Kingdom of Haruran

The Kingdom of Haruran was a kingdom in north-western Fergel. Its kings went down in history as warmongers and the most ruthless leaders the continent had ever known. They are infamous for hunting mages, a pain still felt by the descendants of refugees. The kingdom eventually fell fighting a two-front war and suppressing a rebellion.

View on Mysticism

The Haruran feared magic. They believed mysticism was the power of the gods, and they feared their gods, for the gods sent out the malevolent creatures every night to punish the mortal. The story goes that one day a powerful mage rose, claiming to be descended from godhood. A god walking the land would mean no prosperity for its people, but only death. And thus Lord Arukr struck the god-man down. The people celebrated and revered the godman-slayer and put a crown on his head, for land belonged to folk and no god was welcome there.

The descendants of Arukr the godman-slayer diligently spread their beliefs, claiming land as their own and warring against all who opposed them. Especially mages, known as guron to the Haruran, and their affiliates were ruthlessly hunted down.

Downfall

For centuries, the Haruran had been claiming territory in Fergel, but eventually found their match in the Kingdom of Zannd and the Realm of Veillran, with which they made peace. In the 19th century, the Haruran crossed the small strait to Taklasil, trying their chances elsewhere.

However, here the Haruran had made several mistakes. Their guron hunters still practiced from the shadows, claiming law doesn’t apply to them, and thus ignoring the peace treaties. When Zannd and Veillran found out, they weren’t happy. Additionally, Haruran was not prepared for what they found across the ocean.

In Taklasil, mages are accepted and celebrated, in stark contrast to Haruran beliefs. When the Haruran started to hunt Taklasillan mages, also known as elementals, driving them to extinction, a powerful elemental took a stand. The story told in Taklasil goes like this: the south of Taklasil and the north of Fergel used to be connected by a small stretch of land known as Rattler’s Pass. The great elemental Afranday drove back the Haruran army single-handed, and destroyed the bridge between the two continents with a quake felt all the way in the frozen lands of Namda. Eventually, Haruran fell to Zannd and Veillran, who divided its territory equally.

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Guron Hunters

When the practice of hunting mages exactly began is unclear, but it was strongly ingrained in Haruran culture. The practice of guron hunting was seen as a sacred practice, and guron hunters were greatly admired.

Guron hunters belonged to the Sakuld Hlodar, an elite organization funded by the crown. They worked in the shadows and hunted quietly. Often they worked in pairs, but a lone hunter was equally common.

Some people fear that, after the fall of Haruran, the Sakuld Hlodar remained, and still works out of the shadows today.