Hala

The two-fold lands of Hala are divided by the Veneno Channel which splits the mainland from the islands. Together, they form the rough shape of a scorpion with the islands forming the tail, and the mainland forming the body. The word Hala translates into the common tongue as ‘the tail’, referring to the Hala islands’ shape as being the tail of the continent. Hala is the southern-most kingdom of Aeralon and is a mix of hot deserts, jungles, and white sand beaches which are deceptively beautiful and attract those seeking freedom from the cares of the world.

The Scorpion’s Tail archipelago terminates in a series of small, tropical islands which serve as a home for wayward pirates, exiles, and outcasts. The northern terminus of eastern Hala is slightly more civilized and is well-armed to fend off the occasional raids from the Razah’kar—the serpentfolk of Purlinder—a continent southeast of Aeralon. The reptilian Razah’kar cannot survive climates colder than their desert land, so they rarely travel further north of Hala except during the height of summer.

Clever Halans, with their dark skin and easy speech, are known to quickly engage in games of intrigue. In fact, some of the noble families of the east have traveled into Kjorgerdem and formed jarl houses of their own. The western Halans, however, pay homage to no king, and refuse to placate lesser men. They live and die by their own rules.

Notable areas include:

Black Altar Rock: Formed like an altar, the enormous, black rocks have been in the clearing as long as anyone can remember and are made of an unknown stone that does not exist in Hala or neighboring kingdoms.
Fridur Oasis: In the Fool’s Gold Desert, the oasis is accepted by the people of Hala as neutral ground. The few who live there are skilled diplomats who assist Halan’s powerful in forming accords with one another rather than going to war.
Palustis Fortress: Hala’s stronghold, the fortress houses the bulk of the country’s extraordinary military, standing ever vigilant against the Razah’kar.
Beacon Rock: The small, rocky isle is home to a lighthouse that guides ships into Aeritta Bay. Pirate factions quarrel over who should run the lighthouse. There’s no money in it so no one wants the job. Their current method for determining who must maintain the lighthouse is drawing straws.
Fire Islands: Unlike the typically lush, jungle landscape surrounding them, these are desert islands. Though uninhabited, they are frequented by pirates who hide treasure in the odd rock formations.

Pronunciation Guide (note- sl = sounds like)

Aeralon = AIR uh lawn

Aeritta = uh REE tuh

Fridur = fry DUR (sl purr)

Hala = HA (sl hay) luh

Kjorgerdem = CORE gur dim

Paulustis = paw LUST us

Purlinder = PURR lend ur

Razah’kar = raz (sl jazz) uh CAR

Veneno = vuh NEEN (sl lean) oh