Tharda & Tulwyn
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work discussing Hârn or Hârn World, originally created by N. Robin Crossby. No assertion of copyright to Hârn or Hârn World is made by producer or the publisher of this work.
When speaking of the relations the Thardic Republic might have to the Tulwyn barbarians, it is crucial to understand that there is no single policy, but several. The reason for this is that there are three areas with very different kinds of present and possible confrontations. It should also be noted that while Ramala Province covers most of the home areas of the Tulwyn, the whole existence of the province beyond Fort Taztos (and indeed between Taztos and Moleryn), is at most theoretical and seasonal, much more a daydream of some long dead autarch of the League times. The area where the Thardans and the Tulwyn meet regularly lies in the north-east, in the eastern districts of the Shiran Province.
Ramala Province & Taztos – the heart of darkness
Ramala province is a reasonably new addition to Thardic League/Republic. Moleryn was annexed in TR661, bringing the western end of the Salt Route into Thardic hands. Aglir of Telen, the 6th Autarch of the Thardic League, “announced the conquest” of Ramala and Athul as far as the River Geleme in late 660s, but the Salt War proved the folly his plans. He ordered the building of the first fort Taztos in TR670, but after the Salt war in TR673 the fort was abandoned and soon razed down by the Tulwyn. The present fort was begun in TR685 and its stone walls were finished in the spring of TR691. While the fort could stand a Tulwyn attack, it is effectively beleaguered, the garrison being too small to have any real influence beyond the radius of one league, or the patrol trips on Salt Road. The legionnaires in Taztos could do nothing to prevent the Tulwyn from wiping out the great seasonal caravan from Tharda to Kaldor in TR702, and lost a fifth of their manpower when a company was ambushed in TR714 somewhere between the fort and the River Farin.
Taztos is an expensive gamble maintained by the will of the expansionist faction in the Thardic Senate. “Ramala remains a wilderness over which the republic has the lightest of holds. Conquest and settlement of eastern Ramala is the favourite pet project of many expansionist senators, but the Tulwyn have so far resisted the sporadic, half-hearted attempts made in this regard. East of Moleryn patrols cannot safely venture far off the Salt Route.” In this game the Ramala legion and Moleryn are just pawns, the legionary commander of Ramala having very little real say on what his troops should do. In practice, the Ramala provincial commander is an Ostardas, having his roots in Moleryn, probably having much more to do with the Gozyda than with the Tulwyn. He probably dislikes his situation very much, knowing the political and military hazards of both disobeying the senate and acting against the barbarians. The reason for the Ramala marshal to be a “Weasel” lies at least partly in the fact that he has no real, strategic power.
The situation of the Ramala Province is not a status quo, but a stalemate the senate doesn’t want to see or doesn’t understand. The Tulwyn rule Ramala, and the Ramala legionary commander rules only in Moleryn. He is hard pressed because he has to keep half of his troops in Taztos, practically isolated from everything, and facing regular problems with basic logistics.
Telen & the Nordakas – a playground and a challenge
Telen may have originally been a centre of interaction between the Corani and the Tulwyn. Until TR521 the settlement was quite small and located on the eastern bank of River Thard, meaning that it had a natural agricultural hinterland in the region east of the river. In the past 200 years the situation has changed, and today Telen is firmly connected to the Thardic Republic and into the road net and hinterland on the western bank of River Thard. However, the existence of large woodland areas east of the river tells of human presence. The existence of the villages of Akenar and Perawol still hint of local interest in the areas east of the river. Telen cattle, for example, could be herded during summertime in the eastern bank of River Thard, and Telen charcoalers, hunters and trappers might frequent the area.
But seen from the western bank of River Thard, most of Ramala is a howling wilderness. The only potential in such a country is the land, and possibly trade with the inhabitants. To make land usable, colonists are needed. They would not, however, be sent into distant Gulf of Chakro, but to found new villages one or two leagues from the River Thard, in the vicinity of Akenar and Perawol. The process of colonizing the eastern shore of River Thard will take at least a generation. The process of colonizing the length of the Aramal Road as it exists today will also take a generation. Only after two generations one can speak of the colonization of the Ramala Gap, and even then it will likely take at least two generations, if the colonists are available at all.
