Harbohr

The rich purple banner of Harbohr is colored with pigment collected from its native water lillies.

Harbohr is a city and holding of Bormar in the Southern part of the nation. It is surrounded both by the Galita Bluffs to the West, and the Koreggi Mountains to the East. It is upriver from the Purple River, a few kilometers from the vast ocean known as The Well.

Etymology

It is theorized that Harbohr comes from Old Dwarven, and was once used to refer to the swampy region as a whole rather than the city.

Under one theory, Harbohr comes from two separate words of the ancient Dwarven tongue: mar and bohr. Mar is known to have meant "great" in ancient times but is today synonymous with the Mar Mountain range. The second word, bohr, is much simply, being the word for swamp. Together, the original term for the area was Mar Bohr, or Great Swamp. There is difficulty in this theory as the true meaning of the word mar is still highly debated, and it may as well be true that har is simply some other word in Old Dwarven whose meaning is unknown.

Either way, the name of Harbohr is extremely ironic when the city became a successful port and harbor, becoming a running joke from passersby that makes every resident roll their eyes.

History

The Koraalduivel family founded the city a dozen generations ago and have continued to have a hand in the city's governance due to familial resilience and revolving wealth. While inheritance is forbidden from a Lord or Lady to his or her children, with the wealth instead going to the city's coffers, the Koraalduivels only need a generation or two to recover before its leader is designated as the proper Dwarf for lordship by the Office of Noble Registry.

Lord Johaes Koraalduivel is the current ruler and is known for his kindness and friendliness. Vocal opponents of Lord Koraalduivel claim he is reluctant to change the traditional nature of Harbohr, but he is still well-liked for his balancing of lenient tax programs, and strong molir force.

The Assassination Attempt

In 789 BY, Lord Koraalduivel was nearly killed in his home by a crossbow bolt shot through his window. Thankfully, the bolt instead struck a nearby vase. The molir, which was commanded by Lord Korralduivel's daughter Marshal Helna, quickly rallied and placed the city on lockdown to apprehend the would-be assassin. A few short hours later, an assassin was found in an alleyway with a knife between his shoulders. Lord Korallduivel quickly petitioned assistance from the First House after receiving information that a member of his own molir may be responsible. The First House quickly ordered the Office of National Investigations to investigate the matter.

In a shock to everyone, the report connected the assassin to none other than Marshal Helna herself by manner of the assassin being a former molir member who worked with Helna in her earliest days on the force. While the connection was tenuous, further evidence showed that the Marshal's whereabouts were unknown at the time of the assassination, not even to her husband. Even worse, she was one of the last Dwarves at the scene of the assassination, despite the would-be victim being her own father.

Marshal Helna was famous for her character and wits and was known to use her prestigious family name to her benefit. Still, such was to be expected of an ambitious Dwarf of Bormar, and the evidence that was presented was circumstantial at best. In a public appearance before the city, Lord Koraalduivel and his daughter appeared together and declared the report nothing but lies. To prove the matter, Helna would voluntarily step down from her position as Marshal to show that she was not nearly as ambitious as the report claimed. The gesture was well-received, and the assassination has faded into memory, with its mysteries never being known.

Aftermath

But one can always hear rumors of the assassination in the city's many riverside taverns. Rumors spread of the Lord and his daughter growing apart in recent years, and brave souls theorize that Helna did indeed do it, but her father could not bear to execute his only daughter. So, they say, a deal was struck between the two which put it all to rest. Detractors correctly point out that Helna would have nothing to gain from the Lord's assassination, as Bormar's inheritance laws would have gotten her neither her father's wealth nor his position. To some, this has made the matter more tantalizing, with every barroom wondering what the Lord did to draw his daughter's ire if he did anything at all. Perhaps the truth will never be known, as Harbohr's political scene has been quiet ever since, with Helna walking the streets as any Dwarf would.

Geography

The Holding

The landscape of the holding of Harbohr is uninteresting, but rather large as far as holdings go. It is a vast, steaming swamp with many slow-moving streams crisscrossing its dense foliage. While there are some smaller villages strewn about the area, none come close to size or importance to the city from which the holding gets its name.

The City

The city of Harbohr is a surprisingly dense urban hub. The Purple River which bisects the city is wide and shallow, with flat-bottom barges and boats being the most prominent way of transportation. Streams and gullies snake there was through the city, cutting it into many smaller "island" of homes, businesses, and dockyards.

Economy

Harbohr is a bustling trade town made famous for its strong network of river harbours and canals that crisscross the swamps that surround the city. Generally, any goods or people wishing to travel to the Southern portion of the continent will view Harbohr as a valid option for rest and resupply. As such, warehouses and small business offices are known to be regularly established in the town.

The primary occupations for the natives of Harbohr are in either trade or port work, with a strong market district for the sale of lucrative goods and a port system that requires many workers. Fishing is also a common career, as the Purple River and nearby swamps are bountiful with freshwater fish. In fact, almost everyone in Harbohr fishes to some extent, with Dwarves fishing

Harbohr sits on the chief source of purple dye within Bormar. The rare 'Purpur Water Lilly' is common on the banks of the appropriately named Purple River. This aquatic plant grows multiple sacs of a rich purple liquid, which eventually coalesces into floating seeds that disperse along the river waters. These sacs will remain below water just before the seeds are ready, even giving the river a distinct deep purple hue when the lillies are numerous. Locals have been able to harvest these sacs as a dye for banners, clothing, and paints that are sold around the nation.

Places of Interest

Harbohr's numerous guardhouses are memorable to passers-by due to both their number and construction. Built of elaborately carved stone with hardwood finishings, the guardhouses spread throughout the town and even beyond the dense footprint of Harbohr, usually being the first sight seen by travelers.

Harbohr sits on the chief source of purple dye within Bormar. The rare Purpur Water Lily is common on the banks of the appropriately named Purple River. This aquatic plant grows multiple sacs of a rich purple liquid, which eventually coalesces into floating seeds that disperse along the river waters. These sacs will remain below water just before the seeds are ready, even giving the river a distinct deep purple hue when the lilies are numerous. Locals have been able to harvest these sacs as a dye for banners, clothing, and paints that are sold around the nation.

Notable People

• Har Bohn - who enjoyed visiting the city in his travels after the events in Zietal Mar, and not just because of its similarity to his own name.

Gallery

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  The design for Harbohr's banner, for those who want to play a citizen of the city in game.