Rhovun¶
Contested
Named in the open question Origin of Rhovun: province of Emerdene or conquering kingdom; the merge step wires the link.
Rhovun is "a north western region which stretches from the Sea of Rhovun in the south to the Pictish Jungle in the north. In addition, it stretches from the ocean in the west to the Dragon's Teeth mountains in the east. It is home to a large Draconian kingdom, as well as several small city-states. The majority of the area is wild and controlled by nomadic orcs and humans" (S387). Once the richest province of draconian Pherox, it has been lawless since its slaves freed themselves, and in the Fifth Age it is raided again; the Wilds of Rhovun is its usual name.
The land¶
Rhovun lies "in the lowlands off the western coast of North-Central South Astia" (S429). Its plains are hunting grounds; its eastern mountains hold small kingdoms; the Ekenulde Forest and the great bluffs shelter towns. The Sea of Rhovun bounds it on the south, and the region of Callat covers "the southern coast of the Sea of Rhovun" (S387). "Due to their proximity to Pherox and their history, human settlements in this area are often located in uncleared forests or even caves, to provide cover from Draconian raids" (S429).
History¶
Rhovun's terrain "survived the brunt of the explosion of the shattering. However, its populations were still decimated by earthquakes and tsunamis. Before the shattering, it had been a heavily populated draconian province, which employed mostly human and dwarven slaves" (S429). Humans, dwarves, draconians and centaurs emerged from the ruin, and "Draconians were quickly pushed out of the region and fled to the north" (S429).
"By 250 MA, the human kingdom Rhovun had conquered or annexed its neighbors" of the Age of Magic; its dwarves helped push back the orcs and goblins, and "some of the Centaur clans migrated westward into what is now Theraec" (S429). Wizards grew common in the kingdom, and "in 641 MA, the Necromancer Vinias, led a group of wizards in rebellion against the kingdom. A long and brutal civil war ensued, which dragged on for 50 years. Vinias was eventually defeated, and magic was outlawed across the kingdom" (S429). "In 645 MA, a plague devastated the population of Rhovun. Two years later, in 647 MA, an army from the Draconian Empire of Pharox conquered and enslaved the population of Rhovun. The people of Rhovun lived as Draconian slaves for the next thousand years" (S429).
Under Pherox, Rhovun was "a significant producer of food and metals for the empire. The Draconians invested heavily in the provinces, building fortresses, towns, roads and cities," and conscripted its humans and orcs into the imperial armies (S429). "In 2016-2017 MA, King Rodruk II of Dalmar launched a massive invasion into Pherox in response to Pherox slaver raids." He drove the draconians out of Rhovun, died at the gates of their capital, and left them too few to return: "the Draconians abandoned most of Rhovun to its liberated slaves," and "the old kingdom became a largely lawless area, with Orc and Goblin clans, Centaur clans, Wild-Men, Bandits and Humans vying for survival" (S429).
In the Fifth Age the draconians came back. In the 400s SM one of two great draconian forces "operates from Pherox and strikes south into Rhovun and Angorath," and "Pherox expands to take control of Rhovun and Angorath in 451 SM" (S326). After their defeat in the Faewild Wars and the Hollowing, the Sancturi-era gazetteer finds "Rhovun is again a land which is consistently raided by them, though not in force enough to deter Rovers, scattered tribes and a handful of small city-states from making their homes here" (S324).
The clans¶
In the Age of Magic's present, "Humans have not been able to re-establish many permanent settlements in the area, and they often trade with the Dwarves, who also ally with them against the Orcs, Goblins and Bandits. The humans organize themselves into clans, similar to the Dwarves. A few small human towns share the frontier along the mountains with the Dwarves, but most of the clans roam the plains as hunters and gatherers where food is plentiful" (S429). Some clans are outcasts or bandits to the rest; the surviving centaur clans "also have cordial relations with some of the Rhovun clans, as well as with the Dwarves" (S429).
Kingdoms and towns¶
Mugaran¶
"A small human kingdom located in the X mountains of eastern Rhovun. It's towns and villages are built into the mountainsides, and they make heavy use of terraced farming. Their location in conjunction with considerable stone fortifications protect them from the denizens of the wilds, and trained drakes hunt beasts on the plains as well as help defend them from Draconian raids" (S429). It is close to the dwarves of Turramon.
