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| A rudimentary map of Heron |
Heron is Comalan’s northernmost nation, sharing a southern border with Resta and a western border with Tanis. Despite its natural beauty, Heron is not known as a particularly welcoming country — its frigid climate and mountainous topography make living and traveling there very difficult for a large segment of the year. Even in the late spring and summer, ordinary travelers usually venture only so far northward, usually stopping at Dalaska, Heron’s capital city and primary center of diplomacy.
Heron is governed by a feudal system headed primarily by three noble families — the Crowmonts in the east, the Karns in the north, and the Piers in the west — each descended from one of the three major tribes who made up Heron’s first people. For the most part, society is highly stratified. In the eyes of foreigners, Heronite culture is considered highly traditional and conservative. In general, the people of Heron follow a rigid, dogmatic version of the Chaotic faith, though there are exceptions in certain regions.
While this view of Heronites as small minded and unsophisticated is common amongst outsiders, any who make the effort to see past this stereotype will be able to appreciate the true cultural diversity of the northern nation. While a common faith is present among most of Heron, the place is hardly devoid of minority religions - though most of these are limited to fairly isolated communities. The Salican traditions of the coastal communities in northern Karn territory are largely a mystery to any but those who make the trek to the remote region, for instance. Beyond this, observant travelers will find that in customs and culture, the people of Heron vary greatly from region to region, and even from town to town.
Prior to the second Age, Heron was known as Pyris as it was the birthplace of fire magic. Nowhere is this more apparent than in their Pyromancers, warriors who can conjure and manipulate flames at will. These warriors were once the pride of their nation until the resolution of the War of the Gods compelled Chaos to strip their power away. Before this phenomenon, the tribes enjoyed power reaching all the way into Coronos, a weaker country that is now the northern county of modern-day Resta. Since its renaming, Heron has become increasingly isolationist, welcoming foreigners only for their necessary trade goods.
Locations
Heron is governed by a feudal system headed primarily by three noble families — the Crowmonts in the east, the Karns in the north, and the Piers in the west — each descended from one of the three major tribes who made up Heron’s first people. For the most part, society is highly stratified. In the eyes of foreigners, Heronite culture is considered highly traditional and conservative. In general, the people of Heron follow a rigid, dogmatic version of the Chaotic faith, though there are exceptions in certain regions.
While this view of Heronites as small minded and unsophisticated is common amongst outsiders, any who make the effort to see past this stereotype will be able to appreciate the true cultural diversity of the northern nation. While a common faith is present among most of Heron, the place is hardly devoid of minority religions - though most of these are limited to fairly isolated communities. The Salican traditions of the coastal communities in northern Karn territory are largely a mystery to any but those who make the trek to the remote region, for instance. Beyond this, observant travelers will find that in customs and culture, the people of Heron vary greatly from region to region, and even from town to town.
Prior to the second Age, Heron was known as Pyris as it was the birthplace of fire magic. Nowhere is this more apparent than in their Pyromancers, warriors who can conjure and manipulate flames at will. These warriors were once the pride of their nation until the resolution of the War of the Gods compelled Chaos to strip their power away. Before this phenomenon, the tribes enjoyed power reaching all the way into Coronos, a weaker country that is now the northern county of modern-day Resta. Since its renaming, Heron has become increasingly isolationist, welcoming foreigners only for their necessary trade goods.
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Locations
- Dalaska - Heron's national capital and center of diplomacy.
- Valanholm - Some background on a mysterious ruined site in the northwest.
- The Pyromancers - More on the source of Heron's pride.
- To The Common Men of Piers Territory - An excerpt from a Heronite newspaper reacting to the death of Lord Colin Piers and the ascension of his illegitimate son Aden.
- The Festival of Spirits - A yearly secular festival meant to unburden Heronites of their troubles before a long winter with two weeks of boundless debauchery.
- The Story of Sura - A brief folk tale of a nymph who fell in love with a human in defiance of the disapproval of other magical creatures and her betrothal to a wicked sorcerer.
- The Dala Weaver - A folk tale that explains the origin of Heron's traditional wreaths and serves as a cautionary tale to those who would take credit for someone else's work.
- The Crowmont Rose - A folk tale about a former Lord Crowmont and how his love for his daughters led to the creation of one of Comalan's loveliest flowers.
- Tir Apollo - The second Avatar of Crane.
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