Well over two thousand years ago, the entire lands of Southern Houress to the west of the Gloridon Desert were no more than wild lands inhabited by, for the most part, two races of barbarians--the Yahzun and Varkasi. Although primarily two races of savages existed, they were far from united, their tribes warring with one another constantly. The lands were loosely called the Barbarian Kingdom by those civilized nations outside of the untamed place. A well-known fact is that the barbarians were savage and did well to protect their lands from intrusion from outsiders of any kind, only rarely putting aside tribal differences to unite for a common cause. Little was recorded about the history of the barbarians during their first 800 years, as much of their experiences were passed down loosely from elders to sons through word of mouth and story.

Roughly in the 400th year of the 3rd age of man, tentative merchant contacts from the Hestrillite Empire traveled down into the barbarian lands hoping to introduce their wares to the savages and create a market for goods that they believed would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. The emperor kept a close eye on matters, for success for the merchants meant success for his empire. For the first fifty years or so, the merchants made little headway. The barbarian tribe leaders were suspicious of any outsiders coming into their lands, and they usually destroyed the merchant caravans. But in taking the booty from the caravans, the barbarians were exposed to wondrous items that dazzled them. As the years went on, the people began to speak out, asking that the merchants be allowed to come and trade with them. The elders had no choice but to relent. Over the next century or so, the influx of goods from the north increased almost exponentially, exposing the barbarians to the wonders of the modern lands beyond their borders.

Another influence came into the Barbarian Kingdom that would change it forever ... religion. As tolerance of outsiders increased within the ranks of the barbarians, clergy from outside their borders moved in among the populace. The barbarians had always been pagans, worshipping the land and the animals. But the strange clergy began to talk of wondrous beings who walked the heavens greater than those below. The priests demonstrated their holy magic to the barbarians. At first the savages were taken aback. But over the years the various religions of the civilized world began to take hold among the barbarians. Over the next century, many tribes of barbarians along the border of the Hestrillite Empire, heavily exposed to the religions and goods of the empire to the north, began taking on the look of a more modernized society with buildings and structures rather than hogans and tents and homes dug out of the ground or in caves. To the south, many tribes, mainly Varkasi, saw the corruption of their people coming and sought to cleanse the land. They launched war upon the tribes to the north. This lasted in the 50-years-long War of the Tribes. In year 462 of the 3rd Age, the Yahzun crushed the Varkasi and drove them back into what is now Gorth and the Barbarian Kingdom south of the Graget Mountains.

Twenty years later, in the year 482 of the 3rd Age, the emperor of the Hestrillites felt it was time to take the rich lands to the south by force. He felt the people had been softened to his way of thinking spiritually, and they were weakened with their war with the Varkasi. He sent his forces through the narrow passes of the Krestilac Mountains, led by a duke named Merrick Regdon. He encountered unexpectedly heavy resistance from the barbarian chieftains and found himself in dire trouble from the start. The war lasted nearly a year and Regdon faced defeat. For months, he had sent urgent messages to his emperor for help, but there had been no reply until one day. To his horror, Regdon received a note from his emperor stating, essentially, that he was on his own. Desperate, Regdon decided to use the one thing he had distaste for . . . magic. He secretly sent a message via haw to the Imperial wizard back home and pleaded for help. The wizard agreed and traveled to Regdon’s side. With Regdon’s army in grave peril, the wizard created a great magic item—a simple crown of gold--that he gave to Regdon. “With this crown,” instructed the wizard to Regdon, “you can control dragons and with them you can accomplish the task set upon you by the emperor.”

Leaving his demoralized troops, Regdon hiked back into he highest reaches of the Krestilac Mountains and found the nests of the great dragons that roosted there. With his crown, he summoned the mystical creatures to him. They came, and Regdon led them down out of the mountains to smash the barbarians and win the war. The barbarians were beaten back as far as the southern borders of what is now Criksrad and Maharool. In two years, Regdon had tamed the land. But when the emperor sent word of congratulations, Regdon ignored him. For months, Regdon ignored his emperor as he steadily brought those who were loyal to him over from the Hestrillite Empire.

After a year of stewing, the emperor sent word he was coming to inspect the newly acquired land of his empire. Regdon then responded. He sent word back that if the emperor were to come, he would be visiting not lands of the empire, but lands belonging to Regdon. The lands were now called the Kingdom of Regdon. Furious, the emperor sent his armies toward the mountains, intending that they should crush the traitorous Regdon and claim the won lands for the empire. But Regdon commanded the dragons to resist the invading forces, which they did, slaughtering hundreds of soldiers. The emperor was forced to retreat and give up any thoughts of further action against his upstart duke. A few years later, Regdon vowed to the dragons that he would never use the crown to control them again in exchange for the dragons agreement to keep the Hestrillites from crossing the mountains. The crown was hidden and lost in history, although many believe that the royalty of Regdon holds the secret of its location in case it may be needed again in the future.

In conquering the barbarians, Regdon united them. Using his experience as a duke from a civilized land, he worked on eliminating tribal views and instituting feudal views. He brought the Yahzun together and made their leaders dukes of their lands, answerable to him alone. Over the next 300 years or so, Regdon and his descendents forged the kingdom into a powerful nation. The richness of their exports and trade were enough to smooth relations with the emperor to the north, who had little choice but to bow to the prospect of such wealth. Regdon became a force on the continent.

A century or so after the beginning of the 4th Age of man, the threat of Varanady to the East grew to a point of intolerance. There had been many instances where agents from the dark queen had been caught trying to infiltrate the Kingdom of Regdon and influence those in power there. The King had been willing to ignore the stories of conquest to the east because it didn't affect him and his people. But now that changed. King Regdon threw his resources into helping the resistance to the east. Eventually, by the 130th year of the 4th Age, the dark queen was defeated and Sestillion restored as a rightful kingdom. For the next decade or so, Regdon's advisors kept in close contact with the lands of the east, for the King wanted his influence there in the rebuilding of the countries to protect his interests.

