The Hainlo Mountain People, Chaka Hainlo, and the Kingdom of Daihain (INDOLA)
“I see myne people, as I pass o’er the hill,
Great pains, it does bring me, the foes that I kill,
For I know in my sleeping, their faces will jest,
But in vain it was not, for my people may rest.”
Rethi Ruins in Kürrthak
It was the coldest winter in one thousand years. Young Chaka Hainlo had brought his army of only 500 outside the city of Ghan-Thutha. It is said that the city surrendered almost immediately to him. Legends about the great bear-man had spread all the way to the then tribal people of Sithra and Argur, and in Ghan-Thutha, the King was anticipating an attack. Fearing his life at both the hands of the Hainlo and of the populous who had been growing discontent with him, he abandoned the city, allowing Chaka Hainlo to take the throne of what would become the original Adalarr Castle.
The Rethi were the indigenous people of the Daihain (Blue Mountain Region). They had been there long before any of the great cities were erected and had lived in peace with the surrounding Nina and Haska communities. It wasn’t until the Ghan and Sithra pushed onto their land that they mobilized to create an army. After hundreds of years of being pushed out of their homelands and into the mountains (the origins of the name Hainlo meaning “of the Mountains”), the efforts of Chaka Hainlo’s predecessor, Jaet, helped the oppressed to organize. The Rethi clans merged into one people, Daihain, named for the mountain they believed their god lived.
Jaet died before his plans for conquest were enacted. They were swiftly picked up by his apprentice Chaka who mobilized his troops and began capturing small towns by horseback and chariot, a relatively old invention in the north but one that had yet to be adopted by the south. “We thought it was a blizzard that tore up our homes. They came from the snow like an avalanche ripping apart houses and people, setting our town ablaze” From the 700 page epic, The Battles on San-Githan, an account made by Firthiv, a Ghan peasant who had joined the Daihain during their raids. He is just one case of many who deserted the Ghan King, Ram, and joined the Daihain.
With an army even stronger than before, Chaka, now Chaka Hainlo, divided his armies up into 500s (a spiritual number) and sent them to conquer as much Ghan and Sithran land that they could, starting with the smallest villages to either pillage or recruit. The invasion was successful as the Daihain, not only having chariots but also longer-range bows than their enemies, won the majority of battles they started. Fear was sweeping the kingdoms with the news of the Hainlo army and heralds from all over the region were traveling to the armies and surrendering before the Hainlo could destroy their towns as well.
However, the Hainlo did not attempt to conquer any of the south-eastern tribes and kingdoms that would become the Kanaam trading kingdoms. The kingdoms were more advanced than the Ghan and already had a collective army three times the size of the growing Daihain. They threatened to attack the Daihain together and were able to keep their territory.
After six months of battle and conquest, King Ram of the Ghan finally mobilized their own army, but at that point, it was no use. So many had joined the Daihain’s own ranks, that there were not enough soldiers to combat them all. In addition to this, the citizens of the remaining Ghan kingdoms had been growing discontent with their king for many years and were ready to usurp him to make way for Chaka Hainlo. The King had gone on many fruitless campaigns to rouse his people to fight for his cause, but his show of wealth and disregard seemed to further alienate him from the people. Before he could be killed by the enclosing army and angry mob of peasants, Ram fled the land without a trace.
The Sires of Chaka Hainlo and Buthrak Adalarr
After Chaka Hainlo’s successful ascent to the throne, there was much to be done in their newly found kingdom. By the time he ascended to power, he was already 56, uncommonly old at the time. He commanded his six sons to be governers of each county in his kingdom. In the old kingdom, Kings tried and failed to conquer the plateau, plains, and mountians. This would be a show of supreme control. All left to take their place as leaders of each respective county except the eldest son, Buthrak. He stayed in the new capital and began his life’s work that would last even after he became king: The Building of Chaihain City and Castle. He is responsible for about 30% of all buildings in Chaihain even today, characterized by their limestone and cinnabar detailing. At this time the people had begun calling Buthrak by a new name, Adalarrer or Adalarra, which meant gift-giver at the time (though now translates more like “humble gift”).
“Lucky is the simple man
Whose wife does leave him be,
But woe to the unfortunate,
I cry, ‘unlucky me!’ ”
-Findings and Tales of the Court of Chaihain Castle
Buthrak Adalarra
After the restoration of some 50 towns and villages across the Irrikan (green plains), Buthrak retired from active service and advocated the throne to his oldest son, Chitrek. Chitrek’s reign was peaceful for the first 10 years after his coronation. Most of the records during this time account only for his accomplishments in the arts as well as the beginnings of the Annual Summer Games (still played to this day).
“Young, and supple,
The plum in winter greatens the joys of my heart,
And brings to mind the thoughts of summer,
And of her bed.”
“The Plum in Winter”
-The Musings of Chitrek Adalarra
It wasn’t until Chitrek was 28 that he faced the first and arguably most important challenge of his reign.
In the towns of the south, a famine was spreading up from the lands of Kanaam where mass death and starvation had already killed over half of their population. With reports of farms failing all along the southern coast, Chitrek took decisive action and ordered them to evacuate their towns and move up north. He enacted a second act that required each farm north of the famine line to take a 10th or more of their harvest and deposit it into a food bank. The problem was, there was only one major food bank controlled by the king, and in privately owned food banks, some were unwilling to give up their harvest and even taking that which was stored away for victims of the famine.
In a bold play of power, Chitrek took a map, and with a team of advisors, generals, and scholars from the capital, divided the kingdom into 17 districts and assigned a general to each. He dispatched each of them with a team of royally trained soldiers to their respective districts to watch over the handling and distribution of food. He helped rehabilitate a great number of people after they lost everything to the famine. Additionally, he took on the responsibility of visiting towns to persuade their cooperation in his plans.
After five long years of rationing, the famine finally subsided, but by that time Chitrek’s health was already failing. Having seen his kingdom through that arduous time, Chitrek Adalarra passed on, leaving behind a new successor to the throne at Chahain: Khethren.