The economical and population prospects of the Nordakas need to be really long-term to be fruitful. It is clear that if the Aramal Road ever gets built, the salt shipping would change from Imrium-Coranan-Moleryn to Imrium-Coranan-Telen, as the shipping of bulk cargoes along River Thard would definitely be cheaper than transporting them through leagues of Gozydan territory. For other goods, especially those travelling between Kanday and Kaldor, Telen might not be a preferred stopping place. It remains also highly questionable if a port on the Gulf or Chakro could serve any real mercantile needs. At least the salt would not be transported over water to Kaldor, as Kaldor lacks – and will lack – a port.
Simply put, the prospect of building Aramal Port on the Gulf of Chakro is daydreaming. All Thardan projects in Ramala beyond Moleryn and the vicinity of Telen have been daydreams of one big man – Aglir of Telen from the clan Nordaka! – resulting in hundreds killed in battles and skirmishes that lead into nothing. The Nordakas know this for sure, but want to keep playing the political game of bids and prospects. If they do this only to keep others from seeing their true inclinations, or if they really believe in the decades long project of their clan, we don’t know. The role, if any, of the Tulwyn in the plans of the Nordakas, remains a mystery.
Shiran Province – co-habitance
Eastern Shiran Province is the central region of Thardan and Tulwyn connections. In large areas, the Thardans and the Tulwyn live in virtual co-habitance.
Bythe District
(2820 inhabitants; 3 companies, of which 2 in frontier forts)
| Clan | Manors | Acreage | Percentage * | Location in relation to Tulwyn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bythe Cohort | 3 | 3350 | - | Partial neighbours |
| Polivar | 5 | 6250 | 100 % | Partial neighbours; District legar |
| Smenther | 3 | 4030 | 100 % | Distance |
| Tamel | 4 | 4840 | 100 % | Distance |
(* Percentage of the clan's total acreage; 100% means the clan has land only in this district.)
Bythe District is practically a hinterland for the city of Shiran. The land holdings are turned mostly towards the River Thard, and only one village of the Polivar clan and one cohort outpost lie near the Tulwyn. As all landholders in the district have land in Bythe district only, they are probably unwilling to risk it in a confrontation with the Tulwyn. Also, there is no need to push the Tulwyn for new land, because Bythe District has enormous tracts of uncultivated land right on the banks of River Thard. The only possible reason for a confrontation, not counting adventurous politics, might be the zinc mine in the middle of the southern forests of the district, far away from everything.
Hediro District
(6925 inhabitants; 4 companies, of which 2 near frontier, 1 in frontier fort)
| Clan | Manors | Acreage | Percentage | Location in relation to Tulwyn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hediro Cohort | 3 | 4590 | - | Partial neighbours (Zost) |
| Elbrin | 5 | 5280 | 47 % | Intermixed; Big in Firis! |
| Erelun | 5 | 6520 | 88 % | Neighbours; one manor in Kuseme |
| Horla | 9 | 11990 | 100 % | Distance; Cohort commander |
| Jeredosta | 16 | 24160 | 100 % | Close neighbours (1 manor); District legar |
| Nemirina | 10 | 10030 | 100 % | Intermixed |
Hediro District has three kinds of landholders. The clans of Elbrin and Nemirina hold lands in the middle of the Tulwyni Amar over-tribe, either wanting to keep peaceful relations with them, or wanting to dispose of them. The Jeredosta and Erelun clans hold areas that have Tulwyn as neighbours. As their lands in the Hediro District form up their power bases, they – along with the Nemirina clan – are probably unwilling to risk it in a confrontation with the Tulwyn. The Jeredosta clan, holding the position of legar and almost 40 % of the cultivated land in Hediro District, is a very important factor in the district politics. The Horla clan, and along with it the Hediro Cohort commander are less interested in Tuwlyn affairs. They might actually be ready for a military action against the Tulwyn, if it was supported by at least the Jeredosta.
