User:Nightstar The Bright
Hey everyone, I died as a normal man and returned as Nightstar The Bright! Scholar of Biochroma and Arcanist.
But seriously, I write mostly Nalthian articles.
I’m currently gathering information about the Iridescent Tones
Completed Nalthian Projects
!The words below are a page about the Iridescent Tones!
| Nightstar The Bright | |
|---|---|
| Related to | Hallandren, Returned |
| Type | Religion |
| World | Nalthis |
| Universe | Cosmere |
| Featured In | Warbreaker |
The Iridescent Tones is a polytheistic religion practiced in Hallandren.[1] This religion teaches that the Returned are gods.[1]
Teachings[edit]
Peacegiver and Kalad[edit]
Peacegiver has a central place in the Iridescent Tones.[2] He is often referred to as Peacegiver the Blessed, although some priests call him Lord Peacegiver.[2] Many Hallandren also consider him to be a god of gods.{{book ref|wb|32} Peacegiver is sometimes, though not always, considered to have been the first God King.[3] The Hallandren consider his name to be holy.[2] They also consider Peacegiver to be the one who gave them life.[2]
The Hallandren believe that Peacegiver returned to life with a specific purpose, to stop the conflict between men[2] and to bring peace to Hallandren.[2] They also believe that he gave them the Light of Peace,[2] telling the Hallandren to keep it safe,[2] as well as to never use it.[2] In their theology Peacegiver died to give his Breaths to the Hallandren.[2] But he also demanded that it be held in case he should Return again and need it.[2] The Hallandren believe that it is very important that the Breath isn’t used.[2]
The Hallandren view Peacegiver as a holy figure[2] and a god[2] because he protected them from Kalad,[2] driving him away and saving the Hallandren people. He also brought peace to the world by stopping the Manywar.[3]
Kalad also has a central place in the Iridescent Tones. He is considered to be evil and destructive.[2] The Hallandren believe that The Royal Family of Hanald aligned themselves with Kalad,[3] ignoring the will of the people and seeking the war with bloodlust.[3]
He was the creator of Kalad's Phantoms,[3] a new and more powerful type of lifeless.[3] Although nobody remembers what kind of lifeless they were,[3] they are considered to be frightening and terrible.[3] Many people believe that after Peacegiver sent them away Kalad’s Phantoms still roam the jungle, waiting for Kalad to return.[3]
The Iridescent Wave and the Afterlife[edit]
The Hallandren believe that when a person dies they leap across a thing called the ‘Iridescent Wave’.[4] When a person decides to Return they leap back across to the world of the living, although this process leaves the memory fragmented.[4]
There is an afterlife or heaven,[5] and people are at peace here. In the afterlife the future is visible, like a scroll.[4]
Holidays and Curses[edit]
There is a holiday known as Gods Feast, on which people take the evening off and feast together.[6] The Wedding Jubilation is a weeklong holiday in which the Hallandren celebrate the marriage of the God King.[7] During this time the queen is not allowed to leave the palace.[7] At the end of this holiday the queen is officially presented to the Court of Gods.[7]
The Hallandren often use curses related to Colors or the Iridescent Tones. The Hallandren don’t curse with the names of their gods.[8] This is because most gods don’t like their names being used as an oath.[8] Known curses include:
- How in the name of the Colors
- Colors!
- By the Colors
- What in the name of the Iridescent Tones
- for the Colors’ sake
- Kalad’s Phantoms!
The Returned[edit]
Returning[edit]
Some people die in a way that exemplies the great virtues of human existence[1], like bravery or honesty.[1][9] These people are then sent back by the Iridescent Tones.[1] The Hallandren believe that the Returned are sent back to act as examples, and as gods, to the living.[1] The religion teaches that each god represents an ideal related to the way they died.[1]
Duties[edit]
“There was nothing to fear from the Returned gods of the Hallandren. The gods were a blessing. They provided visions of the future, as well as leadership and wisdom. All they needed to subsist was one thing. Breath.”
