The Story of Halen Hal

Commissioned by King William Hitor to the Elephant Times to begin a recording of Halen Hal's history as a celebration of reaching 20,000 population.

Of a Fort on the river

Years passed since the Old World ended. Great cities slept beneath earth and silence. On the edge of a wide, unchanging river stood a small fortress made of wood and rock. Shaped by Andrew Hitor. He had a small following and decided to establish a people. His hands worked not for glory but shelter. Cold seasons stretched. Ground shifted underfoot. Threats waited just beyond sight. Folks lived through hard times when he was in charge. Over time, the town earned the name Fort Hitor, simple back then, but it held on for years.

Of the Arrival of the Hals

Years passed. The earth grew kinder, offering more each season. Trade slowly returned, like a breath held too long finally released. Quietly, a family emerged, strange to those at the fort. Not knights. Not lords. The Hals. At their head stood Edwin Hal. He carried no army, and no flags snapped above him. What he offered settled deeper: balance through fair deal, strength built on a debt repaid. Where others clutched wealth tight, he leant an arm. Where most focused on what was at hand, he was one step ahead. Promises gained weight because of them. Change came to Fort Hitor, slow at first, then steady. Growth showed up in corners you’d least expect. Size shifted, yes - but so did how things worked. Riches started small, like seeds in thin soil. The Hals became the first of the founding houses, with Edwin being named master of coin by King Andrew. The two however would grow apart as Fort Hitor began to grow, as Andrew would begin to slowly become sceptical of the private fortune Edwin was growing.

Of Sons William and Halen

A few years later, Andrew and Edwin both had a first-born son within a few days of each other. William Hitor, and Halen Hal. As William grew, he carried his father's name and the weight of royalty behind him. Not one for quiet rooms or ink-stained fingers. He moved better where boots hit dirt, where orders were shouted, not written. A man shaped by spears, not scribes. Halen Hal however, was the opposite, never loud but always watching. His thoughts ran deeper than most could follow. One step behind? Never. Always already three steps ahead on. Odd how different they were, still drew near. William leaned on Halen's choices; Halen counted on William standing firm. Attending the same school the nobles and wealthy sent their kids too, the two became close friends, whilst their fathers grew distant. 

The Bank and the emergence of Hal Power

As Fort Hitor grew from a village into a town, the wealth of the Hals was growing even more. Trade and Foreign investment began to flood into Fort Hitor due to the immense reputation Edwin Hal had created for himself within the known world. Although he always made sure to make sure the King’s treasury was overflowing, Edwin made sure the Hal’s personal fortune was always double the size. Eventually, Edwin purchased a large amount of land not far from the town and created the Hal Iron Bank. His immense wealth allowed him to create an effective and impenetrable fortress, almost the same size as the town itself. Not quite a place people lived, more like a statement cast in stone. Rising slow behind thick walls, its windows narrow, watchful. This wasn’t about comfort or community. Power sat inside, quiet and stacked deep. The Iron Bank consisted of a giant entrance and main section, before a thin walkway leads you to the central Bank. Surrounding the bank are four public vaults and three high security wings for the vast fortunes of the area. As it stands the first holds King William’s treasury, the second the family Hal’s fortune, and the third still remains vacant. A giant moat was dug out surrounding the Iron Bank, exposing the deep red clay that the bank was built on. The reach of the bank stretched past waterways, into lands never seen. Folks started seeing changes once the money flowed in. Slowly at first, influence drifted away from the royalty and towards the Hals.