Just a couple of things I was curious about after rereading some of the books. My searches didn't turn up anything, but then again my Google Fu is weak.
1) Harchong Population.
In Grab Bag Volume II, His Emminence the Duke of Weber places the population of Harchong as being 194 million, rounded to the nearest million.
TFT (HC)392:
Prior to the Rebellion, North Harchong's thirteen provinces had been home to over twenty-five million Harchongians...
TFT (HC)602:
And despite the fact that the southern lobe of the Empire contained barely a quarter of its total territory, it had boasted almost half the Empire's population even before the Rebellion.
Does anyone have a source for the reconcilliation of these figures? Currently my best assumption is that Qwaidu was simply wrong on page 392.
2) Malansath Province.
Unless I missed it, Malansath province isn't referenced anywhere in TFT. The only clue to it's current state is on one of the maps, where it lists it as The Earldom of Hayzor. Judging from that, it would appear to be probably the most successful - and secure - Successor State. Does anyone have anymore information about it?
3) Sodar borders.
My reading of the text always seemed to indicate to me that Sodar had once ruled more of Howard, but all the best parts of its territory had been taken from it by Desnair and Harchong. This left Sodar with all the parts that weren't worth having; just bad farmland, filled with sheep-stealers, and no communications worth talking about. While I can't find it, I seem to recall someone saying something like "before it had been wrested away from the hapless Kingdom of Sodar" when referencing a part of South Harchong. I thought it was in reference to Yu-kwau (ex-New York) but I can't find the particular quote.
What I am trying to figure out is a more precise view of their borders. It's never really mattered, so His Emminence may have wished to keep it a bit elastic, but I still want what information I can get
.The maps seem to show them controlling half of South Shwei Bay, along with Hahskyn Bay. That looks like half-way decent real estate though, so I have my doubts. One of the larger cities (maybe largest?) on Hahskyn Bay is called Ki-Dau, and on HFQ (HC)354 Sir Bruhstair says "unlike most Harchongese Rivers, the Hahskyn's navigable..." Obviously that doesn't make the Hahskyn Harchongese, but it does suggest it. There's also a reference (HFQ 370) about Governor Cloud Shadow - almost certainly Harchongese, probably Governor of Shwei - preparing Symarkhan for defense. Not proof, for sure. No Sodarian is going to argue with a Harchongese effort to protect any canal from Heretics* during the Jihad, but still suggestive that it belongs to Harchong, and it's 170 miles up the river from Ki-Dau.
TFT also talks about how Harchong built a rail line following the Sherach and Mahrosa Canals. Again, Sodar wouldn't be able to tell them no even if they wanted to, but it's also probable that Harchong would have wanted the non-Desnarian parts of the canal - and now railroad - completely in their hands.
Counter to some of this however, is the map of South Harchong in HFQ. It's a newer, more regional map than the World Map, so I would assume it's closer to what His Emminence wanted, assuming no mistakes were made. This map shows an unlabled political division surrounding Hahskyn Bay, roughly where the World Map shows the northern-most reaches of Sodar. So it's completely possible that they do own that area, and it's just a heavily Harchong influenced part of Sodar.
Anyways, that was a little long-winded, but I would appreciate being pointed to any text or statements by His Emminence that could help.
- Cheers, Key