—Llarimar’s Teachings
When a follower seeks a blessing they can send an offering to one of the gods,[1] usually the god corresponding to what the follower wishes.[1] These offerings usually take the form of a painting or some other type art,[1] such as a poem.[1] The priests record both the god’s actual words and make an interpretation of what the god thinks, be it for good or for ill, and deliver these to the patron.[1] Even just sending an offering brings you a measure of good fortune,[1] although the better the rating your offering gets the more good fortune you get.[1] Most patrons don’t make their offerings themselves,[1] instead paying someone to do it for them.[1] This means that the more a patron is ready to pay, the better their offering and the more good fortune they get.[1] Offerings are made specifically for the intended god, and only they, besides a few of their priests, are allowed to see them.[1]
Another duty of the Returned are the petitions.[4] Anyone can come and petition the gods. Usually these people request healing,[4] although not always for themselves, sometimes they ask for other things, such as a job.[10] The petitions offer a last although unlikely hope, because one day one of the followers will receive a miracle.[4] The petitions are supposed to help the gods remember why they Returned.[4]
The Returned also provide leadership to the Hallandren.[11] This manifests as the Returned voting on issues.[11] The gods are divided into subgroups,[12] each having responsibility over a certain area.[12] Some gods are in charge of civic issues;[12] others governed agreements and treaties etc.[12] They then vote during assemblies. During a main assembly all the gods get together and vote on an issue.[11] The outcome is known as the will of the pantheon.[11] The Returned have the right to disobey the Will of the Pantheon.[11]
Abilities[edit]
The Hallandren ascribe many abilities to the Returned,[9] some fictional and some facts.[9] Examples are things like controlling the rain, but also like being unable to go mad or have headaches. The Hallandren believe that the Returned have goals they want to accomplish.[4]
Denying a request from one of the Returned will cause great peril to your soul.[13] The Returned are believed to be able to take your soul,[13] although this is different then the Idris belief of them sucking breath from people. It is also considered improper for a Returned to stoop.[13]
It is also believed that the Returned have prophetic dreams, which is at least partly true.[1] The high priest of each god write down the dreams of their god the moment that god wakes up.[1] The Returned are also considered to be wise.[1] As the Returned are oracles it is very important that they don’t interact with the subject of their predictions, for if they do it could unbalance a great many things.[13]
The God King[edit]
The First God King is believed to have received his Breath and life from Peacegiver himself.[3] Since that day, each God King has fathered a stillborn son who then Returned and took his place. It is unknown to the Hallandren how Peacegiver made the first God King,[3] as Breath does not make the recipient divine.[3]
The God King is special, beyond being a Returned.[14] The doctrines teach that the earth itself is too base for him.[14] He achieved transcendence before he was born, but Returned to bless his people.[14] The God King represents all Colors.[14] When a new God King is chosen, his servants are replaced.[15]
The God King’s will is law,[16] he needs no reason or justification for what he does.[16] No one, except for the queen and a number of dedicated servants, are allowed to touch him.[14] It is believed that the God Kings can heal more then one person, as opposed to a normal Returned.[17]
The Priesthood[edit]
The Iridescent Tones have many priests.[16] These priests have mostly religious responsibilities, although they also rule the empire in the name of their King. The main job of the priests is to care for the Returned.[1] This includes making sure that the Returned have enough food and drinks to enjoy, dressing then etc. The priests organize the interactions between the Returned and the citizens, including the weekly offering of Breath that the Returned require to survive[1] and the daily hearing of petitions.[4] There usually isn’t a moment when a Returned is without his priests. Priests are also allowed to argue in the arena, this serves to keep the gods informed of the common people’s opinions.[12] Priests don’t take pay for their services.[18] Priests can’t say anything about the life before their god returned.[19] It is a sacred tenet that the servants of a god don’t repeat what they hear in confidence.[3]
All priests wear robes,[1] and some priests, likely the more important ones, wear miters.[1] It seems the more important one is the more intricate ones robe and miter becomes. The robes of the priests are the colors of their god,[1] with the God King’s priests wearing different colours everyday[17]
The priests of the God King know that the God King cannot bear a child.[20] Instead they pronounce the queen pregnant and act like she gave birth to a Returned baby, who previously Returned somewhere else in the empire.[20]
High Priests[edit]
Each of the Returned, including the God King, has a high priest.[1][16][4] These priests wear intricate robes and miters.[16] Their robes are the same colours as their god.[1] To become a high priest you have to study theology.[4] The God King’s High priest is formally addressed as ‘Your Excellency‘.[2] It is unclear whether all high priests have this title, or just the God King’s high priest.
