Hortosare
Hortosare
Religion
Traditions
+15% Fort Defence
-1% Prestige Decay
Deep KeepsThe keeps of Hortosare are famous for their ancient foundations. It’s said that the Great Keep of Stonehold has risen and fallen over a hundred times over the last two millennia. There might be some exaggeration to these claims, but the fact that the Great Keep has fallen and been rebuilt countless times is not in dispute. Such is the tale of practically every keep in Hortosare, and it is the ancient and expansive foundations left behind by the old keeps which serve as the keeps’ greatest strength. During peacetime these foundations serve as granaries and during times of siege they can house and feed large swathes of the population.
-10% Fort Maintenance
+10% Garrison Size
Gnoll HuntersFor two millennia the gnolls have been a blight upon the Khenak Mountains, having arrived in the region centuries before the Day of Ashen Skies. These first gnolls were stragglers, deserters and survivors from defeated Xhazes, the demonic crusades of the gnolls. Ever since, the people of Hortosare have had to deal with these blights festering within their borders. Unable to find diplomatic solutions to constant gnollish raids and other conflicts, bands of adventures eventually came together as the first Gnoll Hunters. \n\nThese days most local communities employ a small band of locally trained Gnoll Hunters to deal with any issues that arise, but larger more organized bands can be found near those unfortunate market towns and cities that suffer regular gnoll raids.
+10% Adventurers Loyalty Equilibrium
Border DiplomatsHortosare knows war above all else, but desires peace above all else. As such the position of diplomat has long been a common pursuit for those of noble blood. The notable families of Hortosare are known to send their scions to study across Businor and into the Empire of Anbennar where they can observe the ways of foreign courts and form personal relationships within those courts. Those who excel may even be offered positions at the Duke's court - a certain path to prestige and wealth.
+1 Diplomats
Rebirth ArchitectureThe Rebirth architectural style first started out as a simple practice as to best utilize resources. It was done more for convenience and cost than for any artistic endeavor. The style began to develop further when official quality control officers were hired to ensure unsuitable materials or foundations were not used in the construction of new keeps. These officers developed an official guide establishing rules for various things such as how damaged a stone block could be or how many old bricks can be used in the construction. This led to a more uniform look to buildings: older materials were more commonly used towards the bottom of a structure and would slowly fade out as more and more new materials were used, creating a gradient that would become the hallmark of the architectural style. This style would slowly find its way out of Hortosare and be commonly adopted in Busilar as a whole by the 17th century.
-5% Construction Cost
-5% Construction Time
The Extent of EmpiresThe lands of Hortosare have always sat at the edge of great empires and even greater conflicts. They bordered Busirat, a Kheteratan colony that laid the foundation for the Businor region, were occupied and controlled by Castan's Empire, were then bordered by the Damerian Republic, were devastated by the Great Xhaz, were hounded by the violence of the War of the Sorcerer King, and most recently came under the sway of the Jexisian Phoenix Empire before finally settling as the border between the Empire of Anbennar and Busilar.
-0.03 Monthly War Exhaustion
The Duke of HortosareThe duchy title of Hortosare dates all the way back to the petty kingdom of Hortosel, formed in 475 when local communities came together in an attempt to fight off the Draconic Xhaz. While held in high regard due to its venerable age, the true source of its prestige stems from the Busilari Interregnum of 1173. During that time the then duke, Arturo sil Hortosare, swore fealty to the House of Silnara and served valiantly as a general during the conflict. As a reward for his loyalty and bravery during the conflict, the duchy title of Hortosare was elevated above all other such titles in the Kingdom of Busilar, and entitled its holder a coveted seat at the Busilari king’s side in court.
+1 Yearly Legitimacy
Head Held High“A lion's roar is least feared when its head is held low.” \n\nThis common phrase in Hortosare maintains that it is better to hold one’s head high in the face of conflict rather than being trampled under foot. The phrase has unknown roots, but its mention of lions likely dates its back far into the ancient past, to the time when the notion of stone lions first became ingrained in the collective consciousness of the Businor region. Eventually it was adopted by the official motto of the military, and each and every soldier was taught to remember and believe in those words. For some time after the motto's adoption the soldiers of Hortosare became known for their hubris, but eventually all came to them for their persistence and determination.
-10% Morale Damage Received
Ambition
+1 Attrition for Enemies
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD