Rashemen

Rashemen, also known as the Land of Berserkers, was a magocratic gynarchy in the Unapproachable East region of northeast Faerûn. It was a rugged and enigmatic land that could be considered nearly inhospitable by many folk. The native Rashemaar were a fierce and individualistic people that were renowned across the Realms for their great bravery and stunning power wielding the arcane arts.

"To the north of Thay lies the cold beauty of Rashemen, land of berserkers...Their land is a place both old and mysterious, harboring many strange spirits and magical places."

- The scribe Lhaeo, in a letter to Alustriel Silverhand.

Description
The northern lands of Rashemen were predominantly barren, ravaged by strong, harsh winds, while the south was cooler with a more placid environment that was considerably more hospitable for habitation. It was surrounded by numerous other mountain ranges along with vast lakes and rivers, all of which provided strong natural fortifications. These features made Rashemen an ideally defensible region against the forces of Thay to the south or the nearby great barbarian tribes.

Rashemen was considered to be more closely connected to the Feywild than any other location in Faerûn.

Geography
Rashemen was located just north of the Thayan Plateau, between the Great Dale and Narfell to the west and the Sunrise Mountains to the east. The northern border of Rashemen lay at the base of the frigid Icerim Mountains.

Geographical Features

 * Bodies of Water:
 * Falls of Erech, the tremendous waterfall from the River Erech that marked Rashemen's northern border.
 * Lake Ashane, an icy body of water that was protected by various magical aquatic creatures.
 * Lake Tirulag, another frozen late that was rumored to be home to a dragon composed entirely of ice.
 * River Ashan, a minor river that sprung up within the Ashenwood from an underground waterway.
 * River Rasha, one of the most commercially important trade routes found in Rashemen.
 * River Tir, a wide and lazy river that allowed for sea travel to the country's eastern regions.
 * River Fir, a minor river that emptied into Lake Tirulag.


 * Forests:
 * Ashenwood, an ancient and unsettled forest that was home to great and powerful spirits.
 * Erech Forest, a mysterious forest of dark spirits that housed the ruins of Citadel Tralkharn
 * Urlingwood, the magical "heart" of Rashemen, a favored of the enigmatic Wychlaran.


 * Hills and Mountains:
 * High Country, the wild and sparsely inhabited foothills on the western slopes of the Sunset Mountains.
 * Running Rocks, a range of solid granite peaks that housed many monstrous creatures such as trolls.


 * Regions:
 * Central Plains, a stretch of picturesque farmland.
 * Immil Vale, a verdant valley that was said to be touched by the Hidden One herself.
 * North Country, the serene yet harsh northern reaches of Rashemen that were dotted with centuries-old ruins.

Government
The nominal ruler of Rashemen was a mighty warrior-lord known as the huhrong or Iron Lord, who was expected to rule with temperance and keep the nation safe with the aid of the berserker lodges. The true power of the nation lay with the Wychlaran, an all-female order of witches that wielded great and terrible magical powers. They appointed each and every Iron Lord and could replace the role whenever necessary.

At the local level, each community or settlement was ruled over by a war leader known as a fyrra, who exclusively controlled the armed forces under his command, and whose rule could be compared similarly to that of a mayor.

Relationships
Rashemen was at near-constant odds with the country of Thay. The Zulkirs and their fellow Red Wizards tried to conquer the country and its magical wealth for around centuries, and convinced their citizens that Rashemen was a debased country. Luckily, the Red Wizards made a lot of mistakes and were plagued by regular infighting, so much so that they often failed to present themselves as genuine threat to Rashemen.

Society
The Rashemaar renounced the advancing of civilization as was found in other lands across Faerûn, preferring to hold on tight to what they referred to as the "warrior ideal."

Witches of the Wychlaran were treated with the greatest respect, as they were the leaders of communities and the nation. They were always given food and horses without question.

Culture
The Rashemaar were quite superstitious, but also maintained a strong connection with the spirits of their land, particularly spirits of nature and house-spirts called domovoi.

The Dajemma (also spelled darjemma) was a type of coming-of-age tradition for young Rashemi men to travel to foreign lands to see and understand more of the world.

Food and drink
The smoky sjorl cheese originated in Rashemen, although foreigners often found it unpleasant. Other food commonly found in Rashemen included rabbit sausage, rothe cheese, and bread; honeycake and scrump (a potent fermented cider); and boiled grains and berries for breakfast. A samovar of strong, bitter tea was used in ritual meetings.

Trade
While it did import some goods from abroad, Rashemen was entirely self-sufficient and did not require the import of any essentials from any nearby nations. It exported natural goods that could be found and processed in abundance including animal furs and wool, along with a few unique types of food and drink. Jhuild, also known as Rashemaar firewine, was made in and exported from Rashemen.

Defenses
Rashemen had a strong tradition of berserker warriors, the most elite of which were organized into fangs or local lodges, such as the Black Bear, or the White Dragon lodge. The Wychlaran spellcasters supplemented the bands of fearsome warriors, wielding terrible and destructive magic to defend their nation whenever needed.

History
Rashemen was founded in by the followers of Shemen, a chieftain of a Raumviran tribe, after his death.

Beginning in the 10 century DR and continuing on for centuries thereafter, Rashemen has repeatedly defended itself from multiple Thayan invasions.

During the Time of Troubles, in the, dead-magic zones sprung up around the land and the Wychlaran had trouble contacting the spirits. Some witches and artisans went mad and were slain; some warriors also went mad, and it was thought they should also be slain. A few years later, Liriel Baenre utilized the Windwalker amulet to set free the spirits and the land to normal.

Years later, the Wychlaran fought a vicious civil war against the ruthless durthan witches, in the conflict known as the Witch War.

Landmarks

 * Citadel Rashemar, the great mountain fortress that was leveled by the Tuigan and overrun by monsters.
 * Fortress of the Half-Demon, one of the lost Nar citadels that was once used to imprison fiendish beings.
 * Mines of Tethkel, the rich iron mines that provided Rashemen much of its material wealth.
 * Ring of Blue Fire, an ancient Raumathari ruin that housed what appeared to be living spells.

Settlements

 * Cities:
 * Immilmar, the capital of Rashemen and the seat of power of the Iron Lord.
 * Mulptan, the great trade city that served as the gateway to the rest of the Realms.
 * Mulsantir, a fortified city that was endured repeated attempted invasions by Thayan forces.
 * Thasunta, Rashemen's great "City of Warriors" that housed many berserker lodges.


 * Towns and Villages:
 * Shevel, the country's largest trade town that was situated along the Golden Way.
 * Taporan, a settlement of fisherman nestled on the banks of the River Tir.
 * Tinnir, the secluded village situated on the shore of Lake Tirulag.
 * Urling, a small hamlet built atop burial mounds considered to be sacred among the Wychlaran and other Rashemaar.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Fyodor, a young berserker that sought out the artifact known as the Windwalker.
 * Dynaheir, a hathran who traveled to the Sword Coast to investigate the rise of the Bhaalspawn.
 * Minsc, the great adventurer made earned great fame for himself across West Faerûn.

Appearances

 * Fiction
 * Thieves' Honor • Thieves' Reward • Thieves' Justice


 * Novels
 * Dragonwall Starlight & Shadows ( Daughter of the Drow, Windwalker ) • The Shield of Weeping Ghosts • Unbroken Chain: The Darker Road


 * Video games:
 * Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer