Ha'Khun

Overview

Ha'Khun is a valley in the Black Mountains. Its capital is a large, prosperous city of the same name. The territory extends to the mountainous border of Macura Province, the sole trade route being a tunnel bored through the granite rock long ago by magical means. Within the valley but close to this border lay the small town of Mundathra, granted a certain amount of autonomy by the capital until its destruction around 300 B.C.

History

Founding

Ha'Khun was originally a small village by the river until a group of travelling merchants began to use it to hold regular markets, making it the centre of trade between a number of neighbouring villages. The prosperity this brought to the village caused it to grow enough that it attracted the attention of raiders, with dire consequences until the village was saved by a passer-by, a young Angel by the name of Page. Heeding the villagers' pleas, he agreed to remain at the village and defend it in exchange for a place on the village council.

Page

Gradually the village began to depend upon him more and more until he was ruler in all but name. From this position of power, Page opened the village up to all races, rather than just Beings - so long as they obey the laws and commit no violence. Able to harness the strengths of many races, the village quickly flourished, becoming a haven for some of the more peaceable Creatures who were otherwise shunned or hunted down by Beings.

This rapid expansion - as the village grew to become a town, a city and then an entire realm - resulted in certain logistical problems and it was this which got Page interested in technology. By around 500 B.C., Page was experimenting with water-driven mills to reduce the cost of flour and help feed his people. At this time, the incubus Jakob Pettersohn, then a fresh graduate from SAIA, entered the town, offering his engineering skills to Page.

Two years later, they embarked upon a project to steal Earth's technology and culture, with the aim of creating a small paradise on Furrae. Page was so pleased with their success that he made Jakob joint ruler, and they built a series of hydroelectric generators to power the city, including a large power plant in the mountains overlooking the city.

Johan Cross

In 402 B.C. Page was killed by a trio of demons who sought to take control of the city. Jakob then became sole ruler, but maddened by grief his reign quickly descended into tyranny. Converting the mountain power plant into a fortress, he moved the seat of his power there, leaving the main palace within the city to the mayor, one of his deputies.

Taking control of the local crime syndicates, Jakob, or Johan Cross as he begins to call himself, gradually turned them into an intelligence network, using it to locate and remove dissidents. Although their fate was nothing worse than banishment, Cross did nothing to dispel the myth that his enemies had been executed or soul-eaten. Furthermore, he took to walking the streets in disguise. No-one dared speak ill of him since a random stranger could be him, and this allowed him to feed upon the ambient fear of his populace.

While a number of citizens fled, most did not as the city remained extremely prosperous and safe for those who did not incur Jakob's wrath. Jakob was extremely protective of those who were loyal to him, with pension plans for his minions and swift punishment for violent crimes. Despite the drawbacks, it was still one of the few places where all races were welcome.

Possessed by a manic determination to avenge Page at all costs, Cross invaded Macura Province and a number of other regions where the murderers were been sighted. In 107 B.C. he finally caught them, killing them and trapping their souls within a pair of jewels.

Aftermath

His long vengeance completed, Johan looked at the city with fresh eyes and realised that he had twisted their original vision of paradise almost beyond recognition. Horrified by what he had done, he left the city in the care of his deputies and, reverting to the name of Jakob Pettersohn, returned to the Academy to try and make amends.

By 2 B.C, Johan Cross had returned to Ha'Khun - even though Jakob hadn't. Joining Gareeku's party, he tagged along to find out what was going on.

Appears in

Ha'Khun appears in the The Chronicles of Jakob Pettersohn (chronicling Jakob's meeting with Page and his later years as the crimelord Johan Cross) and Gareeku's Furrae Chronicles (his subsequent return).

Trivia

• Ha'Khun should not be confused with Gareeku's hometown of Harkhun.