Halakros (pronounced ha-LOCK-ros) is the largest of the Hellean states, and one of very few feudal kingdoms in the world. Many of the oldest cities, structures, and ruins of Hellea are located within Halakros. Under much of the kingdom, within the Darklands, lies a massive and elaborate labyrinth that has trapped many adventurers.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Halakros stretches across almost half the land area of Hellea, from the Sea of Khoros in the west to the Sea of Ersas in the east. Encompassing everything from the densely forested mountains of the Greenwall to the flat, placid plains of the Charados river basin, Halakros is geographically highly varied. The climate of the region ranges from the warm Chaskan coast to the more seasonal weather of the Hellean interior. The Halakran interior, away from the coastal storms and the weather patterns off the Greenwall, tends to be somewhat dry, though most of the rest of the region receives fairly consistent precipitation.
The Greenwall is a relatively old mountain range. It has been somewhat eroded by time, the formerly sharp peaks ground down by wind and water. In comparison, the mountains in southeastern Halakros are much younger. Though generally not as tall as the Greenwall mountains, these are still relatively rough and bear the signs of their volcanic births.
Rivers in Halakros generally originate from within the Greenwall before making their way to the coasts. The Charados River is the largest within Halakros, winding its way east across the center of the kingdom. The Charados river basin is home to the center of Halakran agriculture, with most of the old forests felled to make use of the fertile soil.
The interior forests, especially around the border with Metrya and Ephardia, are old growth forests of pine and oak. Though the trees grow well in the rocky and hilly landscape, most crops can’t take root nearly as well, which has contributed to the lack of development in the area. Alongside the number of dangerous creatures that make their home in the forests, this is enough to discourage most from venturing within. In comparison, coastal tree cover tends to be much more sparse, generally consisting of groves of shorter trees like olives, mastics, and others.
Wildlife in Halakros ranges from the large, such as bears, wolves, leopards, boars, wild horses, ibexes, and deer, to the small, including hedgehogs, birds, polecats, and rodents. Though fewer in number now than they were in the past, some small herds of elephants still roam the highlands of Halakros. Some believe the elephants, normally native to the lands south of the Chaska Sea, were introduced to Hellea long ago by cyclops. Marine life is common off the coasts, including seals and a large variety of fish and crustaceans.
Fauns, nymphs, and naiads can be commonly found in the interior forests. Generally peaceful and amenable to visitors, these fey are nonetheless territorial and protective of what they view as their domains, and will not hesitate to act if their forests are threatened. Hellean legends are full of stories of mortals and their interactions with these fey, some of which end positively and some of which do not.
Less willing to coexist peacefully with the society of Halakros are the harpies of Hellea. Found throughout Hellea but especially in the southern part of Halakros, harpies are intelligent despite their preference for humanoid flesh, and often cleverly avoid drawing enough attention to themselves to the point of provoking a response. Some Halakran lords have attempted to form alliances with local harpy tribes, but this rarely works particularly well.
Griffons are known to live in the wilds of central Hellea, making their nests in the remote parts of the interior forests. Some Halakrans even train these creatures, though as they are intelligent and value loyalty highly, some find it better to gain their friendship instead.
Catoblepas are occasionally reported in the inland forests as well. Fortunately these large and aggressive creatures do not often venture near population centers, as it is quite a significant cause for concern when they do.
Alongside the wolves and other mundane large predators, farmers in Halakros keep a watchful eye out for the presence of cerastes near their herds. These highly flexible, horned, snake-like creatures are excellent ambush predators and are willing to attack animals (or people) even larger than themselves.
Demographics
The inhabitants of Halakros are predominantly human, alongside large populations of dwarves, half-elves, undine, sylph, tieflings, aasimar, goblins, oreads, tengu, and others. Generally speaking, coastal cities, especially those in the east, have more cosmopolitan demographics than those elsewhere in the region. Though usually reclusive, some tribes of centaurs live a nomadic existence in the forests east of the Greenwall.
Culture
See Hellea for more information on culture, geography, and history that is common to the nations of the peninsula.
