High Shire & Poposhishowlilacakazoo
(Leprechaun -translation Land of the Fairy Folk)
by Charles Diamond and Carl Diamond
Location: Davania (Bordered on the West by the Izondian Desert and the Korva Plains, on the North by the Adakkian Sound and Aryptian Desert, East by Green Bay the Lost Valley and Vulcanian Peninsula, and on the South by the Polar Sea).
Area: Spread over a 10,000,000 square mile area Poposhishowlilacakazoo is semi-autonomous collection of Fey enclaves scattered within the High Shire.
Population: 56,000,000 as follows: 50,400,000 Lalor (Halfling-Fey mix blood), 5,100,000 Hin, 500,000 Fairy Folk (Leprechauns, Pixies, etc.), and about 1,000 Elves. Census was completed in AC 1020.
Languages: Lalor, the ancient language of the Halflings, and Sylvan.
Coinage: Karra (gp), Shem (sp), Oberon (cp).
Taxes: One Karra and one Shem per inhabitant per year. Males are obligated to serve in the local militia and answer call to arms by the King in the defence of High Shire. Tariffs are collected on trade caravans that pass through High Shire territory.
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy.
Industries: Agriculture, fishing, forestry, and mining.
Important Figures: Karraway Took (King of High Shire, Halfling, male, F15/C10), Shim Littlefoot (Leprechaun, Male, Immortal).
Flora and Fauna: Heavily forested with the normal flora and fauna usually found in wooded mountainous climates. The High Shire is also the home of many magical creatures (for example Fairy Dragons, and Unicorns).
Further Reading: Unofficial Mystara Timeline.
Description by Charles and Carl Diamond.
The Land
The lands of High Shire are mountainous and heavily wooded. Still the Lalor (Hin) have rich, but small, farmlands scattered throughout the region. Mining, Fishing, and lumber industries are also important. Encroachment by Humans, other Demi-humans, and Humanoids is non-existent.
The People
The Lalor (Hin) of High Shire have extensive Fey bloodlines. Although the males still have the furry feet that betray them as Halfling kind many people would mistake them for small Elves or wingless pixies - some humans call them pixie-elves. Lalor females are distinctly nymph-like in physical appearance. Because of their Fey blood the Lalor are able to seemingly disappear into the natural environment and this is where they get the nickname invisible Hin. Due to their Fey blood, Lalor females outnumber males more than four to one. In comparison Fey females outnumber males approximately three-hundred to one.
The non-Lalor Hin of High Shire are Fey-touched and as a result manifest many Fey-like features and abilities. The inhabitants of High Shire have very long life spans.
High Shire folk are very cautious of Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, and all Humanoids. This dates back to the time of the Varellyan invasions of BC 1300 as explained below:
Ancient history
As a result of the Varellyan invasions of BC 1300 many Hin left for Brun. Still a sizeable number, about 1/4 of the population, stayed in Davania. Those staying behind were driven into the hills and high mountains. Many settled in and around the Ice Peaks, Brasol Range, Ice Wall, and Diamond Ring Mountains. The area at the time was inhabited by Dwarves who enslaved most of the Hin. Hin who managed to avoid slavery were taken in by the Fey with whom the interbred creating the Lalor. The enslaved Hin despite numerous hardships managed to survive and thrive in their new environment.
The Dwarves, however, being a greedy and hard race didn't fair so well. They waged war on each other almost continually. During these wars many Hin escaped and joined their Lalor brethren. Others were rescued by the Lalor and Fey. Eventually the Dwarves exterminated themselves from Davania. With the Dwarves gone the Hin and Lalor populations grew and they easily became the most numerous people in Davania numbering more than all the other sentient races combined. Still, being scattered and isolated from one another they never became a great people and in the border areas they suffered at the hand of bigger folk who took them as slaves or for other undesirable tasks. Such deprivations continued until...
Recent History
A pair of Hero-adventurers, Karraway Took and Shim Littlefoot, on their way to becoming immortals united the scattered Hin, Lalor, and Fairy Folk and unified the High Shire into one coherent nation, which was founded in AC 996. Karraway became high King over the nation while Shim became King of the Fairy Folk enclaves within the boundaries of High Shire. The mountainous and wooded areas afforded great protection and invasions where easily defeated by the 'invisible' Hin and their Fairy Folk allies.
In AC 1016 an army of 10,000 humanoids and men invaded the High Shire to reclaim slaves freed by Karraway and Shim. Despite having several very high-level magic users the invading army was destroyed. Between the 'invisible' Hin archers and Fairy Folk magic invader after invader fell dead. Even after Karraway gave the invaders the chance to surrender after the battle at High Ridge Falls they chose to fight their way out. Only one man was allowed to survive to tell his countrymen to leave the High Shire ALONE!
It should be noted that out of the slightly more than 2000 Hin and Fairy Folk engaged in the fighting only 142 were wounded and there were no true fatalities.
It wasn't until well after the battle when the Lalor and fey began to show themselves in number that Karraway and Shim realised just how many people resided in High Shire and Poposhishowlilacakazoo. A census was completed revealing a population more than ten times greater than what had been anticipated.
As a result of the census the two largest enclaves of Poposhishowlilacakazoo were expanded while several of the smaller ones were disbanded. The remaining small enclaves are fully integrated into High Shire though the Fey in them enjoy citizenship in both realms.
Don't Miss
Within High Shire and the enclaves are several areas you don't want to miss!
Besides the great beauty of the country side there are several sites that the High Shire is known for.
First, there is the Unicorn Woods within the Fairy enclave of Litlalafizarow [Leprechaun translation - Little Fissure]. This is where the most numerous populations of Unicorns within the High Shire live. In Kwereatzzacheen (translation - Creation Palace), built in the top of the tallest trees in the realm is High Castle. This area is the home of the extremely rare winged Unicorn (a cross between Pegasus and Unicorns) and Menthripals (Blue Blink Dogs) among other new and interesting magical creatures. Many creatures found in the world had their beginnings in this unique area.
Within Adakkian Wood there is Clan Meet where Karraway Took united the Hin clans. On the North-Western border is High Ridge Falls. At the falls there is a monument, among other points of interest, with the names of all 2001 Hin and 72 Fairy Folk who were engaged against the invading human and humanoid horde of AC 1016.
Lastly, there is Godspeak. This is where Karraway and Shim met the deity that granted Shim the status of immortal and both gained immortality. The two of them were also shown the future that would unfold for the Lalor (Hin) and Fey peoples, a future where in the far distant future their peoples would settle on distant worlds and live in peace.