The Kingdom of Regdon prospered from the trade with the newly freed lands to the east. The kingdom grew in strength and power. But the underlying religious freedoms allowed the people, who still had strong independent roots, began causing a problem. In 153, Baron Sine Criksrad, who supplied most of the men who went east to fight the dark queen's forces, began grumbling that his people had sacrificed the most but gained nothing. The lands of the baron were not overseen by a Regdon Duke, so the grip of the King was not as tight there. The King brushed the baron off, and Criksrad and his people stewed. Many cited the fact that the primary lands of Regdon were of the Greek faith. The faith of the Baron's people were primarily Norse. The Baron and his people began to feel that that they were looked at as second class because they didn't worship the Greek gods. This animosity began to fester over the next half century as those in the northern lands began to see those in the south as agitators and impure to be following gods not their own.

Hoping to calm tensions in 212 of the 4th Age, the current King, Avolon Regdon, decreed that there would be more religious tolerance within the kingdom. He hoped to allay fears and calm tensions among his people and his lords. But the decree only emboldened those subjects to the south and alienated the lords to the north. Open conflict arose over the next 25 years. Finally, an aged Avolon Regdon, facing civil war, negotiated with the southern lords and allowed them to break away from the Kingdom in exchange for peace. He knew if the northern lords had organized and conquered the lords to the south, the Kingdom would suffer far greater than compromising the situation. The northern lords were furious and nearly went against their king, who had to use all of his charisma to persuade them to accept his decision. Formally, as of the 212th year of the 4th Age of Man, the Barony of Criksrad became a sovereign state, and peace was restored to the land.

Since then Regdon has prospered, although tensions with the Hestrillites on the high seas over the past few decades have escalated, and war may be on the horizon for the two nations.

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Points of Interest

Bottomless Chasm

This chasm has been here since before anyone could remember. Ancient legend tells that Celphea's followers were moving to escape an army of barbarians hot on their heels. As they were about to be caught, a great spear flew down from the clouds and gashed the land, creating a barrier the barbarians could not pass.

Stretching over 125 miles long, nearly a mile deep, and over a mile wide at its widest, the misty depths of the chasm is home to creatures such as trolls, giants, and harpies. Every so often, some of those creatures venture out of the chasm to wreak havoc, but the lords of Ketran always brutally put them down.

Champion Bay

A relatively small bay bordering the Sea of Regdon that provides a natural break to the rough seas beyond. Many ships come here to offload and onload trade goods.

Espris River

The Espris is a far reaching river that begins in the Lund hills at the northern border of Regdon. It rounds south for hundreds of miles, feeding the Nentack Lake before reaching the southwestern Rockroost Mountains. The Espris is a busy waterway that is used to transfer goods to the farthest reaches of the kingdom.

Hectain River

Flowing from the northernmost reaches of the Rockroost Mountains, this waterway winds its way southwest to feed the Nentack Lake.

Imorg Hills

Bordering the Hestrillite Empire and flowing from the eastern face of the Krestilac Mountains, these quiet hills are home to few humans or other.

Jarvis Channel

Encircled by two outcroppings of land, the Jarvis Channel is a natural bay where ships come for trade. It is also the harbor to Regdon's southern naval fleet, which protects the kingdom's underbelly.

Krestilac Mountains

The long running Krestilacs run from within the Hestrillite Empire to the heart of Regdon. This is one of the places where dragons are believed to have retreated over a thousand years ago. These mountains are thick with humanoid, specifically orcs and goblins, as well as many more. They are broken up into: The Krestilacs, the Western Krestilacs, and the Eastern Krestilacs.

Lurid Hills

These high rising hills straddle the border between the Hestrillites and Regdon. They are mostly inhabited by halflings and gnomes, as well as a few kobolts.

Nentack Lake

This huge lake is a central hub of trade in the kingdom. There is a constant stream of ships and barges running through the waterways leading and and out of the Nentack Lake, making it very important.

Phay Solemm

Small mountain range near the city of Paunce.

Quarl Hills

The Quarl Hills mark the easternmost tip of the Krestilac Mountains. Those inhabiting the hills are mostly halflings and gnomes, with a few othes living underground.

Reliad Mountains

The Reliads separate Regdon's northeastern border from the Hestrillite Empire's southern border, as well as the Gloridon Desert. The Kholhaas Pass runs through it to the Hestrillites and is a frequently used avenue for trade. These mountains are primarily inhabited by giants of all kinds, as well as other humanoids.

Rocroost Mountains

The Rocroosts run from the eastern edge of Regdon and into Criksrad, separating the two contries from the Gloridon Desert. As per the name, the spires are well populated with the legendary Rocs. There are also many dwarves, orcs, goblins, kobolds, and many other creatures.

Satikur River

Winding from the western face of the Rockroost Mountains, the Satikur is a relatively short river that feeds the Nentack Lake.

Sea of Ralmarg

A turbulent sea bordering on the southwest part of Regdon, Ralmarg is known to swallow ships regularly, making it a treacherous sail for even the most experienced captains. There are also many fantastic creatures that lurk within its depths.

Sea of Regdon

The Sea of Regdon is a massive ocean that resides in a natural bay. A great deal of ship trade goes on here.

Tosken Spires

A range of mountains in the southwest area of the Kingdom to the north of Graboe.

White River

The White River runs east from the easternmost reaches of the West Krestilac Mountains, and feeds the Nentack Lake.