Isolated from the rest of Ansalon, Hylo or Kenderhome is more complex than most know. Let’s learn more about the nation of Hylo. Buy the War of the Lance sourcebook: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/3164/war-of-the-lance-3-5?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
You won’t believe how this nation was founded!
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Hylo in the War of the Lance Era. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing The Atlas of the Dragonlance World, and the War of the Lance sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!
Discussion
Before we move on from Northern Ergoth in the War of the Lance era, I would like to dive a little bit deeper into Kenderhome, otherwise known as the nation of Hylo. Its history mirrors that of the rest of the island, but the Kender who live here are much more welcoming than any others you will find in Northern Ergoth. The founding of Hylo is also one which could only come from Kender, or perhaps Gnomes, now that I think about it. Back in the Age of Dreams, in the Time of Light, approximately 2600 Prae Cataclius, a clan of Kender in Balifor discovered a floating citadel. Seeing as they had never ridden a Floating Citadel before, they thought they might take it for a brief ride, and bring it right back for its owner. Unfortunately for its unknown owner, this did not happen. For when they began steering this floating citadel, they quickly realized they had no idea how to control it effectively. They soared all across the continent before crashing the citadel near the foothills of the Sentinel Mountain range.
Disembarking the now non floating citadel, they realized this was as good as any place to settle down, and so they began building the village around the wreckage of the citadel, naming it High-Low referencing the mountain ranges and Valley. There is speculation that it is in reference to the fact that they were high up in the sky in the floating citadel, then crashed low into the ground. This isolated region allowed them to thrive without the intrusion of other races, expanding their villages and towns throughout the region. They lived in relative peace and isolation for thousands of years. That is, until the Cataclysm. The survivors of the continent being ripped apart began to subdued. Many Kender wondered why the gods would punish them for something Istar had done. Others became increasingly religious, making offerings and joining any religion they could discover. They began fiercely guarding their borders, but within a few generations, they returned to their traditional Kender ways.
Hylo is a well-protected forested area, bordered by a vast mountain range to the west, the Straits of Algoni to the east, empty wastelands to the north, and the inhospitable lands of Ker-Manth to the south. With a population of over ninety-thousand, they live in isolated peace, like they did before the cataclysm. No outside races want to invade, without any real resources to collect outside lumber, and the Kender are content to live within their borders, minus the wanderlust of course. There are flatlands spotted with ruins of an ancient ogre nation outside of which are irregular hills and dales. The forests of Hylo are temperate and warm year round. Snow does fall in the winter months, primarily from the Sentinel Mountains, but it only lasts for a few weeks, providing enough of a distraction to encourage the Kender to frolic and play. The summer and spring make perfect swimming conditions and you will often find Hylo’s Kender swimming and playing in its streams, creeks and small ponds. The winter snow’s runoff provides fresh water throughout the year.
The Kender of Hylo live in tree villages, ancient ruins and small hamlets. Many of their homes appear to be unfinished, with the village’s motley collection of mismatched domiciles jumbled together. Their tree villages feature ladders running straight up from ground floor homes, and rope bridges which connect to others. Again, the majority of the inhabitants are Kender, as many other races have no interest in invading or visiting this Kender-filled nation, but there are some other races who live here. Of the total population, eight percent is human, four percent is gnome, and three percent are composed of other races. It’s also a bit of a misnomer calling Hylo a nation, as there is no true center of power. While the small city of Hylo is considered the capital, there has never been a ruler, though it has had its fair share of leaders. Elections are held annually, which are often decided by who can spit watermelon seeds the farthest, or stand on their heads the longest.
In this War of the Lance Era, Hylo is blissfully unaware of the events transpiring on Ansalon. The Kender of Thisway have been peacefully trading with the goblins for decades, and the goblins have declared themselves steadfast allies of the Kender, any rumors of dark tidings are chalked up to be nothing more than Kender tales. The major settlements, if they can be called that, begin with Hylo, a small city of over eighty-five hundred residents. It became a port town after the Cataclysm, and boasts regular seafaring traffic. The majority of the docking ships are of Gnomish make, one of the few ports which allows them. Lookit, the small town of over a thousand residents is one of the most beautiful places on Krynn. Visitors will witness its three-tiered waterfall flowing down from three plateaus. The banks of the Lookit river feature the largest tree village in Ansalon. One will find hundreds of Kender skittering among its branches, and swimming in the river year round.
With over four hundred residents, the community of Hidal initially sat at the base of the hill range. However the residents discovered interesting cave networks believed to have once been inhabited by the mysterious huldrefolk. The Kender moved in and believe there is still residual magic in the tunnels. The hamlet of Thisway has just under four hundred residents. The tiny village borders the goblin lands of Sikk’et Hul to the south. They are good friends with this uncharacteristically peaceful goblin land , and even the barbarian tribes to the north. Lemon is a hamlet of just over three hundred. The Cataclysm brought in waters flooding the land, making Lemon Bay. It has built out a fair logging trade with the Ackalites to the north. There is a lemon festival annually held, featuring lemonade, lemon pie and a sour face contest.
Legup has over a hundred residents. This small settlement rests at the end of the only pass into the Empire of Ergoth to the west of the Sentinel Mountains. Its residents live among the ruins of an ancient ogre city. The Kender here are unusually tenacious, and is home to the Thistleknots who have ruled Legup for generations. Tower is a small village of just over a hundred residents. It’s built around an ancient tower. The Kender lookout for the spirit of the tower and protects it from intrusion. This spirit is said to appear prior to times of danger or impending doom! Ocean Town has just over a hundred residents as well and rests at the foothills of the Sentinel Mountain Range. It was designed by Kender who escaped the destruction of Loudwater, now known as Drowned after the Cataclysm. It’s a town of many docks and piers, making its appearance unforgettable.
Lastly the Sentinel Mountain range has always protected Hylo from the west, though Ergoth would also claim it has protected them from the Kender to the East. This uncharacteristically peaceful land has existed more or less in the same state for millenia. One could do a lot worse than settling down here.
Outro
And that is all I have to say about Hylo in the War of the Lance Era. What do you think of the Kender Nation? Would you make a pilgrimage to its forests and rivers? And finally, would you run a Kender and Goblin specific adventure, crawling along the ancient ogre ruins? Leave a comment below.
I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
Are you going to defour me? I thought I might… Oh good,.Do hurry, ‘fore I fall azleeb. I doan wanna mizh thizh
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