Hjalmor

“Hjalmor”(jɑlmɔːr), officially “The Guild Federation of Hjalmor” is a sovereign nation in the north-west of Solum. Its borders extending from the north coast of Solum to the Murmuring River in the south, and is bound east and west by the North Mourning Sea, and the eastern slopes of the Lowstones.

Hjalmor's terrain is chiefly mountainous plains, tundras, and forests, however it also possesses hilly lowland regions capable of sustaining agriculture. Hjalmor is a bureaucratic federation of numerous guilds with its capital in '''Strikeholme''', the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial center; other major urban areas include Eldham, Albrecht, and Lockinge.

Inhabited since before the Calamity, Hjalmor was settled by Summum Settlers during The Lost Years, and gained its sovereignty after the disappearance of Summum's administrative powers. Hjalmor developed alongside the Brassic Isles and Elyra, its peoples forced into shelter cities constructed under the Lowstones to protect themselves from the Calamity's seemingly endless winter. The First Spring saw the Hjalmoric people emerge once again into the world above, their former shelter city of Strikeholme now a vast underground kingdom beneath the Lowstones. Early conflicts with the emerging Brassic Isles saw the nation wholly capable of holding its own, and Hjalmor continues to this day as one of the workforce powerhouses of Solum, its extremely skilled workforce its primary export.

Geography

---

Landscape and Rivers

Hjalmor's borders extend outward from Strikeholme and cover large swathes of mostly unusable mountainous lands. Surface-based settlements (though the majority of Hjalmor's buildings are still constructed subterranean) can be found around natural resources of particular interest. The stretch of arable land between Lockinge and Laewas is colloquially refered to as the "Kemis Depression" and is known for what little surface farming Hjalmor produces. Eldham sits at the edge of its namesake lake, famous for thawing only briefly for two months of the year in July and August, and [Nameable Town M] for its general access to Hjalmor's least favorite landscape - forestry. The lakes and rivers of Hjalmor are rarely, if ever, used for drinking water due to their penchant of being the wrong state of matter for drinking. Most of Hjalmor instead drinks plentifully from aquifers and springs found during Strikeholme's expansions into the depths of the Lowstones.

Climate

Hjalmorics are known for their general distaste of spending long periods of time exposed to the sky, a fact most find understandable after spending more than five minutes in Hjalmor's open air. While the brutality of endless snows from the Cataclysm formally ceased during The First Spring, Hjalmor hasn't fully realized and frigid northerly winds still keep the country mostly covered in permafrost. The Springs do bring sizable snow melt to the region, seeing the Murmuring River groan back to life and Lac Eldham thaw long enough to release some fresh water into the North Mourning Sea.

Nature and Wildlife

Hjalmor's surface wildlife is unsurprisingly bleak, mostly populated by great evergreens and laden with hare, reindeer, and small predators popular for trapping. It is in the depths of Hjalmor's subterranean cities and disconcertingly monumental mines that one can find "true Hjalmoric fauna", and more often than not one would wish they had never lit their lanterns in the first place. A vast majority of Hjalmor's subterrestrial fauna is mushrooms growing on the damp interior walls of long forgotten mines, a friendly reminder of Hjalmor's culinary staples prior to its thawing. The creatures capable of locomotion posses a certain 'Je ne sais quoi, mais je déteste ça," usually accommodating a number of eyes long since forgotten by the dark and more limbs than one would expect from a creature so visibly slimy. Indeed oozes, jellies, spiders, and tunneling wyrms are frequent, if not nightmarish, sights in its depths.The Capital of Hjalmor: Strikeholme

History

---

Antiquity

Originally a surface colony of Summum colonists, little is known of Hjalmor's true antiquity as much of it lost after its original settlements were abandoned and its people descended into the earth. Early Hjalmoric writing (typically etched into the stone walls still found present at Strikeholme's many entrances) details some of the earliest events in Hjalmor's sub-terrestrial history. Much of it revolves around continued descent into the core of the Lowstones, constantly seeking warmth from the cold blighted surface above, and combating the horrors that have become daily sights in modern Strikeholme. Many of Strikeholme's surface entrances were barricaded by stone slabs or wooden gates to block out the warmth, and for nearly five hundred years not a soul emerged from the depths.

