Uvani Hilllands
The Uvani Hilllands are a barren and difficult land to live in, and the harsh land has shaped a harder people. The laws of the Uvani emphases that the claimant with the greater strength is on the correct side of the law, and where this is doubt trial by combat is often resorted to. The customs of the Uvani also teaches that any agreement or alliance is only held as long as it is convenient for both or one ambitious party.
The general view of the Uvani within the rest of Thaxnoria is poor, with them believed to be cruel, violent, and barely civilised peoples. Uvani take an equally dim view of the rest of Thaxnoria believing them to be weak, soft, and far too loving of the comforts and luxuries that make men fat. The Uvani see themselves as guardians of the Arm of Runedastil, and have a long and storied military history.
Geography
The Uvani Hilllands have always been a difficult region to dwell in, the land is barren and predominantly non-arable, the weather is cold and harsh, rain commonly beats down, and the terrain itself is mountainous and steeped with inclines and declines proving difficult to navigate. Hilllands are sparse in resources, possessing merger deposits of iron and timber, usefully, however, the merger woods found within the Hilllands are yew trees which creates some of the fine longbows.Level of Autonomy
Even with the use of messenger birds and magical communication it is impossible for any absolute ruler or even council to effectively rule such a large kingdom. As a result, a large degree of autonomy is vested within local rulers, who must profess loyalty to the Monarchy, the House of Peers, and the Kingdom of Thaxnoria. The Hilllands are ruled by the Wardens of Pass House Urstop, although throughout the years various Houses have risen and fallen as the rulers of the Hilllands. The Hillands, under House Urstop, are bordly free to impose their own laws and have customs and traditions that differ wildly from the rest of Thaxnoria. There exceptions, the Hilllands must impose port fees and ship taxes as dictated by the Monarch and House of Peers, must provide centrally dedicated levels of troops in times of war, and the region as a whole has must provide tribute and taxes at a level decided by the Monarch and House of Peers, however, the Hilllands are free to rise these funds through any form of tax policy that they deem fit.Race Relations
The humans of the Uvani Hilllands have a notoriously bad history with nonhumans. Not only is there tension still harbour from the Age of Contact and Contempt, but also as a result of difficult relations between the Uvani Hilllands and Craglands. In distrinction with the rest of Thaxnoria, it is the dwarves and gnomes who face the worst of Human racism and discrimination, due to the Uvani peoples long struggle with the dwarves and gnomes of the Craglands. Like much of Thaxnoria nonhumans face institutional racism, with higher taxes, limitations on professions, and segregation.Views on Arcane Magic
The Uvani peoples have a distinctly negative view on magic, believing it to be an abomination and an anathema to honourable combat. This tradition has only been indulged further by a large portion of the Uvani humans' conversation to the Cult of the Eternal Lady. While Arcane Bastilles do exist, they are few in number and sparsely populated as violence and murder is considered a more effective tool than the Bastilles.History
The Uvani Hillands were once disparate groups of people, they were only united when Kyrand the Red brought them together to throw back an orcish horde. In the aftermath those who fought pledged their might to Kyrand the Red so long as he was worthy, therein they created the Uvani Hilllands. The Hilllands had a sudo-selective monarchy, wherein a claimant could challenge the rightful heir upon the death of the reigning monarch died, their winner of the combat becoming the new king. This resulted in a crown which changed hands often. The independence of the Uvani Hilllands was destroyed during the Thaxnorian Unification. The Uvani resisted efforts from House Gathral to conquer the Arm of Runedastil. The King of the Hilllands Telfor the Absconded led the Uvani against the House Gathral, he joined his force with those of the Gilded Kingdom, but as the battle turned he fled as the joint host was obliterated. Telfor the Absconded fled back to the Hilllands but found death there as the Uvani turned on their cowardly King. Onrath the Restorer came to the throne and knelt, unifying the Uvani Hilllands with the rest of Thaxnoria. Since Thaxnorian Unification, the Uvani Hilllands have felt ostracised by Thaxnoria and have fought with the Craglands and Ardenals over territory and resources.Religion
The only official religion of the Kingdom of Thaxnoria, and thus Uvani Hilllands, is the Faith of the Octurn; however, in reality the Faith of the Octurn receives remarkably little worship. While the other Human majority countries of Thaxnoria’s ancestral deities were co opted into the Octurn, the same cannot be said for the Uvani Hilllands; the Hilllands ancestral deity is Tempus and as a result take up of the Octurn was not strong. The worship of the Eternal Lady also became common following the Age of Blood. The worship of both Tempus and the Eternal Lady has, in recent years, become joined up in what is known as the Union of Flame.Agriculture & Industry
The Uvani Hilllands have a small economy, and even the richest of the Uvani and not rich by the standards of the other, more prosperous kingdoms of Thaxnoria. The Uvani are, however, fine masons, being employed throughout Thaxnoria and beyond to create among the great fortifications,
The Beacon of Honour
Founding Date
500:Conquest
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Capital
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Parent Organization
Official Languages
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments