Encyclopedia of Science and History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

RANIER, Aldous P(ersand) (10005-10037) was a noted archaeologist at Mickelgarth City-State University. He was noted for his thesis, first advanced in his doctoral dissertation, that the First Orcish Empire did not come to an end, as generally supposed, in the 6660s, but continued in a war-reduced form until it evolved into the Second Orcish Republic. The lack of historical record is attributed to the vanity of the leaders of the Second Orcish Republic who wished to make a clean break with the past and make their own achievements more glorious in the process. Professor Ranier died suddenly in 10037 while on a sabbatical from MCSU. Prior to his death he had made various boasts about the existence of evidence proving his point; afterward no such evidence was found leading to a general discrediting of his theories by scholars. It was even suggested that he committed suicide when he realized that such evidence would not be forthcoming. His few supporters point to the general lack of any personal research notes coming to light indicates that there was a conspiracy to suppress his research which may have even culminated in his assassination. In 10039, on the anniversary of his death, noted philanthropist Charles Toppelson endowed a chair of archaeology in Ranier's name at MCSU.

RAKSHAS is the tigress goddess of the Rakshasa

RAKSHASA are members of an ancient, powerful, magical race that appears to be a cross between tigers and men. They have superior attributes when compared with modern races and often live to be hundreds of years old. They worship Rakshas, their god. Rakshasa are often interested in magic and its effects in their history; they are superb spell casters and are possessed of intelligence, cunning, and intuition. They are generally described as driven personalities, forced into suceeding at everything they do. Rakshasa are always described in aloof, leadership roles, dictating policy to "lesser" hordes. Their traditional weapon is the scimitar. Very little is actually known about Rakshasa, including their history, and due to their scarcity and secrecy, little is likely to ever be learned.

RED CASTLE (elevaise PALAIS ROUGE) is the principal fortress protecting the sea elvish city of Carthage.

REPUBLIC LIBERATION ORGANIZATION is a secretive guerilla organization located in the Republic. They are struggling to create a capitalistic, democratic society convinced that the socialistic, hierarchial construct now in existence only destroys minds, souls, and ambition. One of their arguments follows:

    Consider the child's game of D&D and its idealization of a monotheistic world containing only one omniscient power, the Dungeon Master. Though he has complete and total power, every D&D game consists of inefficiencies and unthought out twists and turns in economies that violate the laws of supply and demand, decreasing marginal benefit, profit maximization, scarcity, and purchasing power parity. How can a board of mere humans, super-political though they may believe themselves to be, create the maximization policy without every single fact? Only one way: through gods' help...but according to our dear Plato, there is no god.

The organization was most active in the first decade of the century, but was ruthlessly hunted down and believed to have been destroyed by the Guardians. The last sizable group of rebels was supposedly crushed at the Elan Orchards in 10017, but there was a resurgence in activity in the late 10020s after the Republic introduced new social restrictions on marriage and reproduction. Again, the organization was attacked through the efforts of the Guardians and reduced as a threat.

It is thought that the organization suffered a schism in 10010 with some members seeking to create a new state and others looking to rejoin the Confederacy. Quite possibly this lack of cohesion opened the group for penetration and execution.

RHODODENDRON, ORDER OF is an order of Universalist knights located in Malmo that was founded by Christopher the Crusader in 9920. It was led by Sir Gregory Nickel from 9991 until 10013 when he disappeared. Control then passed into the hands of Sir Edward the Ascetic.

RINKLEFF, Gerhard see Rinkleff, Joppolo

RINKLEFF, Gooch see Rinkleff, Joppolo

RINKLEFF, Joppolo (9440? - 9488) was a successful merchant of Porte Darthur in the 9400's who arranged for the first mass production of accurate maps of Pavimentum, Uchebnik, and what are today known as the Rinkleff Islands. Rinkleff believed that the publication of such maps would benefit his land-based business, but in providing the maps he earned the enmity of many of the dominant naval traders in southern Pavimentum. He died under mysterious circumstances in 9488 after having financed an expedition to explore the western glacial rim north of Uchebnik. Under his sons, Gerhard and Gooch, his ambitious plan of exploration (of which the glacial expedition was but the first) was abandonded and the family became active in economic politics, lending money to the various factions struggling for control of Porte Darthur. They remained prominent (and the most influential bankers) for about 150 years while less talented inheritors presided over a decline of the family fortunes. By the middle of the 9600's, the Rinkleff House was only one of many moderately successful businesses in Porte Darthur.

RINKLEFF ISLAND is the largest and namesake of the Rinkleff Islands. It was first given its present name in a series of 9470 maps brought out by the Rinkleff merchant house under the patronage of Joppolo Rinkleff. It is approximately 45 miles by 20 miles with the longer axis oriented northeast-southwest. The island is rocky and can divided into relative lowlands of the northeast and the higher crags of the southwest. Farming is impossible, but the few settlers are able to raise mountain goats and vacers. Fishing remains the dominant source of personal income, however. The population is small, about 1,000, and concentrated on the coast. The island is controlled by a governor appointed by Porte Darthur. The current governor, Jowthan Rotter, was appointed in 10035.