The high priests are almost always near their gods. They are also one of the few priests allowed to see the offerings.[1] Some high priests argue in the arena,[12] although this isn’t restricted to high priests, and they aren’t obligated to.[12] During a main assembly the high priests are responsible for communicating their god’s opinion to the public,[11] and the other gods.[11] It is customary to kneel down in front of their god, and ask for an answer.[11] When they have an answer they will join the other high priests,[11] carrying either a green flag for a favourable response[11] or a red flag for dissatisfaction.[11]
History[edit]
The Manywar[edit]
The Hallandren believe that around the year 0 Kalad aligned himself with the Royal Family of Hanald,[3] seeking war with the other Nalthian Nations.[3] He made a large and terrifying army of lifeless called Kalad’s Phantoms.[3] Kalad eventually seized control of Hanald from the Royals[21] and sent his lifeless to Kuth and Huth,[3] starting the Manywar.[3]
This war was the first war to feature large amounts of Lifeless,[3] and awakened siege machines.[22] Therefore it was incredibly destructive, something the Hallandren people would remember.[3] Lore holds that it was during this time that Peacegiver Returned. He then defeated Kalad[21] and seized control of Kalad’s Phantoms.[3] He immediately sought to end the war with diplomacy,[23] in which he succeeded,[23] saving Hallandren and the other nations from doom.
The Hallandren felt betrayed by Austre,[2] who they believed had abandoned them to Kalad,[2] because of this and being saved by Peacegiver they started worshipping the Returned. During this time the Cult of Returned, which was already worshipping the Returned, rose to prominence and eventually evolved into the Iridescent Tones.[24]
The God Kings[edit]
Eventually Peacegiver bestowed his Breaths onto a priest. Ordering the priesthood to keep his breaths safe,[2] and to never use them,[2] until he came back and reclaimed them.[2] This priest would become the first God King. The priests took Peacegiver’s command seriously,[23] cutting out the tongue of the God King, and would continue to do so for the next 300 years.[23]
After this first King four more God Kings would reign,[3] all of them called Susebron. Each God King would bear the Light of Peace[21], and add to it.[21]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Warbreaker chapter 3#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Warbreaker chapter 40#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Warbreaker chapter 32#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Warbreaker chapter 12#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 23#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 22#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 8#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 38#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 14#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 42#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Warbreaker chapter 50#
- ↑ a b c d e f g Warbreaker chapter 16#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker chapter 26#
- ↑ a b c d e Warbreaker chapter 6#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 34#
- ↑ a b c d e Warbreaker chapter 4#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 24#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 49#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 18#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 55#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker chapter 15#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 51#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker chapter 58#
- ↑ Warbreaker epilogue#
| Nightstar The Bright | |
|---|---|
 by Shawn Boyles
| |
| Capital | T'Telir |
| World | Nalthis |
| Universe | Cosmere |
| Featured In | Warbreaker |
“This, however, was Hallandren: land of Returned gods, Lifeless servants, BioChromatic research, and—of course—color. ”
Hallandren is the most powerful kingdom on Nalthis. Its capital is T'Telir. It is unique for its jungle environment and the Tears of Edgli, which grow nowhere else. It is home to the Hallandren Iridescent Tones, the religion that supports and is led by the Returned.
Geography and Ecology[edit]
“A paradise hidden between the mountains, a land with pleasant rains that never grew cold, a land where succulent food grew spontaneously. ”
Hallandren is located in the Jungle valley on Nalthis. It is unique in the known world of Nalthis as being the only place that Tears of Edgli will grow, as well as being the only known jungle climate.[2] The growth of plants in this region is partly helped by Investiture, much like the Elendel Basin.[3]
To Hallandren's east,[4] there is an inland sea that features several islands.[5] At least a third of the coastline is controlled by Hallandren, which has its capital city built abutting the water.[6] The area suffers frequent earthquakes.[7] There are mountains north of Hallandren, as well as toward the sunrise.
To the south of Hallandren is the province of Pahn Kahl.[8] Elephants and zebras are said to be exotic creatures from "the south." Whether this means they come from southern Hallandren or south of Hallandren is unclear.[9] The Hallandren jungle is inhabited by panthers, parrots, monkeys, and crocodiles.[2][10][9]
The Hallandren people have access to fine wines, sweet potatoes, figs, nuts, and garlic, among other foods; it is unknown, however, how much grows in the area and how much is imported.[11][12] The Bright Sea is full of life, including many sorts of mussels, fish, and tentacled creatures.[13][14][15]
Government[edit]
“The Hallandren theocracy is a top-heavy structure laden with bureaucratic foolishness and inertia. ”
Theocracy[edit]
Hallandren is a theocracy ruled by the Pantheon of the Returned, headed by the God King[17] The religion behind this theocracy is the Iridescent Tones. A religion that worships the Returned as gods,[17] and believes they returned to guide and bless their people.[17]
The Returned have duties and votes on specific matters in the city and the empire.[18] The task of the priesthood is generally to inform the gods of the people’s opinions.[18] The Returned can then make informed decisions, which the priests enforce. In reality the priests handle most of the minor decisions, so that the Returned only vote on the major decisions.[19] This method of government, waiting on debates that must be brought to the gods (who cannot leave the court to be among the people of the city) by the priests, operates notoriously slowly.
