Rian
Land of snow, hearts of fire
Rian is a nation in the Eastern Continent. It makes up much of the northern border of the Eastern Continent. It borders Al-Andalus, the Gray Marches and Romanorum. It is flanked by the Golden Sea to the east, and the Ice Floes to the north and west.
The Great Mead Hall, one of few permanent structures in Thule, Rian
Rian is a cold northern land that lies on the northern edge of the Eastern Continent. It is a nation of deep and ancient evergreen forests, great mountains, hilly plains, and frostbitten tundras and fjords. As one travels further north, there is naught more than seemingly endless tundra and ice, punctuated by the rare mountain or crevasse. as a result of the increasingly perilous cold and terrain, most people of Rian live towards the southern to central parts of the nation - only the brave or desperate live on the northern edge, where winter is long and the cold brutal.
In the southernmost lands, the four seasons are felt, and farming (if a Rianni is so inclined) is easily possible. Summers, while not warm as in nations further south, are still important for both the rare agricultural work and trade that can be done while the snow doesn't block the largely dirt roads of Rian. Traveling north, the four seasons have less meaning in a land that seems to switch between seemingly only cold or freezing.
The northern lands and peoples of Rian have had a long history, but not by the name it is known today. Much to the chagrin of historians and mapmakers everywhere, the name of the nation changes every time a new khan takes power. Before the land was known as Rian, it was known as Roun, who was khan Rian's father. Before Roun, the nation was known as Thun (who Roun had challenged and defeated), and even before that it was named Trost, and so on and so forth. This strange tradition has carried on for hundred of years since the lands were conquered by the first human khan two centuries after the events the Last of The Primordial Wars.
Before this time, Rian was hardly ink blotch on the map, where an elven cartographer may have written "Here be monsters", and be completely correct. The lands of Rian were dangerous to travel by any but the hardiest of elven nomads in the days of antiquity, and none of them were ever able to set up roots. Prior to the First Primordial War, dragons began to settle on the western coasts of the Ice Floes, in the mountainous regions that stretches from northern Al-Andalus to southwestern Rian. Many of the dragons in the area formed a series of lairs on a small mountain range which came to be known as High Peak, which was led by the most powerful dragon in Rian.
Following the First Primordial War, dwarves from Khazad-Vala began to settle around Rian's largest mountain, now known as Khazad-Mor. The dwarves dug expecting to find gold or iron, but instead found a strange shining silver metal - light as a feather but sturdier than steel - mithril. The discovery lead to it becoming the second largest dwarven hold in Arda at the time.
In time, Romanorum slowly expanded into the north, setting up a small fortress town which would eventually become the capital of Rian - Thule. The Romanorans continued to hold this region, looking for resources of interest or other reasons that might make the area worthy of further development. Unfortunately, the Romanoran elves found little of interest before they were compelled to abandon their fortress following the outbreak of the Second Primordial War.
During this time, and up until the end of the Last of the Primordial Wars, the land was abandoned by the Romanorans as they rushed to the defense of their central homeland. Khazad-Mor, while not the primary battleground of either of these wars, did endure siege after siege during this time, but remained strong and indignant in their nigh-impenetrable mountain fortress. Following the war, orcs began to settle in Rian, taking up residence where the nomadic elves had once. In time, humans, namely those tired of the proper Romanoran life, fled north. They, in turn, ended up emulating the local orcs, forming powerful warbands and absorbing their peoples. Ultimately, the man who became the first khan had all the other tribes of Rian paying homage to him, turning a fractured tribal expanse into a single realm by his might.
While the tribes of men were building and expanding, High Peak was deeply embattled in a moral crises. The dragons of High Peak were struggling with their identity after centuries of warfare as intelligent apex predators. While most accepted that the Primordial Wars were over, few believed that any of the Children of the Primordials or the Children of the Heavens were even remotely their equals. Yet, despite this, the Primordials ended their onslaught on the mortals of Arda. Ultimately, the dragons questioned why these people were worth sparing. Thus did two factions rise in High Peak - a faction who wanted to continue draconic supremacy, and the other wanted to join the mortal peoples of Arda to learn why the Primordials valued them. After lengthy debates and terrible battle, the two factions split. The pro-mortal faction lost, fleeing south to the Al-Andalus Mountain Range, and would form the town of Tyre. The pro-dragon faction continued in High Peak, largely content to exert their power over the local tribes.
