The Old Kingdom of The Hintria

Pronounced (hinn-tree-uh)

Capital: Minnehil (minn-ih-hill)

Other major cities: Zarad, Hamisar, and Orlosou

Flag: dark blue with a white silhouette of a horned goat, enclosed by a white semi-circle. Since Aurora’s ascent to the throne, the colors have changed to black and red, and the goat into an owl.

Symbols:

* the goat
* the infinity knot, due to The Hintria's association with The Creed of Eyn Sof
* the bridge
* the owl

Currency: pensket

Main exports: iron, salt, stone, melna, plant medicines, wool, the arts, and meat.

### Government

For all of its history, The Hintria has been ruled by an absolute monarchy. Beneath the monarch was the royal court which was typically made up of mages from The Vrilic Order, Court Disciples, and various nobles who held positions overseeing the kingdom's finances, defense, etc. Since Aurora's coup, this royal court has been significantly altered to contain mainly her Devoted. Aurora's rule is far more despotic and authoritarian than past monarchs, with The Devoted serving primarily as a means of executing her decrees.

The current ruling house is House Gilles.

Aristocratic Titles: Prince, Princess, Counte, and Baron. The monarch is addressed as Your Majesty. Your Grace is used to address other members of The Royal Family. And Lord/Lady are used for all other people regardless of their formal titles, even commoners.

The Hintria maintains two primary military forces: The King's/Queen's Knights and The King's/Queen's Archers. All of them wear steel plate armor, previously styled with the ram sigil, but now with the owl. The steel plates have also been colored black after Aurora's coup, with the owl sigil on the breastplate in red. Their main weapons of choice are arming swords and crossbows. They wear great helms. Total Hintrian forces amount to around 30,000 at full muster.

#### Minnehil Palace

Minnehil Palace is the oldest, currently inhabited royal palace in Mystara. It sits at the east end of the city, behind a moat, a drawbridge, high, reinforced, basalt walls, and giant, wrought iron doors. There is a small courtyard just inside the main gate, leading to the only entrance: The Stone Keep. The Keep itself is the only way into the palace and is the oldest portion of the building at 2,117 years at the time of The Vixen Queen. Inside is a massive foyer, with enclosed catwalks in the second and third levels that are contain 80 murder holes for The Archers, two sets of encased stairs, and a third set of wrought iron doors leading into The Lesser Hall. The entrance itself creates an optical illusion for visitors, presenting a lone monarch at the end of a long, oak table when holding court despite the numerous Archers and Knights surrounding the place.

The palace is described by many as being a masterpiece of architecture, with numerous towers, pinnacles, and swirling spires.

There are passages within the walls, spanning every level, building, and wing. They lead down into another set of tunnels below the palace which lead out into a plain to the east of the city. The tunnels are not a viable entry method for would-be attackers, however, as they are also a part of the castle's defense, and can be flooded by damned, underground tributaries of The Jadar River.

The Hintrian throne itself was originally styled The Stone Seat. Aurora, however, has renamed it The Crescent Seat, to honor Rirris. It now sits elevated nine feet above the rest of the room, with two naked men chained to the sides on leashes that praise Aurora 24/7.

### Cities

##### Minnehil

The capital city, Minnehil, is sprawling and circular in shape. The eastern third of the city is split off by The Jadar River, with seven bridge crossings connecting it to the west. From there, the river curves northeast and then north, towards The Upper Jadar Valley. At the city center, on a protrusion in the curve of the river, is a massive cathedral dedicated to The Creed. Minnehil palace sits at the east end of the city, enclosed behind a moat and high, protective walls. On the southeast end is The Bard’s College. In addition to those three structures, the east end of the city is dominated by creators, pleasures, and entertainers. It has a high concentration of residences for the houses and those three classes, as well as Oduba Theater, The Bard’s Library, a budding, high priced marketplace, and the second most frequented Silken Dragons in Teleria. The western portion of the city is less elite, but generally clean and safe, filled with all the regular trappings of cities such as cafes, restaurants, shops, public squares, and the like. Overall, the population of the city is 259,000—one of the largest cities in Mystara.

##### Zarad

Zarad is a small city, around 140,000 in population, that sits on the eastern end of The Hintria. It is a hilly city, built around the landscape, with views of The Oduba Channel and the coastal holdings of Triseke. The city holds major significance as the hub for The Hintria’s iron, melna, stone, and salt industry. There are several quarries and mines surrounding it, to the north, east, and south, many of which can be seen on their way into the city. In terms of aesthetics, the city itself is simple in appearance, though quite beautiful for a working class city. The buildings are made of white and gray stone, with dark blue roofs. There are, however, many trees, gardens, and plants throughout the city, adding a bit of beauty to complement the views. It is one of Rirris' most active sites for energy extraction, as the stresses of working class life often lead to frequent visits with pleasurers.

