Ramthion Island
Originally an island of small fishing villages and laconic river folk, Ramthion Island came to be known for its cash crop of sugarcane and its infamous pirate clans. With much of the island to the north and south covered by swamplands and mountains in the west, most of the towns developed along the coasts or on the banks of the island’s major river. Bargemen poling their great rafts up and down the shallow Caney River were a common sight in times of peace. Unfortunately, times of peace are often few and far between as invasions have disrupted the populace many times in the past. The coming and eventual ouster of the Heldring created the impetus for the many disparate villages to identify themselves as a unified people known as the Ramithi. And it is this Ramithi unity that provokes the people of the island to continue to resist the current invasion of the Kingdom of Oceanus.
History and People
Ramthion Island was one of the first conquests by the Hyperboreans when they arrived around –109 I.R. The pugnacious Ramithi pirates of the Sea Dagger put up a spirited fight, but the Hyperboreans prevailed and quickly established several fortresses and naval bases, including the coastal city of Port Clar.
With a new Hyperborean governor and Hyperborean taxes to pay, the Ramithi chafed under their new rulers’ thumb and proved troublesome subjects. Ramthion proved to be an onerous and sometimes terrifying place for the Hyperboreans as well, for (as other would-be conquerors such as the Oceanders would find out in their time) the island was thick with ancient and mysterious ruins, bloody and disturbing folktales, rumors of hauntings and monsters, as well as numerous sightings of unusual, unknown, and frightening creatures that unnerved even the experienced Hyperborean legionnaires. Unsurprisingly, Ramthion began to gain a reputation for being haunted, cursed, and worse. Service on Ramthion was considered especially undesirable and often used as punishment. Consequently, the island quickly fell to lawlessness as lax Hyperborean administration allowed extensive banditry and piracy. Ramithi pirates continued to operate from all along the Sea Dagger, raiding shipping as far north as Legions Bay and as far south and west as the Mouth of Akados despite the Hyperboreans’ best efforts to stamp them out. Despite the Hyperboreans’ lack of overall success, the old clans of the Ramithi began a steady decline, though they continued to be a thorn in their conquerors’ side.
The disasters that began with the great polar shift in 2491 I.R. culminated five years later in the destruction of the Tower of Oerson and the wildfires that swept across The Plains of Suilley and the Matagost Forest, leading to a massive loss of life and population shifts. Refugees fled across the Dardanal Strait to Ramthion where the pirates welcomed them and helped maintain order in the face of the Hyperborean collapse a few years later. It seemed that the Ramithi once more had control of their own lands and destinies. By this time, only a few of the island’s original clans remained, however, still practicing their piratical ways in the marshlands of the Sea Dagger. The refugees settled in the lowlands of the rest of the island, and for a while there was peace.
Unfortunately, Ramthion’s respite did not last long, for in 2517 I.R. the bloodthirsty Heldring invaded, and the luckless islanders traded one oppressor for another. Heldring dominance was secured with the construction of the fortress of Farketh Knowe in 2523 I.R. The old Hyperborean fortress at Kellstyn was also expanded and renovated. It seemed as if the Heldring were planning on a long stay.
For nearly 300 years the islanders suffered under the Heldring yoke, and like the Hyperboreans before them, the occupiers came to fear the island and its mysterious inhabitants. Disappearances, strange bouts of madness and the appearance of many strange creatures plagued the Heldring, and the island’s inhabitants proved even more troublesome than they had been with their previous conquerors. The common folk of the island, descended from various Hyperborean and Foerdewaith ancestors, declared common cause with the remaining Sea Dagger clans to forge a new Ramithi identity in the face of outside threats.
The pirate clans called for open rebellion in 2803 I.R., and the people responded, displacing the Heldring and smashing the fortress of Farketh Knowe. Despite their desire for freedom and independence, many wiser Ramithi realized that the realm would be unable to survive on its own, so the victorious islanders appealed to the overking in Courghais for admission to the Kingdom of Foere. In 2805 I.R., the island was made an official Foerdewaith province.
