Halikiv is just to the west of Dragon Pass, but it is easier to get there from southwest Peloria, as the Skyreach Mountains are pretty near impassable. From Aggar, there are a couple of passes at around 1800 meters that lead over the Western Rockwoods to Halikiv. In the Second Age, Sun Dome Temples were founded about a day or two away from the passes – one is now extinct, but the other is still the center of a Yelmalion Sun County.
The reason for this of course is that Halikiv is one of the great ancient Uz Queendoms, with almost twice as many trolls as Dagori Inkarth. Kyger Litor lives there deep beneath the Castle of Lead at Ezkoro Roko. From there a council of Mistress Race trolls rules Halikiv.
Halikiv has one of the largest Himile cults south of Valind’s Glacier, which lets us know that Halikiv and its surrounding mountains are even colder than they probably should be. Halikiv is a bleak and barren land. East of the Mountains of Shadow is a deep rift valley with akali flats. Beyond that is the cold valley of Ezkoro Roko.
Halikiv has one of the largest Zorak Zoran cults in the world, with some 6000 initiates. Rampaging cultists from Halikiv nearly depopulated Aggar in the 1300s and destroyed one of the two Sun Dome temples.
Halikiv also came into conflict with the kingdom of Jorstland who had offered protection to all humans surrounding them. Battles began about 1200, usually indeterminate, but in 1327 there arose an Orlanthi leader named Retter the Stalker who began a long and successful campaign which drew many trollkin to aid him, depriving the trolls of much of their strength. Retter inspired the trollkin with many tales and promises, and organized them into units and began to train them. After a short period of proving his word, Retter then put them upon boats and sent them downriver to Jorstland where they were betrayed and killed or sold into slavery.
In 1350, Retter and his companions were ensnared by trolls, but he fought his way clear, destroying many trolls as he did. This so weakened them as a nation that the humans were once again able to move safely into Corolaland (the lands west of the Mountains of Shadow), and thereafter it was only occasionally used as a hunting ground by trolls.
In 1366, Retter and some other powerful companions successfully raided deep into Halikiv, the first such raid since Gbaji’s armies had swept over the terrain centuries before. Several Mistress Race trolls, including the Queen who had ruled ever since Arkat’s time, were killed. The blow stunned trolldom and they were unable to respond in kind. Fortunately for them, Retter, now the ruler of Delela, became embroiled in human politics and met his demise at the hands of an assassin sent by the king of Jorstland in 1371.
So going back to my earlier post on communication between Peloria and Ralios, I suspect there is more via the trolls than via humans.
Now keep in mind, the Argan Argar insect caravans can make it over these passes easier than mules, although the trolls take special care of the insects in the higher elevations. Which means we the Night Caravans going some 500 km+ across Dragon Pass between Halikiv and Dagori Inkarth or between the Shadow Plateau and Halikiv.
If we think about the main troll trade routes, there is like a triangle of Night Caravans linking up the Shadowlands, Dagori Inkarth, and Halikiv, with spurs from Halikiv to the Yolp Mountain or to Guhan in the far west.
There is no doubt a very dangerous route from the Blue Moon Plateau to the Elder Wilds and from there to Dagori Inkarth. Going across Dara Happa to the Yolp Mountain is even more dangerous.
Now I love the idea of this – insect caravans traveling through night carrying spider silk from Cliffhome to Ezkoro Roko, or escorting an Arkat Kingstroll sorcerer from Halikiv to the Shadow Plateau. It reminds us that the Elder Races have their own networks of associates and allies.