Early to Mid

Historically placed somewhere around 2000 BEC the Hjalmorians emerged from their subterranean cities after several floods washed into the high chambers of Strikeholme. The people, somewhat surprised and apprehensive, began exploration of the world long since forgotten from living memory. They discovered little else but snow and a somewhat domineering people participating in much the same activity to the east, now more commonly known as The Brassics. While the Hjlamorians had known relative, if not industrious, peace in the depths of the Lowstones, the Brassic people had contended with five hundred years of icy death, and conflict arose quickly. The Brassics, on a journey of conquest across Vuntismil saw the Hjalmorians as little more than another barricade on their rightful path to northern domination.

The Hjalmorians proved more indomitable than the Brassics expected - while some were willing to meet Brassic berserkers on open fields (and found themselves quickly culled), most opted to return to Strikeholme with a sense of "if you would like to try invading five hundred years of mines, we'll see you down there." Elyran resistance encountered in the south by Brassic expansionists had Hjalmor all but abandoned as a possible short-term enemy and were instead "allowed" to continue their exploration of north western Solum. While little interest in fully populating the region ever struck Hjalmor, the Brassic's full focus on combating the dogged spread of Elyran domination allowed it more than enough time to slowly spread across the region, and begin the construction of a new subterranean city in Albrecht.

The Sundering of Elyra saw a return to form in the relationship between the Brassics and Hjalmor, igniting several more conflicts between the two ancient north powers. A note of particular anthropological interest is the difference of historical accounts by the two nations around the disputes. The Brassics have historically seen Hjalmor as a political rival and Brassic records point to the Conciliation of the Low Stones, The War of the Pass, and the First War of the Sliver as intense and emotional events. Hjalmoric accounts appear more reserved in their apprehension towards the Brassics, typically attempting to find the fine line of not appearing weak while not taking Brassic rage on the cheek. It is perhaps Hjalmor's general dispassion towards the surface that saw it unwilling to fully engage with the Brassics, or an understanding that the Brassic's erratic attempts at southern conquest acted as a welcome buffer for Hjalmoric interests.

Contemporary

Modern Hjalmor is certainly visually different from historical accounts of the Lowstone folk, though the stoic and stonefaced people seem mostly unchanged by time. Hjalmor, like its southern sister nation of Thetlin, exists in something of a political void. Both unable or unwilling to commit to the eastern Solum trend of settling Summum, they settled into their roles as Solum's "quiet neighbors", so to speak. This is perhaps an unfair and Edoic-focused account of Hjalmor's role in the development of Summum - a more common phrase in scholarly circles echoing "Discovered by a Thetlin, Owned by Edos, Built by Hjalmor”. Hjalmor's greatest export has always been its diligent and industrious workforce - her many guilds supplying crafters the world over to design, build, and populate the cities that now stand over Summum's ancient landscape. It remains to be seen what continued role Hjalmor will have in Summum after the Edos Civil War, its many guilds still active in nearly every major settlement.

Governance

---

Politics

Hjalmor is ruled by The Union. At any given time, The Union is composed of representatives of seven Guilds. Six of those Guilds are the most powerful, wealthiest, and most in-demand Guilds in Hjalmor. The Seventh Guild of The Union is always The Ministers. Though they do not bring in outside wealth or throw the best celebrations, The Ministers study the essential theories of government, and the Hjalmorians respect anyone who works hard to build something, even something abstract. Membership in The Union can change hands once a year during Shadekeep. There is no formal process for selecting the ruling Guilds, but it is said that the Hjalmorians simply know who should rule them. Ostensibly, this is accomplished through lavish parties to convince the populace of the wealth and power of the ruling (or hopefully ruling) Guilds. In reality, this is a year-round campaign of lobbying the current members of The Union to exclude one or more of the existing members in favor of an ambitious upstart. Because they have no risk of retaliation or removal from The Union, sometimes The Ministers act as a spoiler, protecting one Guild or putting pressure on the others to remove a difficult or unwanted Guild. Sometimes, they encourage change simply to keep the others at the top of their game.

Law

Overseen one of Hjalmor's Guilda Huksa, the Minister's Guild is in charge of creating and enforcing the laws of the land. This is usually performed in conjunction with town guards acting as enforcers, though the Ministers have worked with the Tacticians on several occasions.