In the days that would follow, the first khan realized he was out of tribes to absorb, but he saw the value of the dwarves and their wonder-metal. The khan, intelligent as he was strong, knew he could not take Khazad-Mor by force. He had conquered the lands immediately surrounding it, but had no axe or magic strong enough to bring their fortress to heel. So the khan did the unexpected - and sent an envoy. The dwarves of Khazad-Mor knew they would not last forever surrounded by enemies, and thus agreed to surrender on the terms they would become an autonomous state, which the khan granted. Ever since, the dwarves of Khazad-Mor have been staunch allies to the khan and the Rianni people since.
Following the annexation of Khazad-Mor into Rian, there was only one threat that remained to the khan's sovereignty - the dragons of High Peak. By this point, the first khan was an aged man, and left this new frontier to his son. Much like his father, he knew a frontal assault against the powerful and entrenched dragons would be suicide. Yet, the Second khan knew that the same strategy would not likely work on the dragons as it had the dwarves.
In a strange turn of events, the second khan challenged the dragon leader of High Peak to a wrestling match, the stakes being their respective lands and peoples. Amused by the boldness of this human, and over-confident in his ability to win, the dragon king used their innate ability to take the form of a human to face the khan, saying he did not even need to bring his full draconic might to defeat such a man. However, in human form, it gave the khan enough leverage to pin even the king of dragons to his mighty choke-hold, and won the lands of High Peak. Knowing the dragon held back, the second khan instead offered to make High Peak a second autonomous state, much like Khazad-Mor, and has remained that way to this day. The story of the second khan and the dragon king are now a cautionary tale for men and dragon, teaching each other to never become too complacent in one's strength.
Nowadays, the region is slowly becoming more developed, with new settlements popping up along the southern reaches of Rian. Yet, in much of the nation, the land is untamed as much now as it was in the days of when the first elves walked the earth.
Rian is a men-majority nation, though only barely so. In addition to men, there are also large populations of dwarves, mul, orcs, and even a few tribal elves who had survived the crucible of time. As in Romanorum, many men in Rian are descendants of multiple ancestries - such as dwarves or orcs, even if they don't outwardly appear so. While many different kinds of people live in Rian, most keep their loyalty to their clans or tribes first. While most of these social groups are made up of one ancestry, sometimes these can transcend race barriers, as was the case of the first khan's rise to power.
Differences in ancestry rarely make much difference in Rianni culture. The first men who settled here learned from the orcs, who had learned the nomadic elves who had lived in these lands before them. Most Rianni favor strength above all else, and generally look down upon perceived weaknesses such as frailty or sensitivity. Yet, the Rianni recognize that there are more than one kind of strength - thus a bold wizard could be seen as strong even if he can't deadlift a bear.
Most Rianni aren't people of means - most will live humble lives of fishing, hunting, trapping, or for some, raiding. While they enjoy the spoils of their work, they are rarely materialistic people, preferring to share their spoils with their families and friends as a display of power or magnanimity. The people of Rian love to celebrate and feast, and most will make up occasions to do so if they were already in the mood. Thus, life for most Rianni are fun, even without the modern amenities or education in other nations.
Once every four years, the khan will host what is known as the Grand Moot. The Grand Moot is a grand melee and test of strength and skill between two or more combatants. It is a tournament that gathers attention from far and wide, with potential fighters traveling from as far as Harad or Nestoria to take part in it. The prize for victory is to make any (reasonable) request of the khan. For many, that is to ask for wealth, but for others it could represent power or influence, or even a chance to publicly challenge the khan himself for leadership of the khanate.
Religion in Rian is generally very split among the disparate peoples of the nation. Most of the dwarves follow the Heavens, but a rare few worship the Primordial Earth. The orcs, on the other hand, favor worship of the Primordial Fire or other ancestral religions and rites. The humans of Rian may follow any one of these. Actual houses of worship for any of these religion are rare in Rian. Most rites, regardless of faith, are conducted in places believed to be sacred by their deities. These spaces are collectively referred to as nemata (or nemeton for singular). There have been numerous attempts to proselytize to the Rianni people, but most missionaries won't get far unless they can also prove they themselves are as strong as their faith.
Rian is a khanate - that is a nation ruled over by a tribal leader known as a khan. This khan is the leader of a powerful clan or tribe, or the leader of multiple such groups. Either way, the khan is able to leverage his personal power and charisma and that of his clan to bend the other local groups to his will. In this manner has the first khan and the subsequent khans held power in modern-day Rian. A khan will remain in power for life until they abdicate or die. In most cases, the current khan will pass their title down to one of their children, who then will likely have to endure numerous challenges to hold on to their new title.
