#krezent

For millennia, the halflings of the Talenta Plains have lived in nomadic tribes ranging anywhere from 60 to 1000 clanfolk. Every adult member of a tribe is considered an equal, but there are times when the tribe needs a representative or decision maker. In those situations, they turn to their clan’s Lath.

LATHS AND HALPUM

A tribe’s Lath (the same word in the halfling language means “leader” and “grin”) decides when a tribe stays or moves, what agreements will be struck with other tribes, how the tribe’s clan functions on a day to day basis. A Lath only lasts as long as the tribe believes in their vision; often, multiple new Laths will rise in rapid succession as a tribe’s clanfolk find and agree upon a new balance.

Sometimes, a Lath will appear who is charismatic (or otherwise persuasive) enough to bring multiple tribes together under their leadership. A Lath like this is called a Lathlon (literally “big leader” or “shit-eating grin”), and it is very rare for one to rise. The most recent one was largely elevated out of necessity, as the Treaty of Thronehold required a single leader to act as Signer of Sovereignty in order for the Talenta Plains to be considered a sovereign nation. That Lathlon was a halfling barbarian named Halpum.

As a young child, Halpum had bonded with his first dinosaurs when his tribe was killed in the Last War by Cyran big game hunters. The hunters had been after the dinosaurs, but the tribe had protected them to the last…namely, Halpum, the only nonsaurian survivor on either side. The tribe’s dinosaurs who had previously known of the boy and mostly accepted his presence, now rallied around him as the only halfling piece of their family still around. Thus, from age 6 to age 20, Halpum raised himself among dinosaurs. He interacted with other clanfolk during that time, but never showed interest in joining another tribe until he was pulled into huge and world-staggering quests with an adventuring party. After that, he decided to return to his people, more certain than ever that the rest of the world was crazy. A likable (but —perhaps more importantly— indomitable) young man, Halpum had been accepted into the rapidly growing Abraman tribe during his adventures as thanks for help his party had provided. Returning to them, he quickly rose in popularity until one day, he found himself Lath. As the Last War careened out of control, the sudden horror of the Mourning brought former members of his adventuring party to his campsite. They said there was talk of a War-ending Treaty, but that it would require one single Talenta leader’s signature in order for the nation to be recognized by the rest of Khorvaire. Halpum agreed to make his case to the rest of the tribes. After he was ultimately successful, Lathlon Halpum stepped down after signing the Treaty and remained the Lath of the Abraman Tribe, the largest tribe on the Plains. He is considered internationally as the Founder of the Talenta Plains, and locally the same way a retired sports superstar is: he still has game but you’re more likely to see him making appearances than goals. Lath Halpum, now in his early 40s, has been linked romantically to dozens of halflings across the Plains, with no discernible preference other than a mutual attraction. He has children out there ranging in age from 4 to 20, some traveling with his tribe and others either staying with their mother’s tribe or living outside the Plains altogether. Halpum also is an important voice at any Tribal Council at Gatherhold.

GATHERHOLD

Gatherhold is located on the eastern side of Lake Cyre, and is the official headquarters of House Ghallanda. Although these days, most time-sensitive meetings take place in bustling metropolises across the continent, the central leadership team and many important dragonmarked members of the House spend a large part of their year in Gatherhold: planning, filing paperwork, coordinating with the Wandering Inn and preparing for large scale events in the town itself.

Technically the largest settlement in the Plains, Gatherhold is still only a midsize town at best, at least most days. However, three times a year, its population and importance skyrocket during meetings of the Tribal Council. The Council meets to discuss intertribal issues, de-escalate cross-clan disputes/feuds, and share information about the state of the nation. These meetings usually last six days, during which Gatherhold is awash in halfling plainscrafters, berserkers, entertainers, healers, scouts, warriors, trappers, and shamans.

PLAINSCRAFTERS

Where all else fails, plainscrafters prevail (or so say House Ghallanda press releases and tourist brochures). Plainscrafters are not quite artisans, nor are they artificers. A closer parallel would be backwoods engineers; they find alternative low-magic, low-tech solutions to problems most wizards and artificers would balk at if found without their tools.

THE WANDERING INN

House Ghallanda knows that, in order to plan a party or cater an event or sell supplies to the right customers, you have to go where the clients are. For most of Khorvaire, that means showing up at a building or marketplace and decking it out or loading it up. However, in the Talenta Plains, that means traveling the Plains to visit different tribes wherever they might roam.

The Wandering Inn is a sort of mobile tent-city, a caravan with airs, an Agora on Wheels. Members of House Ghallanda make complex loops across the Plains, stopping for three days here and a week there to make their services available to every tribe willing to stay in one place long enough to barter or buy.

In recent days, mostly since the end of the Last War, the Wandering Inn has become of less financial importance to the House, which has translated to a decrease in selection and an increase in prices. It doesn’t seem to be a matter of malicious intent, just one of lack of focus. Those traveling with the Inn now tend to be less True Believer and more Retail Worker. It is, however, still the best place to get gossip about anything juicy going on anywhere on the Plains.

KREZENT

To the East, in the Blade Desert, almost to the Ironroot and Endworld Mountain ranges, lies an ancient structure spoken of only in hushed whispers on the Plains. Supposedly the only building of its kind still standing, Krezent is an enormous ziggurat built by ancient couatl. Talentan halflings avoid the site because it is said that a tribe of yuan-ti have claimed the temple as their own. Yuan-ti have a reputation for vicious and terrible responses to intruders, so the halflings of the Plains (and their dinosaurs) keep their distance.

DINOSAURS

Oh yeah! Almost forgot about them.

The Talenta Plains are home to a wide variety of dinosaur species. Talenta halflings treat different types as family, hunt them and hunt with them, and ride them or hitch carts to them. The most common are the raptor mounts, but Lake Cyre is literally swimming with ichthyosaurs and duckbills. Tyrannosaurs and their like prowl the Blade Desert’s border. And the Wandering Inn itself doubles as a practical-minded menagerie, from Inn-pulling stegosaurs to site-protecting triceratopses to messenger archaeopteryxes and everything in between.

Not for nothing, it should be noted that with this many dinosaur species roaming the Plains, there are bound to be some casualties. Not just clanfolk or tourists or the ever-optimistic big-game hunters either. Animals, beasts, and the occasional baby aberration have been known to be eaten if left unattended for long.