The government loans out Lifeless to help citizens with menial labor such as clearing land of trees in order to create farmland. Terms of such a loan stipulate that in war time any food produced on the landowner's land will be seized by the Returned. While this is specific to the policy for lending out the Lifeless, the government retains the right to seize any land during war time regardless.[13]
Court Assembly[edit]
The Court Assembly is a standing commission of the Court of Gods that provides decisions to Hallandren's citizens.[20] It meets daily to make small judgments, but important discussions are reserved for weekly meetings of the full Assembly.[20] The Assembly is made up primarily of priests and priestesses, and meetings are held in a large arena at the back of the Court of Gods.[20][11] The Returned do not sit on the Assembly,[20] but many of them regularly attend the weekly meetings to watch from ornate stone observation boxes,[11] including Susebron.[21]
Some Returned do not concern themselves with politics and rarely attend,[22] while others find the meetings boring because they believe their opinions do not matter.[23] During Assembly meetings, arguments are brought forth regarding various topics such as relations with Idris; Siri was also presented to the Court at the Assembly.[24] The Assembly's discussions are often full of rhetoric[25] and politically savvy Returned try to influence the direction of the Assembly.[18] Attending the Court Assembly is thought of as a privilege by the people of Hallandren; there are only four benches in the arena for citizens to attend, so only people who are rich, influential, favored by a god, or have at least fifty Breaths attend regularly.[24] Average citizens may enter a lottery to win a token to attend the Assembly.[24][19]
Main Assembly[edit]
The regular Court Assembly is not empowered to make major decisions such as a declaration of war; instead, all of the Returned must attend a gathering known as a "main" or "general" assembly so they can all cast a vote.[26][27] The outcome of a Main Assembly becomes the Will of the Pantheon. All the gods have the right to refuse the Will of the Pantheon, although it is frowned upon. These special assemblies are rare and often very crowded, as citizens who win lottery tokens to attend an Assembly often save them for a main assembly so they can see all of the gods together.[19]
Territories[edit]
Hallandren controls the entire jungle valley, and is bordered by mountains to the north[28] and east.[8] It is also bordered by the Bright Sea[29] and controls about one third of it’s coastline. They also control multiple islands in the Bright Sea.[5]
Administrative Districts[edit]
Hallandren is made up of a number of provinces. The only known province is Pahn Kahl, a quiet and peaceful province in the south of Hallandren.[8] This province is home to an ethnic group called Pahn Kahl,[8] although this isn’t the only place in Hallandren where these people can be found.[2]
The Monarchy[edit]
The God King[edit]
Hallandren has had a monarchy for its entire history,[2] some three hundred years. All of their kings have been Returned, and all of them are named Susebron, with the current king being Susebron the fifth.[2] Due to their nature as Returned they carry the title of God King.
