Rhentair

This template is a studio internal guide to each nation currently or previously inhabiting Tir Eriad. This article is specific to the Kingdom of Rhentair. 

General Summary:

Rhentair is a kingdom to the North-Central/North-East of the continent of Abbernoch. It is ruled by a King, Pelegrim Ap Rhen, who is married to Queen Elewain Astridda, and father to Arrin Ap Larin the Second. Rhentair is presently at war with Errderrn, and their borders are tested fairly constantly by the Kingdom of Aubregeon and Norderrn.  

Their history is comparatively long, but problematically their power is fluid outside of their Hearth regions. The three major cities are Rhentair, Rinnbatten, and Nausrebot Ap Maerme.  The people of Rhentair tend to be proud, self-reliant, but also dismissive of rigid authority or "following the rules". 

Dates Founded: 2895

Date Ended: Present Day Kingdom

Racial Breakdown: 

98% Human, <2% Faen Races

Humans identify as: 

• 86% Rhentairi
• 5% Aubregine
• 2% Hallean
• 2% Aerinnish
• 1% Merinnin
• 1% Norderrni
• 1% Erderrni
• 2% Other

Geography

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/tir-eriad-aommi27/map/f68e7bcb-3888-4f25-bcea-df4b806bc3a7

General Land Forms: 

Rhentair is functionally bounded by northern and southern mountain ranges, Nottirn and Sottirn ranges respectively, and is partially bounded on its east by the Bastion Mountains. Rhentair's western border draws a line from Rinnbaten, north along the course of the Dhaellerinn River, and where the river turns, North/North-East to the citadel of Arn Sarheith. 

Regions: 

Rhentair has six major regions, Hearthlands, Westmarches, Rinnbatten, Sottirn, Seaside, and the Bastion Mountains. A subregion, the Marshlands, lies between Rinnbatten, the Westmarches, and the Hearthlands but isn't claimed by any of them. 

• Hearthlands
  • Contains Rhentair City
  • Is the relatively safe hearthlands of Rhentair, primary driver for agriculture and is generally well defended and trafficked by the kingdom's soldiers, less so since the war started. 
  • Includes the Dhaellerinn River, and the mountain ranges north of Rhentair. 
  • Combination between pastoral hearthlands, some mountains, but also meandering rivers and hill country. 
  • The Hearth barrowlands separates Rhentair City from the Seaside Ride, bisected by the Dead Road. 
• Westmarches
  • A line of small borderkeeps supporting and supported by Arn Sarheith and Arn Rittrebotheit on Rhentair's western border. 
  • Interspersed with plains and smaller forests, this area is too far flung to support regular habitation. 
  • Since the war started, many of the small border keeps are unmanned, and in some cases, have been moved into by animals, bandits, or monsters. A few however have been turned into ad hoc caravan stops. 
• Rinnbatten
  • Large city at the terminus of the Dhaellerinn river and on  a protected inlet to the Southern Sea. 
  • Like Rhentair City, was a previous Forlorn ruin that was (partially) cleared and built over by humans. 
  • Heavily forested, and a primary source of timber (barged upriver) to the remainder of Rhentair. 
  • Most southern trade enters Rhentair here, and as such as a significant influence from Merinna, Aerinmark, and Halle. 
• Sottirn
  • Mountain range, forest, and barrow lands dotted with Forlorn ruins and barrows. 
  • Some smaller hearthsteads, but fairly wild and untamed. 
  • Fairly large amount of geological activity, hot springs and the such. 
  • Generally ill-considered due to the Lich Ap Streffa, the Ruins of the Betrayer. 
• Seaside
  • Includes the area from Naussrebote Ap Maerme to the border keeps on the Rhentairi / Erderrni border. 
  • Formerly pastoral farmland, but was razed in the Erderrni invasion. 
  • Currently occupied by Erderrn. 
• Bastion Mountains
  • Former lands of the hill/mountain tribes called the area the Iron Mountains. 
  • Primary source of mined iron in Rhentair. 
  • Home to Rhentair's knightly order, the Order of the Moon, at the Bastion. 
  • Festooned with numerous caves, ruins, and tight mountain passes that are either Forlorn, human, or a combination. 
  • Many of the caves lead into the Faenwaidth. 
  • Runs from the Hearth barrows lands to the town of Sunnetbate Ap Nauss. 

Rivers / Lakes / Seas:

The Dhaellerinn is one of the primary, and most famous rivers in Rhentair, owing as it does to its role in the founding of the nation (a natural stone levee was breached allowing the Dhaellerinn, which only flood into the Dhaellfenn marshlands during the spring floods, to flood over the banks and simultaneously destroy one Ghairadori Army while exposing the other to a moonlit surprise attack. Since that redirection of the river, the Dhaellerinn runs through the Dhaellfenn which leads to Rhentair marshlands being very much a part of the Dhaellerinn's course. 

Rhentair city is bounded east and west by the Lake of the Dead and the Hearthlakes, respectively. The lake of the Dead is so named as it abuts the Barrowlands there, and the Hearthlakes actively serve the Hearthlands of Rhentair with cold, clean mountain meltwater. 

The Sottirn region has a slightly overexaggeratedly named Fire Lake, which is fed from the hot spring and mountainous meltwater mix off the Sottirn. This in turn feeds the Sottrinn River, coursing into the smaller Mirror Lake, before winding its water to the Southern Sea. 

Rinnbaten itself, at the terminus of the Dhaellerinn, lies in a protected bay on the Southern Sea. 

Naussrebote Ap Maerme, the occupied Eastern city of Rhentair, sits on the Dernnian Ocean. 

Notable Features

Rhentair's highest mountain is actually in the Sottirn, though the average height of the mountains in the Sottirn is lower than the Bastion mountains or even the Nottirn Mountain. That highest mountain peak is known by a number of any Faen racial epithets, the most prominent of whom is Pointy-Ear Peak. This is due to the legend that the particular mountain, which is an extremely tall and narrow spire, was actually magically formed, not naturally formed. 

The Barrow Lands are a wide spread area to the East of Rhentair City. Perpetually shrouded in haze or fog, these circular Barrows dot this landscape. The area itself is bisected by a cobblestone road that bears no mark of wear or time, and grass that attempts to grow around the cobbles withers and dies prematurely. Horses and carriages can safely pass the Barrowlands, and brave souls who have touched the cobbles with bare skin have reported no ill effects. Some travelers have however heard voices whispering to them to stay on the road, and scholarly expeditions to excavate barrows have typically ended in failure, not the least of which was the tragic and apparently violent death of all members of the expedition, including those who never went into the barrows. 

The Dead Fenns are similar to the Barrow Lands, but they exist in secluded dales in the Sottirn. While there do exist a number of intact ruins in the Sottirn, particularly in steep canyons and cliffside areas, the Dead Fenns are unique in that they exist solely at the bottom of valleys, and of note, Valleys that experience to strong amount of melt water, leading the valleys to have consistent, brackish swamp underlying numerous barrows. Occasionally, water will drain through a Barrow, likely into the Faenwaidth and a valley is for a time, open to excavation or exploration. That said, the same issue as the Barrow lands applies the the Dead Fenns. 

The Bastion mountains also boast a number of cliffside Forlorn ruins, the most prominent of which is the Forlorn Gap. This gap is still spanned with numerous graceful arching bridging across its span, some of which are used by the Rhentairi Knights to access the Bastion, their mountaintop hold in those mountains.