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 and Lost Valley, and on the South by the Vulcanian Plain).
Area: Spread over a 10,000,000 square mile area Poposhishowlilacakazoo is a collection of Fairy folk enclaves scattered within the High Shire.
Population: 5,100,000 halflings, 100,000 Fairy Folk (Leprechauns, Pixies, etc.), and about 1,000 Elves.
Languages: Lalor, the ancient language of the halflings, Leprechaun in the Fairy Folk enclaves.
Coinage: Karra (gp), Shem (sp), Oberon (cp).
Taxes: One Karra and one Shem per inhabitant per year. Hin males are obligated to serve in the local militia and answer call to arms by the King in the defence of High Shire. Fairy Folk are also obligated to serve 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, F9/C8), Shim Littlefoot (King of Poposhishowlilacakazoo [Land of The Fairy Folk or just Fairy Folk], Leprechaun, Male, MU9/B9).
Flora and Fauna: Heavily forested with the normal flora and fauna usually found in mountainous climates. The High Shire is also the home of many fairy-type creatures (like dryads, Fairy Dragons, Leprechauns, Nymphs, Pixies, 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 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 Hin of High Shire are a very fair skinned bunch. Except for their size many people would mistake them for Elves. Indeed many think they have intermingled with Fairy folk to the extent that they have become small elves or Pixie-Elves as many humans in the areas bordering the High Shire call them. They are a beautiful and agile race, but their fury feet (males only) betray them as halfling kind.
High Shire folk are very cautious of Humans, Dwarves, and all Humanoids. This dates back to the time of the Varellyan invasions of BC 1300. Although many left for Brun about 1/4 of the population stayed in Davania. They 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 the Hin. Despite numerous hardships the Hin managed to survive and thrive in their new environment.
The Dwarves, however, being a greedy and hard race didn't fair so well. They ended up warring upon each other and in their blood lust didn't stop until they had exterminated themselves completely off the face of Davania. The Hin population grew and easily became the most numerous people in Davania totalling 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 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 the only 'fatality' was raised from the dead.
Don't Miss
Within the Fairy enclaves are several areas you don't want to miss! First, there is the Unicorn Woods within the Fairy enclave of Litlalafizarow [Leprechaun translation - Little Fissure]. This is where the most numerous population of Unicorns within the High Shire live. In Kwereatzzacheen (translation - Creation Palace) is High Castle, built in the top of the tallest trees in the realm. This area is the home of the extremely rare winged Unicorn (a cross between Pegasi 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 High Shire proper there is Clan Meet where Karraway Took united the Hin clans. On the North-Western border is High Ridge Falls. Here 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 them immortality when it comes time for them to leave the world of mortals (AC 1280 for Karraway and about a 1000 years later for Shim). They were also shown future that would unfold for the Hin and Fairy Folk peoples, a future where in the far distant future their peoples would settle on distant worlds and live in peace. Karraway and Shim participated in several future adventures as part of their road to becoming immortals the last being in the year AC 13000 by which time the High Shire had grown considerably in size, but that is a different story.