The God King has absolute power in Hallandren,[30] although in reality he acts more like a figurehead for the priesthood.[31] The priests also cut out his tongue to prevent him from using his Breaths,[31] as their god Peacegiver commanded them to do.[14] The God King resides in a large black palace in the Court of Gods.[29] He can also veto any decision made by the Pantheon of Gods.[19]
Some people consider Peacegiver to have been the first God King,[2] while others don’t think so, and instead consider Susebron the first as the first king.[2] At least one of the God Kings ruled for a century. The God Kings are believed to have received life themselves from Peacegiver.[2]
The Queen[edit]
For most of a God King’s rule the Hallandren are without a queen.[32] This is because a queen is only selected after an infant Returns.[5]
The Queen is formally addressed with ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Your Excellency’.[2][8] She is also sometimes addressed as ‘Vessel’ as she is considered to be a Vessel for the God King.[8]
The Queen has only one duty, to provide the kingdom with an heir.[20] She spends the rest of her time being idle, enjoying the same luxuries as the Returned.[20] She is not allowed to leave the Court of Gods.[20] She is also one of the few people in the Court of Gods who are allowed to touch the God King.[33]
Succession[edit]
The God King’s priests take an infant Returning as a sign that it’s time to change Kings.[8] They then choose a wife for the God King and hope she has a child, as they would rather have the God King's literal child.[5] Sometimes the queen is the actual mother of the child, while other times a marriage is arranged. Retired God King's are proclaimed dead from healing those in need and are taken to one of the isles in the middle of the Inner Sea.[9] They maintain a lavish lifestyle until they die.[34]
Foreign Policy and International Relationships[edit]
Idris[edit]
Hallandren and Idris have a mostly antagonistic relationship. This is because of a number of reasons, most of which can find their way back to the Manywar. One of these reasons is the splintering of Hanald, with both kingdoms claiming the other’s territories as their own.[18] Another reason is the Idrian religion of Austrism. This religion, banished after the Manywar, began teaching against everything that had to do with Hallandren, such as ostentation[32] and awakening.[35] Due to these reasons, along with the false stories told by ramblemen, the hatred of Hallandren became deeply rooted in the Idrian culture.
Many Idrians in the lower mountains were forced out of their homes through famine or lack of money,[36] these Idrians, unwilling to make the long and hard journey to Bevalis to petition the king, traveled south into Hallandren and started working here.[36] These people are looked down upon by both the Idrians and the Hallandren.
After the Pahn Kahl rebellion the God King Susebron the fifth, a friend of the Idrians, took more direct control of Hallandren politics and because of this the relations with Idris likely improved.
Tedradel[edit]
Since the Manywar, which saw Hanald, the predecessor of Hallandren, and Tedradel go to war with each other[2] Tedradel’s opinion of Hallandren hasn’t improved much.[35] Their opinion of Hallandren is so low that Yarda considers it possible that Tedradel would go to war again, should Idris be attacked.[35]
Tedradel still has many traders in T’Telir,[6] and likely other Hallandren cities as well.
The Northern Kingdoms[edit]
Hallandren doesn’t have a very great relationship with the Northern Kingdoms. If Hallandren had decided to attack Idris a number of these kingdoms would have aided Idris.[28] Dozens of these kingdoms do not share Hallandren’s views of Idris as a rebel faction.[28]
Hallandren trades extensively with the Northern kingdoms.[28]
Military[edit]
The Lifeless Army[edit]
Hallandren has a large lifeless army, forty thousand strong.[35] They have been adding to this army for several centuries before the Pahn Kahl rebellion.[26]
The Hallandren Lifeless army is split into four sections of ten thousand troops, each commanded by a different Returned in the Pantheon.[26] The commanders prior to the Pahn Kahl rebellion were Lightsong, Hopefinder, Allmother and Mercystar.[26] some of these Returned are bored by their duty, reasoning that they never have to actually do anything.[23]
While the bulk of the army is Lifeless,[22] there is quite a large support structure for the army proper which is composed of humans.[37]
The lifeless army resides in the lifeless barracks, located at the bottom of the Court of Gods in T’Telir..[22] These barracks are heavily fortified,[22] and the lifeless stationed here have orders to kill anyone who attacks the lifeless.[37] The lifeless are kept in the dark.[22]
Kalad’s Phantoms[edit]
After the events of the Pahn Kahl rebellion Peacegiver, under the alias of Vasher, granted the security phrase of Kalad’s Phantoms to the God King Susebron.[38] This army includes some thousand soldiers which still function.[38]
Armament[edit]
Bladed weapons[edit]
Most Hallandren use ‘Dueling Blades’ a long and thin type of blade.[37] The Hallandren also use daggers[37] and spears.[29]
Awakened clothing[edit]
It is not uncommon for an awakener to awaken their clothing, helping them fight.[39] There are even specialized sets of clothing made for this very purpose.[39]
