Ravilla

Greyhawk Realm

Empire of Ravilla
Ravilla, as appearing in the Core Rulebook (2002)
General information
Other names:	Dragon Empire, Sundered Empire
Region:	Western Oerik
Government
Ruler:	Grand Council of Oligarchs
Government:	Oligarchy
Alignments:	Good, presumably CG
Established:	105 CY
Demographics
Major towns:	Ventia, Xanos,
Races:	Grey and Wood Elves
Languages:	Elven
Groups
Religions:	Seldarine
Allies:	None
Enemies:	Ahmut's Legion, Drazen's Horde, Kilsek, Thalos, Free States

Ravilla is an elven faction in Western Oerik.

Description

The region of Western Oerik once controlled by the "Dragon Empire" eventually fell and became known as the Sundered Empire, and the portion still ruled by elves is known as Ravilla and is a successor-state to the Dragon Empire.

Ravilla is known for many things, but perhaps most notable is that elves live in harmony with dragons in the same culture.

Culture

Ravilla is fundamentally different from other elven realms on Oerth. While there are both grey and sylvan elves in the cultural alliance, their cities in the elven lands aren't up in the mountains.

Domesticated Drakes

Because Bahamut led dragons to end the Demon War c.-420 CY (1006 years after the Demon War, by Sundered Empire reckoning) and the elves vowed to defend the Abyssal Gateways, their culture was changed in an essential and deep-seated way. Bahamut and a group of elven archmages created the felldrakes to serve the elves of Ravilla. Many, even most felldrakes are used for military purposes, but other drakes are domesticated and kept as pets, while others are kept for the purposes of performing other services such as "guards, hunting companions, military animals, mounts, messengers, and even beasts of burden."

Dueling Societies

Northwind Duelist, art by Sam Wood (2001).

After the Demon War, during years of the Elven Peace, veterans returned home from wars and formed dueling societies ostensibly dedicated to preserving their skill should the army ever have need of them again. Eventually, the societies spread to all the major cities and those who became members were highly esteemed in social circles. The dueling societies grew into highly varied specializations, each dedicating themselves to increasingly stylized, exotic weapons. When the Godwar came, the dueling societies fulfilled their originators' intent, and went to battle.

Though it is implied there are many more, known dueling societies are:

• North Wind - uses a double-bladed sword
• Snakestrike - uses a barbed whip
• Lajatang - it is likely these duelists may have had a name for their society other than the name of their chosen weapon, but there is officially no other name. It is implied the miniature is simply named for the weapon, and explicitly does not say this is also the name of the society.

There is some overlap with Bladesingers who are also known to be in Ravilla. However, bladesingers are organized in "Bladesinger Guilds" rather than "Societies", but their weapons also determine their guilds and are represented by animals their weapons resemble.

History

Grey elves and Wood elf at an Abyssal Gateway. Ghostwind Campaign, art by Sam Wood (2002).

These are excerpts from Dragon Magazine #285. This is not a full excerpt.

This area has never been explored by the denizens of Greyhawk, so it has remained a mystery for countless generations.
Before the Demon War, the elves were split into to main groups. The wood elves as their name suggests, lived in the primeval forests of the interior, while the gray elves lived in remote mountain cities. There was little communication between these branches of the elven race, but the Demon War changed everything.
Without warning, enormous portals opened in the depths of the forest. Armies of demons direct from the Abyss poured into Western Oerik.

Aid was slow in coming and the wood elves were on the brink of annihilation.'

At this hour, the wood elf hero Peramil mounted his giant eagle and flew through the blackened sky to reach the mountain home of the gray elves. He fought of winged demons and vicious harpies along the way, but no evil could slow him. Peramil reached the gray elf city of Ventia and told his kin of the holocaust consuming the wood elf homeland.

The gray elves acted quickly. Within the hour, powerful wizards were flying above the battlefields, reconnoitering the enemy positions. Elite strike teams were dispatched to distract the demons while the gray elves mustered their army for war. Soon a hundred thousand elves were marching from the mountains to engage the demonic armies. Bahamut the platinum dragon led his metallic dragons int the fray, and together the allies saved the wood elves from destruction.

After the Demon War, Corellon Larethian tasked the gray elves with guarding the Abyssal Gateways. They sealed up their mountain cities and hid them from the world, then built new cities around the portals.

