Huon League

The Huon League, also known as Huon, or the League, is a federation of eleven states states located in western Sphaera. It is to the west of the Eralih Empire and to the east of Fén Ír. The League is landlocked, and is one of the smallest nations, both in term of landmass and population, on the continent.

The Huon League is led by the Huon Council, who meet in the capital city of Mecras. In times of war a High General is appointed to lead the nation throughout the conflict.

Etymology
The term "Huon" is derived from the legendary hero Hu'on, the man that unified the disparate So'raan tribes and states that inhabited league territory during the "pre-founding".

Geography
The Huon league are spread across a vaguely defined area of land known simply as the "Divide”. Across the Divide is a number of different landscapes, including vast lakes and open plains, as well as a number of mountain areas.

The capital of Mecras lyes in the mountain ranges central to the Divide, the city itself standing on the roots of Mount Raan. To Mecra's east lies the state of Idiron, the second most politically important city and home of the Duumvirate.



Pre Founding - Early So'raan Tribes and the First Great Schism
The earliest record of the So'raanic tribes dates back to approximately 1200 years pre-founding (otherwise known as 0 S.C, or 0 So'raan Current). The So'raan tribes littered the Divide and stretched into what would later become the Toryl Republic. These primitive tribes were each led by a chief that would govern their own household as they saw fit, the leader able to decide each man and woman's status within the "proto-states".

In these times, the population of the areas surrounding the divide were estimated to be in the area of 10-12 million, a huge number for such a tiny area. This is speculated to be the reason for which no large scale unification was attempted, for it would be a logistical failure to sustain a population so large under one government. The issue of how to restructure a tribal government into a civilised society posed another obstacle to unification.

Around 420 S.C, the "First Great Schism" occured, in which it is believed that an incredibly charismatic figure rose in the west of the Divide, and lead her tribe to war in an attempt to assimilate all other So'raans under her leadership. No written material has survived from the First Schism, though the invading force was believed to be broken at the "Battle of the Forlorn Pass" (424 S.C), in which the tribe of Ar'she Pa'thelos held them in a narrow mountain pass for three days. The attack of the general failed and her entourage fled west in a mass exodus - taking 5 million So'raans with them and helping to found what would later be the Toryl Republic.

Pre Founding - The Second Great Schism - The Destruction of Urian and the Fall of Raan
Following the rapid retreat of most western So'raan population, the Divide entered a period of relative piece. With a smaller population inhabiting the lands, tribes were able to form recognisable political structures, and tribal chiefs had plenty of space to build permanent towns and cities, where before there had only been tents and shacks.

The period between 424-567 S.C would later come to hailed as a golden era in the history of So'raanic development. The city of Raan (now Mecras) was built in this time, carved into the mountain by the combined efforts of three clans. Idiron was also established in the east (then going by the name of Laa'on), the wooden buildings being built over the large lake the province is known for. These feats of engineering would set the precedence for So'raan worksmanship over the following generations.

The progression of the So'raan tribes was not limited just to building however. Art and sculpture became prominent within the clans (particularly in the medium of wood), as well as the production of written verse, of which much is believed to be the ancestor to the League text.

The most famous philosopher and thinker of the period was U'ra'tor, who composed the Tome of Uria, the religous text that reconciled many of the So'raan creation myths and legends into one. U'ra'tor's text would later become the basis of the Huon religion, as it was greatly accepted by the public both at the time of publishing and in the following generations.

Golden era though it was, the Divide was far from peaceful, and in the twilight of 597 S.C, the fragile truce provided by mutual societal progression was shattered. The Ro'vak tribe, led by their namesake Xo'l Ro'vak led an army from the northern end of the Divide straight into the holy township of Urian and burned it to the ground without any tangible resistance. What was already an unsavoury act of bloodshed was heinously furthered by the capture and execution of the non-combatanant civilians that had attempted to flee the battle. The estimated death toll was 1000 soldiers and 100,000 civilians.

The surrounding chiefs were horrified by this act, even as dictators themselves they saw it as excessively brutal to kill civilians in cold blood. Together the other chiefs endeavoured to send a messenger to Ro'vak pleading him to return to the north and never make war again. A week later the messenger's severed head was returned to the conclave of tribal chiefs with a declaration of war from Ro'vak himself - he saw the scattered So'raanic tribes as weak and wished to see them united under his rule so that they could conquer the surrounding lands in a vast empire.

Ro'vak did not stall after the massacre at Urian, leading his army further south towards Raan, the newly built city situated in the middle of the Divide. His intention was to seize a central position from which he could found his empire and conquer the other tribes, before moving across Sphaera. Many smaller tribes flocked to Ro'vak, swearing fealty to him in return for their lives, and praising him as Urias returned - those that did not faced a painful death. By the turn of 598 S.C, Ro'vak had rallied 2,000,000 So'raans to his cause, and marched into Raan, marking the official start of the "Second Great Schism".

