The Kingdom of Hagoros

## Life in Hagoros

One of the first nations of Kharos to form a stabilized government, Hagoros is the Kingdom of the Dark Elves. While other nations were squabbling amongst each other and struggling to find order, Spider King Vesh Dyralis was already in the process of building vast cities inside the Island of Hagoros. Now virtually untouchable, the Dark Elves are not well liked among other races, partly for their immunity thanks to the sheer cliffs and fortified position of the island itself, and partly because of the Dark Elves success in raiding, slave trade, and espionage. It is often said that the Spider King has a vast web of connections and that his little spiders hide in every other nation, watching.

## Slavery in Hagoros

Despite their reputation for being spies and slavers, the Dark Elves of Hagoros are fair and generally tend to treat everyone, including their slaves, with respect. Their laws are based upon an opportunistic standpoint, giving a chance for anyone to rise to power, regardless of gender or social standing. Although the laws do not allow for other races to rise in ranks, they do treat other races with fairness in general. Because of this, if a slave were to escape from their master, they would not be hunted down by the law, as they would be considered deserving of their freedom.

## Ruler and Unrest

Even with these opportunistic laws, the throne has not changed hands for over a thousand years, marking Spider King Dyralis as the sole ruler since the discovery of Kharos. The kingdom is divided on his rule. Loyalists argue that he deserves his throne, as he has kept assassins and rivals at bay for so long, even going so far as to kill most of his family, leaving only the most unambitious of his children alive. However, the Conspirators believe that he has made a pact with some creature to keep his throne, stealing opportunity for others. How else could he hold his position for so long? The Kingdom of Hagoros, although not yet in a state of civil war, has tensions between family houses over the leadership of the Kingdom. It could be only a matter of time before the balance tips and the Kingdom falls apart from within.

## Playing a character from Hagoros

When playing a Dark Elf of Hagoros, it is important to read the culture description in the rule book as well as this culture packet. This is intended to be additional information to add onto the rulebook description of Dark Elves. If you are playing a Dark Elf of Hagoros, you will belong to a family and your family name is something you take great pride in, unless, for some reason, you have been disgraced or kicked out, remember Dark Elves are very passionate about honor. Hagoros Dark Elves do not see slavery as a bad thing, as they see themselves as superior to other races, but they highly respect people who have escaped slavery with their own wits and strength. You may choose for your character to be a Loyalist, Conspirator, or uncaring of the politics of those higher than you. As of right now there seems to be a significant amount of chatter about the conflict, and there seem to be slightly more Conspirators than Loyalists, with roughly a fourth of the population being neutral and just wanting to go about their daily lives. Although your character may have a political stance, it is reasonable if they choose to keep that stance hidden. The Hagoros Dark Elves treat Spiders with reverence and will either refuse to fight spiders they see in the wild or become very excited at the prospect of fighting such a magnificent creature. It is not uncommon for Dark Elves to adorn themselves with depictions of spiders or weave clothing to resemble spider silk.

If you are playing a different race with the concept of being an escaped slave, you are likely someone who escaped from the Kingdom of Hagoros. If this is the case, keep in mind that most Hagoros families treat their slaves with respect and they are often seen as high-class household servants, decorated gladiators, or laborers working on farms on the surface of the island.