Evering

Huef's Wildest Town

by Juan Ignacio Tapia

Evering is a trade post in southeastern Huef, very near the border of the Great Northern Desert. It is sometimes referred to as "the last stop in civilization" by those venturing into the desert, though this depiction of the town was heavily frowned upon by Queen Merdi, who was famously born there. Though the town is very old, it has never grown particularly large. Originally considered a stronghold against the Huxoth it is now one of Huef's most diverse cities, with many Huxoth passing through, as well as traders from Neith and Alaj.

Evering was "established" as a Huef town in 1456, when the fortress was built there. The king claimed that this was intended to protect the people of Huef from the Huxoth, but in reality, it was an attempt at taking the land which the Huxoth had occupied. Evering itself had once been a Huxoth village. When the king declared that any Huxoth living there must swear fealty to him or leave (lest he declare them national enemies and have them executed), they abandoned the city, moving deeper into the desert. The king later made attempts to take Huxoth cities deeper in the desert, but these typically failed, as the people of Huef were not well equipped to live there.

Though relationships with the Huxoth waxed and waned, over time, some Huxoth people came to the town, first for trade, and later to live there. Though they still had to swear fealty to the king, the Huef people secretly hoped for Huxoth to move, as they struggled to communicate with traders, who sold beautifully embroidered fabric and desert plants known to nuetralize toxins. Some scholars even moved to Evering, hoping to learn more about the huxoth people. Nevertheless, the rulers of Huef always found it necessary to prove power over the Huxoth in one form or another.

In the mid nineteenth century, the king moved to Evering as it was near both the desert and the Linakran border. Huef had a longstanding off-again-on-again conflict with Linakra, and there were signs that it would escalate again soon. But he was also, like many of his predecessors, looking for ways to claim the desert. His daughter, Queen Merdi, however, was born in Evering and quickly took interest in the Huxoth people, learning about the culture and the language. In 1871, at the age of 25, she granted the Huxoth sovreignty and ended the attempts to take the desert once and for all.

Evering is now one of several border towns which boasts a mixed population of Huxoth and non-Huxoth citizens. It remains a trade town, but due to its location both near the desert and near the Linakran boarder, it is considered by some to be wild and lawless. Scuffles between the two groups still occur, as not everyone has accepted their Huxoth brethren. Those that have, however, stand side by side to watch the border, in case of an attack, or refugees crossing. Despite being a trade post, Evering remains both small and rural meaning it lacks in many of the technologies that are common in larger cities further west. But travelers looking for an adventure, or to escape the bonds of "civilized society," it is often the perfect place.

by Ferran Feixas

Type

Trade post