Raurin
Encyclopedia
Raurin is a location on Faerûn
, a fictional continent, the primary setting of the Forgotten Realms
, for Dungeons & Dragons
.
, but it was transformed into a wasteland in -2488 DR by the battles between the Imaskari and the avatars of the Mulhorandi pantheon and Untheric pantheon.
After the fall of Imaskar, the ancient city of Solon sought to carve itself a new empire from the desert wastes. It succeeded for a time, gaining control of most of the land south of the Raurin Alta. It traded with Ra-Khati and Durpar. Slowly, however, as the desert spread further and as Shou
invaders cut Solon's ties with the lands to the north, Solon lost its grip on its territories. After a succession of weak kings over a period of centuries, Solon was only left with the city itself.
Since that time, many other desert kingdoms have risen in Raurin; the most recent and perhaps greatest of these was Bakar, although even Bakar is a pale shadow of the Imaskar Empire before it.
In approximately 357 DR, the wizard Martek, called "The Greatest of Mages," served as Bakar's grand vizier. He imprisoned an efreeti
of great power and, knowing it would one day escape, he set up a magical quest allowing heroes to resurrect him when the time was right.
At this time, the River Athis flowed through the Dust Desert from a magical fountain in Terbakar, the capital of the kingdom of Bakar. The River Athis ran generally northward, creating a fertile corridor that ran by the garden city of Pazar, the Oasis of the White Palm, and Carthag. Then the nation's last pharaoh, Amun-Re, called down a curse on his people that caused the River Athis to dry up, the river valley subsequently becoming barren. The trade routes once used by the people of Durpar to travel to Mulhorand and Semphar were covered by sand.
Eventually, though, the demand for trade grew great enough for caravans to attempt to make the crossing from Durpar to the northern cities of Mulhorand and Semphar once again. The journey to the dry valley of Athis was deadly, but it could be made, and subsequently the Sandvoyager Guild has made it their business to run caravans through the desert.
Inhabitants of Raurin include two-humped, shaggy camels, centipedes, gophers, desert jackasses, lizards, rats, mice, sheep (near oases), falcons, hawks, Raurin horses, vipers, sand cats, foxes, vultures, jackals, scorpions, and tortises. More fantastic creatures include cockatrices
, brass dragons
, brown dragons
, blue dragons
, copper dragons
, dragonnes, dustdiggers, firenewts, hill giants
, jackalwere
s, lamias
, pyrolisks, rocs
, sand boas, sandlings, giant tarantulas, thri-kreen
, giant striders, giant bats, fire toads, ogre
s, purple worm
s, manticores
, thunderherders, skriaxits, desert wraiths
, hieracosphinxes
, dracosphinxes
, dao
, and a handful of djinn
, jann
, and rogue efreet.
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
, a fictional continent, the primary setting of the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, for Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
.
Description
Raurin, known as the Dust Desert and the Desert of Desolation, was once the center of the ancient empire of ImaskarImaskar
In the fictional fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms, on the continent of Faerûn, Imaskar was the first overpowering human empire, predating even Netheril. It was responsible for the creation of the oldest empires still in existence, the ancient empires of Mulhorand, Unther and Chessenta. They...
, but it was transformed into a wasteland in -2488 DR by the battles between the Imaskari and the avatars of the Mulhorandi pantheon and Untheric pantheon.
After the fall of Imaskar, the ancient city of Solon sought to carve itself a new empire from the desert wastes. It succeeded for a time, gaining control of most of the land south of the Raurin Alta. It traded with Ra-Khati and Durpar. Slowly, however, as the desert spread further and as Shou
Shou Lung
In the fictional campaign setting known as the Forgotten Realms, Shou Lung is a country in the continent of Kara-Tur, which is located to the east of Faerûn...
invaders cut Solon's ties with the lands to the north, Solon lost its grip on its territories. After a succession of weak kings over a period of centuries, Solon was only left with the city itself.
Since that time, many other desert kingdoms have risen in Raurin; the most recent and perhaps greatest of these was Bakar, although even Bakar is a pale shadow of the Imaskar Empire before it.
In approximately 357 DR, the wizard Martek, called "The Greatest of Mages," served as Bakar's grand vizier. He imprisoned an efreeti
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
of great power and, knowing it would one day escape, he set up a magical quest allowing heroes to resurrect him when the time was right.
At this time, the River Athis flowed through the Dust Desert from a magical fountain in Terbakar, the capital of the kingdom of Bakar. The River Athis ran generally northward, creating a fertile corridor that ran by the garden city of Pazar, the Oasis of the White Palm, and Carthag. Then the nation's last pharaoh, Amun-Re, called down a curse on his people that caused the River Athis to dry up, the river valley subsequently becoming barren. The trade routes once used by the people of Durpar to travel to Mulhorand and Semphar were covered by sand.
Eventually, though, the demand for trade grew great enough for caravans to attempt to make the crossing from Durpar to the northern cities of Mulhorand and Semphar once again. The journey to the dry valley of Athis was deadly, but it could be made, and subsequently the Sandvoyager Guild has made it their business to run caravans through the desert.
Ecology
Raurin is a waste of sand, which blows into great dunes, and round hills. The hills and dunes are cut with gullies terraced with strata of pinks, reds, and browns. Salt crystallizes on the surface, giving northerners the impression of snow. What few pools of water exist are too salty to drink. It is consistently hot, and there is very little rain.Inhabitants of Raurin include two-humped, shaggy camels, centipedes, gophers, desert jackasses, lizards, rats, mice, sheep (near oases), falcons, hawks, Raurin horses, vipers, sand cats, foxes, vultures, jackals, scorpions, and tortises. More fantastic creatures include cockatrices
Cockatrice (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the cockatrice is a small avian magical beast. Any creature that a cockatrice bites can be permanently turned to stone.A cockatrice is not particularly intelligent, and is always neutral in alignment....
, brass dragons
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, brown dragons
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, blue dragons
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, copper dragons
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, dragonnes, dustdiggers, firenewts, hill giants
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, jackalwere
Jackalwere
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the jackalwere is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter.-Publication history:The jackalwere first appeared in the first edition in the original Monster Manual ....
s, lamias
Lamia (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lamia is a magical beast. The lamia was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Monster Manual sourcebook...
, pyrolisks, rocs
Roc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the roc is a gargantuan, eagle-like animal, based on an earlier creature from myth and fantasy also named the Roc.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, sand boas, sandlings, giant tarantulas, thri-kreen
Thri-kreen
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the thri-kreen, or "mantis warriors", are an insect-like monstrous humanoid race. Thri-kreen are one of the primary player character races of the Dark Sun campaign setting, and have also appeared in the Spelljammer and Forgotten Realms campaign...
, giant striders, giant bats, fire toads, ogre
Ogre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
s, purple worm
Purple worm
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the purple worm is a magical beast and a classic D&D monster.-Publication history:The purple worm was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
s, manticores
Manticore (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the manticore is a large magical beast with the body of a lion, dragon wings, and a somewhat humanoid head...
, thunderherders, skriaxits, desert wraiths
Wraith (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the wraith is an undead creature.-Dungeons & Dragons :The wraith was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set , where they were described as high-class wights with more...
, hieracosphinxes
Sphinx (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game Sphinxes are a type of magical beast related to manticores. The four most common subraces of sphinx are the androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, dracosphinxes
Sphinx (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game Sphinxes are a type of magical beast related to manticores. The four most common subraces of sphinx are the androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, dao
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, and a handful of djinn
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, jann
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, and rogue efreet.