Religion
Like elsewhere in Hellea, the hero-gods play a prominent role in Halakran religion. At least two hero-gods, Hephaistos and Antikythera, currently reside in or under Halakros.
Aside from the hero-gods, the people of Halakros also follow the gods of the common pantheon. The largest temples and followings in Halakros are to Erastil, Pharasma, and Gozreh, but nearly all gods have at least some devotees in the kingdom. Alseta and Easivra, deities who are generally minor or almost unknown elsewhere, have disproportionately large followings in Halakros.
Languages
Hellean is by far the most frequently spoken language in Halakros, followed by Common. Racial languages, especially Elven and Dwarven, are also widespread. Regional languages of elsewhere can be heard widely in the coastal cities of Halakros, but become less common as one travels to the interior.
Food and cuisine
Halakran food and agriculture shares many of the same characteristics as elsewhere in Hellea. However, Halakran cuisine varies widely - the food eaten by those on the southern coast, for example, is going to be quite different from the ingredients and preparations of choice in the northern interior.
Occupations
Most inhabitants of Halakros find a living as farmers or craftspeople in cottage industries - the economic changes that have begun to transform neighboring Metrya and Eretrebus have not yet found root in the kingdom. Halakros is, however, known for its shipbuilding. Most ships from Hellea, at least those that see mercantile and not military use, are first floated in the dockyards of Tyricus, Harpassus, and Kerkada.
Architecture and urbanization
Quite similar to elsewhere in Hellea, Halakran architecture takes a variety of forms, depending on the purpose of the building. Most immediately striking are the palaces and temples, with their tall marble columns, grand arches, gabled roofs, and detailed reliefs carved in the walls. More mundane buildings are usually built of stone, brick, and stucco. Whether buildings are ceremonial or domestic, Hellean architecture emphasizes open space - tall hallways, paths, and courtyards are all common. Floors, at least for those who can afford them, are usually made of polished stone or mosaics. These mosaics generally depict something related to the purpose of the building. An apothecary’s shop, for example, might have a mosaic showing plants sold there or the owner of the shop tending to them.
Under Halakros lies the Acheron Labyrinth, an immense underground maze that stretches across almost the entire kingdom. Usually considered part of the Sekamina layer of the Darklands, the Labyrinth is connected to the surface by a number of cave systems, as well as a few intentionally constructed but closely guarded tunnels. The Labyrinth itself was built at some point in the distant past by unknown creators - while much of it has been seriously damaged by time, geological processes, and the denizens of the dark, other sections remain remarkably intact and still show the original architectural style. These floors and walls in these better-preserved parts of the Labyrinth are cut and polished to perfect right angles and smooth faces. Doors, bridges, and other moving parts are made of the same local stone, but are fitted together so impossibly closely that these are almost indistinguishable from the surrounding maze. A great number of dangerous creatures live in the Acheron Labyrinth, and some who wish to hide from the above world make their homes within the maze. In addition to being highly confusing to navigate simply due to its layout, many have reported the Labyrinth seems to warp space and distance, further disorienting those that attempt to venture within.
Travel
Travel in Halakros is undertaken using the rivers and seas as much as possible - roads are of inconsistent quality, often highly dependent on the priorities of local lords. While bandits might be an unfortunately regular sight on some roads, travellers must be wary that the highwaymen are not sponsored by the area’s baron or count, who generally do not take kindly on adventurers who murder their soldiers for levying “legitimate tolls”.
Halakros does not see much immigration, and in fact the population of the kingdom is in slow decline as many of those with means relocate to parts of Hellea that have more opportunities.
Magic
Of all the mages of Halakros, the construct crafters stand out in particular. Mostly followers of the hero-god Hephaistos, these casters are renowned for their ability to bring inanimate material to motion, whether using purely magical means, like golems, or using a combination of magic with intricate mechanical contraptions.
Education
Higher educational institutions in Halakros are primarily religious in nature, prioritizing the learning prospective clerics require. However, most temples also offer schooling for the children of their congregation, instructing in all the basic subjects. The quality of these schools, as well as literacy rates in Halakros, are widely variable, depending on location (generally better along the coasts) and the inclination of local rulers (temple schools that enjoy the patronage of their liege usually do much better).