Culture[edit]
People[edit]
Hallandren contains many different peoples and cultures.[6], the majority of the population is ethnic Hallandren, although the kingdom also has a number of Pahn Kahl[2] and Idrians[6] living inside it’s borders. The people at the edges of the kingdom of Hallandren have dark skin.[11] The natural hair colors of the Hallandren people include black, brown and blond.[13]
Hallandren has no nobility apart from the Returned,[29] instead it has a small but very rich class which is almost completely compromised of the most successful merchants, a middle class, and a large peasant class. Hallandren is the only nation on Nalthis to have a middle class, instead of only a high and low class.[28]
The Hallandren are fond of carriages.[40] Although the Returned and their Queen prefer to use palanquins.[11] The Hallandren keep their dead in charnel houses.[37]
Athleticism[edit]
Hallandren's society places value in athleticism.[9] Duels for sport are common enough that someone talented with a blade could gain a wealth of prizes, notable fame, and a sizable following of students in their lifetime.[40] The Court of Gods’ arena is often used as a location for athletic individuals to engage in contests of physical prowess.[9]
Some arena competitions mentioned are shot put, javelin toss, archery, leaping contests, and races.[9] However, special accolades are not given to the winner, but to all the contestants, for possessing the physical prowess required to participate.[9]
Arts and Games[edit]
The Hallandren people enjoy music, painting, dance, poetry, sculpture, puppetry, play performance, sandpainting and lots of other ‘lesser’ arts.[20] The Hallandren also have fireworks, and use them to make large fireshows.[41]
By the time of the Pahn Kahl rebellion the abstract painting style is popular,[17] especially in paintings sent to Lightsong The Bold.[17] There are a few artists who can make a special type of painting,[12] invested people, such as the Returned, can see things in these paintings which aren’t actually there.[12] While normal people see the actual strokes of paint.[42][12][43]
Some wealthy Hallandren play Tarachin,[13] a notoriously difficult game.[13]Tarachin requires strength to throw the spheres correctly,[13] keen wit to understand where to place them,[13] coordination to do so with the necessary precision,[13] and a great understanding of strategy to pick the proper sphere and dominate the game field.[13]
Fashion and Beauty[edit]
“a hundred different colors and as many different clothing styles were represented. It was good to see some variety again, even if that variety was somewhat garish.”
—Siri thinking about the Hallandren[11]
The Hallandren wear flamboyant and brightly coloured clothing.[11] They wear a wide variety of styles,[11] with each person trying to stand out.[6] Because of this however nobody stands out.[11] Modesty in both design and color is unfashionable, but not nonexistent.[11]
Hallandren clothing is revealing,[6] with blouses that are open well below the neck, skirts well above the knees etc.[6] Clothing in Hallandren ranges from vests and shorts to long robes and gowns. Some ancient Returned wore robes that hung from only one shoulder with a wrap around their waist that came down to mid-thigh.[13] Ornate hats are popular, both on men and women.[11] Some Hallandren carry umbrellas for when it is raining.[11] Many Hallandren also dye their hair.[11] Clothing is often made from leather,[6] although silk is also used for the rich.[33] A number of women also wear trousers, considered to be utilitarian.[6]
Hallandren women wear perfumes,[33] either taking perfumed baths[33] or having someone else rub perfume onto the body. [33] They also have many kinds of make-up, such as lipstick and eyeliner.[33] Some women have a sort of paint on their thighs.[41] Long hair is seen as a sign of beauty.[33]
Glossy black hair, pale skin and a lusciously curvaceous body are considered by some to be the epitome of female beauty.[41] The Hallandren find both thin and heavy women to be attractive.[44] The epitome of male beauty is large bulging muscles and square jawed features.[13]
Biochroma and Awakening[edit]
Hallandren is known for it’s research in Biochroma.[1]
Breaths and Awakening[edit]
The Hallandren believes that losing your Breath doesn’t change you much.[17] There is also a very strict breath market.[45] Due to these reasons many people sell their breaths when they need some money. These breaths are often bought by rich people.[28] Most people stop at 50 breaths,[28] at this point they have attained the first heightening,[28] their lifespan is also improved by a good decade[28] or so and their immune system is a lot more effective. They can also do a little bit of awakening themselves,[28] a useful skill to have. People with more then a thousand breaths are uncommon, but not unheard of.[28]
Awakened objects performing tasks aren’t uncommon.[28]
The Returned[edit]
The Returned also need one breath per week to stay alive.[17] These breaths are usually provided by children.[17] The families who sell their breaths to the Returned are blessed and gain enough money to live a whole year on.[40]
Lifeless[edit]
Lifeless are fairly common in Hallandren,[40] although most people still give them a wide berth.[13] It is common to dress lifeless in grey clothing,[13] matching their skin and marking them as a lifeless.
