Methlan - Queen of Ships

Of all the daughters of ancient Rhomeia, Methlan is perhaps the least remembered. Far too often overshadowed by her sisters in the north, the Queen of Ships is nonetheless one of the most important cities on the Divide.

— excerpt from "Rhomeia and its Descendants" by Archivar Garen Gisalas

Vardanias southernmost city, built where the cliffs of Tyanis Wound turn into the smooth coastal plains of the Summer Coast. Oldest of the remaining Daughters of Rhomeia, Methlan is the worlds chief manufacturer of ships. Nurn may have a thousand colours, Ainach may produce the best silver in the world and Sur manufacture the finest textiles known to man. But Methlan's ships move the world.

The Oldest Daughter

Methlan is the second oldest city in the known world. Founded about 320 years after Rhomeia itself, long before the Age of Wrath or Time of Twilight. In the aftermath of the Oblivion Hour the city remained disconnected from the Rhomeian Empire until the Rhomeion began to explore the newly formed The Great Divide in the last centuries before the First Dawn.

by Creative Assembly

Since then Methlan has alternated between independent nation and partner of Rhomeia. The Dawn Age has seen the city in repeated conflicts with Feran Lords, other city-states as well as the Tarquinnian Hegemony. Fending off any outside aggression, Methlan has maintained its independence for over 3000 years.

Queen of Ships

by Creative Assembly

The region surrounding Methlan, known as Aria Province is home to the Arian Cedar, whose wood is ideal for shipbuilding. Since early on the cities focus has been on the sea and its ships have been to known to be of exceptional quality. As a result, the industry is dominated by ship manufacturing. From the expansive tree farms in the hinterland to the expert rope and sailmakers, Methlan produces everything needed to construct a ship.
Its shipyards are the best in the world, the skill of it craftsmen unrivalled. The cities main shipyard known as the Arsenal can produce a fifty carracks a week. Ships made in Methlan are of amazing quality and sold to fair prices to anyone willing to pay. As a result, many nations around the ocean have taken to simply buying ships rather than building them themselves.

by Creative Assembly

From the slow, fat merchant cogs to the sleek and fast behemoths of war that are the dhomare, any ship one can imagine can be bought here. Additionally ship repair, upgrades and maintenance are offered to stable prices and one may even rent entire fleets to move wares or wage war.


Metarans (from Rhomeion meaning Woodmen) are known to be neutral in all conflicts unless directly threatened. Honest and proud they will never try and deceive you. Being a shipbuilder is seen as a great honour and those breaking the strict oaths of quality are at best kicked out of their guild and at worst send to the forced labour corp.

Methlan at the turn of the 1st Millenium DA.

Type

Large city

Population

700,000+

Inhabitant Demonym

Metarans

Location under

Summer Coast

Owner/Ruler

First Consul Getarian

Owning Organization

Republic of Methlan

by karakter design studio

Daughters of Rhomeia
The various cities around the world that were founded in ancient past by the Rhomeian Empire. Among them, the seven cities of the Vardanian Heartland, the city of Siris in the Reach, Methlan itself as well as Hedaris in Illigara.
With the exception of Hedaris, all of them have remained independent from their mother city.

Some say that one in three ships sailing or rowing around the world was made in the shipyards of Methlan.

— "Rhomeia and its Daughters"