City-state of Koalh

Koalh is located on the Southwestern part of the Cellenda Continent and is home to the Haeflins’ Sixth Sphere of Influence. The Stomen family has ruled these Haeflins for over 400 years. The current Duke Barret (Strong as a Bear) Stomen desires to keep a strong relationship with the other two countries of Cellenda. To this end, he has extended an invitation for members of the other countries to attend the University at Koalh City and the Navel Engineering College at the Harbor of Koalh.

The City-state of Koalh is roughly 1680 square miles in area. The city-state began as the settlement of Koalh and eventually grew into the city of Koalh.

Symbols of Azin
Country Flower:	Baneberry
Country Wild Flower:	Winter Cress
Country Tree:	White Pine
Country Plant/ Mushroom:	Dusty Miller
Country Land Creature:	Squirrel
Country Sea/River Creature:	Beaver
Country Fish:	Sea Catfish
Country Air Creature:	Seagull
Country Stone:	Sandstone
Country Song:	Lifetime of Languages
Country Nick Name:	Wordsmith central
Country Beverage:	Haeflin Root Ale
Country Motto:	5000 words with one meaning
Coat of Arms:

Most City-states require supporting towns, villages, farms, etc. Koalh is not an exception to this rule. Supplying the city-state with food, i.e. farming and animal husbandry, requires a little over 60 percent of the total area of the city-state. The City-state of Koalh is situated on some of the richest farmland on the planet. This allows the city-state to maintain a large reserve of food supplies for emergencies and disasters. Usually every four to five years, the Koalh will export 45% to 55% of their harvest due to the need to rotate this reserve of foodstuffs. It is wise to remember that the City-state of Koalh is a Haeflin state and that Haeflins enjoy an ample and hardy food supply.

City-state of Koalh Statistics
Number of Cities:	1
Number of Towns:	3
Number of Villages:	60
Universities:	3
Population of the City-state of Koalh
City population:	300,350
Total Town Population:	30,000
Total Village Population:	8,000
Total isolated / itinerant Population	1,000
Total City-state Population:	339,350

The City of Koalh

The city of Koalh is different in design from any other Haeflin city on the planet. This is due to its history of being invaded by the Horde many times over the past several thousand years. The founders of the Engineering University of Lords designed the entranceway to the city. The Fortified Bridge, as it is known, is the only land entrance to the city. It is one of the most well known fortifications in the world. During the last siege, the Horde Clan of the Broken Spear did not even breech the first defenses of the bridge. The inhabitants of the city only knew of the siege because of the restrictions on travel by means of the Fortified Bridge. The Sea Bridge¹ on the opposite side of the city continued to ferry travelers to and from the city without interruption. In order for the Horde to breach the Sea Bridge, they would have had to fight through 3,000 miles of Alliance controlled river territory.

Once a visitor travels through the Fortified Bridge, they will notice a feeling of openness to the city layout. The buildings are spaced well apart with an abundance of green grass malls and gardens at every corner and square in the city. This openness is deceptive, however. The designers of the city had a single purpose in mind. The city was designed to survive a long siege. The green spaces and gardens as well as 50% of the roof tops are designed to supplement the food stores in the city and each building was conceived as interlocking fortified keeps in which one can cover another with fire from their top floor and roof mounted missile throwers.

One of the city squares is called Berk Square. It is named after the engineer, Berk Tarden, who devised the rooftop missile weapon emplacements. Every inch of the city that is above ground has been mapped for defensive attack. The type of missile, the counter weight, to the tension setting for the missile thrower and which missile thrower is needed to hit a specific location and location in the city has been painstakingly calculated. Berk Square is often used as a practice target for training of new recruits. Because of this, many inhabitants refer it to as Targeted Square.

The Underground

Underground tunnels that are used to transport goods connect all of the buildings. This keeps the above ground walkways free of congestion. During adverse weather, especially during the winter, the underground tunnels are used by the populace to protect themselves from the elements. The Underground, as it is called, is not like any tunnel/cavern system that one would think of. The Haeflins conversed with the Dwarves who showed the Haeflins on how to make the Underground livable as well as pleasing to be in. There are shops, taverns, inns, Guildhouses, dwellings, military barracks that are only accessible from the Underground. In addition, the lower stage and gallery of the Unicorn Theater are only accessible through these tunnels. The Underground is lit by natural and magical means and the amount of moisture is controlled by natural and magical means.

One gains entrance to the Underground from above by means of entrance stations that, with a moment’s notice, can be sealed to prevent their use by enemies. The walls of the Underground have a curious alarm attached to them - glass spheres filled with water. These are watched by the guild of watchers. If the water in the spheres begins to vibrate, the alarm goes up, as there is a possibility of miners or other earth dangers.

Educational Institutions

The City-state of Koalh prides itself with the fact that it is the home to three of the most sought-after educational institutions in the known world.

The University at Koalh City’s department of Language and Lore studies has been credited for assisting the Alliance of Free Races with winning many decisive battles against the Horde.

