Hazlan

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Hazlan
Culture Level Medieval (7)[1]
Ecology Full[1]
Climate & Terrain Temperate hills, mountains, and plains[1]
Year Formed 714 BC[1]
Population 26,100[1]
Races (%) Humans 92%, Halfling 4%, Gnome 3%, Other 1%[1]
Languages Vaasi, Halfling, Gnome, Balok[1]
Religions Church of the Lawgiver, Hala[1]
Government Feudal ethnocrat despotism[1]
Ruler(s) Hazlik[1]
Darklord(s) Hazlik[1]
Nationality Hazlani
Analog
Related Categories
Locations in Hazlan
Transportation in Hazlan
Inhabitants of Hazlan
Former Inhabitants of Hazlan
Flora of Hazlan
Fauna of Hazlan
Native Monsters of Hazlan

Hazlan is an exotic domain of ancient, eldritch secrets and powerful magic. It situated in the southern part of the Core, bordered by Kartakass to the west, Forlorn to the northwest, Nova Vaasa to the northeast and east, and the Misty Border to the south. The domain's ruler and darklord is Hazlik, a member of the Red Wizards of Thay from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. As a powerful practitioner of arcane magic, he presents the Church of the Lawgiver with an uneasy situation as the dominant Hazlani faith that should in theory condemn its practice. Though he banned its use until after the Grand Conjunction, Hazlan now encourages practice of arcane magic under his tutelage. Furthermore, the Mulan, the dominant ethnic group of Hazlan in power if not population, culturally embrace the use of arcane magic despite their faith in the Lawgiver.

Hazlan is strictly ethnocratic in terms of power distribution, with the Mulan holding most of the power but only constituting less than ten percent of Hazlan's population, with the oppressed Rashemani comprising the vast majority Hazlan's population but also its lower classes. Despite the esoteric and complex system of exchanging favors, the intrigue and paranoia pervasive in Hazlani society put trust at a minimum among its people. Fortunately, internal squabbles and distrust of the outside keep Hazlani attention focused mostly inward.[2][3]

Things, Creatures & Personnages of Legend

Biology

Flora

Fauna

Native Horrors

Hazlan is a cornucopia of the strange. Some of the things crawled over the border from Bluetspur prior to the Great Upheaval in 740. Others were born of Hazlik's relentless arcane experimentation. Still others were "boons" from the Dark Powers or just found the land homey. A profusion of caliban births should also be expected.

Aberrations

Geography

Hazlan map by the MCS. Note: Since this fan-made map predates 3rd Edition Ravenloft, there are some inconsistencies with the more recent maps.

Weather

Terrain

Mountains & Hills

Plains

Forests

Lakes

Landmarks

Communication

Rivers

Saniset River System

The Saniset River is navigable from the Nocturnal sea to Sly-Var and very probably beyond, certainly not all the way to Immol, but perhaps to the shadow of the Barovian Balinoks where the climb to Immol begins. Craft are very likely smaller than small ships however. Otherwise chuul, when they rear their ugly selves, wouldn't be able to make a mess of transport on the river.

Fording the Saniset River seems unlikely, even above Sly-Var. A ferry at Sly-Var would join the town to the south shore.

Navigation up the Genspejle from Sly-Var and across the Ensommark to the frontier would make sense. Beyond that navigation would become increasingly difficult. The Iron Road crosses the Genspejle ("Mirror River") in Sly-Var. There must be a bridge or a ferry capable of handling wagons. If a bridge, river traffic to and from the the Saniset could be harmed unless it is a draw bridge.

The Iron Road crosses the Saniset a third of the way to Sly-Var from Toyalis, remaining on the north side of the river beyond that. The point of crossing would be the transfer point between water and land for goods moving to and from Toyalis. It would also be the point where Hazlik crosses the river when commuting between Toyalis and his private estate Veneficus. A ferry, albeit a large one that can handle wagons, would be preferable from the standpoint of river traffic, but Hazlik is not a patient man. Then again, perhaps he doesn't travel by mundane means over much. Still, a wide and soaring arched bridge of stone from the wizard who build Ramulai in a day would be a nice touch. A mundane bridge thrown across the river for Hazlik's convenience, the river traffic be damned, might fit better with the Red Wizard's priorities and character. A draw bridge is another possibily. A mere ferry at the most important river crossing in Hazlan just seems out of place.

The Vaere Bange Road crosses the Saniset near the Nocturnal Sea. A ferry would make sense.

Musarde River System

Only the Vistani or a captain of the Mists could hope to use the Musarde River to reach the southwestern Pommel of Nova Vaasa and the East Musarde River to reach southwestern Hazlan.

Roads

Mistways

Frontiers

Nova Vaasa

Barovia

Forlorn

Kartakass

The Misty Border

The Great Upheaval

Population Distribution

Cities

Towns

Villages

Notes

The remaining 13,000 Hazlani live in other villages or smaller communities still. Theses include private estates, religious enclaves, frontier communities, and farms. The majority, probably the overwelming majority, of these places stand on Ensommark ("Lonely Plain").

Authority

Temporal Ruler

Hazlik is wholly unchecked in his rule of Hazlan. However he has little interest in affairs of states and delegates the government of his land to others.