Foere’s administration was by far the least onerous yet. The populace was taxed lightly and generally left to their own devices by a sensible and experienced Foerdewaith governor. Life on the island continued at its old, leisurely pace, though pirates continued to operate out of their secret ports and friendly settlements along the Sea Dagger. In general, these corsairs steered clear of Foerdewaith vessels, and the governors largely turned a blind eye to their exploits. The Ramithi felt confident enough in their allegiance to Foere that in 3312 I.R. they rejected demands for fealty from the new Kingdom of Oceanus, and resisted Oceander pressure for a century and a half.
New mysteries and legends were added to the island’s already significant collection in 3422 I.R. when the entire town of Greenpool was devoured by an inexplicable combination of storm, wave, and earthquake. The Ramithi themselves heard the news, clutched their holy symbols and lucky talismans tightly, and prayed that the Doom of Greenpool would not take them. To this day, the region is considered cursed and is avoided by the (rightly) superstitious Ramithi.
Finally, in 3478 I.R., the Kingdom of Oceanus — weary after years of unrestricted Ramithi piracy with the winking approval of the Foerdewaith governor — launched a massive invasion of Ramthion. The island’s newest conquerors stormed ashore and conquered much of the lowlands and constructed the fearsome fortress known as the Damerhold.
The Ramithi once more resisted, and the rebels gathered in the ruins of Farketh Knowe in 3483 I.R. and appointed a dux bellorum (war duke) to lead their armies against the Oceanders. The following year, the Oceanders sent an army into the Caterwaul Mountains to exterminate the rebels, but the operation ended in disaster with the Oceanders retreating to the lowlands and building a new stronghold at the site of Fort Kellstyn.
The Ramithi proved unable to follow up on their initial success, though they remained free in their strongholds in the Caterwaul Mountains. The Oceanders control the lowlands and use Port Clar as a major naval base and trading hub for their vast maritime empire, and their inroads into the island are maintained through their possession of the fortresses of the Damerhold and Fort Kellstyn. But so far, the armies of Oceanus have been unable to dislodge the Ramithi resistance from its mountainous foothold. An uneasy game of waiting and looking for opportunities to strike at the enemy has turned their war of invasion into a slow-burning pressure cooker.
Like the Hyperboreans and Heldring before them, the Oceanders have also found that the Ramithi rebels are not their only problem, for with their occupation they have discovered the island’s rich history of folk tales and legends regarding disappearances and bogeymen that come in the night. They are discovering that at least some of these tales appear to have a basis in reality, as watchmen disappear from their posts and entire patrols are lost in the dark, leaving no clue as to the culprits or means. Governor-General Thyriskos believes that Ramithi partisans are to blame, but his closest advisor, the wizard Dom Alihsero d’Coba, fears something much older and more sinister is at work, something that even the local population fears.
Today’s islanders count Foerdewaith and Ramithi ancestry but collectively consider themselves to be Ramithi. They remain fiercely independent, superstitious, and distrustful of outsiders. Strangers are usually not welcome in their villages, though most provide grudging hospitality so long as newcomers are not associated with the Oceanders. Most Ramithi still speak the old Gasquen tongue and feign ignorance of more common languages, though this is often a ruse by islanders to listen in on strangers’ conversations.
Religion
While the Oceanders publicly follow more traditional deities such as the Mother, Thyr, and Muir, their worship of Dagon is an all but open secret on Ramthion. Temples to Telonius and Ythral have been hastily converted to Oceander use, with public services during the day and dark Dagonic rites at night. Worship of the dark sea-god has grown widespread among the Oceanders as a defense against the supposed forces that the Ramithi have mustered against their invaders.
