Common Knowledge

common knowledge

This page will contain general information that may be of interest players. This includes background information on people and places in the area that players are in as well as current events.

Halford Pass

Halford Pass

Halford Pass is situated in the southern ranges of the Felsha Mountains between Trobridge Inn and the southmost tip of Lake Benath.

A few small caravans pass through Halford Pass each year on their way to and from Shiran. For merchants with trade in Shiran only, the route is attractive because it is much shorter than travelling via the Salt Route and hence much cheaper; they say that the roads in Tharda are paved with silver. Yours.

History

80 years ago a young Laranian missionary named Paranë Emylis was granted permission to found a monastery in Halford Pass under charter to Shiran by a local tribal chief after performing miracle for him. There is some disputation as to the exact nature of the miracle, but most agree that whatever feat it was that Paranë performed, the real miracle was that the Tulwyn tribesmen didn't simply kill him the instant he stepped off the Salt Route.

The monastry was founded as a retreat for Laranian knights wishing to escape for a while the violence that can often be a part of being a member of a Laranian fighting order. Originally conceived as an exclusively religious settlement, a secular community nevertheless developed adjacent to the monastery.

A modest lode of silver was discovered about 15 years ago just a short distance from the settlement, and around 7 years ago the community was the target of a slave raid.

Present

The popularity of the monastery, never great, has gradually waned in the years since its establishment. These days Halford Pass is generally seen as a primarily secular community with an adjacent monastery rather than the other way around.

Halford Pass is presently governed by Paranë's daughter, Serala Aquil. Serala has had to fight a running battle with successive Shiranese provincial governors who are keen to renogotiate Halford's charter in order to get their hands on a greater share of the proceeds from the silver mine.

The community still bears the scars of the slaver raid which took many of its children and killed several adults. No family in Halford was left untouched by the raid.

Relations with other nations

The community at Halford Pass has always enjoyed good relations with their neighbours, the Tulwyn. Initially this was simply out of respect for Paranë, but over the years a few Tulwyn have intermarried with the Halford residents, so it is now considered practically family.

The Tulwyn treat travellers through the region much as they treat travellers along the Salt Route - violently. However, Laranian pilgrims travelling to the monastery are generally left alone and a few merchants known to the Tulwyn are granted passage in return for a toll.

Halford Pass is really only nominally Thardic. The original charter was drawn up on the basis of it being a religious community of little value. The main purpose of the charter was to allow Halford to be self-supporting and hence not a burden on either the Shiranese coffers or its defence forces. This has allowed Halford to enjoy most of the proceeds free from the usual taxes and levies.

Kaldor and Chybisa are also interested in the mine, however the special relationship that Halford enjoys with the local Tulwyn tribespeople tends to discourage any nation from seriously entertaining notions of overtly exerting their authority in the region.