The khan has no appointed nobles, but is supported not only by his own clan, but also allied groups in the region. Thus, in most conflicts the khan will face, they will rarely have to face it alone. However, as a generally tribal people, they have little sense for guile that is commonly employed by other nations. In such cases, the khan will have the dwarves of Khazad-Mor act on their behalf, with them being more accustomed to the nuances of the other nation's governments.
The Rianni are the only nation in the Eastern Continent with no standing army. Unsurprisingly, however, the Rianni are far from defenseless. If there is a threat to their nation, the khan can call upon all of the tribes and clans in Rian to fight on their behalf. Functionally, the khan can produce an impromptu army from among his people in a matter of days. For most Rianni children, they learn to respect weapons as soon as they can walk, and many start to train with them in their early childhood. Thus, nearly every adult from farmer to raider of Rian represents a potential warrior that can respond to the khan's call. Following the agreement with Khazad-Mor and High Peak, any enemies of the Rianni should also expect columns of armored dwarves and even dragons to join the fray.
While an economy does exist in Rian, it is nowhere as finely tuned as it is in other countries. Each tribe or clan acts as an individual unit, having their own hunters, fishermen, lumberers, smiths, and so on. Some groups have specialty goods which they are known for, and they bring these goods to market in larger towns and in Thule. Any other goods that might not be readily available in Rian are traded from their neighbors in exchange for meat, furs, and timber.
The dwarves of Khazad-Mor work in a way similar to most other nations. They create and forge trade deals with powerful merchants and nations, looking to get the best rates for their mithril. As a result, the dwarves there are by far the richest of any peoples in Rian. This mithril is then transported throughout Arda, making its way to the forges of famous workshops and armorers.
Rian generally does not send envoys to other lands, but other lands will send envoys to observe the khan at his court in Thule. As Rian does not have much to offer economically, the primary purpose of their presence is to secure trade deals with the dwarves of Khazad-Mor, and do their best to dissuade the khan from letting his peoples raid their lands. In most cases, the Rianni will raid their immediate neighbors - Al-Andalus and Romanorum, but will sail across the Ice Floes to raid the Gray Marches and as far as Nestoria. These raids are rarely seen as a serious military threat to their neighbors, but something these nations want to curb for the security of their peoples and goods.
See Also: The Story So Far
In the prequel campaign, most of the events of the campaign take place in the nation of Rian. Rotund, an orcish monk who recently left the Golden Khanate to find worthy successors of his fighting style, the Wandering Fist. He found himself in Kategut, a port town in Rian. He defeated a local witch, liberating the village. Meanwhile, the bronze aasimar Drake, a leader of a band of local dragons, had left High Peak on a journey to better understand his neighbors in Rian. he traveled with his draconic mate, Shyalla, leaving behind their young son Fayell in the care of Drake's half-brother Ra'Kor.
Acting quickly to secure power for himself, Ra'Kor imprisoned Fayell, and shipped him off as an offering to cement his newest alliance - one with the extraplanar fetchlings. He sent one of his lieutenants to act as intermediary with a local Shadow cult to oversee the formation of this new alliance. As Rotund traveled, he joined up with the party of khan Rian, who was following up on rumors of the dragons of High Peak acting strangely. At the same time, Drake and Shyalla heard rumors of a new cult that was practicing on a nearby mountain that was led by a renegade dragon. Following the rumors of the cult, they joined forces with Ea Graveltongue, a dwarven exile from the Golden Mountain.At the cult's hideout, they found their son rotting in the cult's prison, the next offering to their extraplanar allies. They rescued him, but were soon found out.
As Drake, Ea, and Shyalla fled the mountain prison with their emaciated son, with the renegade dragon's forces on their heels, they ran into the khan's party (along with Rotund), and faced the dragon and his cultists together, defeating them. The khan, impressed with their performance, proffered they join the Grand Moot that was going to take place in a few days in the capital, Thule.
At a small tavern there, the party discussed their future plans and to consider the Khan's offer. Ea was looking to compete in the Grand Moot in the hopes of gaining entrance to Khazad-Mor, a feat that would normally be impossible with her being branded as an exile. Ultimately, both Rotund and Ea competed in the Grand Moot, with Ea winning and being welcomed to join the dwarves of Khazad-Mor.