Spiritual Ruler

Pave Stavroz Vatsisk commands the Iron Faith across Hazlan from the Iron Citadel-Fane outside of Toyalis

Church & State

Hazlik's preoccupation with arcane projects is perhaps the key to understanding the role that the Church of the Lawgiver has been able to assume in his land since the emergence of Nova Vaasa from the Mists in 682 BC. He was too busy with matters of import to even consider upholding the spiritual and cultural sovereignty of his land. Still, there is no evidence that Hazlik views the Iron Faith as anything more than a tool of social control. He is an open, and an immensely proud, master of arcane magic which is a blasphemy according to its doctrine and for which, back in Kantora, he would be imprisoned, tortured, and executed publically as an example to others. Whatever faint hope that the Iron faith had of redeeming him as an individual could hardly have survived his revocation of the ban on the use of arcane magic and his opening of the Red Academy promoting it. His tatoos, and those of the Mulan generally, are the visible signs of moral and spiritual degeneracy, serving only to confirm the faith's view of him. It is difficult to imagine that homosexuality is not viewed likewise by the faith, although it is not clear whether Hazlik has or has not hidden his sexual orientation. Additionally, the position of women according to the faith is, strangely enough, also an issue, for Hazlin is planning to usurp the body of his female apprentice. In fact, to Hazlik the Iron Faith may not even be a tool of social control, at least in the usual sense. Prior to this religion the Mulan race was not challenged by its lesser in Hazlan and Hazlik was not challenged by his lessers in the rule of the land. And both seemed secure, at least in their own minds, in that respect. So while the Iron Faith does reinforce the rule of both, it perhaps offers Hazlik something that he actually does find useful and values immensely, the undisturbed quiet to better pursue his arcane projects. Were the Hazlani church to disturb Hazlik, to interfere in any tangible way in his ability to do as he wishes, to take, in particular, the hardline on the practice of arcane magic that the Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist") back in Kantora is demanding, a faith that has outlived its usefulness could discover that Hazlik is willing to cast it from his land with a casualness apt to rotted fruit. Not, of course, that he need go so far. Hazlik could decree the independence of the Hazlani church and impose the necesary changes in leadership and doctrine. His preference might be dictated pragmatically by his desire to return his attention to arcane matters of genuine consequence, mainly the annihilation of a race. Then again, he has a vindictive streak and is nothing if not unpredictable.

Government

Law Enforcement

Extra-judicial

Sly-Var Thieves' Guild, as a dread possibility, may actually be a instrument in the service of Hazlik, acting against smugglers and spying upon government officials.

Intelligence Gathering

Military Footing

Casus belli

Past

Hazlik was humiliated by a rival Red Wizard, who, among other things, had him tatooed with designs reserved for women, severely harming his status in the hierarchy of Thay. He has sworn to wipe the Mulan race, to which he belongs, from existence in reply and has dedicated his life to doing so. He may be vindictive, but he is not suicidal however. He plans to steal for himself the Rashemani body of his young female apprentice, neatly addressing in the process the matter of his advanced age and of his sexual preferences.

Future

It is possible that Himmelsk Naeve Pieter Jergaar, commander from its seat in Kantora of the Church of the Lawgiver, is attempting to push Hazlik into provoking a war between their two lands. The Himmelsk Naeve ("Divine Fist") has order the Hazlani church to enforce doctrine proscribing the use of arcane magic. It is unclear how the Hazlani church would actually go about doing this even if it deemed such a thing to be wise. Its current Pave has no desire to go down this road, but cannot hope to stonewall the matter indefinitely. This presents three possibilities: some action is conceived against the practice of arcane magic that is so ineffectual that Hazlik ignores it as he ignores everything else that the priest say; some action is conceived against the practice of arcane magic and Hazlik hits back; or the Pave in his desperation to save himself and save his church breaks with Kantora, reforms the doctrine of his church, and pledges its loyalty and obedience to Hazlik. The last possibility would give the Himmelsk Naeve his war, but at the embarrassingly high price of a schism. The second possibility would probably also give the Himmelsk Naeve his war and at no expense to himself, so would be preferred. The first possibility would see the Pave replaced with someone who does as he is told, probably leading to the Himmelsk Naeve's preferred possibility.

Language & Culture

Gods & Religions

Inns & Taverns

Ramulai

Sly-Var

Toyalis

Chronology

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Gazetteer I p.42
  2. ↑ Ravenloft Third Edition p. 122
  3. ↑ Ravenloft Player's Handbook p. 140
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Gazetteer I p.43
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Gazetteer I p.47
  6. ↑ Ravenloft Gazetteer I p.82
  7. ↑ Gazetteer I p.119
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gazetteer I p.144
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lights in the Fog, Book of Secrets, p.121
  10. ↑ Gazetteer I p.53
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Domains of Dread p.68
  12. ↑ Gazetteer I p.52
  13. ↑ Gazetteer I p.51
  14. ↑ Gazetteer I p.60
  15. ↑ Professor Abelhous Nicholsi (Article), Book of Souls (Netbook) p. 43
  16. ↑ Book of Secrets p.47
This page incorporates content from the inactive Mordent Cartographic Society. Used with their express permission.

Data in the Ravenloft Catalogue

Ravenloft Third Edition
Domains of Dread
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I

Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp7,26-27
Ravenloft Third Edition - pp15,18,20,110,121-123
Domains of Dread - pp67-68
Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p17
Tales of Ravenloft:The Glass Man - pp265-280
Realm of Terror - pp72-73
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - pp41-61

Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp8-9
Ravenloft Third Edition - inside cover
Domains of Dread - p43
Ravenloft Campaign Setting - poster map
Realm of Terror - poster map
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p44

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