People in Hallandren can pay an awakener to make a lifeless.[37] Families can also sell corpses to these people,[37] with the more skilled the person was the higher the cost is going to be.
Language and Writing[edit]
The Hallandren speak a language called Hallandren.
The Hallandren have their own Alphabet as well. The first letter of this alphabet is called shash.[31] The Hallandren also use a second script called the artisan's script.[17] This script is a form of writing based on color, each hue representing a different sound. Skilled artists of at least the Third Heightening often write poetry using this script.[17]
Architecture[edit]
Hallandren has very diverse architectural styles.[29] These styles use many domes and spires, while pyramids are also used. Almost every building is painted in a bright color.[29]The Hallandren are fond of greenery and build many gardens and open spaces in their cities.[40]
Some buildings are painted for someone of the Third Heightening, with very minute changes in color. Examples of this are the Returned palaces.[11]
Food[edit]
Foods[edit]
The Hallandren enjoy a wide variety of foods, including seafoods and sea fruits[14] as well as regular plants and animals. Known sealife includes mussels, fish, and octopi.[13][6][14] The Hallandren also like many foreign foods.[28] They like their food spicy.[29]
Drinks[edit]
The Hallandren also drink hot tea.[28] A known variety is citrus tea.[28] They also enjoy a wide variety of juices.[36]
Calender[edit]
The Hallandren may have a calendar which views the Manywar as the year 0, as Hoid mentions that the time before the Manywar was before time itself began.[2]
Economics[edit]
The Dye Trade[edit]
Hallandren’s main source of income are the dyes made from the Tears of Edgli.[2] These flowers can only be grown in Hallandren, and as such the Hallandren people have a monopoly on them. The Tears of Edgli make excellent dyes, and are far cheaper to produce then other dyes.[2]For these reasons, as well as their use in awakening, they are very desired, far more so then other dyes.[2]
Trade Routes[edit]
The Bright Sea[edit]
Hallandren is located on the western shore of the Bright Sea.[29] This sea contains many trade routes, which are a boon to the kingdoms located on its shores. Hallandren profits a lot from trade with these kingdoms, such as Tedradel.[6]
Hallandren imports fresh foodstuffs from a number of cities on the coast,[6]. they also import oil. There are many merchants from Tedradel in Hallandren, selling a wide variety of products such as clothing.[6] Hallandren has multiple Stormrunners.[46]
Idris and the Northern Kingdoms[edit]
Hallandren also trades with many other kingdoms, such as the Northern Kingdoms,[17] beyond the mountains.[28][17] These trade routes run through Idris,[28] making this country very important to Hallandren, one of the reasons they want to control it. Bebid reasons that should trade with these kingdoms stop, Hallandren would suffer a full economic collapse.[28]
Hallandren imports carpets from these nations.[17]
Politics[edit]
Priests control much of the trade in the city. Being wealthy individuals with notable political power in Hallandren's theocracy, they own and organize a large sum of the traded goods in Hallandren.[37] There were strict rules around buying and selling Breath.[1]
Truthcall is one of the Returned given a vote over issues of trade with other kingdoms. As such, his decisions hold sway over the economics of both Hallandren and its trade partners.[13]
Currency[edit]
Coins in Hallandren are called marks, with a smaller variety called bits.[25][47] A single bit would not buy more than a mouthful of food.[47]
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry[edit]
Hallandren is an agricultural society, with slash and burn techniques.[13] There are a number of Hallandren who clear these forests and then rent them to growers.[13]
The Hallandren herd livestock such as sheep and cows.[35][18] They also fish the sea for fish, octopi, mussels and squid.[13][6][14]
History[edit]
Hanald[edit]
The region that became Hanald was originally populated by the Pahn Kahl people.[2] When the people of Chedesh, who dominated the world at the time,[2] began exploring other parts of the Inner Sea's coastline, a group of their ships discovered this valley filled with jungles.[2] One of the explorers, Vo, died and became the first Returned while on one of the ships in the bay.[2] He then died again a week later.
Dismissive of the native Pahn Kahl, his crewmates founded a kingdom on the site and named it Hanald.[2] This kingdom would grow and expand to become one of the most powerful kingdoms of its age.[2]
The Manywar and Founding[edit]
After Tensions between the Nalthian kingdoms grew Kalad, then known as Strifelover, overthrew the Royal Family and seized control of Hanald. Shortly after this he attacked the northern kingdoms of Kuth and Huth, starting the Manywar.
