Havledon

Havledon, officially **the Townsman and Tribesman of Havle**, is a country on the Western Continent, near the Central Lakes. It is bordered by Namatkore, and Nightwood to the east, Lightstream to the southeast, Priataz Itoni to the south, Rivertower to the west, and the New Ocean to the north. The capital and largest city is Havle; other major cities are Ude, Ujamdon, and Tanne.

Havledon's sole sentient species is humans. The people of Havledon, known as Havlenots, are generally short, brown-eyed, and possess black or ginger hair.

Basic Statistics

## History

### **The Krate Civilization**

Early Havlenot history can be traced to the ancient Krate civilization and the cataclysmic sinking effect that ended it. The Krate occupied an island centrally located within the New Ocean. Here they lead peaceful and innovative lives, with Krate citizens living well over a hundred years in good health. Beginning in roughly 920 B.T. (Before Tanne pact) the Krate measured and found that sea levels were rapidly rising at a rate ofseveral feet per year. This spurred alarm and confusion, but not serious worry. It would take decades of rising to cause real harm, and most believed it was simply a natural phenomenon that would go its course and return to normalcy after.

Water levels continued to rise at a slow and steady pace until in 913 B.T., when the sea level rise increased ninety-fold. Overnight entire towns were swept under water, and the hills quickly became crowded with refugees fleeing from the disaster. Survivors rapidly worked on salvaging what boats were still afloat, as well as constructing new ones from hilltop lumber. After a week of chaos, the 1,200 survivors set sail from one the top of one of Krate's two largest peaks. They sailed directly south, to a land known by others as Dayrest, where the people of Krate landed, and began anew.

It was later understood that the demise of Krate was caused not by sea levels rising, but by the island itself sinking into the water. Nothing remains of the ancient civilization.

### **Landing and the Four Expeditions**

After landing in Dayrest, known to the Krate as "Flea," the Krate survivors were quick to attempt to rebuild what they had lost. Over a years time four expeditions were sent outward from the landing site in an attempt to establish outposts and secure resources for their new nation. Meanwhile, the remaining survivors set up a temporary settlement at the landing site. This site would quickly turn in to a permanent city named Havle, named for the nearby Havle trees that helped feed the young city. The colonists quickly became known as Havlenots, no matter where they actually lived.

#### The Tanne Expedition

Havle's first expedition was sent just three days after landing. While Havle trees provided food and flavor, their lumber was a poor building material, and was completely unusable for shipwrights. A new source of lumber was needed, and the forests to the north were populated with Oak and Mahogany rather than Havle.

The expedition took just one day to reach their destination. The area was flat, covered in serviceable lumber, and provided ample foraging opportunities. The colonist set up their lumberjacking operation in the direct center of the forest, and area which would one day grow to be the city of Tanne, named for the expedition's leader.

#### The Ujamdon Expedition

Following Tanne's success, a second expedition was planned to further explore and take control of the river that ran alongside Havle. This expedition left three months after landing, and sailed upstream using several smaller ships leftover from the Krate disaster. The group sailed all the way up the Jamflea (River Flea) to its headwaters far in the southern hills. They then sailed back downstream and did the same with a newly discovered tributary river of the Jamflea.

Finding no threats upstream, and no better options downstream, the expedition settled where the Jamflea and its tributary met. This settlement would quickly become the chief defense of Havle during later conflicts, as it grew into the many bridged city of Ujamdon (The River Land.)

#### The Ude Expedition

Nine months after landing, the people of Havle were nearly done dismantling the great fleet that had brought them there. A great deal of metals and stone were salvaged from the ships, but it decided that Havle would need working mines if it should mean to establish itself. And so the third great expedition was arranged. This one was simple and easy, as the people of Ujamdon had been exploring the area and already had selected an ideal location for a mining colony.

The expedition set sail upstream in the last surviving ship of the Krate disaster, a massive vessel named *Ude* (The Hope) that carried almost two hundred people to safety. The ship sailed up the Jamflea's largest tributary and set down at the base of the Pommernu (Pommer Hills) on a small peninsula. This would later grow into the mining city of Ude, with both the city and the Jamde (River Hope) being named after the great vessel. Remnants of the *Ude* are used to adorn the local administrative building.

#### The Searock Expedition

Havle's fourth and final expedition was one of exploration and defense. Havle had no natural defenses on its western border, and it was feared that a small enough army could easily sneak through the Dirrerfleagroms (Great Flea Forest) and be across the river from Havle before anyone noticed. To combat this threat, plans for a military outpost were made on the opposite side of the creek which currently formed a natural border for the area, known to the Krate as Searock. The fourth expedition was the largest of them all, with 247 Havlenots volunteering from all four settlements. The party left in late spring, on the one year anniversary of the Krate Disaster.