This situation lasted for nearly five hundred years, during which time human tribes and dwarven clans spread into Western Oerik. In 499 (79 CY), the Abyssal Gateway in the city of Xanos opened, and demons flooded out once again. The attack was contained quickly and bloodily, but the complacency of the previous centuries had been shattered. Everyone wanted answers.

In 505 (85 CY), the wizards reported their findings. It was their opinion that the gate's activation was due to the abnormally large number of sorcerers in Xanos. In a stunning declaration, the wizards claimed that the secret and previously unknown root of the sorcerers' power was the Abyss. The scientific method of wizardry was thus the only safe way to practice arcane magic. Sorcerers across the city-states protested vehemently. They argued it was the blood of dragons that gave them their power, not the influence of the demons. The Grand Council was looking for a scapegoat, however, and the wizards had given them one. To protect the elven people, the Grand Council turned from an advisory body to a ruling one.

The Grand Council's next move was to enact an official ban on sorcery. Its practice was specifically linked to the demonology and its practitioners were declared a danger to elven security. Over the ensuring five years, sorcerers in the city-states were hunted by specialized teams of magic hunters. They were forced to renounce their sorcerers' ways or go into exile. Many left and never returned.

Geography

Ravilla has a large peninsula which extends into the Jotunheim Sea and Mare Mysticum to the north. It is bounded on two sides by mountains. To the west lies the dwarven mountain strongholds of Mordengard. To the east are mountains controlled by the gnolls and demons of Naresh, and the subarctic Gigantea. South of Ravilla is the Disputed Regions of the Godwar, previously known as the Kingdoms of the Marches.

People

Ravilla is strongly thought of as an "elven faction", which is not inaccurate. There are grey elves, but also dragons and draconic creatures are a deeply ingrained part of Ravillan society. Though uncommon, there are some half-dragons who live in Ravilla and even full-blooded dragons who commonly shape-change, taking an elven form to walk amongst the people of Ravilla It is known some of these are Brass dragons, especially very young ones. It's presumed other "draconic", "dragonblood", and "dragonborn" creatures and individuals may also be present.

The draconic creatures are, perhaps, not as common as dogs and horses, but they are prevalent in all manner of things. The presence of so many felldrakes and draconic individuals implies a very different culture from "usual" elven societies.

Notable NPCs

• Oriana, Half-Dragon Mage (see image below in gallery).
• Jezwyn, Lieutenant to Oriana, wood elf ranger.
• Kuyuth - Exarch of Bahamut (half-dragon).

Notable Named Miniatures

• Grey Elf Wizard (also War Wizard)
• Grey Elf Warsinger
• Grey Elf Duelist, North Wind, Snakestrike, and Lajatang
• Grey Elf Warrior
• Grey Elf Imperial Noble
• Wood Elf Ranger
• Wood Elf Scout
• Wood Elf Starstrike Archer
• Wood Elf Skirmisher
• Half-Dragon
• Centaur Trooper
• Centaur Sharpshooter

Government

Heraldry

At right is the symbol used in the Chainmail Miniatures Game to represent Ravilla. It is presumed that it is used in-character, as well.

Military

Ravilla has a standing army. But, when the Godwar began, Stratis cursed mortals to the chaos of war and larage-scale battles were difficult. Thus, the Dueling Societies stepped into the niche they were trained for - individual combat where skill and strategy were more important that formations and units.

Publishing history

Ravilla was only ever found in the Chainmail Miniatures Game and the Dragon magazine articles which supported it, written by Chris Pramas.

See also

See also: Felldrake

Gallery

• 
  Warsinger, Starter Set:Model Description Booklet (2001), p22. Art by Sam Wood.
• 
  Oriana, half dragon wizard, Ghostwind Campaign (2002), art by Trevor Hairsine.
• 
  Snakestrike Duelist, art by Sam Wood (2001).
• 
  Lajatang Duelist, art by Sam Wood (2001).

External Links

• Thread on Ravilla at Paizo.com; accessed 30 Mar, 2021.

References

Bibliography

• Pramas, Chris. Chainmail Miniatures Starter Set: Rulebook. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
• -----. Chainmail Miniatures Starter Set: Model Description Booklet. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
• -----. Chainmail Miniatures Game: Core Rulebook. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
• -----. "The Empire of Ravilla." Dragon #285. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, July 2001.
• -----. "Ahmut's Legion." Dragon #286. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, Aug 2001.
• -----. "The Armies of Thalos." Dragon' #287. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, Sep 2001.
• Pramas, Chris, Rob Heinsoo, et al. Ghostwind Campaign. Renton WA: WotC, 2002.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image