Herane

On the western coast of the Great Expanse lies the city of Herane. The area surrounding Herane had long been home to nomadic people who herded livestock when the Chalois Empire built a small trading post in the area, to serve as a port of call for their ships on long voyages. Herane is protected by the harsh desert winds as it lies before the Khizr Peaks.

Due to the harsh conditions in the region, the native population had never been able to cultivate land and, as a result, were permanently nomadic. Supported by imports from the heartlands of the Empire, however, Herane grew as a settlement. Silver was also discovered in the nearby mountains, which fuelled Chalois interest in the development of the region. In addition, members of the native population began to settle, finding gainful employment in the new trading post.

When rebellion erupted in the provinces of Noxarra and Sovrune, the Chalois Empire couldn’t afford to station troops in Herane. Without the protection of Chalois, the city soon became a prime target for bandit tribes of the Great Expanse. The Imperial Governor, Julien Vasseur, was eventually overthrown by a bandit tribe led by Hakim Zayan. Hakim established himself as Sultan of the region, starting the Zayan dynasty. The Zayan dynasty ruled Herane for generations, trading primarily with Sovrune. The Zayan dynasty established the policy of slavery in the city of Herane, capturing members of the native nomadic tribes and forcing them to work in the silver mines. Eventually, a band of warriors led Turgut Garam, a tribal chieftain, sacked the city and liberated the slaves. In addition, Turgut crowned himself Sultan of the city, founding the Garam dynasty.

At this point, three noble families had claims to the leadership of the city. House Vasseur, which dated back to the founding of the city and the early Governorships under Chalois, House Zayan, who still owned many of the silver mines, and House Garam, the ruling dynasty. The three houses would frequently jockey for position and prestige over one another.

In recent history, the head of House Zayan, named Hakim after his ancestor, overthrew the Garam dynasty and re-established House Zayan as the ruling House. He was aided in this task by a spymaster of immense talent, but low birth, Najwa Jashan. Under the new Sultan, Hakim IV, slavery was re-introduced to Herane. On the advice of his spymaster, who had learned from lessons of the past, Hakim outlawed slavery of any of the native citizenry. Instead, Hakim bought slaves from the various pirate fleets of Archaeda. As a result, Herane became a haven for pirates. Najwa was instrumental in keeping Hakim IV in power due to her skill at subterfuge and plotting. Najwa was rewarded greatly for her efforts, becoming incredibly wealthy.