Firis District
(4956 inhabitants; 4 companies, of which 2 near, 2 in frontier forts)
| Clan | Manors | Acreage | Percentage | Location in relation to Tulwyn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firis Cohort | 3 | 5310 | - | Intermixed; without commander |
| Aquil | 12 | 17530 | 94 % | Partially intermixed; District legar; one manor in Kuseme |
| Elbrin | 4 | 6050 | 53 % | Partially intermixed; Big in Hediro! |
| Lamrend | 5 | 7200 | 100 % | Intermixed |
| Sudanava | 6 | 7240 | 100 % | Intermixed |
| Ulter | 6 | 7450 | 100 % | Close neighbours (1 manor) |
Firis District is a new addition to the Thardic Republic. Firis castle was founded in TR677 “by legionary retirees as an experiment in planned settlement”. It was finished in TR700. This means that most of the Thardic inhabitants in the district are first and second generation settlers. Because the Thardans and Tulwyn live virtually intermixed, it is apparent that the Thardans entered this area peacefully, not “cleaning off” the barbarians before they settled. This supports a situation of intensive cultural contacts, possibly leading into cultural change of the local Tulwyn.
The Aquils, holding 35 % of all arable land in the district and being the leading civil authority, have all the reason to try to keep up the peace and balance between the Thardans and the Tulwyn. They are supported by all other clans, especially the Elbrin, Lamrend and Sudanava, who hold lands in the middle of the Tulwyn. Also the men of the Firis Cohort, especially now, when they are without a commander, try to keep things polite and clean.
Tulwyn in and around North-Eastern Tharda
| Lead tribe | (pop.) | Other tribes | Population | Habitat | Warriors/T-kemri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirandar | 200+ | +8 x 60-100 | 850 | Half intermixed (Firis) | 170/40 |
| Kodor | 120-140 | +4 x 60-100 | 450 | Distant neighbours (Firis) | 95/15 |
| Kavar | 120-140 | +3 x 60-100 | 370 | Neighbours (Bythe) | 80/15 |
| Amar | 120-140 | +2 x 60-100 | 290 | Totally intermixed (Hediro & Firis) | 65/10 |
| Komwyl | 120-140 | +1 x 60-100 | 210 | Half intermixed (Hediro & Firis) | 45/5 |
| Total tribes: | 5 | +18 | 2170 | 455/85 |
About 1100 Tulwyn live as immediate/intermixed neighbours, a further 1000 as distant neighbours north of the Athul Mountains and around the Gernal Mountains. Very roughly, the Tulwyn make up some 10 % of the population in intermixed areas.
Legionary presence and Tulwyn warriors: numbers, tactics and strategies
Bythe, Hediro and Firis cohorts together have a standing number of 220 troops, of which 60 are deployed practically in the middle of the Tulwyn, and a further 120 very near to Tulwyn territory. As it seems that the Thardic cavalry contingents are not part of the infantry cohorts, a further 70 cavalry must be counted in, probably forming a force capable of patrolling and rapid response. There are about 550 legionary and cavalry reservists living in the area, and especially around Firis there is a large concentration of retired legionnaires, amounting to over one hundred. The total manpower of the Bythe, Hediro and Firis cohorts ranges between 900 and 1000, of which no more than half can be considered soldiers, the rest equalling militia.
The legionaries face some 200 -- 400 Tulwyn warriors, of which several dozen belong to the famous Turenkemri berserkers. Being able warriors and woodsmen, the Tulwyn can – if they so like – circumvent the legionary forts and strike at will, almost where they will. On such raids their numbers, even if composed of only independent tribes and not acting in unison, will usually be larger than the number of locally deployed legionnaires they face. To counter such raids the local military leaders can deploy their cavalry units, but it usually takes at least an hour before the units can be alarmed, and another hour more before the units reach the invaded area. The raiding Tulwyn usually decide to retreat before the arrival of cavalry, and pursuit is seldom efficient in the woods and forests the Tulwyn know by heart.
The legionary companies are not an invading army, and barely a peace-keeping force. Their presence and numbers suggest a strategy where the Thardans are ready to keep the peace and not to harm the Tulwyn. Further, the presence of several mines (zinc and lead, one salt mine) in Tulwyn territory suggests that the Tulwyn have friendly ties to at least some of the local clans and legionaries. If they wanted, they could stop the mining activities with impunity.
