Galhiak

This article is about a retconned term. As a result, this article is unlikely to be fully canon. It may contain information about the Lone Wolf series' historic development over time.

Galhiak, dubbed The Province of Cauldrons, was a Darklands realm that serves as the secret breeding grounds for various Giaks and slaves, which constitute the vast majority of the forces of the Darklands. Its chief city was the Spawnstone Citadel.

Its sole appearance in the sources is in the first edition of The Darklands, and was removed in the second edition.

Geography

Galhiak lies near Helgedad. It is a hidden, top-secret domain, and is responsible for creating the armies of the Darklands through its underground Stone Cauldrons. It is powered by the Nengud-kor-Adez, granting life to the bred creatures below. Galhiak's entire land is dedicated to its breeding grounds, with fortresses surrounded by springs of fire from the Nengud-kor-Adez.

Its chief city is the Spawnstone Citadel, in the heart of Galhiak. It has 21 Stone Cauldrons arranged in a ring around the central tower. All of these structures sit atop a strange grey rock, called the Spawnstone, which is the source of the dark art of creation.

Politics

Because of its power, Galhiak is coveted by the Darklords. Control over Galhiak is intermittent and changing. During the time of Archlord Zagarna, Darklord Kraagenskûl has held it for the most time in total, but his rule was frequently interrupted, so could not be considered its ruler. True power, however, was held by the current Archlord, who could not tolerate any disruption in its Stone Cauldrons, as this was the core power behind the Darklands forces.

History

Galhiak's control was contested by various Darklords throughout the ages. During the time of Archlord Zagarna, Galhiak had approximately 2,000 Drakkarim, 5,000 Giaks, and over 4,000 slaves. Most of its inhabitants were created in Galhiak itself, giving them a fierce sense of loyalty, seeing Galhiak as their home.

It is unknown what happened to Galhiak after the demise of the Darklords, in MS 5070. However, in MS 5100, the Nengud-kor-Adez around Helgedad self-extinguished, which would have caused any activity, if any remained, to cease, due to a lack of power.

Design

Galhiak only appears in the first edition of The Darklands, as a realm of Darklord Kraagenskûl. In the second edition, most of Galhiak's characteristics, including the Spawnstone Citadel, were transferred to the Imperial Laboratory Ward in Helgedad.

In the first edition, as Galhiak was a separate realm to Helgedad, control over Galhiak and its spawning pools were contested, although true power resided with the Archlord, not wanting the disruption of Darkspawn creation to last for too long.