In the five years that would follow after this campaign, the party would have returned to High Peak, finding that Ra'Kor has overtaken Drake's home with the help of the fetchlings and the Shadow. After a valiant struggle, they realized they would need to rely on outside help - the Torches. As time went on, Rotund would eventually head south to Romanorum to found a monastery in Romanorum to teach the Wandering Fist before eventually rejoining the fight as a Torch himself. Ea, now granted access to Khazad-Mor, became a soldier, but quickly distinguished herself, becoming a powerful general in her own right. Drake continues the fight against Ra'Kor, helping to direct the efforts of the Torches and the remaining dragons free of Ra'Kor's tyranny. The result has long been a stalemate, with the Torches waiting for the right something, or someone to join the cause.
A part of Locations in Rian Geography and Regions See Also
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Geography
Rian is a cold northern land that lies on the northern edge of the Eastern Continent. It is a nation of deep and ancient evergreen forests, great mountains, hilly plains, and frostbitten tundras and fjords. As one travels further north, there is naught more than seemingly endless tundra and ice, punctuated by the rare mountain or crevasse. as a result of the increasingly perilous cold and terrain, most people of Rian live towards the southern to central parts of the nation - only the brave or desperate live on the northern edge, where winter is long and the cold brutal.
In the southernmost lands, the four seasons are felt, and farming (if a Rianni is so inclined) is easily possible. Summers, while not warm as in nations further south, are still important for both the rare agricultural work and trade that can be done while the snow doesn't block the largely dirt roads of Rian. Traveling north, the four seasons have less meaning in a land that seems to switch between seemingly only cold or freezing.
History
The northern lands and peoples of Rian have had a long history, but not by the name it is known today. Much to the chagrin of historians and mapmakers everywhere, the name of the nation changes every time a new khan takes power. Before the land was known as Rian, it was known as Roun, who was khan Rian's father. Before Roun, the nation was known as Thun (who Roun had challenged and defeated), and even before that it was named Trost, and so on and so forth. This strange tradition has carried on for hundred of years since the lands were conquered by the first human khan two centuries after the events the Last of The Primordial Wars.
Before this time, Rian was hardly ink blotch on the map, where an elven cartographer may have written "Here be monsters", and be completely correct. The lands of Rian were dangerous to travel by any but the hardiest of elven nomads in the days of antiquity, and none of them were ever able to set up roots. Prior to the First Primordial War, dragons began to settle on the western coasts of the Ice Floes, in the mountainous regions that stretches from northern Al-Andalus to southwestern Rian. Many of the dragons in the area formed a series of lairs on a small mountain range which came to be known as High Peak, which was led by the most powerful dragon in Rian.
Following the First Primordial War, dwarves from Khazad-Vala began to settle around Rian's largest mountain, now known as Khazad-Mor. The dwarves dug expecting to find gold or iron, but instead found a strange shining silver metal - light as a feather but sturdier than steel - mithril. The discovery lead to it becoming the second largest dwarven hold in Arda at the time.
In time, Romanorum slowly expanded into the north, setting up a small fortress town which would eventually become the capital of Rian - Thule. The Romanorans continued to hold this region, looking for resources of interest or other reasons that might make the area worthy of further development. Unfortunately, the Romanoran elves found little of interest before they were compelled to abandon their fortress following the outbreak of the Second Primordial War.
During this time, and up until the end of the Last of the Primordial Wars, the land was abandoned by the Romanorans as they rushed to the defense of their central homeland. Khazad-Mor, while not the primary battleground of either of these wars, did endure siege after siege during this time, but remained strong and indignant in their nigh-impenetrable mountain fortress. Following the war, orcs began to settle in Rian, taking up residence where the nomadic elves had once. In time, humans, namely those tired of the proper Romanoran life, fled north. They, in turn, ended up emulating the local orcs, forming powerful warbands and absorbing their peoples. Ultimately, the man who became the first khan had all the other tribes of Rian paying homage to him, turning a fractured tribal expanse into a single realm by his might.