Turramon¶
"A small dwarven kingdom located in the X mountains of eastern Rhovun. The dwarves mine gold, silver and iron and mithus (mithius-infused iron). They also farm and ranch in many nearby valleys. They trade extensively with the humans of Mugaran and some with Doruet, as well as with many different nomadic groups ranging across Rhovun" (S429).
Rhiuen¶
"A tiny human kingdom/city-state located on an island in lake X, in eastern Rhovun. It is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge, which is guarded by a castle on the island side," which keeps out raiders, orcs and wild-men. "The kingdom is ruled by the arch-wizard Asgarthe, who also keeps its populace safe from Draconian raiders" (S429; Asgarthe is among the Minor Figures of the Earlier Ages).
Doruet¶
"Carved into the great bluffs of Rhovun, this town is a series of connected cliff dwellings and caves along one of the more gentle sections of the bluffs (70 degree slope). It is a mostly human town, though people of many races dwell here. It is hospitable to most races as long as they don't cause serious trouble. It often used as a haven for bandits and marauders. Different sections of the town cater to different races. It is governed by the human barbarian warlord Ernard" (S429).
The Towns of Ekenulde¶
"Several human towns are located on the edges of the forest with the Plains of Rhovun. Each town has its own government, and while the towns often cooperate in areas of common interest, such as security, there is no central authority" (S429). Deep in the Ekenulde Forest is Eydisien, a "small Elven kingdom," and in the forest's mountains Nulbarden, a "small Dwarf-hold" founded by dwarves who fled the fall of Naramunz (S429).
Othrol¶
"Orc city, built in the ruins of Bhellost (large city of Rhovun). Othrol is populated by an alliance of 3 orc clans" (S429).
Ruins¶
Chaulssad¶
"Once the capitol city of the Kingdom of Rhovun, this city was expanded by the Draconians and served as one of the major centers of their authority during their rule over Rhovun. The city was besieged during King Rodruk II's campaign in 2016. Once it became clear the Draconians would lose the city, they began systematically slaughtering the several hundred thousand non-Draconian inhabitants (slaves). After collecting the few survivors, Rodruk ordered the city burned as one giant funeral pyre. Chaulssad is now rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of that massacre" (S429).
The Tower of Ithuil¶
"The home of a powerful warlock, allied to Vinias during the War of the Warlocks, it was destroyed. Little more than a circle of stones remains of where it once stood. However, the rise where it was located is still tainted by dark magics and rumors speak of occasional sightings of the tower intact, most of them at night" (S429).
Meraethe Castle¶
"Once the seat of power of Vinias, it served as the command center of his rebellion. The castle was eventually stormed and many wizards, including Vinias, were killed within its walls. After a few attempts to demolish the castle led to deaths, rumors spread of its curse, and the castle was never properly demolished, but fell into ruin. The area is still shunned, and visitors to it are certain to become cursed and die by unnatural means, according to local legend" (S429).
Naramunz¶
"The dwarves of Naramunz built a large and rich hold in north-central Rhovun. During the invasion of Rhovun by Pharox, the dwarves allied themselves with the men of Rhovun. The Draconians invaded Naramunz with the help of the Great Black Dragon Saran-Mauge. The dwarf-hold fell, and many dwarves were killed, enslaved or fled to the east (and founded Nulbarden). The Great Black Dragon has made the ruins his home, and occasionally hunts across the fields of Rhovun" (S429).
Earlier accounts¶
The compendium's nations list gives Rhovun a different beginning: "Rhovun was once the north-most province of the great kingdom of Emerdene. When Emerdene splintered, it briefly became independent before falling to the armies of Pherox. It then became Pherox's most important and productive province. In the XXX war, when Dxxx crushed the majority of their empire, Pherox lost control of Rhovun to a slave revolt. Though the war ended in a stalemate, the infrastructure and manpower to retake Rhovun did not exist. It became a lawless area, and home to barbarian clans, orcs and brigands with only a few pockets of civilization" (S372). The same compendium's regional history, and the 2019 overview that this page follows, know no Emerdene and make Rhovun a human kingdom that conquered its neighbours before Pherox conquered it.
Gap
The mountains of Mugaran and Turramon and the lake of Rhiuen are unnamed placeholders in every copy. No source names the Fifth Age city-states of Rhovun.