Hosquerre
In the mouth of a rift valley is a queendom home to one of the strongest and most brazen civilizations. 300 years ago, they constructed a wall across the mouth of the gorge to keep the monsters at bay and tame the rest of the valley for themselves. The black soil of their land is home to numerous volcanoes, is frequently beset by earthquakes, and the vicious insectoid beasts beyond the wall are constantly threatening to spill forth and devour them. This precarious position has given rise to a culture tough as nails, with a stranglehold on all trade along the east coast making them rich.
There are three main ethnic groups. The Hosque people are traditionally the lowland farmers from the northern plains. The Tauraise people lived in scattered villages throughout the southern forests and spoke a related language. The Foui were the people of Fudan island, and spoke a wholly unrelated language.
For most of the region’s history, no one could live east of the highlands due to monster attacks from the rift. An early queen of the Hosques, at that time centred along the coast and river, spearheaded an expedition to build a wall to keep them out and secure the land east of the highlands. Many workers were killed during its construction, but they succeeded and took control of the mineral resources in the mountains. They grew rich from this, and subsequent queens expanded to take over all land within the depression.
The Tauraise became part of Hosquerre about four hundred years ago, and they have been fairly well integrated. The Tauraise language is a minority language throughout the queendom. The people of Fudan Island (Foudhan in the local language) violently opposed Hosquerre, but were unable to stand up to their military. The island was taken, but the Foui people integrated less than the Tauraise did and the majority of them still reside on the island.
There is also a small number of residents from other groups that live throughout the mountains but aren’t part of Hosquerre.
Political Geography
Hosquerre is an isolated queendom nestled in a depression at the mouth of a rift valley. Two tectonic plates are drifting apart beneath them, giving rise to mountains on either side. The rift itself is uninhabitable due to the deadly wildlife. The borders of Hosquerre are primarily defined by the mountains. To the north, they reach up almost to the peninsula that sticks out. To the west they end at the sea. To the east, they follow the foothills of the mountains to the mouth of the rift, where a massive stone wall marks the edge of their territory. On the other side of the wall, dangerous creatures roam. To the south, they extend down the coast to the pass through the mountains. This territory was most recently added to the queendom, after an invasion to take possession of the crux of trade from the west sea to the lands east of the mountains. Fudan Island is also part of the queendom, taken in conquest about 200 years ago. There are seven provinces, clockwise from north to south: Fudan: the most recent addition, the only place with large Foui majority, small but stable separatist movement. Only one major city, most of the island is rural. Ramseve: The northern frontier, controls trade to Kalitria Marizez: The most poulated. Densely populated on the coast but otherwise fairly empty. It is the hub of overseas trade, though, and home of the largest city and former capital, Tamanhami. A lot of its interior is empty fields. Parazh: Most of it is nestled between the highlands, along the river. It’s the centre for mining and produces most of the iron used through Hosquerre. Quarchan: the easternmost province, which borders the wall. Only became settled after the wall was constructed. Lineages whose families lived out here before the wall are well-respected. Home of the capital city, Churanu. Taureau: Most of it is forested. Home of the Tauraise people, producer of lumber Beluerre: Another heavily Tauraise province and controls trade through the mountainsDemographics
Physical Geography
Hosquerre has two main regions: the heartland, and the southern forests. The heartland is made up mostly of the Hosqerre Grasslands. It only rains in the winter. The coasts are often foggy, especially farther south where it rains throughout the year. During the rainy season of winter and spring, the grasses are greener and many wildflowers appear, but during the summer they’re mostly brown. In the central part of the triangle, the ground rises due to tectonic activity. These are the highlands, a region of low mountains and geothermal activity. They are a great source for iron ore. The fog, rain, and more temperate climate gives way to redwood forests that hug the coast between the sea and the mountains. The trees get progressively higher the more south you go. An expansive forest covers much of the southern third of the main triangle, south of the highlands. This region is cool and wet. A distinctive feature of Hosquerre is its dark, almost black soil. This is a result of all the volcanic activity in the area. The closer to the mountains, the darker the soil. 8 volcanoes have demonstrated activity within human memory. 6 are in the mountains surrounding Hosquerre, 1 is on the island, and the smallest one is in the middle, within the highlands. The entire region is also prone to earthquakes, as well as tsunamis along the coast. It is also home to hundreds of hot springs and a few geysersStructure
The head of Hosquerre is the Queen, who rules from the palace in Churanu. It is always a queen; men are not allowed to inherit. If the current queen has sons and no daughters, her heir is her eldest niece. Before a princess can take the throne, she must defeat a monster in the arena to prove her worth. If the current queen dies before the princess can do that, she takes the title Princess Regnant, may not sit on the throne, and risks losing the title to another female relative.
Maps
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Map of Hosquerre
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Controlled Territories
Related Items
Notable Members
