Rashemi
Concentrated in the harsh and dangerous northeastern reaches of Faerûn, the Rashemi are tough and sturdy, undaunted by extremes of weather or human cruelty. Despite their relative isolation from the rest of Faerûn, most Rashemi are surprisingly well versed in the affairs of other nations, for many travel extensively as youths as part of a coming-of-age ritual known as a dajemma. Although Rashemi barbarians and rangers are widely known across Faerûn, members of this ethnic group also make skilled wizards, sorcerers, and clerics.
Descended from the nomadic tribes that fought and won the Orcgate Wars and later built the empire of Raumathar, the Rashemi are the most numerous human ethnic group on the Priador plateau and in the lands that border Ashanath, the Lake of Tears. Outside Thay and Rashemen, Rashemi minorities are also found in Aglarond, Damara, the Great Dale, Impiltur, Mulhorand, Narfell, the Wizards' Reach, Mulhorand, Semphar, Thesk, and Unther. Although not widespread, Rashemi culture has had a significant influence on both Damaran and Tuigan culture, and in its day the Rashemi empire of Raumathar rivaled the power of Mulhorand and Unther.
Most Rashemi average about five and a half feet in height, with stout and muscular builds. Most are dusky of skin and dark of eye, with thick black hair. Rashemi males are unusually hirsute and often sport bushy black beards. Although handsome, many seem almost ursine in
nature. Baldness is almost unknown among Rashemi males, although inhabitants of Thay are known to shave all body hair in imitation of the ruling Mulan. Female Rashemi wear their black hair long, often in elaborate braids.
The Rashemi display little of the cultural arrogance common to other major human ethnic groups whose ancestors once ruled empires. Instead, they see themselves as inhabitants of a harsh but beautiful world ruled by place spirits, and cherish their strong and abiding ties to the land. Most Rashemi identify themselves by national origins (for example, Rashemaar, Thayan, or Theskan) rather than ethnicity, although centuries of harsh rule by the Mulan in Thay have done much to strength sympathies between the Rashemi of Thay and the inhabitants of Rashemen. Little emphasis is placed on the acquisition of wealth or ancestry, as each child is expected to earn his or her own place in the world.
History
The Rashemi arose from various tribal peoples who lived in the land of Rashemen long before the fall of Imaskar in -2488 DR. They were warlike and insular, fighting against the efforts of more numerous tribes to claim parts of Rashemen for their own. They fiercely resisted Mulhorandi efforts to tame the lands north of Lake Mulsantir. Since the Rashemi could not be pushed aside, the Mulhorandi who governed the northern frontiers of their empire employed them as mercenaries against other tribal peoples in the area.
The opening of a large portal on the Priador Plateau in -1076 DR and the subsequent arrival of a vast horde of orcs marked the end of the First Empire of Mulhorand. During the Orcgate Wars of -1075 DR to -1069 DR, the Nars, the Rashemi, the Raumvirans, the Sossrims, and other tribes all served as mercenaries in the vanguard of Mulhorand's armies. Although the orcs were eventually defeated, Mulhorand's hold on its far-flung northern provinces was broken.
Although most of the northern tribes returned to their ancestral lands and traditional way of life, both the Raumvirans and the Nars saw the collapse of Mulhorand's northern provinces as an opportunity to establish empires of their own. Over the course of the next two centuries, the Raumvirans gradually conquered much of the Endless Wastes while the Nars extended their rule south and west along the shores of the Easting Reach. By -900 DR, the Raumvirans established the empire of Raumathar with its capital at Winterkeep, stretching from the northern tip of Lake Ashane to the western shore of the Great Ice Sea and from Sossal to the Lake of Mists. The Nars established the empire of Narfell from the uplands of Impiltur to Ashanath.
Both empires turned their attention to the Priador Plateau, populated by nomadic tribes of centaurs and gnolls. Raumathar saw the Rashemi tribal lands between Lake Ashane and the Sunset Mountains as a corridor through which it could settle the Priador Plateau, while Narfell saw the land of Rashemen as a natural chokepoint to contain its rival's ambitions. The two empires fought many battles on the eastern shore of Lake Ashane, leading to its appellation as the Lake of Tears. The Rashemi clans divided into three camps: allies of Narfell, allies of Raumathar, and those who struggled to remain independent.
In the centuries that followed, battles between the conjurers of Raumathar and the sorcerers of Narfell became increasingly common, turning the Priador Plateau into a sprawling battlefield fought over by Rashemi mercenaries in the employ of both armies. Matters came to a head in -150 DR, with the summoning of numerous powerful monsters and minor deities that consumed both empires in a great conflagration. The city of Kensten (modern Bezantur) was consumed by an avatar of Kossuth, while an army of fiends led by demon lord Eltab invaded Rashemen.
In the wake of their mutual defeat, the surviving inhabitants of Narfell and Raumathar retreated into tiny enclaves, leaving the surviving summoned beings as the only real power north of the Alamber Sea. Both Unther and Mulhorand quickly sent armies north before the Summoned could establish their own realms. In -148 DR, the southern armies defeated an alliance of the Summoned, and Mulhorand reoccupied the Priador Plateau. In Rashemen, however, the demon lord Eltab and his minions still ruled the land.
Eltab's rule came to an end in -75 DR, following the emergence of the Witches of Rashemen. The earliest witches were of Raumviran descent, a secret sisterhood formed in the dying days of Raumathar to preserve that empire's magical lore. The alliance of the Rashemi and the Raumviran witches finally liberated Rashemen from demonic rule. The hero of this conflict was a warrior named Yvengi, who wielded a great magical blade named Hadryllis against Eltab, severely wounding the demon lord and forcing him to flee.
