Barony of Bats
Officially this is the called "Barony of Kalla Kʼin Un" (the Barony of the Sun and the Moon's light), but almost every outsider calls this the Barony of Bats because it's run by the kalazotz and the local name is hard to remember and pronounce.
Tentative Geographic Assignment: Spot 11
Basic Concept: This realm is a recent creation. The Baron and the majority of the population are kalazotz making this the first territory any kalazotz has claimed without the sponsorship of dwarves or elves.
History: The land was a fairly nondescript human dominated Borderlands state until orcs and goblins conquered the region and put the whole population to the sword. The orcs claimed they had an ancestral right to the land. Not willing to let the orcs have a base right on their doorstep the dwarves of Meckelorn and Stahlheim sent a joint army to oust the orcs two years later.
Meckelorn and Stahlheim didn't want to leave the realm empty but neither side particularly wanted to take the site for themselves or trust the other group to manage it. A well-respected kallazotz military captain pointed out there were hundreds of kalaotz clamoring for a chance to explore the surface world more and the two dwarf nations agreed to recognize the realm as an autonomous kalazotz fiefdom.
Government Style: The government style is loosely based on Meckelorn's feudal models, but a lot more informal. The Baron is a charismatic war hero and the kalazotz follow his lead more out of personal loyalty than any abstract sense of honor and obligation.
Family is very important to kalazotz and the words of family and clan elders carry much weight.
Character of the Realm: The kalazotz who settled the area are all first generation immigrants who have a somewhat romanticized view of the surface world. Everything new is exciting to them and the kalazotz are enthusiastic to prove themselves to the outside world and set up a good future for their descendants.
Religion: Most kalazotz view Mera as their patron deity, and there are some kalazotz Tenders in the Barony of Bats. The kalazotz of the barony are a bit more adventurous and curious about the outside world so they are haphazardly embracing more worship of the rest of the Nine than mainstream kalazotz ordinarily would, especially Zarthus and Khemra. Because of the kalazotz collective history, Greymoria and Maylar are still distrusted.
Challenges: The barony has only existed for about fifteen years. The kalazotz are not very well accustomed to self governing or surface world agriculture. They have dwarf and human citizens to help them, but there is still a painful learning curve adjusting to a new way of lie.
The other realms of the Border Baronies are still no sure what to make of this very unconventional Barony among them.
Orcs and goblins are still scouting the area probing for weakness. It appears they have not given up on claiming this site for themselves.
Commissioned kalazotz flying, grey background by Diana Rahfoth
Demographics
Comissioned Kalazotz Art (smaller version) by Diana Rahfoth
Defences
Non kalazotz make up a disproportionately high number of the Barony's military forces.
About a third of their standing men at arms are dwarves, mostly heavily armed infantry. About a tenth of the standing men at arms are humans, primarily longbowmen.
The rest are kalazotz, naturally. The kalazotz rely on crossbows and spears as their primary weapons and they will also often drop nets, flachetes, or even rocks on their opponents from above.
Industry & Trade
Fishing is a big part of the economy. The locals also grow cereal crops, potatoes and fruit.
The barony is mostly self sufficient. The barony exports seafood and agricultural good to Meckelorn and Stahlheim in exchange for metal goods. The barony exports a small amount of rope, textiles, and reagents to other provinces in the Borderlands in exchange for goods they cannot easily make themselves.
Tourism
Stahlheim dwarves regularly make pilgramages to visit the Great Stone of Meckelorn. Since relations between dwarves and kalazotz are usually cordial, many pilgrims choose a travel route that makes a stop at the barony of the bats so they have a comfortable place to rest mid-journey.
Geography
Like most of the Borderlands region, the Barony of the Bats is a small metaphorical island of arable land within the hills and swamps of the region.
Natural Resources
The barony has some decent farmland and plenty of water from ponds and streams. Reagents are fairly plentiful here.
What makes the barony unique is that is that most of the surface water is connected by a underground lake network and the area is one of the most plentiful sources of freshwater seafood in all of Scarterra.
Founding Date
1822
Alternative Name(s)
Kalla Kʼin Un, Barony of the Sun and Moon,
Type
National Territory
Population
55,000 mortals
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Border Bats
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Related Traditions
Characters in Location
Comments