Rapani

The early history of the Rapani lands can be found at The Founding of The Elirapa.

The Rapani Marches occupy the area due east of the Brissa Gap on a triangle of land roughly bounded by the Styritsa Mountains to the west, the Dunafolda River to the north and the Vari River to the east. These lands are commonly referred to as The Elirapa (G-d’s Fortress). The Elirapa is divided into five independent but closely allied Marches.

The two oldest, Usak and Artova are nestled in the western foothills of the Styritsa Mountains. East of them lie Sivas and Tahir, which are called the New Marches. All four of these Marches lie north of the Brissa River. The newest and largest of the five Marches is Selka, which occupies the lands south of the Brissa and along the Great Road.

The total population of the Elirapa is 6,314,000, of which almost half, or 2,874,000 live in Selka. The overwhelming majority of the Rapani live in the countryside as farmers or ranchers. There are a scattering of market towns and a small capital in each March.

In the northern Rabkona Hills is a high outcrop that was fortified by the Rapani in the early days of their settlement. This is the present day site of the town of Taglari.

Each March maintains an administrative capital that is the primary town of the March. Of them, only Taglari and Selka exceed 10,000 inhabitants. Taglari owes its size to its central location and position on the trade route from Korslik to Pundri and to its role as the main commercial center of the north and ancient capital before Selka March was settled.

City — Population

Artiven (Artova) — 4,720

Sivanica (Sivas) — 9,610

Selka (Selka) — 28,739

Inigol (Selka) — 6,507

Taglari (Tahir) — 13,560

Zamegaber  (Usak) — 6,510

Selka is the largest Rapani town, located on the Great Road where it crosses the Vari. Although the bridge is long gone, in peaceful times Selka maintains a ferry service across the river and barges travel from Selka to Kotrath and Kyla, in the Kyla Councilate.

The chartered city of Inigol, located in Selka on the south bank of the Brissa, is a commercial center for the central Brissa valley. It is also a transshipment point for goods moving by water on the Brissa or by land to Taglari or Selka City.

There are also 95 free towns in the Elirapa.

Political Structure

Each of the Marches is an independent state within a loose confederation formed to meet the threat posed by the Keshdumah. Selka is by far the largest and is the dominant member of the confederation.

Each March is ruled by a Duke, who is advised by a council comprised of the Rhyde Masters and the Free Town Eschals.

The economic and social life of the countryside is dominated by military organizations known as Rhydes. The basic purpose of the Rhyde is to raise, equip and train soldiers for the defense of The Elirapa. All of its ancillary economic and social functions are directed to that end.

All land outside of the towns is owned by the Rhydes. The land owned by a particular Rhyde is not contiguous but consists of farms spread throughout the March. Farms are assigned to members of the Rhyde who have completed military service. The proprietor has tenure to the land for life. In return, the proprietors provide the Rhyde with food and agriculture products to support the Rhyde’s military obligations.

Each fall, all 18 year old males gather outside the march capital for a recruiting fair held by the Rhydes. Each Rhyde is obliged to fill a 1,200 man Battle with 18 year olds, and any 18 year old who wishes to have a future must either join a Rhyde or seek his fortune in a town.

The towns and cities operate independently of the Rhyde structure. By custom, the Rhydes control the sale of agricultural products within the towns and cities. All other town occupations are open to all citizens. Towns permit their citizens to buy and sell property freely and they are exempt from military service. Instead, each town maintains a town militia that performs policing and garrison responsibilities in peacetime and joins the regular army in wartime.

Military

A detailed description of the Rapani military can be found at the Rhyde page.

The basic operational unit of the Rhyde is called a Kamah. Each Rhyde raises one Kamah each year.

The Rapani follow the Way of E’lani and their Kamahs fight in alliance with Gornarod or L’npei. Their soldiers fight predominantly as infantry with pikes, short chopping swords, and longbows. These fighters do not use either rifles or power armor. Rapani armies include Taikahir Bringers.

Upon induction a Kamah consists of 1,200 recruits.

Upon the completion of ten years of service, the soldiers of the Kamah retire and are assigned farms owned by the Rhyde. Some will return to family farms that they will inherit as their fathers age. Others will be assigned to farms that are unassigned or that are held by elderly proprietors.

The senor office of each March is the March Commander. He selects the Master of each of the Rhydes within his March. However, the active and retired Kamah commanders of the Rhyde can vote “no confidence” in the Master of the Rhyde and remove him. The March Commander also appoints all brigade and army commanders.

The March Commander is an elected officer and he serves a single term of twelve years. In each March, other than Selka, the Rhyde Masters elect the March Commander.

In Selka, the procedure is slightly different. There, the Duke selects three contenders from among the Rhyde Masters. The Rhyde Masters elect the March Commander from the slate proposed. In wartime, the Duke of Selka, together with the Council of Rhyde Masters can remove a March Commander and replace him with a temporary wartime commander.

Each Rhyde is led by a Rhyde Master. The Master of the Rhyde appoints the two senior officers of each Kamah and they serve at his sufferance.

Selka also has one Rhyde that raises Kamahs of cavalry. In addition, The Duke of Selka is attended by a cavalry Kamah of nine Gavahs. raised in the five Marches (5), Selka City (1), the towns of the New Marches (1), the towns of the Old Marches (1), and the towns of Selka (1).

Sivas and Selka shoulder most of the burden of garrisoning the 24 river watchtowers and Fort Inogau which guard the Vari River border with the United Councilate States. Selka also patrols the Banakur Forest.

Related

Marc Rubin

Long-time gamer, amateur cartographer, living in a world of my own making.