After a while Kalad had a change of heart and recalled his troops from their fighting.[2]He used these troops to seize control of his own country and stopped the Manywar through diplomacy. Due to this he got the name Peacegiver.[2]
During this time the Royal Family fled T’Telir,[2] heading to the northern mountains, and established the kingdom of Idris.[35] After their departure the Cult of the Returned took control of the new nation, renaming it Hallandren.[2] Their religion eventually evolved into the Iridescent Tones and became the norm within Hallandren's territory. The only notable exception was Pahn Kahl, which was absorbed into the new nation of Hallandren as a province,[48] where the people retained their own religion and culture.[49] The conclusion of the Manywar was also the foundation for Hallandren's power in the region of the Bright Sea in the modern post-war era.[50] Peacegiver also gave the first God King a treasure of fifty thousand Breaths and entrusted his priests to see that it was cared for until he needed it again.[14]
The God Kings[edit]
The Treaty With Idris[edit]
The king Dedelin negotiated a treaty with Susebron, promising to send his daughter (ostensibly Vivenna,[35] though this was not stated specifically) to the Court of Gods to marry him when Vivenna turned twenty-two, thereby reintroducing the bloodline of the royals into Hallandren's own ruling line.[35]
He couldn’t bring himself to send Vivenna to Hallandren though, so instead he sent Sisirinah,[35][32] who would go on to become queen of the Hallandren.[29]
The Pahn Kahl Rebellion[edit]
Three hundred years later, a Pahn Kahl named Vahr made an attempt at stirring up his people.[25] He spent over a decade working to that that end, but was ultimately captured and imprisoned due to Bluefingers' information leaks and killed by Vasher.[51][1]
Bluefingers himself planned an extensive subversive campaign centered around starting a war between Hallandren and Idris: he brought mercenaries and Pahn Kahl Awakeners into the tunnel system below the court,[52] manipulated Siri into distrusting the Hallandren priests,[53] and hired Denth's crew to increase tensions in the city.[54] When his plans were nearing completion, he tortured Blushweaver and Lightsong in order to get the Command phrases for Hallandren's Lifeless army, changed the Command phrase, and sent the army towards Idris.[8] The attempted rebellion was defeated when the God King, with his newly healed tongue, used Peacegiver's Treasure to storm his palace with an army of Awakened cloths. Vasher decided to give the God King the Command phrase to Kalad's Phantoms, which he then sent after the Lifeless army.[55]
Notable People[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker prologue#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Warbreaker chapter 32#
- ↑ SpoCon 2013
— Arcanum - 2013-07-10# - ↑ Warbreaker chapter 12#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2011-03-01# - ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Warbreaker chapter 9#
- ↑ /r/books AMA 2015
— Arcanum - 2015-06-18# - ↑ a b c d e f g h Warbreaker chapter 55#
- ↑ a b c d e f g Warbreaker chapter 27#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 35#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Warbreaker chapter 14#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker chapter 26#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Warbreaker chapter 22#
- ↑ a b c d e f Warbreaker chapter 40#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 53#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 43#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Warbreaker chapter 3#
- ↑ a b c d e Warbreaker chapter 16#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker chapter 50#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Warbreaker chapter 8#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 44#
- ↑ a b c d e Warbreaker chapter 47#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 30#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 15#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 17#
- ↑ a b c d Warbreaker chapter 34#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 48#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Warbreaker chapter 5#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Warbreaker chapter 4#
- ↑ Broken reference - Book shorthand incorrect: eb
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 20#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 2#
- ↑ a b c d e f g Warbreaker chapter 6#
- ↑ Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2011-06-22# - ↑ a b c d e f g h i Warbreaker chapter 1#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 28#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Warbreaker chapter 19#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 58#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 21#
- ↑ a b c d e Warbreaker chapter 25#
- ↑ a b c Warbreaker chapter 7#
- ↑ Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2010-11-16# - ↑ Oathbringer chapter 102#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 23#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 39#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 42#
- ↑ a b Warbreaker chapter 41#
- ↑ Warbreaker chapter 54#
- ↑ Goodreads Fantasy Book Discussion Warbreaker Q&A
— Arcanum - 2010-01-18# - ↑ Warbreaker chapter 52#
- ↑ Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2010-07-13# - ↑ Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2011-01-18# - ↑ Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2010-12-14# - ↑ Warbreaker Annotations
— Arcanum - 2010-09-07# - ↑ Warbreaker epilogue#