Apparently at least the Tulwyn leaders don’t want this to happen. It is probable that the Tulwyn chiefs receive something for the peace they keep. Seasonal gifts for the Tulwyn chieftains could be a solution, promoting further contacts and trade. The notion about the Salt Route – “it is apparent to both sides that a small payment of tribute to the Tulwyn each time the caravan passes saves both face and lives” – holds true also in north-eastern Tharda.
Legion forts as contact points
Being stationary, the legion forts are hardly an efficient way of protecting whole districts. What they protect is their immediate surroundings, a couple of dozen of households, mostly of veteran legionaries. Thus the function and location of the legionary forts is probably not defensive, but serves other functions. On one hand, they are moots for local civilized inhabitants, especially the legionary veterans. On the other hand, they are moots for the Tulwyn barbarians, who can be sure that they can meet important local Thardans, especially the military, in these locales.
Tulwyn barbarians are probably accustomed visitors in local markets. For many Thardans as well as Tulwyn living in the frontier zones meeting each other is part of everyday life. When the Thardic districts, the locations of their frontier legionary forts, and the Tulwyn tribal ranges are examined as parts of an intercultural frontier zone, the following pattern of communication centres becomes apparent.
Bythe District has two frontier legionary forts, Tunarel and Bythi. Of these Tunarel is somewhat removed from the Tulwyn, but is visited occasionally by members of the Vulf overtribe. Bythi fort serves as a regular moot for the Kavar overtribe, and Kavar tribesmen are frequent visitors of the local market.
Hediro District has one frontier legionary fort, Zobt, which serves as a moot for both the Amar and the Komwyl tribes. In addition, the Amar tribe inhabits the whole coastal territory stretching from Cestor Keep to Firis castle. Cestor is sufficiently close to this tribal range allowing both the Tulwyn woodsmen and Tulwyn boatmen to visit it regularly. Because the Amar tribe has probably been present in the region before the Thardan settlement, it is very probable that some Amar have take up settled lifestyle with the Thardans, and that the traditional Amar inhabiting the woods have many relatives who live as Thardans in the villages. Between Cestor Keep and Firis Castle, and including the Cestor Keep, communication between the Tulwyni and the Thardans is an everyday phenomenon.
Firis castle is occasionally visited by members of the Amar tribe. In addition, Firis District has two frontier legionary forts, Billinar and Estane. Billinar is visited by both Komwyl and Kodor overtribes, the latter being less frequent visitors. Estane fort serves as a centre of communication between the Firis district and the Kirandar tribe. Because Kirandar is the over-chief of all the Tulwyn, this communication is very important for both the Thardic Republic and the Shiran province – as well as to the Tulwyn. The Thardans have all the reason to keep Kirandar amiable, as this is the most efficient and probably the cheapest way to keep peace in Tulwyn-controlled Athul, in Ramala Province and on the Salt Road. When Thardic diplomats have anything to say to the Tulwyn chiefs, it often happens via Kirandar in fort Estane.
The intermixing of the Kirandar tribal range with that of Firis District may have deeper political and cultural resonances. Perhaps Kirandar is the Tulwyn over-chief just because he controls the communications between the Thardans and his fellow natives. Perhaps Kirandar has served in the Shiran legion, having close connections between local and regional Thardic military commanders. It is possible that other Tulwyn serve in the Thardic army as scouts. The fact that the Amar tribe inhabits a densely settled Thardic territory in Hediro District may tell of some kind of federate status.
Endnote: local vs. senate
This article shows how many-faceted and intertwined the relations between civilized and barbarian Harnians can be, and what kind of diverse viewpoints and communication patterns may emerge in relations to the barbarians. As always with small-scale local agrarian communities, the different Thardan responses to the Tulwyn presence represent local answer t local problems and possibilities. The Thardic Senate probably has only little say on how the local relations function, and thus the Thardan policy toward the Tulwyn is not -- in practice -- decided in the Senate.