While the tribes of men were building and expanding, High Peak was deeply embattled in a moral crises. The dragons of High Peak were struggling with their identity after centuries of warfare as intelligent apex predators. While most accepted that the Primordial Wars were over, few believed that any of the Children of the Primordials or the Children of the Heavens were even remotely their equals. Yet, despite this, the Primordials ended their onslaught on the mortals of Arda. Ultimately, the dragons questioned why these people were worth sparing. Thus did two factions rise in High Peak - a faction who wanted to continue draconic supremacy, and the other wanted to join the mortal peoples of Arda to learn why the Primordials valued them. After lengthy debates and terrible battle, the two factions split. The pro-mortal faction lost, fleeing south to the Al-Andalus Mountain Range, and would form the town of Tyre. The pro-dragon faction continued in High Peak, largely content to exert their power over the local tribes.
In the days that would follow, the first khan realized he was out of tribes to absorb, but he saw the value of the dwarves and their wonder-metal. The khan, intelligent as he was strong, knew he could not take Khazad-Mor by force. He had conquered the lands immediately surrounding it, but had no axe or magic strong enough to bring their fortress to heel. So the khan did the unexpected - and sent an envoy. The dwarves of Khazad-Mor knew they would not last forever surrounded by enemies, and thus agreed to surrender on the terms they would become an autonomous state, which the khan granted. Ever since, the dwarves of Khazad-Mor have been staunch allies to the khan and the Rianni people since.
Following the annexation of Khazad-Mor into Rian, there was only one threat that remained to the khan's sovereignty - the dragons of High Peak. By this point, the first khan was an aged man, and left this new frontier to his son. Much like his father, he knew a frontal assault against the powerful and entrenched dragons would be suicide. Yet, the Second khan knew that the same strategy would not likely work on the dragons as it had the dwarves.
In a strange turn of events, the second khan challenged the dragon leader of High Peak to a wrestling match, the stakes being their respective lands and peoples. Amused by the boldness of this human, and over-confident in his ability to win, the dragon king used their innate ability to take the form of a human to face the khan, saying he did not even need to bring his full draconic might to defeat such a man. However, in human form, it gave the khan enough leverage to pin even the king of dragons to his mighty choke-hold, and won the lands of High Peak. Knowing the dragon held back, the second khan instead offered to make High Peak a second autonomous state, much like Khazad-Mor, and has remained that way to this day. The story of the second khan and the dragon king are now a cautionary tale for men and dragon, teaching each other to never become too complacent in one's strength.
Nowadays, the region is slowly becoming more developed, with new settlements popping up along the southern reaches of Rian. Yet, in much of the nation, the land is untamed as much now as it was in the days of when the first elves walked the earth.
People and Culture
Rian is a men-majority nation, though only barely so. In addition to men, there are also large populations of dwarves, mul, orcs, and even a few tribal elves who had survived the crucible of time. As in Romanorum, many men in Rian are descendants of multiple ancestries - such as dwarves or orcs, even if they don't outwardly appear so. While many different kinds of people live in Rian, most keep their loyalty to their clans or tribes first. While most of these social groups are made up of one ancestry, sometimes these can transcend race barriers, as was the case of the first khan's rise to power.
Differences in ancestry rarely make much difference in Rianni culture. The first men who settled here learned from the orcs, who had learned the nomadic elves who had lived in these lands before them. Most Rianni favor strength above all else, and generally look down upon perceived weaknesses such as frailty or sensitivity. Yet, the Rianni recognize that there are more than one kind of strength - thus a bold wizard could be seen as strong even if he can't deadlift a bear.
Most Rianni aren't people of means - most will live humble lives of fishing, hunting, trapping, or for some, raiding. While they enjoy the spoils of their work, they are rarely materialistic people, preferring to share their spoils with their families and friends as a display of power or magnanimity. The people of Rian love to celebrate and feast, and most will make up occasions to do so if they were already in the mood. Thus, life for most Rianni are fun, even without the modern amenities or education in other nations.
Once every four years, the khan will host what is known as the Grand Moot. The Grand Moot is a grand melee and test of strength and skill between two or more combatants. It is a tournament that gathers attention from far and wide, with potential fighters traveling from as far as Harad or Nestoria to take part in it. The prize for victory is to make any (reasonable) request of the khan. For many, that is to ask for wealth, but for others it could represent power or influence, or even a chance to publicly challenge the khan himself for leadership of the khanate.
Religion
Religion in Rian is generally very split among the disparate peoples of the nation. Most of the dwarves follow the Heavens, but a rare few worship the Primordial Earth. The orcs, on the other hand, favor worship of the Primordial Fire or other ancestral religions and rites. The humans of Rian may follow any one of these. Actual houses of worship for any of these religion are rare in Rian. Most rites, regardless of faith, are conducted in places believed to be sacred by their deities. These spaces are collectively referred to as nemata (or nemeton for singular). There have been numerous attempts to proselytize to the Rianni people, but most missionaries won't get far unless they can also prove they themselves are as strong as their faith.