Society
The population of Halakros is disproportionately distributed along the southern and eastern coasts, as well as along the major rivers. Much of inland Halakros is sparsely inhabited - travelers can cover large expanses of land and not see a single other person other than those who are accompanying them. This was not always the case, as the plentiful ruins can attest.
Halakros is littered with ancient ruins in various states of decay. The kingdom is known in Hellean popular culture as the “land of legend”, the site of many of the peninsula’s most famous tales and heroes. This reputation pulls many adventurers to the region, who find they have plentiful places to explore (and dangerous creatures to face).
Government
While monarchies and autocracies of various sorts are common throughout the world, including in Hellea, Halakros is unique among these. Though most monarchies elsewhere make heavy use of a bureaucracy for administrative purposes, the Halakran system of governance has instead developed into a decentralized hierarchy relying on codified obligations. In Halakros, a monarch does not oversee appointed administrators but instead heads a network with the monarch at the top, dukes and duchesses below them, then counts and finally barons still lower.
To the rest of the world, the Halakran feudal system is something of an anomaly, and looked upon strangely by most. It manages to effectively keep at least nominal control over a vast stretch of territory, but the central monarch has little direct sway or influence in most matters. Bickering between their underlings is widespread, sometimes even escalating to warfare.
This system developed in the aftermath of the collapse of the last remaining diadochi state (aside from Iaramnae), at the time ruled by the Halakrid dynasty. Unable to exercise the direct control they had long enjoyed, and seeking ways to placate their large and restless armies, the Halakrid rulers took to granting their strategoi rights to large amounts of land, in exchange for loyalty, taxation, labor, and military support in the form of levies. Over time this system morphed to incorporate the same type of reciprocal land grants between the strategoi and their underlings, which added additional steps to the hierarchy. Though not initially the case, these various titles slowly became hereditary as well.
The Halakran government and legal code relies heavily on unwritten rights and laws, rather than a strictly codified framework. Despite being largely informal, a flagrant disregard of these is looked upon extremely negatively. This applies not just to laws regarding everyday activities, but also to the feudal lords - each has obligations expected of them, by those both above and below.
The decentralization of the feudal system means that dukes and counts are given a fair amount of latitude in how they rule. As a result, the exact experience one has in Halakros can vary widely depending on whether or not the local ruler is benevolently-natured.
The name “Halakros” is something of an exonym - people within the region will more commonly describe themselves as living in the land of their local lord, whoever that might be. The Halakrid dynasty still rules the region today, though this has not been without interruption. The dynasty has been replaced and restored many times over the centuries, with other families taking the throne for brief periods.
Economy
Generally speaking, Halakros is internally self-sufficient, or at least could be. The feudal system introduces many complexities and pitfalls that stop this, as local rulers often raise heavy tariffs on merchants from their rivals’ lands, or outright ban the merchants from passing through their territory. As a result, trade networks in Halakros are often highly unintuitive and frustrating for those unfamiliar with their inner workings.
The river basins of Halakros are highly fertile and produce large amounts of food, some of which ends up exported elsewhere. Ores and other minimally-worked raw materials are Halakros’ largest exports by a significant margin.
More recently, some cities in Halakros have been granted special privileges as “free ports”. Under this arrangement, these cities are given far more latitude in their self-administration, and are free from most feudal obligations. Generally those living within cannot be called up as levies, for example. However, they are generally taxed higher. The free ports were created to draw merchants into Halakros and grow the economies of the regions around them, as the status of Halakros has faltered somewhat over the centuries as their neighbors have grown far faster in wealth, power, and prestige. The current free cities are Pyrgillai, Thasos, Harpasus, and Agrinespontos.
Relations
Historically, Halakran monarchs have been strongly opposed to Viridian influence in Hellea and have often sought to form alliances with other Hellean states as a bulwark against further expansion. In the current era of slow Viridian decline, Halakran rulers have taken on an expansionist viewpoint themselves and seek to present themselves as the new lords of greater Hellea, a position that has not been appreciated by many.