The battle within Raan was fiercly contested, though shortly lived and ultimately one sided. The defenders of Raan, only 12,000 strong, fought Ro'vak's army piecemeal as it surged through the city gates, but couldn't hold out for more than a week before being overrun. The captain of Raan's military, a man by the name of Me'kra, ordered a retreat back through the mountains, and was able to elude the invaders before heading further south to the tribe of Ar'she. Oric Raan, the chief of the city, wasn't so lucky, and was slain by Ro'vak himself in the battle for the city. Raan's body was then hung from the city walls by the self-styled emperor, as a message to other clans - he would not show any mercy to those who opposed him.

Me'kra arrived in Ar'she a week after the fall of Raan. Pleading for assistance, he met with Ar'she San, the great grandson of Ar'she Pa'thelos, who had held the Forlorn Pass against the western So'raan so many years ago. While San longed to end Ro'vak's tyranny, his household lacked the nescessary manpower to attempt a counter-attack on the newly formed Ro'vak empire. He advised Me'kra to seek out other clans for their aid, in the hope that by combining arms they may oust Ro'vak.

It was then so that Me'kra plied the southern-most reaches of the Divide, attempting to gain the loyalty of the disparate So'raan tribes. Of 30 odd clans living in the area, seven answered his pleas - the families of Ut'rus'aan, Vaalios, Aailos, Paraamanos, Teleraas, Fu'sen and Diocarus. Added with the remnants of Raan, and Ar'she's forces, this made for an alliance of nine states. Seeking yet more help, messengers were sent north to the realms of Lysandas and Idiron, who had so far held out against Ro'vaks probing strikes from Raan. They agreed to aid Me'kra, but only once they could be sure of their own security. Ph'oro Lysandas, head of the Lysandas tribe, sent a small contingent south to Me'kra as an initial show of his support, promising him that the chosen officer would be of use to him in the coming war. Late in the year of 598 S.C, Telemachrus Hu'on arrived in Ar'she.

Pre Founding - The Second Great Schism - The Second Siege of Raan
The little remaining of 598 S.C was spent in planning for the upcoming war against Ro'vak, as mustering the forces of the nine states in Ar'she's lands. Taking Lysandas' advice, Me'kra relinquished the logistical duties of the war to Hu'on, who had plenty more experience in such matters, instead choosing to demote himself to an advisory role in deference to the renowned veteran commander. Word has it that though Me'kra had technically demoted himself, he and Hu'on held a healthy modicum of respect for one another, and in the coming war would become the closest of allies.

While the newly formed alliance gathered in the south, Ro'vak had not been idle. In the eight months following the taking of Raan, the self styled "emperor" had solidified his hold on the surrounding lands, with the centre and north of the Divide belonging almost exclusively to his household. Idiron and Lysandas were subsequently blockaded to stop them sending aid to the southern coalition, and Ro'vak sent much of his army south to block the approach to Raan. By conscripting many of the central So'raanic tribes to his cause, and with an advantageous geographical position, Ro'vak had an almost insurmountable defence to protect his fledgling empire.

The dawn of 599 S.C came, and after months gathering their forces, the southern coalition started the Second Great Schism in earnest. Hu'on, by Me'kra's choice had full command of the coalition forces, and chose to divide them in a three pronged attack on Ro'vak. Hu'on would lead the warriors of Ar'she, Teleraas and Vaailos (as well as the survivors from the first siege) up to Raan in a head on attack - trusting the brutality of Ar'shean men to carry them through the picket lines to the city. Meanwhile, Ut'rus'aan and Diocarus would attempt to flank to the east, retaking Urian as they did so. Finally, the houses of Paraamanos, Aailos and Fu'sen would drive up the west of the Divide to free Lysandas from their blockade, so that their army could attack Ro'vak from the rear.

While the plan was tactically sound, the Ro'vak's defenced were more than up to the task. The armies of Ut'rus'aan and Diocarus were rebuffed from the eastern flank by the determination of the enemy and the harsh winter weather of the new year. Similarly, the western force did little better, ending up in a war of attrition with the defending blockade. Only the forces led directly by Hu'on and Me'kra had success, as their own army drove through the outer defences of Ro'vak with minimal casualties, bringing them within striking distance of Raan.

This brought a dilemna to Hu'on - should he press the attack against Ro'vak, or wait for confirmation of a breakthrough on his flanks. If he waited he would only lose the initiative, but if he attacked the coalition spearhead would have no reinforcement and no safe fallback route to Ar'she. He spent a few nights in consultation with Me'kra and Ar'she San, and debated with them at length their options. In the end it was proposed by Me'kra that they vote upon the best course of action, and so they brought in the senior officers from each tribe. Each man was given a stone upon which they would carve their opinion, before they were counted and their choice selected. That night, the officers chose to attack Raan within the week, damning the consequences that might follow should they fail.

And so it was that the houses of Ar'she, Raan, Teleraas and Vaailos marched to retake the Divide. Vaalios made the vanguard of the coalition, and met the brunt of Ro'vak's army in front of the city gates. Assaulting a well defended position cost the household dearly, a full three quarters of its men falling, including its chieftain Va'al - without inflicting so much as a noticeable impact on the defenders. The Vaalions fled, but were cut down before they could reach the safety of the coalition's lines.