With travel times being as long as they were, and the mostly unexplored territory sure to slow them down, Havle didn't worry about its expedition until nearly two weeks passed without any contact. At this point a small group of trackers was sent on their trail to find them and report back. These trackers returned just two days later with the news that they had found the expedition, and the entire party had been killed. Over two hundred bodies were counted strewn along the banks of the Searock Creek, with no explanation to their demise. Some had bite works, others had stab wounds, while even more looked like they have been ripped limb from limb all at once.

The Searock expedition devastated the fledgling Havle, which lost a fifth of its population overnight. With no sensible explanation for the threat, Havle banned its citizens from going into the Dirrerfleagroms. Only sap farmers could do so and only under heavy guard. All exploration westward was ceased indefinitely, and Searock Creek was renamed J'seco (Angry Water.)

### Four Cities Period and Arrival of the Ytan

With the ill fated end of the Searock expedition, Havles early expansion was concluded. For the next four hundred years the young nation survived in a state of stagnation. Cities grew slowly, as births barely outnumbered deaths. New settlements were made and abandoned in the same year. There was very little in the way of government or economy, as everything that was done had to be done to survive. Throughout this entire period, the population only tripled, reaching 5,000 in 505 B.T.

## Geography

Havledon is a large country compared to its neighbors on Unimmjor (the Sleeping Sea). The country is roughly seventy kilometers east to west and fifty kilometers north to south. Much of the land area is flat and fertile plain, perfect for farming and pasturing. Elevation increases the further inland you go, with the Pommernu (Pommer Hills) rising south of Ude. This area is where the headwaters of Jamde and Jamflea, two navigable rivers who converge further downstream and flow to the sea. J'seco is the other major waterway, a creek that forms the border between Dayrest and Searock provinces.

The Great Flea Forest takes up the western third of Havledon, and is where it gets its name. The forest is made almost entirely of Havle trees, large pines that ooze copious amounts of sap. Havle sap, with its extremely sweet and smokey taste, is used both as a flavoring and a preservative.

### Fauna

Havledon fauna is very typical of human inhabited areas. Horses, oxen, bears, and buffalo are the largest animals commonly seen.

The sap of Havle trees possess an unexplained attraction for marsupials, and as such Havledon has an above average population of possums. This has led to possums being considered the national animal of Havledon, and killing them is strongly discouraged. They are often kept as pets, a very beneficial relationship as possums eat ticks, rats, roaches, and other smaller pests, all while being immune to rabies. Possums in Havledon can grow up to four feet nose to tail.

### Flora

Other than the large presence of Havle trees, Havledon's flora is identical to other human inhabited areas.

## Languages

The language of the Havlenots is known as Haverwocky, it is a tough sounding language with an extreme amount of contractions. Generally unless a word is a verb or noun, it will be contracted into a smaller word.

## Politics

Havledon is governed by a representative democracy on a miniscule scale. Each city elects two representatives on a yearly basis to send to the general assembly. These eight representatives vote on and write policy for the country as a whole. In the event of a tied vote, the mayor of Havle, known as Udirrerpillar, breaks the tie.

## Religion and culture

### Traditions

Havlenots celabrate two major events, Equagrompar, (Summer Tree Day) and Trackispar (Race Day).

Equagrompar is celabrated exactly one week after the last sighting of Secopillar in Udirrerfleagroms. With the Secopillar's migration finished typically around early summer, Havlenots celabrate their safe return to the forest with feasts, music, and significant alcohol consumption. Equagrompar is Havledon's national holiday and as such no work is to be undergone for the entire three day period.

Trackispar is a much more down to earth celabration. This day, often in late fall, is the day of the great race, an on foot race between the cities of Havle and Tanne, typically with over a thousand competitors. This is a serious event, with life changing prizes for some of the fastest runners, but for the observers its another opportunity to drink and cheer. The race takes place mostly along an unpaved road connecting the cities used for lumber caravans, and it is not uncommon for runners to have to bail into the nearby farms to avoid being run over by an oxen-led wagon.

### Religion

Havlenots generally believe in a polytheistic explanation for the world. They use pagan gods to explain their history and the science of things that cannot be explained. Havlenots do not believe in an afterlife, nor does their religion impose a moral or ethical code. There are very few religious sites, as worship of the gods is generally frowned up.

### Art

Havledon is not known for its art, however mosaic patterns and dishes can be seen across the country.