The Navel Engineering College at the Harbor of Koalh is the only Alliance location with the most recently updated knowledge of the free seafaring races on the planet. In addition, when the Horde’s Wraith Class ships were overrunning the shipyards of Fyngel; their entire library was transported to the Navel Engineering College at the Harbor of Koalh.

The School of Magical Research and Study was one of the first schools to specialize in magical studies in the free world.

The Universities, colleges as well as the surrounding buildings have made accommodations for races that are taller than Haeflins. The ceiling heights, as an example, are a modest 10 feet high in all buildings within the city and the beds in the inns and the dormitories are six feet long by 3 feet wide. This allows them to accommodate for lodging members of the taller races.

The Towns and Villages of the City-state of Koalh

The city of Koalh itself is very unlike the traditional Haeflin architecture and culture that one would normally see within a Haeflin community. It is a dramatically beautiful city and is known as one of the 15 cities that are considered worldwide works of art.

As the visitor travels away from the Fortified Bridge, towards the towns or villages, the style of architecture changes to what most think of as the typical Haeflin dwellings.

A ring of defensive berms that are 20 feet high protect the gentle earth mounds that are constructed and then excavated for dwellings. The berms are angled on the far side so as to make climbing them difficult. The Haeflin tradition of planting thorny rose bushes on the outer side of the berm not only increases the protection value of the berms transforming them into an effective rampart; the roses also transform the simple earthwork into a place of beauty. The Haeflins harvest the roses for making oils. The inside of the berm consists of terraced gardens with stone walkways, akin to allures, at the top to allow warriors to defend the town.

The fields outside of the towns are worked as communal fields growing grains, vegetables and fruit crops. Each dwelling in the town has an open-air corral for a cow, chickens and hogs. The open-air corral has covered enclosures that are separate from the rest of the dwellings for the livestock. The three towns of the City-state of Koalh are:

Shireton
Landon
Carnbridge

Villages

The villages of Koalh consist of one to five mounds for dwellings and a single large mound as a village meetinghouse. The livestock of the village are kept in a common corral that has a covered enclosure. This corral is located at the center of the village. The villages are also responsible for all of the herds of sheep and goats for the city-state.

During times of conflict, the villagers of Koalh will migrate to the towns bringing their livestock and goods. During the last invasion attempt by the Horde, the Horde troops bypassed the towns to attack the city itself. The Horde figured that once the city fell, the towns would be easy pickings. The Horde was sadly mistaken. The towns organized and performed hundreds of raids against Horde supply lines that deprived the Horde of essential materials, food, and their pay.

Industry and Products of the City State of Koalh

The Natural Resources of Koalh

Since the completion of the Sea Bridge Canal, the City-state of Koalh has begun exporting goods throughout the world. The citizens of Koalh produce some of the world’s finest rose oil and enchanted rose oil. Besides the luxurious oils and perfumes exported, the Haeflins export 2/3 of their hay and straw to Azin. Azin’s large mounted military force ensures a constant market for the Koalh hay and straw.

The farmers of Koalh have also begun growing crops for the express purpose of export to Azin and to Moshven. Among the crops that have been planted for the sole purpose of export are oats, clovers, and long grassed rice. The Saurians of Azin introduced the Koalh farmers to the long grassed rice years ago. It is a hardy plant and is able to grow in almost any wet environment.

Koalh, being on the cost, has always had a large association with the ocean. Its population has been harvesting the abundant plants and wildlife of the ocean, as long as there have been settled lands.

Because of this harvest, Koalh, especially the town of Landon, has become a major player in the pearl, mother of pearl, shell, and dye markets. For merchants to acquire these luxury goods at a reasonable price, they would be well advised to set forth to the town of Landon where the prices are usually half of the prices anywhere else in the world. It should also be noted that there is an abundant supply of fish, fish oils and other aquatic materials located at that market.

Endnotes

¹The Sea Bridge is a canal that connects the City-state of Koalh and its northern neighbor of Azin. Azin and Koalh equally share in the benefits and costs of the Sea Bridge Canal. It is possible to travel from the city of Koalh to the Capital city of Azin in 10 days on the canal where it would take up to 240 days by overland travel. The benefits of speed for trade between the two countries far outweigh the cost to maintain the canal.

The Sea Bridge canal is wide enough for several ships to pass each other. This was not always the case. When the Canal was first built, it could accommodate only a single river barge at a time. Once the first barge made the trip from Azin to the city of Koalh, the leaders of both countries agreed to widen and deepen the Canal.

Over the past 250 years, both sides have used technology and magick to make the Sea Bridge what it is today. The effectiveness of the Sea Bridge Canal delayed the construction of a Gate Portal in the city of Koalh for over 150 years. In the past 10 ten years, the country of Moshven has begun carving out their part of the Sea Bridge Canal and it should be completed by TK 1048. This will allow trade from all three countries to increase dramatically. Because of the lessened need for caravans or Gate travel, it will greatly reduce the cost of transport of goods.

There is a plan on connecting the Sea Bridge Canal to the great Ocean. Currently there is an on-going debate on how the canals will react to the different levels and types of water of the great Ocean.