Military

Hjalmor's political process can leave Hjalmorian leadership unstable and ineffective, but it has the added effect of making Hjalmor seem weak to outsiders. This appearance is by design. The Ministers understand that Hjalmor is not a major military player on Summum. Instead, they protect themselves by being both non-threatening and invaluable. The obvious value of conquering Hjalmor would be subsuming its workforce, but any country who has dared to attack Hjalmor has found the Guilds wholly unwilling to work with them. Worse, when Hjalmor inevitably worked its way free through sheer stubbornness, the Hjalmorian Guilds refused to accept work contracts from the offending nation until some penance or reparations were paid. Over the years, this has made Hjalmor an undesirable target of military conquest.

To that end, only very rarely have The Tacticians, the only true military-focused Guild in Hjalmor, found their way into The Union. This, again, is tactical. The Ministers work closely with The Tacticians, but they do not wish for an outward appearance of military might. This has had a somewhat unintended effect of spreading to the rest of Hjalmorian society in the form of a disfavor of military work. After all, much of a military’s job is waiting rather than actually working through a given day. To combat this disfavor, The Union has at various points implemented a draft process. When the draft is called, Guilds present appropriate members to learn soldierly skills to complement their trade skills.

Guilds and Organizations

---

Guilda Skapa

Hjalmoric for the "tangible guilds", the Guilds known for the generation and use of materials for sale. These guilds have historically been more populous than their counterparts in the Guilda Huksa.

The Clear Cutters

With the current pace of exploration in Summum, Hjalmorian lumberjacks are in high demand. They not only provide the raw materials to build out settlements, they also specialize in clearing land for settling. Once a site is located, various governments and private interests reach out to The Clearcutters to make space and provide building blocks for new settlements. This success has cemented The Clearcutters as a consistent member of The Union.

The Fasteners

Similarly to The Clearcutters, The Fasteners find themselves in high demand in a world where new settlements are being built every day. This is especially true when such settlements are not yet ready to be laid down in a more permanent manner. That makes the carpentry expertise of The Fasteners invaluable. They specialize in creating long-lasting buildings without the added time and expense of hauling stone. They too find themselves perennial members of The Union for now.

The Brewers

Not limited to brewing simple alcohol, The Brewers are also master alchemists. With the penchant of Hjalmorians to drink, though, The Brewers generally live up to their name. They of course throw the best parties, and they of course find themselves flush with cash immediately after Shadekeep. Unsurprisingly, The Brewers’ time as members of The Union is second only to The Ministers, and they are current members.

The Chirurgeons

Divine magic infuses the world, and as such The Chirurgeons have had to adapt from a group of mundane doctors and medical professionals to Clerics and Druids with an emphasis on skills that can enhance the efficiency of their use of magic. Unlike most other Guilds, The Chirurgeons are not sent out in large groups. Instead, most work crews from other Guilds bring a member or two from The Chirurgeons along on other jobs. Accidents happen, and The Chirurgeons are an invaluable resource for keeping a workforce active, not to mention fixing an errant hangover or two. The Chirurgeons are not always members of The Union, but they are currently and have been for a few years.

The Porters

Simply put, The Porters move things from place to place. Always in demand but rarely noticed, this Guild has its hands in everything. They help move caravans of workers from place to place. They move quarried stone where it needs to be, and they move equipment and materiel while the other Guilds are just moving themselves. Recent moves toward the frontier have pushed The Porters into the spotlight. Their drive to move forward has caused some unrest, but they have recently solidified a place for themselves in The Union, and it looks like that will be true for years to come.

The Farriers

Not to be confused with The Toolsmiths or The Armorers, The Farriers have a very specific job and they do it better than anyone else in the world. The horseshoe is one of the most pivotal pieces of efficiently using animals for labor. The Farriers provide and attach them. Largely unsung heroes, they are just as important as The Porters without the recognition and they know it. Their lack of recognition may be compounded by the fact that their celebrations and parties are all horse-themed.

Guilda Huksa

---

Hjalmoric for the "abstract guilds", the guilds known most often for dealing with information and people. A vast majority of Hjalmorians find themselves at some distance to the Guilda Huksa, their worth historically as abstract as their purposes - but recent years have seen their necessity proven time and time again.

The Ministers

The Ministers are the most consistent piece of the Hjalmorian government. They represent political philosophers, politicians, and some of the most socially powerful people in the nation. They put every bit as much effort into effectiveness and efficiency that other Hjalmorians put into their more physical crafts. This makes them formidable in terms of their social and organizational prowess.

