Hox

Anaxas
Prime God: Bash Population: 2 Million Races: 65%H, 0%W, 35%G Climate: Subarctic Capital: Frecks Rulers: Pal Ecker Main University: Frecksat Languages: EstuanDeftung Currency: the sujen

Hox is a cold and mountainous kingdom to the north of Mugroba. Its capital city is Frecks, and its prime god is Bash, God of the Mountain. The King of Hox, Pal Palerti, recently passed away, and has been succeeded by his conservative son Pal Ecker. Its main University is called the University of Frecks, or Frecksat in Deftung.

Population

The population of Hox is small - around two million souls. Hoxian people are generally pale-skinned, with dark hair and eyes. The trademark "Hox nose" is small and wide, making Hoxian profiles unusually flat and rounded.

Topography and Climate

To the west, mountains dominate the land; further east, the deep conifer taigas take over. Northern Hox, when not entirely dominated by mountains, is coated in a frosty tundra. The best way to travel through Hox is by river. Several civilizations can be found nestled within the mountains or forests, but a guide is often necessary.

The Hoxian climate is cold year-round, especially in the mountains, where the high altitude means snowfall occurs even during the summer months. In the lower forested regions, it snows only for half the year, making travel around Hox difficult during fall and winter when the rivers freeze.

There are only two seasons in Hox - winter and summer. The summer months are distinguished by slightly warmer temperatures and less precipitation.

Society

Galdori and Humans

Hox is notable for being one of two kingdoms where galdori do not rule over the humans in a concrete way; the two races are kept separate, living in different areas and generally avoiding interaction whenever possible. Although galdori in Gior sometimes trade with humans, this never occurs in Hox, and the galdori take on traditionally human roles in their class system in order to be self-sufficient. The younger members of the Hoxian working class traditionally take on the most physically taxing roles.

The last conflict between humans and galdori in Hox was many centuries ago, during a period of famine when humans raided galdori territory to steal food. Despite this, the galdori of Hox do not nurse much of a grudge against their human neighbors; if asked, most Hoxians would display a lack of opinion on members of the opposing race. Hox is a difficult country to survive in, with its sometimes extreme temperatures and the isolation of most towns and cities. It is theorized that its citizens have more important matters to worry about than the conflict between the races.

There are few wicks in Hox, mostly because of the stark divide between humans and galdori. Most wicks leave Hox to live in the desert of Mugroba or Anaxas.

Passives

Passives receive much the same treatment that they do in Anaxas, though they are not bought or sold discreetly; most passives are given to Frecks University or another institution. In small towns and villages, passives are sometimes kept in the home, locked away out of sight. Sometimes passives run away to live among humans, which they often do with great success, as they are not branded and share similar features.

Hoxian men and women of all races are prided on their strength, self-reliance and stoicism. Outward displays of emotion are discouraged. Women are taught to be the head of the family, silently bearing any hardship and keeping the men in check. Men are told that emotion makes them weak. The foreign perception of Hox is that of a cold and aloof society, but in reality, subtle displays of affection and emotion are more common than one would imagine. In Hox, such things are expressed through beautiful art, poetry and quiet conversations.

Peacekeeping

The internal peacekeeping force of the Hoxian galdori is the Karmine. They protect the major galdori cities and act as a militia; the standing army has been disabled due to long-term isolationist policies. Humans self-govern with the use of elected mayors and informal militia.

Religion

The Hoxian prime god is Bash, Lord of the Mountain, aspect of rock and mineral. As such, there is a definite favor for Static magic, which is considered the most stable and reliable form of magic.

An oddity in the Hoxian religion is that the mythic beasts are not considered holy. Though the opinion is not unanimous, many of the younger generations have begun to see the mythic beasts as a nuisance. This is in part responsible for their attempted herding of the Bambusi. It is worth noting that there are not many mythic beasts left in Hox, and their cultural misunderstanding of them might stem from limited contact.

The main religious sect in Hox involves interring the dead; the Hexxos are in charge in all matters pertaining to the afterlife. Other than that, however, there are few temples in Hox, and only in large cities. Most Hoxians prefer to pray and be religious in the privacy of their own homes.

Culture

Hoxian culture prizes traits such as stoicism, self-composure and intelligence; to be well-spoken and calm at all times is to be a good member of society. Morality in Hox is less about concrete standards that apply to everyone, and more about assessing the situation and making a judgment based on the personalities and "village culture" (saatri) of the people involved. From an outsider perspective, Hoxians are some of the least judgmental people in the world. They will not condemn someone for behaving in a manner that they find immoral.

Important cultural concepts include that of rhakor (personal composure), zkratas (the oneness of all things), and hevothen (pure language). See the Deftung Lexicon for more information.

Because of the nature of societies in Hox, there are very few national holidays. Resources are sparse, and celebrations are rare; birthdays and weddings are generally not celebrated at all. The single unifying holiday in Hox is called Spar Rhavat, the Night of the Stars. Bonfires are lit and whole villages come together to tell religious stories about the beginning of the world. The purpose of the night is to put life into perspective and convince people that in comparison to the vast universe, they are tiny and insignificant. To many this would be a disturbing revelation; to a Hoxian it is a freeing sentiment that brings great relief.

International Relations

Hox does not trade with the outside world; there are no exports or imports. They try to keep a low profile, not getting involved in international struggles; until very recently, there were no envoys or ambassadors to other lands. It is only due to the efforts of Anaxas' Queen Ester that Hox has been persuaded to enter into political discourse.

Hox is closed for play.

See the map of the Headlands.