Unwilling to send more of his men to their deaths, Hu'on withdrew to a safe distance and made camp, intending to regroup before attempting another escalade.

Founding - The Formation of the Hu'on League
WIP - Will explore the legacy of Hu'on, and the establishment of the modern states.

Post Founding - Current Era

WIP - Notes recent and unfolding events concerning the Huon League, such as the fall of Ut'rus'aan, the rise of Torcecles, and the border clashes with the Toryl Republic.

Government
The Huon League is made up of eleven states (and a number of smaller, unrecognized factions) – each of which individually manage their internal affairs. Each of these states though, is bound together by the “Huon Pact” – an official declaration that each state will aid and assist one another in times of dire need. To ensure that the Huon Pact is fulfilled to its intended purpose, each of the states sends a pair of representatives (for a total of 22) to the Huon Council, a body that makes political decisions that affect the entirety of the league. The council is housed in Mecras (or Mekras, to some historians) the city-state that acts as the capital for the alliance.

Decisions are made by the council are by democratic vote, and this often leads to infighting and off the books alliances at political meeting. Although this might lead to turmoil and resentment between states, the council may never decree war on one of it’s members – the surrounding world is too vicious for civil war. Instead the only military decision that can be made by the council is to declare war with an outside faction, any further matters are handed to the High General.

Near total authority for war is falls to the High General, an individual elected by the Huon Council. Once elected, the High General must forsake his (or in rare cases, her) loyalty to their home state and act only as an agent of the league, for bias cannot be a factor in their position. The High General is given overruling authority over each states military in times of war, and acts as the absolute top of the military food chain. Because of the power of this position, several times the High General has tried to seize control of the league, but all have failed, betrayed by the unwillingness of the soldiery to try unifying the league’s people.

States

 * Mecras
 * Arshe
 * Fu'sen
 * Reskaalon
 * Urian
 * Idiron


 * Teleraas
 * Diocarus
 * Lysandas
 * Aailos
 * Paraamanos

Military
The league’s military, much like its religion, has been unified since the introduction of the Huon Pact. The bulk of its army is composed of infantry, who are organised into 100 man units on the battlefield. A battle group is composed of 50 units (1000 men) plus specialized units (30-200 men), a scouting cavalry division (30 men) and officers.

The individual foot soldier of the Huon League is clad in leather armor with a Bronze breastplate. Helmets are rarely issued outside of siege warfare to encourage warriors to be aware of their surroundings. The common soldiers carry an iron sword (4 ft length), bronze dagger and bronze laminated shield. Bows are also common and are issued to veteran units trained in their use.

Officers of the Huon League (or Haas in So’raan) sport much the same equipment on the battlefield, save their weapons and armor be decorated with inscriptions from Urian legend. Many officers of higher rank may carry a standard with them into battle, acting as the rallying point for their men.

Each battle group will often sport a number of specialist warriors in their ranks. The Huon Pact has a clause that mentions that the military traditions of the individual states should not be abandoned, and as such a contingent of these “traditional” warriors are present in most armies. An example would be the warriors of Arshe state, who go into battle with torso bared except for tribal warpaint, and carry with them tall bronze halberds which tower over their enemies.

Language
As the Huon League is made up of a number of states language and local dialects vary according to individual tradition. Since the formation of the league, many city states have adopted the So’raan language as a common tongue, this helps with internal affairs and cross communication between members of the different states. So’raan was developed by the city state of the same name, one of the first members of the league, and one of the oldest cultures individually. The language is composed of smooth vowel sounds and text written in So’raan has a contrasting angular aesthetic.

Religion
Despite the people of the league being of varied backgrounds, they can all trace their lineage back many years to when the tribes of the land would war with primitive weapons and tactics. During this time period the main god of worship was Urias – known colloquially as “the creator” or the “allfather”.

Worship of Urias was common through the tribes, although interpretations of him tend to vary from culture to culture. Since the unification, an official stance on the nature of Urias has been compiled by the league’s priesthood – it proclaims that Urias is the creator and protector of his patrons, and that he smithed the mechanisms of the world.

Like many faiths – this “official” definition often falls on deaf ears to many in the league, who retain their own version of the Urian myth. Popular variations include depictions of Urias as the head of a whole family of deities that specialize in various areas, or showing Urias as both benevolent hero and malevolent reaper. These beliefs often form the basis of underground cults – or in extreme cases, the official beliefs of an entire state, which has led to civil war in the past and the elimination of the Utrustanian state.

Clothing
The predominant dress across the league is the long cloth robes, which originated in the capital Mecras. It is worn as both a formal dress and as casual, though small variations in style and color vary depending on location and situation. In times of cold, as are common in the mountainous areas of the divide, a fur over-robe will be worn on top of the normal robe for warmth.

Huon
As they all share a common ancestry, members of the Huon League have similar physical characteristics. The average male height is 6’1”, while females are around 5’6’, both genders have a rather slender build, making them appear taller than they actually are. The majority of people are slightly tanned, and black and brown hair is predominant.