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Valley farmlands, the main foodsource of the league
In the Stule mountains and valleys are the home of many dwarf fortresses, gnome burgs , halfling dugouts and human towns. Under the pressure of empires, republics and what dwells in the mountain peaks these peoples have united into the Halvedain League. The council of seven govern but do not rule, that is left to the dozens of elders coming from every city and town of the league. The only nobles in the league´s domain are the traveling ones interested in trade with them, recruiting them as mercenaries or the purchase of the magnificent works of steel . Masters of the forge, coin and halberd, they have gained quite the attention from the rest of the world, yet remain careless of what happens outside their mountains.
Entrance to the dwarven fortress of Unzgal
The Halvedain League lies in most of the Stule Mountains. To the southwest they have the passes to the Kingdom of Normand and the thalic peninsula, to the southeast the northern part of the Kingdom of Mythrelle lies. To the north they face the Maronnian empire trough a single wide corridor valley in between two mountain ranges, on which many watchtowers full of human outriders have been placed.
Ulfe Munz, renown enchanter and member of the elder council of Munz
While society is pretty cosmopolitan some traditions have stayed in their race .In dwarven fortresses metals and gems are mined by the cartload, some of the best plate armor and weapons are made as well. On the burgs right outside the mountain entrances the gnome traders make sure their dwarven friends make a good coin for their effort while getting some as well, themselves being some of the best enchanters and illusionists out there. In the hills and the mountain peaks the halfling clans herd goats and patrol the mountain passes in search of unannounced outsiders, while in the valleys the humans master the horse and the farm unlike any other in the league.
Halfling merchants, renown for managing to use goats for bulls work
Trade has made the Halvedain quite wealthy, this has attracted many challenges to its independence or security, ranging from bandit hordes to empires trying to make it subservient. The closest one ever came to dominating them was the great emperor Rexus himself, who after defeating them in open battle decided to give them peace without delving into their mountain passes. Still , challenges of force must be met in the battlefield, and the Halvedain have produced more soldiers than they have any business keeping around, at least at all times. To solve this issue entire regiments of the Halvedain League have been allowed leaves of adventure, allowing them to work for whomever they please as long as they dont sully the honor of the league nor do they fight against each other.
The most known type of Halvedain mercenary is the Heavy halberdiers, Dwarves clad in full plate and armed with stout halberds. These men are capable of rushing an enemy as a tight block or stopping to brace against cavalry charges, all whilst laughing at enemy arrows and crossbow bolts. Specifically these halberdiers have developed a mutual hatred with the Mythrellian Landsknecht, who they will pursue and kill to a man were they to find them in battle.. Dwarves also take up the tower shield to defend in sieges, both with crossbow and warhammer. Humans prefer to fight mounted, either as lancers or crossbow skirmishers, the bane of all knights. Seeing a gnome in battle is a rare occurrence, when they do, they appear as mages in support of a greater force. As for the halflings, you cannot ask for a better mountaineer force, capable of scaling almost vertical hills whilst raining down hell on the enemy with slings and bows.
Halvedain Heavy Halberdier
Dwarven priest of Kossuth
Religion is pretty open in the league, one may worship as it wishes, even deities commonly known as evil , with the exception that no one can do this in public, and the use of non willing participants of these practices ends in a swift visit to the court. The average Halvedain is well educated and weary of outsiders when not traveling. Courts, not councils nor nobles, instill justice into the people by following tomes filled with laws that have been voted by elder representatives, which themselves are elected at each town´s assembly
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