Kingdom of Rhue
The Desert sands that compose the region of Rhue are often called the "Red Sands" by foreigners, both for the redish tinted sand that predominately coats the Capitol city area, and also for the many conflicts that have plagued the region since the Kingdoms settlement. Despite being a kingdom, affairs within Rhue's borders are actually run by the local warlords and clans. These clan families have a more tribal government that offers protection to nearby cities in exchange for goods, with the more powerful warlords typically demanding more tribute unless they have already have some other arrangement in place. The most powerful clan in the region is the clan of the Hypnalis, which has always held a position of honor and fear among the other clans for their victories against Averheim during the 2nd Crusade. They are one of the few groups that also hold a position on the King's council, and carry a lot of weight in decision making for the realm.
Rhue's first settlement was from tribal nomads that periodically moved throughout the desert region trading goods bartered or raided from other clans and pirates. The deep rooted feuds of the various families in the settled regions have been a constant source of vexing for travelers and merchants alike, who often get caught in the middle of their disputes and wars. Their feuding are usually limited to skirmishes or warrior ritual duels, but open conflicts are not unheard of. The Rhunian natural resistance to the heat gives them a significant advantage over their foreign neighbors while defending the homeland, often invading armies succumb to heat exhaustion, dehydration, and desertion before ever reaching the core cities.
The monarchy of Rhue is certainly a fragile one, as the Triad family of Warlords hold most of the military power. The Royal family's magic bloodline and people's support being the main check to their ambitions. The King typically handles all foreign affairs of diplomacy and settling disputes as a sort of nuetral party between the bands that roam the Red Sands, and runs the resource rich capitol city of Dervia.
Rhue was invaded during the second crusade by Averheim, and the clans rallied under the Hypnalis for the first time and almost completely wiped out the Uradorians. Rhue's victory was rather short lived however, and their armies fell into a trap, the battle of the Three Crowns was a pyrrhic victory for Averheim at best, but enough momentum was gained after reinforcements arrived, that The crusaders marched on Rhue's capitol and sieged it. A small band of knights then infiltrated the Palace and took the monarch hostage, ending the 2nd crusade with Dervia's surrender. The warlords and savage warriors of the outer dunes had never quite accepted Rhue's surrender however, and continued to attack Averheim's troops and garrisons at any given opportunity.
The main warlord clans are the Hypnalis, Crow, Scarab, Jackal, and the renegade Scorpian Clan. Other smaller tribes and families inhabit the dunes of Rhue, but generally answer to at least one of these banners.
The people under Hypnalis are known for their subtlety and charisma, prefering ruses and misdirection coupled with skilled strikes to the critical components to their enemies. The Crow tend towards raiding with their superior mounts, with their large mobility advantage, they own the most territory of the other clans. The Scarab clan relies on taking what others produce, be it technology, weapons, supplies, or manpower, overrwhelming their opponents through sheer numbers and stolen arms. The Jackal is perhaps the most towering of the bunch, with both cunning ruthlessness and large armored warriors perhaps inheriting giant's blood in their veins. The Jackal do not often take prisoners, and consider it a sin to let any grudges fall without full recompense. Their widely variant technology and numbers base makes them hard to tactically predict. The Scorpians are enemies to all the other clans, mostly being refered to as a curse by the native inhabitants of Rhue altogether. Their mix of bandits, deserters, escaped prisoners of war, and wide variety of races provide almost unlimited flexibility tactically and strategically. Many attempts have been made to eliminate the "Dune Scourge" but none have succeeded thusfar. Their hideouts are kept secret under pain of death or worse, and any betrayal of their whereabouts is unwilling and short lived at best.
Rhue's first settlement was from tribal nomads that periodically moved throughout the desert region trading goods bartered or raided from other clans and pirates. The deep rooted feuds of the various families in the settled regions have been a constant source of vexing for travelers and merchants alike, who often get caught in the middle of their disputes and wars. Their feuding are usually limited to skirmishes or warrior ritual duels, but open conflicts are not unheard of. The Rhunian natural resistance to the heat gives them a significant advantage over their foreign neighbors while defending the homeland, often invading armies succumb to heat exhaustion, dehydration, and desertion before ever reaching the core cities.
The monarchy of Rhue is certainly a fragile one, as the Triad family of Warlords hold most of the military power. The Royal family's magic bloodline and people's support being the main check to their ambitions. The King typically handles all foreign affairs of diplomacy and settling disputes as a sort of nuetral party between the bands that roam the Red Sands, and runs the resource rich capitol city of Dervia.
Rhue was invaded during the second crusade by Averheim, and the clans rallied under the Hypnalis for the first time and almost completely wiped out the Uradorians. Rhue's victory was rather short lived however, and their armies fell into a trap, the battle of the Three Crowns was a pyrrhic victory for Averheim at best, but enough momentum was gained after reinforcements arrived, that The crusaders marched on Rhue's capitol and sieged it. A small band of knights then infiltrated the Palace and took the monarch hostage, ending the 2nd crusade with Dervia's surrender. The warlords and savage warriors of the outer dunes had never quite accepted Rhue's surrender however, and continued to attack Averheim's troops and garrisons at any given opportunity.
The main warlord clans are the Hypnalis, Crow, Scarab, Jackal, and the renegade Scorpian Clan. Other smaller tribes and families inhabit the dunes of Rhue, but generally answer to at least one of these banners.
The people under Hypnalis are known for their subtlety and charisma, prefering ruses and misdirection coupled with skilled strikes to the critical components to their enemies. The Crow tend towards raiding with their superior mounts, with their large mobility advantage, they own the most territory of the other clans. The Scarab clan relies on taking what others produce, be it technology, weapons, supplies, or manpower, overrwhelming their opponents through sheer numbers and stolen arms. The Jackal is perhaps the most towering of the bunch, with both cunning ruthlessness and large armored warriors perhaps inheriting giant's blood in their veins. The Jackal do not often take prisoners, and consider it a sin to let any grudges fall without full recompense. Their widely variant technology and numbers base makes them hard to tactically predict. The Scorpians are enemies to all the other clans, mostly being refered to as a curse by the native inhabitants of Rhue altogether. Their mix of bandits, deserters, escaped prisoners of war, and wide variety of races provide almost unlimited flexibility tactically and strategically. Many attempts have been made to eliminate the "Dune Scourge" but none have succeeded thusfar. Their hideouts are kept secret under pain of death or worse, and any betrayal of their whereabouts is unwilling and short lived at best.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
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