Yvengi declared Rashemen a free and sovereign land, defying machinations by the Mulhorandi to extend their rule north of the Priador. Undeterred, Mulhorand launched an invasion of Rashemen in -45 DR. Rashemen would have most likely fallen to the invaders if not for the continued alliance of the witches and the berserker lodges against this common foe. Rashemen's defenders sent Mulhorand's imperial army fleeing back across the frontier, forever cementing the land's independence. The battle won, the witches once again retreated into the shadows, leaving Rashemen to the allied clans of the Rashemi. All the leaders of the sisterhood asked in exchange for their assistance was the right to select Rashemen's Iron Lord, or huhrong.
In the years following Rashemen's defense of its independence, the Rashemi were effectively split into two populations. Those who dwelt on the Priador served the ruling Mulan and adopted the laws and mores of the Mulhorandi, while those who dwelt in Rashemen slowly claimed much of fallen Raumathar. At various times, Rashemen has held territory spanning from the Icerim Mountains to the northern shore of Lake Mulsantir and from the eastern shore of Lake Ashane to the eastern slopes of the Sunrise Mountains.
In 922 DR, the Red Wizards sacked the Mulhorandi provincial capital of Delhumide, sparking an insurrection against the Mulhorandi god-kings that led to the establishment of the magocracy of Thay and the subjugation of the Rashemi inhabitants of the plateau to a new set of masters. After centuries of complacency, the Rashemi inhabitants of Rashemen found their land under attack by Thay's new rulers in 934 DR. Once again the Rashemi battled a Mulan-led army marching north through the Gorge of Gauros, and once again the Witches of Rashemen proved instrumental in repelling the invasion.
In the centuries since, the armies of Thay have attempted to invade Rashemen no less than twenty times, each time without success. Each time the Rashemi berserkers and witches have met the armies of gnolls, centaurs, and Thayan Rashemi beneath their Mulan masters, the Fangs of Rashemen have prevailed. The most recent threat to Rashemen unfolded in 1359 DR, when the Tuigan horde swept westward from the Endless Wastes. After overrunning Citadel Rashemaar and marching across the northern reaches of the Sunset Mountains, the Tuigan horde swept into Rashemen's interior, supported by a Thayan army poised to strike from the Gorge of Gauros. Aided by a fierce winter storm that pinned down the Thayan army, the Rashemaar eventually drove the Tuigans across Lake Ashane into Thesk where they were defeated by an alliance led by Cormyr's King Azoun IV.
Outlook
The Rashemi view life as an unending series of challenges to be faced and overcome. They place a strong emphasis on strength, whether it is physical strength among the folk of Rashemen or magical prowess among the Thayan Rashemi. Respect and status must be earned, and a great deal of emphasis is placed on individual accomplishment. Childhood among the Rashemi reflects this cultural outlook, as youths are subjected to greater and greater tests as they mature. Admittance into the ranks of their elders must be earned.
The most common reason for adventuring among the Rashemi is the coming-of-age ritual known as the dajemma. Rashemi youth are encouraged (required, in the case of males in Rashemen itself) to go on a yearlong journey to see the world, after which they are accorded the status of adults. Naturally, some fall into a life of adventuring during such a trip, although most eventually return home and settle down. The Witches of Rashemen have their own reasons for setting out into the world, including the recovery of ancient magics hidden across Faerûn and the effort to oppose the machinations of the Red Wizards of Thay.
Rashemi Society
Rashemi culture varies widely from Rashemen to Thay to Thesk, although each society exhibits some common traits. In Rashemen, contests of physical and martial prowess are common, including snow-racing, skiing, wrestling, drinking, and the like. In Thesk, most contests revolve around the accumulation of wealth through skill at trade. In Thay, the influence of the Red Wizards has raised magical prowess above all other forms of contests. The Rashemi of all three lands share a common suspicion of excessive civilization, which is often seen as soft or weak, and place little emphasis on inherited titles or wealth.
The Rashemi have never placed a strong emphasis on schooling for a variety of reasons. In Rashemen, the land is continually beset by outside threats that require warriors, not scholars. Those who do study as children are usually tutored by one of the mysterious witches. In Thay, the ruling Mulan have long been suspicious of academic inclinations among the lower classes and discourage the lower class (specifically, the Rashemi) from excessive study. Rashemi youths are given to carousing and competing with their friends. As adults, the Rashemi are expected to settle down and contribute to society, although industriousness is not as highly respected as it is in other lands. Elderly Rashemi are respected for their wisdom and their mental strength even if their physical faculties have faded. Their past accomplishments are not forgotten, even if they no longer can perform such feats. Death is seen as a time of celebration, for it is then that a Rashemi's deeds enter into legend.
Outside their native lands, the Rashemi congregate in groups of fellow exiles. Their nights are spent wandering from tavern to tavern, challenging the locals to contests. Few find steady work except as mercenaries, and those who do quickly spend their meager coin on their fellow expatriates.
Language and Literacy
Rashemi speak Common and their national language, whatever that may be. The Rashemi language, derived from Raumvira and the dead language Halardrim, uses the Thorass alphabet introduced by Chondathan traders traveling along the Golden Way. The Rashemi tongue is commonly employed only within the borders of Rashemen. In fact, more Rashemi speak the Thayan dialect of Mulhorandi as their mother tongue than speak Rashemi. Other languages with a significant number of Rashemi speakers include Aglarondan, Chondathan, and Damaran.
The most common secondary languages among the Rashemi are Mulhorandi (particularly the Thayan dialect) or Rashemi, depending on whether they live in Rashemen or Thay, respectively. Those Rashemi who dwell farther west often learn Chondathan, Damaran, Aglarondan, Chessentan, or Untheric.
