The Five Tribes of Shehaios

The King of Shehaios represents the unification of the lands between the mountains and the sea. His communication with the people of his land is through the Holders Council, where the chief Holders of the five territories which make up Shehaios are represented. The King's symbol is a white unicorn.

Ulath
Ulath is the most remote, inaccessible and esoteric of the five territories. It lies north of a stretch of moorland and includes the northernmost coastline of Shehaios. The north-west coast is a wilderness of salt marsh and bog; the hills rise in the east, and form a coast of low cliffs cut by river estuaries. In later times, as the population of Shehaios grows, many of these estuaries are settled by fishing communities, but at the time of the Caiivorian Empire, Ulath is sparsely populated by peoples living a life not far removed from that of hunter gatherer.

Ulath is poor farming land, but home to a wealth of semi-aquatic plants and creatures, birds, reptiles and grazing animals adapted to the damp conditions. Its people tend to embody the Shaihen virtues of self-sufficiency, resourcefulness and creativity.

At the time of the story, the Chief of Ulath is Onia. A spread-winged seabird is the territory's symbol.

Ccheven
The territory of Ccheven stretches south from the border with Ulath to Mervecc, on the southern border with Caiivor. Its population is almost entirely focussed on the eastern seaboard, looking outwards to the ocean. Inland, a range of hills separates northern Ccheven from the wealth of inland Hieath; further south, the boundaries become more blurred. There are some prosperous Holdings in the south of Ccheven, traditionally supplying the King’s residence in Shehaios Haven.

The people of Ccheven are frequently the most outward-looking Shaihens, most conscious of the Fair Land’s place in the wider world. Ccheveners are realists, but like to aim high. Like most fisherman, the one that got away is always bigger than the anything they have landed.

Also in Ccheven is the harbour of Vethocca, in later times serving as the port of Shehaios Haven and an important line of communication between Shehaios and Caiivor.

Colis is Chief of Ccheven at the time of the story. Five silver fish symbolise Ccheven.

Hieath
Hieath lies in the centre of Shehaios. It is one of the oldest of the Shaihen kingdoms and the most prosperous, with a damp, warm climate nurturing a fertile land criss-crossed by rivers. Much of the native forest has been cleared to make farmland and Hieathans have always tended to feel they live in comfortable harmony with nature; they celebrate it, sacrifice to it, and seek no other master than the generous gods of the harvest. Hieathans typically work hard, enjoy life, and have difficulty understanding people who don’t do either.

Cloak of Magic takes place when Ered is Chief of Hieath. The territory's symbol is a bull.

Oreath
Oreath is a patchwork kingdom, the oldest of the five Shaihen territories. Its landscape varies from the saltwater marshes and open grasslands of the west to the forested foothills of the southern mountains. Between these extremes, the central area of Oreath comprises some of the most fertile areas of the Fair Land. The Chief of Oreath holds a microcosm of the balance of all Shehaios; the poor lands of the mountainous regions and the wealthy lowland valleys. Cuaraccon, the Holding which traditionally produces Shaihen Minstrels, lies in Oreath. Its principal Holding is Arhaios, which lies at a the point where the aspects of Oreath meet; south lie the forests and mountains, north the fertile valley of the river which runs west from Shehaios Haven.

Oreath is represented symbolically by a pale horse. Leath is Chief of Oreath at the beginning of Cloak of Magic; she is succeeded by her grandson, Caras.

Mervecc

Mervecc could be described as the least Shaihen of the Shaihen kingdoms. The border territory between the Fair Land and Caiivor yields a hard living, and it has traditionally been inhabited by settlers who came over the mountains from the south seeking a better land. Merveccians therefore feel a natural – although not always amicable - connection with their neighbours across the mountainous divide. The principal Holding of Mervecc, which shares the same name, is the most significant trading settlement in Shehaios and is a conduit for a wealth of a different nature to the natural wealth of Hieath.

“Mervecc” in the Shaihen language means “place of the wildcat”; unsurprisingly it is the wildcat of the Shaihen mountains which is the territory's symbol. At the time of the story, Gascon is Chief of Mervecc.

The Magician

The alternative representative of Shaihen unity, the Magician comprises the seventh member of the Shaihen Holders Council. He is symbolised by a phoenix.