##### Hamisar

Hamisar is a southern city, smaller than Zarad with only 99,000 people, but quite a notable stopping point for traders and travelers seeking business overland in Mystara. Thus, it is picturesque and inviting. It is perhaps the most diverse city within The Hintria in terms of its demographics, with a large population of Avelonians, Tyrians, Gallicans, and Ealanites, along with a mixture of workers, suppliers, and miners—added to the creators and pleasurers.

##### Orlosou

Orlosou is a central city of about 30,000. It is known for its contributions to the herding industry, as well as being a logistical middle man between the south and east, preparing shipments for export to Sunterra and the west, while Zarad handles the same for shipments to the east and The Imperium. It is surrounded by some thirty villages, whose residents maintain herds throughout the country's central hills.

### Culture

Hintrian culture is by far the most unique among The Jadar Kingdoms. Hintrians are naturally more pleasure seeking and care-free than their counterparts, and due to the influence of The Bard's College and the eclectic mix of cultures it brings in, they are far more open minded. These attitudes, however known they are, were generally kept private until Aurora ascended the throne. This was due to the city of Minnehil being the hub of The Creed of Eyn Sof, home to The Magisterium, The Grand Cathedral, and The Court Disciples. The presence of such powerful religious clerics ensured the culture remained nominally conservative and traditional like the rest of the Jadar. This, however, has changed since Aurora's coup.

Socially speaking, women have taken back firm control. Pleasurers are now a privileged class. Sexual activity is encouraged, especially after dark, and women are allowed to dress however they please.

Hintrians are straight forward but can often use jokes, anecdotes, and stories to prove their point. They have a tendency to be creative/artistic, whether that's in the arts or their trade. They are typically warm and welcoming.

#### Social Classes

Hintrian society is split into the following classes:

* Noble houses
* Commoners: creators, entertainers, workers, suppliers, pleasurers, collectors, caretakers, herders, and miners.

Aside from House Gilles, other prominent families in The Hintria include: Arany, Barta, Dennis, Eros, Gorog, Katona, Nemes, Tomasi, and Varga.

#### Food

Goulya (a stew of potatoes, meat, and vegetables)

Meat cakes (usually made of mutton or goat and eaten with sour cream)

Stuffed cabbage leaves

Organ pie (usually a mixture of lamb and goat kidney, liver, heart, and pancreas)

Vegetable casserole

Chimney cake

Dairy: goat cheese, milk, and kefir

Chimney cakes, meat cakes, and stuffed cabbage leaves are commonly available at street vendors throughout their main cities. There are goulya shops as well throughout most cities.

#### Art

Art within The Hintria is dominated by performing arts due to The Bard's College. There are, however, other prominent forms of art from throughout its history:

* Painting—primarily scenes of man & nature and abstract forms of art. Lately,  a lot more nudity has made it into the art.
* Pleasure has become an art form, and pleasure houses of Sanna ownership exist in the highest concentration of any kingdom on The Continents.
* Pottery, usually dark in color with painted designs of blue, gold, or green color, typically gilded or floral in design. Those colors have since become red and black.
* Literature, poetry, and music are highly common in The Hintria and varied in subject matter. Minnehil is home to a massive library called The Bard’s Library, the third largest library in Teleria after The Imperial Library and The Atheneum in Alanis.

##### The Bard's College

The Bard's College sits atop a hill on the southeastern end of Minnehil, on the site of a former Nivalain mansion. There are two main buildings, a dormitory and a learning hall, separated by a courtyard which houses the nine statues of The Muses. It is the primary place of education for poets, writers, lyricists, and singers. Many go on to be jesters in royal courts, and many royal courts specifically recruit jesters from The College's graduating students and alumni. It is the seat of The Jester’s Guild for Mystara, Pelduin, and Sunterra, although Kmet also is a member. The Imperium is only a formal participant.

Students undergo a custom curriculum, which they have a large role in designing. They usually spend 3-7 years studying.

All students are free (and encouraged) to engage in all forms of intoxicants and fornication—and many do. Nudity is not uncommon, nor frowned upon. Sex in the open generally isn’t, either. Students routinely host parties in which orgies take place, often within the bottom floor of the dormitory building. Aurora has largely left The College alone in her rule, finding its practices acceptable, although she uses it as an occasional house of pleasure and sometimes influences pieces to be written in her honor. The Daughters of Rirris have a large presence among the student body, and there is a sizable chunk of male students who openly worship her alongside their other traditions.

#### Religions

* Musing
* The Creed of Eyn Sof
	+ The Grand Cathedral of Eyn Sof
	+ The Magisterium
	+ The Court Disciples
* Odismat
* The Daughters of Rirris