Government: The Hodekin Nation

Structure of the Government

As discussed previously, the Hodekin nation is ruled by the Vidame, who resides in and holds personal lordship over the capitol of Audlem. Although hodekin law never actually establishes the Vidame’s superiority over the other Dames, it is nonetheless accepted as fact. The three other Dames each rule over a township, a subdivision of the nation as a whole. Smaller villages are ruled by a Ritter, who is subordinate to the Dame of her township. All of these positions are hereditary and are held only by females.

The four townships are each named after the home of their Dame. Beginning in the south, Alshap township extends through the bamboo forest including Omstead, and continues on the east bank of the Wellwash past Bristle, almost as far as Halstead. Across Omen Sound, Wisbech township encompasses the Wachoer Forest and Forfar; it extends all the way to Audlem. Audlem township includes very little other than the town itself and a few outlying homes. Finally, Bodmin township covers the section north and to the sides of Audlem, including Halder, Halstead, Torlich, and Walsem. It should be noted that although settlements on the map only range as low as 50 people, there are many smaller hamlets scattered around, most having only a few households. These hamlets generally fall under the jurisdiction of the nearest village or town’s Dame or Ritter.

Geography

Much of the territory of the Hodekin nation is mountainous and somewhat inhospitable. Small shrubs and lonely trees pepper the landscape of these high hills. The southern region around Omen Sound is considerably lower, and much of it is forested. On the west side of the sound is the Wachoer Forest between Wisbech and Forfar, and on the east side of the sound is the relatively young bamboo forest around Omstead. Non-forested areas in the south have largely been taken over by farmland. There is also a narrow strip of farmland further north along the western edge of the territory centred on Walsem.

In the north the Canal River flows down from the Riddelmere. The river is named for its final section, an obsidian-walled canal that runs almost straight south and separates the alfar and elben territories. The other river in the Hodekin nation is the Wellwash River, which flows out from the Great Well in Audlem. No one knows who built the Great Well, or how it was built, but it dredges steaming hot water up from the depths of the earth without fail. The town of Audlem was built around the well.

Industry

In contrast to the other nations, few villages in the Hodekin nation are primarily devoted to food production. While in Wisbech and Alshap there are a fair number of fisherman, the only other areas with strong food industries are Walsem, Halder, and the capitol. Walsem is a farming community like many others in the Bay with a mix of planting and reindeer herding, while Halder is almost completely devoted to farming mushrooms in the area’s many caves. In Audlem, the temperature is higher than elsewhere because of the heated water from the Great Well, and so they specialize in warmer weather luxury crops that won’t grow elsewhere. As a result, much of the Hodekin nation’s food must be imported from elsewhere in the Bay.

Mining is a prominent industry among the hodekin. Bristle is home to an iron mine, and Halstead boasts the only coal mine in the Bay. In the north, the quarry at Bodmin provides stone for building, and mines in Bodmin and Torlich are a source of tin, lead, and other useful minerals. Forfar is an industrial town, housing metalworks and blacksmiths. Forfar’s factories also produce many useful everyday objects that are then exported all over the Bay.

Industry related to the war is also prominent. The village of Canalside, which operates a bridge across the Canal, has been completely taken over by the alfar-hodekin alliance as a military camp since the war’s start. Though it was once a farming village and trading hub at the nexus of two major roads, the inhabitants have largely moved on to other locales. An army training camp operates in Forfar, where many of the weapons used in the war effort are manufactured.

The bamboo around Omstead was planted so that the Hodekin nation would have a ready source of wood that grows relatively quickly. Much of that bamboo is used in the industrial works in Forfar, and much is also used at the shipyard in Wisbech. Bamboo has also become a common building material throughout the nation.

Lastly, the whaling ships that sail out of Alshap hunt both whales and the long-necked butterbasts. While some meat comes from the prey, they are hunted primarily for their blubber, which is used for a number of purposes, including making candles. Butterbasts also sometimes pose a threat to cargo ships and fishing vessels, so the hunt also serves to keep the Bay safer.

Possible Adventure Hooks

The war and its fallout are a ripe topic for potential adventure hooks. In terms of the war’s effect on the Hodekin nation, the other Dames could begin to resent Vidame Morwynn for dragging them into a conflict that they don’t see as their own. In your game this could manifest itself as a simple mission to spy on the Vidame or her agents, or it could be a mission of assassination or revolt.

The Hodekin nation’s dependence on food supplies from other nations could lead to adventure. Food shipments could be lost or captured, or it could be your adventurers’ mission to do the capturing and deprive the hodekin of their supplies. Other war-related adventures are also possible, such as threats to the Omstead bamboo supply or to mineral shipments being transported from the north down to Forfar.

If you want to stay away from the war, the mystery of the Great Well is an option. If the well were to stop functioning your adventurers might be sent in to fix it, or to find a solution elsewhere such as in the Royal Library in the ruined city of Fairdon. A problem with the Great Well might also cause the Skarie River to cease flowing upwards, resulting in the Riddelmere being drained by two rivers, endangering the water supply of the entire nation.

Wednesday: Weapons