Harnash

There are three things people notice first about the nation of Harnash when they cross its borders.   The first is the imposing and varied demographics - Orcs make up the majority of the population here, followed by Tabaxi and Goliaths, and then a variety of other Kantasian races including Centaurs and Gnomes. Architecture is naturally more open in design to accommodate everyone from the small to the quadrupedal. Streets are wide and furniture often adjustable.
The second, especially for those who may have prejudices from other places in the world they have visited, is that this orc-dominated society seems notably peaceful, with travellers more likely to be met with a bearhug than a greataxe. ‘Gregarious’ is the best word to describe Harnashi society, with their competitively generous bartering systems and open nature, followed by ‘athletic’, ‘secular.’ Perhaps it is the rejection of the traditional demonic orcish pantheon that means that while physical prowess is still celebrated, it’s on more aesthetic than militaristic grounds. What the generally secular civilisation does result in is that healing magic is almost entirely the purview of bards.
The third of course is the city sticking up out of the ground at an angle like a giant discus dominating the northern horizon. Ever since the Netherese flying city of Gadenthor crashed into the earth many years ago, the people of Harnash have delved into the secrets of this incredible ruin, uncovering secrets, technology and magic. Several organisations in Harnash are dedicated to revealing what else Gadenthor has in store, the Arcanetheril and Delvers in particular. Exploring an ancient and magically defended city while it rests on its side so that most buildings are at about a 70 degree angle is a challenge, but the Harnashi have had plenty of time to master this endeavour. The seat of government for the country is now based out of an ancient university in the upper reaches of Gadenthor, looking out over the land below.
Harnash is unlike anywhere else in the world, combining the boisterous and the scholarly, the athlete and the aesthete, the gregarious and the shrewd. Travellers often decide to stay initially, enchanted by the welcoming society, only to leave again a few months later, overwhelmed by a culture so markedly and enthusiastically different from their own.

Culture

Boisterous, open, inquisitive and competitive are some of the defining traits of Harnashi society. A tactile people, the enthusiasm of the orcs and goliaths means the smaller races - the gnomes, kobold and even the tabaxi - have to either keep up or be swept away by the tide of extroversion.
Beauty is prized highly, and exercise regimes are followed passionately by many not for might but for aesthetics. Combined with a competitive streak, and the gladiatorial arena in the city of Garrus is a constant cavalcade of obstacle courses and gymnastics competition. No one skips leg day in Harnash.
There is no dominant religion in Harnash, and while there are a handful of shrines to the other races who live here, there are notably no temples or symbols of the orcish pantheon to be found openly in the country. Worship of any orcish deity is actually illegal in Harnash. Whatever caused this separation from their gods is long in the past, but it has left the society with a decided disdain for religion in general. Any druidism is similarly discarded in favour of urban life, hence the resulting rise of bardic magic for healing.
There are some orcs who try to follow the old ways of course - strength is for conquest not vapid beauty contests; Gruumsh created the orc people and they have a purpose as the conquerors of all. This usually results in ostracism from society and these orcs grouping together into clans off in the mountains and desert to the east.

Agriculture & Industry

Of crucial interest to many who might read this article is the question: “Where are all the adventurers in Harnash?” The answer is simple: “There are plenty, but they don’t operate the same way.”
What Faerunians might think of as ‘adventurers’ gather not in haphazard groups to perform random tasks but in concrete organisations divided by function. The majority of ‘adventurer work’ is done by the Exterminatus - a guild of warriors who will move out in force on any supernatural threat they hear about, though they are almost exclusively martial fighters. If the task requires a more investigative mind, the Guild of Detectives is called upon, tied directly to Harnashi law enforcement, with their experts in tracking, observation and solving mysteries. Wizardry and magic is the domain of the Arcanetheril - a conclave who are dedicated to the study of Gadenthor and so leave the Exterminatus to deal with the daily problems of Harnash. When a member of the Arcanetheril wants to send an expedition into the towering vertical city, they call on the Delvers, a guild of professional spelunkers - people who know their way around locks and traps.
With the two bardic colleges of Drama and Medicine rounding out the major groups, the ‘adventurers’ of Harnash are divided by role into these various establishments. While generosity is crucial in Harnashi society and the guilds will be as giving of their time as citizens are giving in their recompense, their focus on their roles and remit means that the guilds don’t operate in unison with each other very easily or frequently.

Trade & Transport

Harnashi society is predicated on the idea that helping each other is not only Good, but a Competition. When this idea of competitive generosity was applied to economics, the system that arose was a barter system that functioned on positive exchange.
On a basic level, Harnashi people always give a token more than the value of what they are acquiring - the more ‘expensive’ the good or service, the greater the demonstration of your own morality and standing in society as you give more than its value in exchange. You should always seek to give more than you receive, and so generosity is a fundamental force of Harnashi economics.
For a system where if you sell something you should always make a profit, it is remarkably self-regulating. Deceitful or poorly valued exchanges mean that the next time you try to deal, you’ll be met with a poorer exchange rate, or just a refusal to deal at all. Word travels fast, and reputation is important. Harnashi traders will always favour trade partners who engage in this spirit of positive exchange.

Adjective: Harnashi
Demographics:

• Orcs (55%)
• Tabaxi (15%)
• Goliaths (10%)
• Gnomes (5%)
• Centaurs (5%)
• Dragonborn (4%)
• Kobold (2%)
• Minotaur (2%)
• Other (2%)

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

The Twin Throned Promonotory

Demonym

Harnashi

Economic System

Barter system

Legislative Body

Harnash is ruled from the Twin Throned Promontory, overlooking the country from a series of buildings that were once a university in Gadenthor’s uppermost reaches. Its name is derived from the two rulers of the country - the Ruler by Right and the Ruler by Voice. Harnash is a double monarchy, where one (the Ruler by Right) is a descendant of previous rulers in a lineage that has been established for centuries while the other (the Ruler by Voice) is an elected position for a representative of the people of Harnash. These positions are both limited to 12 year terms, staggered so that one of the rulers changes every 6 years. Currently these thrones are occupied by a pair of Queens. Queen Thundering (Thundering-Herd-of-Wild-Horses) is a Tabaxi holding her throne by Right, the family having married into the royal line a century ago. Known as the Storm Queen for her decisiveness as much as her temper, she is in the 9th year of her reign. Holding her throne by Voice for the 3rd year is Queen Ariel Cantorin. When she was elected, Ariel was a bard of great renown in Harnash - an orcish singer and songwriter who became extremely influential with her music and used that platform to deliver strong cultural and political messages, frequently critical.
This two-pronged system - a rotating hereditary seat and a popular seat - has meant that there are many ways to try and get into these lauded thrones. Marrying a royal meant that you were actually reasonably likely to Rule by Right at some point in your life, and cultivating a strong celebrity presence was not only a path to riches but genuine political power as a Ruler by Voice.