Government
Rian is a khanate - that is a nation ruled over by a tribal leader known as a khan. This khan is the leader of a powerful clan or tribe, or the leader of multiple such groups. Either way, the khan is able to leverage his personal power and charisma and that of his clan to bend the other local groups to his will. In this manner has the first khan and the subsequent khans held power in modern-day Rian. A khan will remain in power for life until they abdicate or die. In most cases, the current khan will pass their title down to one of their children, who then will likely have to endure numerous challenges to hold on to their new title.
The khan has no appointed nobles, but is supported not only by his own clan, but also allied groups in the region. Thus, in most conflicts the khan will face, they will rarely have to face it alone. However, as a generally tribal people, they have little sense for guile that is commonly employed by other nations. In such cases, the khan will have the dwarves of Khazad-Mor act on their behalf, with them being more accustomed to the nuances of the other nation's governments.
Military
The Rianni are the only nation in the Eastern Continent with no standing army. Unsurprisingly, however, the Rianni are far from defenseless. If there is a threat to their nation, the khan can call upon all of the tribes and clans in Rian to fight on their behalf. Functionally, the khan can produce an impromptu army from among his people in a matter of days. For most Rianni children, they learn to respect weapons as soon as they can walk, and many start to train with them in their early childhood. Thus, nearly every adult from farmer to raider of Rian represents a potential warrior that can respond to the khan's call. Following the agreement with Khazad-Mor and High Peak, any enemies of the Rianni should also expect columns of armored dwarves and even dragons to join the fray.
Organizations
- Dragons of High Peak - It is unclear where exactly the dragons of High Peak originated from. It is known that the dragons were created by the Primordials, but all dragon clans claim to be the original. Regardless, the dragons of High Peak, much like the Rianni, believe "might makes right", meaning they are ruled by the strongest. For millennia, this meant the strongest dragon. Up until about a decade ago, this throne feel to the bronze aasimar, Drake, who was raised among them. Drake soon left to better understand his neighbors, the other peoples of Rian, but in his absence was usurped by his draconic half-brother Ra'Kor.
- Dwarves of Khazad-Mor - Also known as the dwarves of the Mithril Mountain, or the Lake Mountain dwarves. These people have inhabited these lands mining mithril to be forged and crafted across Arda. Since they have joined Rian, they have also acted as intermediaries and diplomats for Rian.
- Mithril Order - A paladin order of the Primordial Earth. Based in Khazad-Mor, they consider mithril to be sacred, protecting Khazad-Mor and its mines from external threats and illegal mining by local humans or orcs. They are best known for their shining silver armor and powerful runic magics.
- The Torches - A recent addition to Rian, the Torches have been long investigating potential incursions by the Shadow in Rian, recently uncovering the link between Ra'Kor's rise to power and the fetchlings.
Economy
While an economy does exist in Rian, it is nowhere as finely tuned as it is in other countries. Each tribe or clan acts as an individual unit, having their own hunters, fishermen, lumberers, smiths, and so on. Some groups have specialty goods which they are known for, and they bring these goods to market in larger towns and in Thule. Any other goods that might not be readily available in Rian are traded from their neighbors in exchange for meat, furs, and timber.
The dwarves of Khazad-Mor work in a way similar to most other nations. They create and forge trade deals with powerful merchants and nations, looking to get the best rates for their mithril. As a result, the dwarves there are by far the richest of any peoples in Rian. This mithril is then transported throughout Arda, making its way to the forges of famous workshops and armorers.
Relations
Rian generally does not send envoys to other lands, but other lands will send envoys to observe the khan at his court in Thule. As Rian does not have much to offer economically, the primary purpose of their presence is to secure trade deals with the dwarves of Khazad-Mor, and do their best to dissuade the khan from letting his peoples raid their lands. In most cases, the Rianni will raid their immediate neighbors - Al-Andalus and Romanorum, but will sail across the Ice Floes to raid the Gray Marches and as far as Nestoria. These raids are rarely seen as a serious military threat to their neighbors, but something these nations want to curb for the security of their peoples and goods.
Locations of Interest
- High Peak - The traditional mountain lair of numerous dragons that live in Rian. They are currently ruled by the usurper king Ra'Kor.
