created by Jarnsmidr, the greatest of the Jotun smiths, to ward against "the evils of the East". What its purpose is (if any), Imperial scouts are unable to say, but it appears to be built over and around a potent Winter regio.

Game Information

• While Jotun presence in some regions is limited, they still appear control all seven regions of Hordalant and seem to have to have uncontested dominance of the territory.
• Information about Hordalant is discovered through the use of a spy network. This information was last significantly updated after the Autumn Equinox 381YE.
• The fortificed port-town of Dalvi in Alsterbo is a rank one fortification.
• The Fortress of the Pale Queen in Ashahon is a rank two fortification. It would be very challenging for invaders to pass between Ashahon to Kalmar without first neutralizing this fortification, There appears to be no easily accessible passes through the Ash mountains; an Imperial army would struggle to pass through Angfors to attack the settlements on the western side, or to reach Sigla or Kalmar without going through the pass in Ashahon controlled by the Fortress of the Pale Queen.