The Ramithi have always worshipped their own gods — ancient deities that date from well before the arrival of even the Hyperboreans. Gods that, in fact, may be among the oldest still worshipped on Akados, for some religious scholars associate Telonius, Goddess of Creation, and Ythral, God of Destruction, with the gods of good who allied with the early Hyperborean deities during the Gods’ War over 15,000 years ago. Shrines and sacred stones with extremely ancient symbols and indecipherable carvings are scattered across the island, and are often sites of supernatural activity — strange lights, extradimensional phenomena, strange creatures, and the like. Some very old temples and worship sites in caverns have literally been in use for millennia.
Telonius and Ythral represent the two poles of nature — one creative and one destructive — and together form a whole. Both priests and druids worship these deities, and lately have been directing the full force of their energies against the Oceanders, summoning ancient entities of chaos and madness to plague and distract the enemy. For their part, the Oceanders call the Ramithi priests “witches” and “warlocks” and ascribe all manner of wicked traits to them.
Trade and Commerce
As an official part of the Oceanders’ kingdom, Ramthion serves primarily as a colony and source of goods, as well as providing bases for Oceanus’ powerful navy. The common folk of Ramthion have always engaged in subsistence agriculture, producing very little beyond what is needed for survival, so the Oceanders’ confiscation of crops and livestock has caused considerable suffering and deprivation.
The island once derived significant income from piracy, especially during its years as a Foerdewaith province when the governor allowed Ramithi corsairs to prey on other kingdoms’ shipping with little or no risk of punishment. This situation in fact led to the Oceander conquest, for after generations of Foere-approved piracy, the kingdom’s patience simply ran out.
Today, there is little trade in or out of Ramithi. The Oceanders import the goods they need to keep their occupation running and require the use of Oceander currency. The Ramithi in their mountain fastnesses, and those who are not directly under Oceander control, utilize barter or trade using a variety of coins from many lands, including many very old Hyperborean coins that have been in circulation for millennia.
Loyalties and Diplomacy
Ramthion is technically still a province of Foere, but the Oceander conquest changed that — most likely permanently given the decline of the Foerdewaith. As the struggle for control of Ramthion continues, the rebels have reached out to their old kingdom, as well as to other states such as Suilley, for assistance, but so far nothing has been forthcoming. The Ramithi remain a fiercely independent and troublesome people, but their isolation and the ongoing war makes outside relations difficult.
Government
The Ramithi have always lived in a sort of benign anarchy, with local communities governing themselves with an eye toward the general welfare, peace, and cooperation among islanders. The old Ramithi, who made their way as corsairs, were a surprisingly egalitarian society that nevertheless turned authority over to “captains” and “chieftains” in times of crisis. This model is followed when the Ramithi unite to face enemies such as the Heldring or the Oceanders — a single commander known as a dux bellorum (war duke) is chosen to lead all Ramithi forces. This war duke has great authority over all Ramithi and has absolute command on the battlefield, yet are always expected to act with the best interest of the people foremost.
The Oceanders serve under Governor-General Altorius d’Ambrago d’Mediceno Thyriskos, an especially prominent nobleman who hopes to quell the rebellion and thus earn greater influence in the empire. There are rumors that Altorius seeks to take the throne himself when the current ruler dies. He has instituted a two-pronged approach to the rebels, giving aid and support to lowland communities with one hand while launching a furious scorched-earth campaign against the Ramithi in the mountains. Oceander troops, backed by mercenaries, have begun to raid and torch Ramithi villages in an effort to deprive the rebels of their bases of operations. The Campaign is bearing fruit, as the Ramithi rebels have retreated deeper into the mountains, but the Oceanders’ have proved unable to dislodge them and remain stalled in the foothills.
Military
Two Oceander legions — the 15th and 22nd — serve on Ramthion, along with numerous mercenary regiments of various levels of quality recruited from all across Akados. Service on Ramthion is considered one of the most dangerous and onerous of duties, and the occupiers’ morale is mercurial. The Oceanders generally believe that they are carrying out a sacred duty to their empire, while at the same time dreading the ghosts and bogeymen of Ramithi legend. When an Oceander patrol disappears or a lone sentry is found savaged by fearsome claws, their dread of the assignment grows. Ramithi ports are blockaded by the powerful Oceander navy, but smugglers constantly test the barriers, surreptitiously delivering food, supplies, and weapons to the rebels.