The Drafters

Another somewhat unsung Guild in Hjalmor, The Drafters are responsible for making sure The Guilds make advantageous contracts. They review, rewrite, and negotiate work contracts and exist as a true backbone of logistics and trade in Hjalmor. Perhaps their most important job is including escape clauses that allow work to cease if a client sets an unreasonable work pace that won’t allow the Hjalmorian workers to unwind. They are also, by Hjalmorian standards, terminally boring. They party just as hard as any others, but seem largely incapable of talking about anything other than their work.

The Tacticians

As the main military force in Hjalmor, The Tacticians represent an unusual place in Hjalmorian society. On the one hand, Hjalmor avoids outright conflict through clever use of deflection and economic prowess, but on the other they recognize their tenuous place in Summum. The reality for The Tacticians, though, is that most of what their warriors do is guard caravans. Depending on the leadership at any given time, The Tacticians either live content to do the job they have to do or push to take more power than The Ministers want them to have.

The Binders

Historically, books have been useful but not lauded in Hjalmor. Collections of schematics, manuals of limited use, and long work contracts used to make up almost the entirety of the books The Binders bound. With new forays into Dark Territory, though, The Binders find themselves thrust into a new, unexpected position of power. They now print and bind books of potentially essential knowledge and are the most recent addition to The Union.

Economy

---

Major Exports

As previously mentioned Hjalmor's major export is its guildsfolk who often live in a somewhat cyclical nature. The guild of their residence will find some niche in a distant land to fill and away the guildsmen will go, traveling long distances away from a stone roof and toiling away in foreign cities. The Guilds take a sizable cut for the work performed, filling the coffers of Strikeholme, and the guildsman will find himself suddenly waist deep in sizable wealth after months of work. Some Hjalmorians will follow their guild home, purchasing mine claims in Albrecht or homes in Strikeholme, but many more remain in their newfound land, their pockets lightening by the day. "Hjalmorians long for the mines" is a somewhat tongue in cheek phrase employed by outsiders, but it's more frequently matched by Hjalmor's own favorite phrase "Nothing brings a Hjalmorian home like an empty purse", and so the cycle begins again.

People and Society

---

Hjalmorians work hard and they play hard. More to the point, they work hard so they can play hard. Stoic and focused during working hours, it’s said that a Hjalmorian work crew will be on their third drink by the time any other workers would be halfway through a day’s work. This is slightly exaggerated, but the Hjalmorian emphasis on hard work and efficiency does mean that they tend to complete jobs more quickly than other laborers. Their culture has also cultivated a huge, highly skilled labor force that has been essential in building out cities and towns alike in Summum. It is always best practice for other nations to hire Hjalmorian labor to build at least the bones of any new city or civilization. Hjalmor isn’t a major player in Summum, because they generally don’t own the things they build, but a common saying in Hjalmor is “Thetlin Found, Edos Owned, Hjalmor Strong.” Some Hjalmorians even downplay the idea of ownership, considering it a distant second behind the strength of the craftsmanship. Hjalmorian works tends to be utilitarian and straightforward but as strong as can be; “Celenisites build temporary, Vedeans build pretty, Hjalmorians build forever.”

Norms

This focus on hard work has led to a society where people are grouped by and lauded for their skills. To that end, the primary social unit in Hjalmorian society is the Guild. From a young age, Hjalmorians are selected and trained in trades that match their aptitudes and interests. This means Hjalmorian Guilds are not focused on healing or magic, but rather they focus on specific crafts and skills. The guilds cover every craft and trade imaginable, with some examples being The Fasteners (Carpenters), The Clearcutters (Lumberjacks), and The Excavators (Stone Quarriers). Some Guilds may be lesser, some greater, some more specialized, some more rank and file, but the people in them are treated with respect. Once the party starts, any guild rivalry or social hierarchy tends to go out the window. They party hard, but everyone knows that regardless of whether it takes alchemy or magic or any other means, they have to be at work the next day.

