A Hollow Mountain: Espal, Portant, and Wahleen

(This is the third in my series of worldbuilding posts for A Hollow Mountain, the second book in The Brightest Shadow series.)

Though the three nations of the Maenhu have been referenced during the previous posts, each has a culture and history of its own. The second book only passes through them, but they'll play a major role in the series going forward, so I wanted to at least preview them in greater depth.

One example of the similarities and differences is the societal views of hair. In all three nations, hair is seen as an important part of the individual, to be treated carefully. Women's hair is generally regarded as sensual, but the proper methods of handling it differ. Men's beards are considered essential representations of themselves in varying ways, with clean shavenness being either a bold statement or a trait of barbarians.

From the outside, many view the nations of the Maenhu as squabbling factions, but some of the differences run deep...

Espal 

Occupying the western third of the Maenhu, Espal has the unique advantage of a string of islands providing easy access to the continent of Fareshel. This has had an influence on their trade and culture, though it also leads to naval weakness: they have a strong enough navy to deter pirates, but otherwise trade is highly individualized instead of controlled by the state..

One tradition unique to Espal is that politicians and diplomats often wear large metal collars, the meaning of which has varied over time. Once it had a military use as part of armor, but since the era of warrior leaders it has been said to represent the weight of office, among other things. Sometimes these are inscribed, though rarely with information readable to anyone outside of a given court system.

Espali men are expected to braid their beards according to specific styles. These are sometimes codified to represent specific positions in society, but since fashions change over time, these messages tend to be opaque to outsiders and somewhat ambiguous even to natives. Espali women are expected to wear wraps that obscure their hair, though allowing some to be visible is a common risqué statement.

Among the nations of the Maenhu, Espal has the most gender segregation, with women overrepresented in government and underrepresented in the military. The one exception to this is their archery divisions, which tend to be primarily women. Though archery is common as a practical skill across all three nations, Espal is the only nation to make heavy use of massed archery, including with sein arts.

Espali errants tend to wear leaner armor, with wraps instead of articulated joints. They're also the most likely to use adjustable visors. Many of their martial traditions are inherited from desert warfare, since Espal needs to control the Sotunn Desert in a way the other nations do not, thanks to its effect on their coastal trade.

Portant 

Situated between the other two nations, with only inhospitable seas to the north, Portant is the next best thing to landlocked. When war has broken out in the Maenhu, they've nearly always needed to fight on two fronts, leading to traditions of both aggression and of diplomacy.

Portant has the least restrictive cultural norms regarding hair, seen as purer or less civilized depending on who you ask. Men are expected to wear their hair and beards long, but keep both well-maintained. Women are expected to braid and coil their hair whenever they're in public, though different contained styles are sometimes used.

Portantese errants are notable for typically wearing open-faced helms. It's been said that in the northern forests, visibility was more important than protection, but the exact origin of the tradition is unknown. They're also the most likely to use polearms, which are sometimes seen as a lesser weapon in the other two nations, due to general use by untrained soldiers.

Deep in the history of Portant, before it was a nation with that name, there lies an ancient tradition of mysticism. Though viewed as arcane sorcerers by some outsiders, in practice the mystics of Portant have been herbalists and spiritual leaders. A few of their orders do have complex sein arts that differ from those found elsewhere in the Maenhu.

Wahleen 

To the east, Wahleen possesses both the most land of the three nations as well as the best coastlines. Without established trade routes, it had to develop a powerful navy, which it uses both for international trade and to threaten the other two nations from the sea. It is said that these advantages are countered by Wahleen's errants having less sophisticated sein arts, though this is hotly debated.

Hair is less strictly controlled, with women requiring only a hood of some sort for modesty, which is viewed as licentious by outsiders. Men are expected to go bearded, but to keep their facial hair cropped short.

All three nations stretch from the Sotunn Desert to the frozen north, but Wahleen has the largest territory that is too cold to be suitable for agriculture. Military orders have often resided in these lands, protecting the fertile south and trying to maintain control of the Chilgaan Islands north of Breilin. Winds from the Terant Ocean also leave Wahleen with the fiercest winters, so they're well-prepared against the cold.

Errants in Wahleen wear the bulkiest armor of the three nations, and correspondingly wield the heaviest weapons. Female errants are common and tend to wear hoods over their armor, despite the helm already covering their hair. This isn't actually required by propriety, but many women prefer it as a matter of keeping the army civilized.

Food and Culture 

With metal at a premium and frequently controlled by governments, the people of the Maenhu tend to eat with utensils we'd call chopsticks. These can often be sharpened at one end, however, and come in distinct styles between nations. All three nations are working with similar foods, but exactly how they're prepared and eaten varies considerably.

This has been a first glimpse of the Maenhu, not an exhaustive explanation. Notably, the path of the errant is a strong but limited one, and not every warrior with potential can follow it. All across the Maenhu there are also warriors calling themselves Fools, though they stay out of the limelight and don't receive the acclaim of errants.

The Maenhu will be introduced in the second book, then play a critical role in the third and be a continuing presence in the series. Please look forward to it, and feel free to ask if you want to know about any more details!