Rashemen

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

Geography
Rashemen was 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
The country itself was surrounded by numerous other mountain ranges along with vast lakes and rivers, all of which provided natural fortifications. These features made Rashemen an ideally defensible region against the forces of Thay to the south or the nearby great barbarian tribes.

The northern portion of Rashemen was predominantly barren and ravaged by strong, harsh winds; while the south was cooler with a more placid environment that was considerably more hospitable for habitation.

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

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
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 the house-spirts called domovoi that could perform household chores if they were properly appeased.

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
Rashemen 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 Rashemar firewine, was made in and exported from Rashemen.

Defenses
Rashemen had a strong tradition of berserker warriors, which were organized into fangs or local lodges, such as the Black Bear, or the White Dragon lodge.

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

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. In 1361 DR, Liriel Baenre, using the power of the Windwalker amulet, was able to set free the spirits, thus returning the land to normal and destroying the Windwalker in the process.

Bodies of Water

 * Lake Ashane, an icy body of water that was protected by various magical aquatic creatures.

Forests

 * Ashenwood, an ancient and unsettled forest that was home to great and powerful spirits.
 * Erech Forest,
 * Urlingwood, the magical "heart" of Rashemen, favored by the Wychlaran.

Landmarks

 * Fortress of the Half-Demon,
 * Ring of Blue Fire,

Regions

 * High Country,
 * Immil Vale,
 * North Country

Settlements

 * Immilmar
 * Mulptan
 * Mulsantir
 * Urling,

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