About the Heimland

Written by Ken D

The Heimland, situated two miles from the Tagaloa is divided into multiple sections. These sections, once united under the rule of the Old Folk, these sections have since split into territories, each ruled by a particular race. The official flag of Heimland, recognized by all races, is the Cyan-Cross:

by C.S.De Silva (Ken D)

This particular flag is an invention of the Folk, and shares similarities to a flag from a nearby dimension. The land of Heimland is very old, with much speculation of how it was first formed. A common legend told by all the races of Heimland is this: at the beginning of creation, the only things in existence were two islands known as the Midlands and the sea. From the Midlands came Areop-Enap, the king of place later known as the Tagaloa and father of Vijaya (first king of the Old Folk), who searched for food in the darkness and found an enormous clam. Before he could stun it, the clam swallowed him and snapped shut again. In the darkness, Areop-Enap explored the clam's insides, and found a tiny snail named Disra. Areop-Enap placed the snail under his arm and lay down and slept for three days, directing some of his Moona to the snail. The next day he found a second, larger snail named Thetmis which he placed under his arm and again slept for three days, transferring some of his Moona to the snail. On waking, Areop-Enap asked the smaller snail, Disra, to climb to the hinge of the shell and pry the clam open. As the snail moved across the clam's flesh, it left a phosphorescent trail, in the light of which Areop-Enap saw a white caterpillar called Rigi. Ignoring the snail, Areop-Enap cast a strength-spell on Rigi and persuaded him to try to open the clam. Time and again Rigi set his head against the upper-shell and his tail against the lower-shell and heaved. The clam resisted and sweat poured from Rigi, making a pool in the lower-shell, then a lake and finally a massive pond. The saltiness of the acidic water killed the clam and opened the shell. Areop-Enap made the lower-shell into Heimland and the upper-shell into the Tagaloa and set the smaller snail, Disra, west of the upper-shell where it became the Guardian of Tagaloa. The second snail, Thetmis, was set to the east and became the Guardian of Heimland. Finally he turned to Rigi and found that he had drowned in his own sweat, killed by his own exertions. Areop-Enap wrapped him in a cocoon of silk and hung him in the sky to become the first ever cloud to float over the sea. Areop-Enap created the Old Folk from stones so they could support the sky, and then discovered there were other creatures in the newly-created worlds. So he created a massive dragon from the dirt named Zmienna and set her to annoy the two groups of creatures so that they called to each other to kill it. In this way Areop-Enap learned the names of the inhabitants of the world, and then named one group of creatures as the Anubumin (who became the inhabitants of Tagaloa) and then the other group as the Bagadugu (who became the Old Folk). Areop-Enap loved both races equally, but taught one race the secrets of the universe and how to make and use advanced technologies and the other race about the mysteries of the supernatural and extraterrestrial, teaching them to use magic and all forms of powerful forces. The Anubumin, satisfied with what they had, stayed on their island whilst the Bagadugu, led by Prince Vijaya, left the Midlands for the Heimland.

Geography

The island of Heimland is roughly 118 thanna in width and 120 thanna in length. Heimland is divided into six Territories; in the east of Heimland are the lush Heimish-Forests inhabited by the Yea'haa'weh and the Vedda. A few miles away, from the west of the forests, are the lands of the common people in which the cities of Thetmis and Disra, once ruled by the Old Folk and named after the snails in the creation-myth of Heimland, currently reside. Disra, the Moon-City, is where Patrick-the-Engine currently resides whilst Thetmis, the Sun-City, is built around Disra. The common people living in Disra have never come too close to Patrick, as his place is sacred-ground and is protected by a fence of blue-fire, better known as the "Ellektreesitty" which is an invention of the Old Folk. Past the lands of the common people, still going west, is the Raginwald, the mountain-range of black jagged mountains and cliffs that is frozen over due to nuclear-winter caused by Big-Bahama, the bomb of the Old Folk. Raginwald is strictly inhabited by Drekkin. Past Raginwald, still going west, are the Badlands in which the cities of Indagar (home of the Indagarians) and Surakhnit (home of the Surakh) reside. The Factory, land of the machines, is at the center of Heimland, where the land of Taprobane resides. The Black-Tower resides at the center of Taprobane. Finally, at the tip of the Heimland, is the Harbor, where the cyborgs and other mutants might live.The bandits, who all hail from the city of Tarawong in the Harbor, are spread all across Heimland.

Fauna & Flora

The creatures of Heimland are also shown to be common in the Tagaloa. The most common creatures are the pigs, wild horses, jungle-fowl, goats, wild-dogs, pygmy-elephants and the pōpokotea, small white birds that are said to be good omens. Many magical beasts also inhabit the islands; Stormbeasts- appearing as massive bison, these hulking behemoths bring about lighting and rain as they gallop across the skies. They have five horns, flat paddle-shaped tails, large brown eyes, shaggy brown fur and six legs with three toes on each foot. As they are primarily herbivores, they have flat teeth shaped like blocks of wood, which are spread out on the roof and bottom of the mouth in groups of ten. Hailing from the land of East in the Tagaloa, these beasts are the island's secret to bountiful fish. Patupaiarehe- the Patupaiarehe are pale spirit-beasts that live in deep forests and on mountaintops, and are sometimes hostile to humans. Ethereal flute music and singing sometimes reveals their presence. Patupaiarehe, also referred to as Turehu, Ngati'Hotu and Urukehu (red heads), live in large guarded communities. They tend to occur in certain localities, especially hilly or mountainous regions in Savai'i and near Surakhnit. Poukai- the Poukai are monstrous birds that kill and eat humans. Not much is known about them, but they reside in Falealupo and IRaginwald and hunt at night for Patupaiarehe. Taniwfha- the Taniwfa (singular "Tanif") are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive giant waves. They are dangerous, predatory beings which kidnap women to have as wives. They hunt pigs and horses and come out at night. Manaia- strange shapeshifting creatures with the heads of birds, tails of fish and the bodies of serpentine men. They can change form into pigs or goats to lure hunters into the woods, before abruptly killing them. Tewhekea-Muturangi- monstrous octopi that dwell in the oceans separating the islands of the Tagaloa and Heimland from each other. They hunt giant eels, although they will easily snatch a man wandering too close to their waters. Kaitiaki- highly respected protective guardians of people and places, and some of the only non-violent creatures of the Tagaloa and Heimland.

Natural Resources

Wood from the forests, grain from the fields, sheep in the rolling hills and metals and stone from the bowels of the earth are but few of the resources of Heimland. There is also various machines, various forms of magic and sorcery. But like the Tagaloa, its most common resource is its Moona. Moona, also known as soul-powder, is the by-product of dead beings. If consumed, it adds to a person's longevity whilst removing the person's youthful appearance at the same time. Moona in Heimland is used to power factories and run vehicles, but in the Tagaloa it is used as a sacred "Ianweron" (meaning "power") for magic.