Families

Hjalmorian families are vague at best. Raising children is a communal activity, and every friend of the family is affectionately known as an aunt/uncle/cousin. At a young age, children are exposed to the tools and skills needed to ply the various trades of Hjalmorian society. They compete in splitting logs, wheelbarrow races, and a game where children take turns hammering in nails; fewest swings wins. Other similar competitions and activities help to point children toward the Guild that will eventually form the largest part of their Hjalmorian identity. While an immediate family and their respective Guilds raise children at the youngest ages, a dramatic shift happens when a child starts to show a preference or aptitude for a particular trade. Anywhere between 12 and 16, a Guild essentially adopts each child as an apprentice. From that point forward, the child’s education is focused on the skills and knowledge needed to practice their trade at the highest level. From that point forward, the child’s birth family, while not forgotten, is a secondary consideration behind the Guild. While not unheard-of, it is somewhat taboo for parents to push their children to a specific Guild, especially that of the parents. Given the communal nature of raising children, the monogamous, nuclear family structure is also less common in Hjalmor. For those reasons, most Hjalmorians have a network of cousins, siblings, and half-siblings that have specialties in various disparate crafts and trades. This gives them an unparalleled sounding board for different perspectives on important problems in their work and lives.

As has been stated, the Hjalmorians are focused and straightforward and work, but they are vibrant in their off-hours, partying like there is no tomorrow. The same is true in their personal lives. They can be outwardly stoic and reserved in public occasions, but they have deep wells of strong emotion in private. Celebrations are lavish events of emotional release, and they are the primary pastime in Hjalmorian society. With such a focus on lavish celebrations, wealth carries a special place in Hjalmorian society. Hjalmorian Guilds are in high demand and have enormous earning potential. But wealth is not kept or earned for its own sake. Rather, Hjalmorians cherish what wealth can do. As such, Hjalmorians churn through wealth. The idea of “saving” is an oddity in Hjalmor, and most Hjalmorians follow a “spend it while you have it” mentality. Hjalmorians like to say “you can’t drink gold,” and they stand by that.

Language

The Hjalmoric language, in conjunction with its Brassic neighbors is known for its uniqueness compared to the other Elyran-descended languages of Solum. Hjalmor, in its isolation, saw very little change to the bulk of its language over the millenia, and many modern day readers are more than capable of discerning the meaning of the old runes carved into the entrances of Hjalmor's cities.

Culture

---

Clothing

As the home of most Hjalmoric is the Lowstones, much of the jewelry and ornamentation is derived from the gems, metals, and stones mined there. Common materials like iron, steel, hematite, agates, and quartzes feature prominently. Hjalmorians tend to favor more metallic substances in arms and armor, commonly taking to chain, scale, and plate when possible. Helms, breastplates, and the like are common heritage items, passed down from generation to generation: well cared for, but often with tell-tale damage from a previous generation.

Underclothing typically features natural colors and warm materials such as wool with decorative gold and silver threaded embroidery. The Hjalmorians have a complex relationship with warm weather clothing, and are usually known to simply roll up sleeves and pant-legs in favor of actually paying for clothing they couldn't wear outside of Hjalmor.

Holidays

Shadekeep

Shadekeep happens the day after the Summer solstice. The solstice itself is used to prepare, and on Shadekeep itself each Guild throws their own party in an effort to curry favor with the populace in hopes of securing a seat on The Union. Some Hjalmorians will wander through the streets from party to party, exploring the options available. Others will stay at their own Guild party to boost apparent numbers or simply because they prefer the company of their guildmates. Shadekeep is one of very few national Hjalmorian holidays, in part because Hjalmorians party early and often without any need to a holiday excuse.

Other Holidays

Most Guilds observe Guild-specific holidays, or at least that’s what they tell their clients. Forepersons love to confound non-Hjalmorians with requirements and holidays when they are ahead of schedule. The truth is, there is an intricate calendar of Guild-specific holidays that are observed when the work allows it. None of them are so important that they will be observed to the detriment of a deadline, but Hjalmorians will take any opportunity to let off steam and spend their hard-earned wealth.

Literature

A particularly flavorful style of poetic storytelling known as Hjallic is popular in rather niche circles of the Binders, marked by two alliterative lines followed by two alliterative-switches.

A fer fejen de fellur - F F F
garant gestud genne - G G G
de gaelen furud gellen - G F G

Nation Info

Official Name: The Guild Federation of Hjalmor
Capital: Strikeholme
Population: ~950,000
Government: Bureaucratic Federation
Leader: The Union
Leader Title: The Union
Demonym: Hjalmorian, Hjalmoric
Major Exports:

• Workforce
• Workable Metals
• Gems
• Stone-works

---

Military

---

• 65,000 Combatants
• Warships: 10 Warships

---

Breed Distribution

---

• 60% - Drimmen
• 25% - Dryad
• 14% - Human

---

Religion Distribution

---

• 60% - The Sentinel
• 20% - The Guardians
• 15% - The Highlord
• 5% - Other