- Kategut - A port town in eastern Rian. It was being terrorized by a local witch until she was defeated by Rotund, an orcish monk of the Wandering Fist.
- Khazad-Mor - Currently the largest dwarven hold in the Eastern Continent. It is particularly famous for the mining of a rare metal known as mithril, which is used to make high-quality armor.
- Morgrad - A human mercantile town that sits just below Khazad-Mor. They make a living reselling the dwarven mithril and catering to the merchants who come to trade with the dwarves. They are considered to be part of the dwarve's autonomous region, and are ruled over by a human noble appointed by the dwarves, known as the boyar, who acts as an intermediary.
- Thule - The capital of Rian. It was originally made from the ruins of an abandoned Romanoran fortress town, but has little in common with its former purpose, and even less still standing from that time. It is now the closest the Rianni have to a city, made up largely of wooden shelters and tents where many tribes come to winter in a relatively safe place. There are a few permanent structures in Thule, the most famous being the Great Mead Hall, being the "courtroom" of the khan, as well as meeting hall, feast hall, bedroom, training room, etc.
Shadows over Arda
See Also: The Story So Far
In the prequel campaign, most of the events of the campaign take place in the nation of Rian. Rotund, an orcish monk who recently left the Golden Khanate to find worthy successors of his fighting style, the Wandering Fist. He found himself in Kategut, a port town in Rian. He defeated a local witch, liberating the village. Meanwhile, the bronze aasimar Drake, a leader of a band of local dragons, had left High Peak on a journey to better understand his neighbors in Rian. he traveled with his draconic mate, Shyalla, leaving behind their young son Fayell in the care of Drake's half-brother Ra'Kor.
Acting quickly to secure power for himself, Ra'Kor imprisoned Fayell, and shipped him off as an offering to cement his newest alliance - one with the extraplanar fetchlings. He sent one of his lieutenants to act as intermediary with a local Shadow cult to oversee the formation of this new alliance. As Rotund traveled, he joined up with the party of khan Rian, who was following up on rumors of the dragons of High Peak acting strangely. At the same time, Drake and Shyalla heard rumors of a new cult that was practicing on a nearby mountain that was led by a renegade dragon. Following the rumors of the cult, they joined forces with Ea Graveltongue, a dwarven exile from the Golden Mountain.At the cult's hideout, they found their son rotting in the cult's prison, the next offering to their extraplanar allies. They rescued him, but were soon found out.
As Drake, Ea, and Shyalla fled the mountain prison with their emaciated son, with the renegade dragon's forces on their heels, they ran into the khan's party (along with Rotund), and faced the dragon and his cultists together, defeating them. The khan, impressed with their performance, proffered they join the Grand Moot that was going to take place in a few days in the capital, Thule.
At a small tavern there, the party discussed their future plans and to consider the Khan's offer. Ea was looking to compete in the Grand Moot in the hopes of gaining entrance to Khazad-Mor, a feat that would normally be impossible with her being branded as an exile. Ultimately, both Rotund and Ea competed in the Grand Moot, with Ea winning and being welcomed to join the dwarves of Khazad-Mor.
In the five years that would follow after this campaign, the party would have returned to High Peak, finding that Ra'Kor has overtaken Drake's home with the help of the fetchlings and the Shadow. After a valiant struggle, they realized they would need to rely on outside help - the Torches. As time went on, Rotund would eventually head south to Romanorum to found a monastery in Romanorum to teach the Wandering Fist before eventually rejoining the fight as a Torch himself. Ea, now granted access to Khazad-Mor, became a soldier, but quickly distinguished herself, becoming a powerful general in her own right. Drake continues the fight against Ra'Kor, helping to direct the efforts of the Torches and the remaining dragons free of Ra'Kor's tyranny. The result has long been a stalemate, with the Torches waiting for the right something, or someone to join the cause.
Trivia
- Rian is based on the geography and the cultural mores of medieval Scandinavian peoples as well as Mongol Russia ("the Khanate of the Golden Horde").
See Also
A part of Locations in Rian Geography and Regions See Also
Quick Reference
Region: Eastern Continent
Government: Khanate
National Language: Romanoran Common
Ancestry: 55% Men, 15% Dwarf, 10% Orc, 10% Mul, 5% Elf, 5% Other or un-described mixed ancestry
Religion: 35% Heavens, 25% Primordial, 25% Ancestral, 10% Druidism, 5% Others
General Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
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