The Ramithi are organized differently in independent companies and regiments named for their region, their commander, or for various legendary creatures. These rough-and-ready units vary in size from a few dozen up to several hundred and can change in number and composition freely. The Ramithi tend to fight a guerrilla war, with few major full-scale engagements. Most battles in the mountains consist of raids, feints, or ambushes that usually end quickly with the Ramithi disappearing and the Oceanders left to count their dead. Today, 2,000 warriors form the core of Dux Bellorum Ombarto Trullian’s forces based in the restored fortress at Farketh Knowe, with several thousand irregulars scattered throughout the rest of the island. Despite their retreat from the foothills, the Ramithi continue to gather strength, looking ahead to the day that they can all rise up and drive out the Oceanders, as they did the Heldring and the Hyperboreans before them.
Once skilled pirates, the Ramithi have little remaining in the way of naval assets, preferring instead to smuggle and raid with small, fast boats or mercenary naval units. As with land combat, Ramithi sailors shun set-piece naval battles and prefer to fight, inflict damage, and flee to hidden harbors or coastal villages.
Major Threats
Ramthion Island is an occupied land, conquered and colonized by the forces of the Empire of Oceanus. The ongoing resistance to the occupation represents the greatest threat to Ramthion’s peace and stability, and some outside powers have taken advantage of the conflict to bleed and destabilize the empire. Smugglers regularly run the Oceander blockade to bring supplies and weapons from Foere and Suilley, as both powers find it in their interest to keep the Oceanders occupied and pinned down in Ramthion.
Wilderness and Adventure
Ramthion Island is a wild and rugged place. Its lowland regions from the Southfell Glades to the marshy areas of the Sea Dagger are dotted with small villages and farms with thatch-roofed stone huts, most with a population of a few dozen. Oceander legionnaires based at Fort Kellstyn and the Damerhold keep watch on main roads, river crossings, and strategic villages, but are naturally unable to be everywhere at once, which leaves the vast stretches between settlements unoccupied and unpatrolled.
These regions are mostly bleak moorland interrupted here and there by small stands of forest, crossed occasionally by cold, fast-moving streams. The island’s two main rivers are the Caney, whose origin lies high in the Caterwaul Mountains, and the Lesser Reach, which flows from the stony-shored Lake Wealand. Largely unpopulated, the region around the lake is a source of many legends, and it is said that at least one and possibly more dragons or other fearsome serpents dwell in its chill depths, and can sometimes be glimpsed through the morning and evening fogs.
The barrows, cairns, and old places of worship are avoided by the Oceanders due to the dark and often entirely plausible legends associated with them. The spirits, undead, and dark fey creatures who inhabit their environs seem to be especially aggressive toward outsiders, and more than one patrol has vanished into the woods, dales, or moors never to be seen again.
Other beasts — shadowy, red-eyed, creeping through the darkness and haunting wild places — are said to dwell in the wild lands. Locals claim to know the charms and chants that ward off these mysterious creatures, but they keep these invocations and rituals secret, especially from the Oceanders.
Adventurers of only the hardiest and most daring (or foolhardy) sort are drawn to Ramthion Island to seek artifacts and treasures said to be hidden in old Hyperborean (or earlier) ruins. These ventures are inevitably fraught with peril, for both the occupying Oceanders and rebellious Ramithi dislike outsiders intruding: the Oceanders for disrupting the island and possibly associating with rebels; the Ramithi for the violation of their sacred places. From time to time, these adventurers do find their fortune, but they often find other things as well, including curses, disease, or the same ferociously protective unknown creatures that prey on the fearful Oceanders.
Region
Ramthion Island
Alternative Names
Fair Island; Island of War
Controlled Territories
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