RINKLEFF ISLANDS are a set of large islands lying off the southeast coast of Pavimentum. The largest of these include Amsterix, Adam ondi Ahman, Rushat, Annoyal, Matest, Quartak, and the largest and namesake island of Rinkleff. The islands derive their modern name from Joppolo Rinkleff, whose maps were so successful that their original names have been almost completely lost.

RLO see REPUBLIC LIBERATION ORGANIZATION

ROSE, ORDER OF THE is an order of Universalist Knights located in the city-state of Porte Darthur. Since 10033 the order has been headed by Sir Jibryan Kitous, an astute and widely respected leader.

ROSEWOOD is a hard, ornamental wood with a very deep brown or purplish color. It tends to be richly streaked and is frequently grained with black, resinous layers. These characteristics make it very difficult to work, but allow it to take a tremendous polish. The wood is in short supply, but even at exhorbitant prices there is rarely a surplus. It is used most frequently for pianos, coffins, expensive cabinets, and xylophone bars. Other uses are precluded by the fact that it is impossible to produce large logs or planks of rosewood because the heartwood begins to decay only slightly after the tree matures. This characteristic has led to the rosewood's frequent use as a symbol in allegorical nature-poetry; it is an easy representative or any person or institution that is externally imposing and beautiful but is already internally rotten.

Rosewood trees can grow to a height of 125 feet; typical mature trees stand between 90 and 100 feet. They are found exclusively on Blendon Island; efforts to farm them elsewhere have been notable failures.

ROSIPES SHRUBS are green, fruit-bearing shurbs found throughout the Bending Branch Forest. The fruit is tasty, but the plant's real use is as the material component of the spell reaction. The shrubs berries are powerful stimulants and tend to keep eaters up all night. They do however, improve one's reaction time when consumer by increasing the amount of concentration upon the senses and reducing concentration on mental ideas.

ROUNDHEAD is the name of the most famous and most powerful surface dwarvish clan.

ROUNDHEAD, RANDALL (9699-9739) was the surface dwarf general who led the other dwarven races in a combined effort to throw off the master/slave yoke of the celtic dwarves in the Dwarvish Civil War. Under his direction, the surface dwarves were victorious in the war and forced the celtic dwarves to flee to Cimmeria. He died 14 years later, a probable victim of assassination.

ROUNDHEAD, REILLY (9992-present) See ROUNDHEAD, ROLAND.

ROUNDHEAD, RICHARD (8995-9060) was the surface dwarven general who helped establish the Dwarvish Kingdom of the Sprines in 9050. Under his direction, dwarves uprooted the goblins and trolls who were there before and set up a mountainous nation based on mining and military strength. This stability led to the Dwarvish Renaissance. Richard was the founder of the famous Roundhead clan.

ROUNDHEAD, ROLAND (9950-10043) held the post of Consul for 68 years, from the death of his father Ruprecht Roundhead in 9975 until 10043. In keeping with the tradition of his family, he provided strong, conservative leadership, particularly during the Second War of Ilican Succession and in more local conflicts against the deep gnomes of the Northern Sprines and the warlike Cimmerians. He survived an assassination attempt in 10012 (which was blamed on the Cimmerians, a claim falsified in 10018). He married Rachael Land in 9980 and had two children by her, Ruby (b. 9990) and Reilly (b. 9992). Two additional children died within two months of being born. Ruby disappeared in 10013 in one of the great unsolved crimes of modern times; the proximity to the assassination attempt has led many investigators to assume that the two were related and part of a larger strike against the entire Roundhead family and its domination of the Consulship since Randall Roundhead in the 97th century. Rachel died of natural causes in 10030, after which Roland became more withdrawn and religious, adding a famous Abatthorian cleric to his closest councillors. Many expected renewed hostilities and xenophobia characteristic of Abatthorian speeches to follow, but this never occurred, despite several of the more liberal ministers complaining of being "left out" of important decisions. He was succeeded on [20 April 10043] by his son, Reilly, with near unanimity of the Council of Four Hundred; the worrisome occurance was that the High Priest of Abatthor waited seven days before confirming that the candidate was acceptable; Reilly acted deferentially to the priesthood and conducted no government business until his confirmation, but it was clear that such delays could not become the norm, especially in a time of war. It is thought that the priesthood may consider Reilly too cosmopolitan his his outlook; he has traveled widely and is an avid collector of human and orcish art.

ROUNDHEAD, RUBY (9990-10013), the daughter of Roland and Rachel Roundhead, was the heir apparent to the Roundhead family's treasure and positions until her disappearance in 10013, a crime possibly connected with a larger attack on the Roundhead family's historical position in Allotropan politics. She was described as athletic and intelligent, but aristocratic to the bone. It was reported that she disappeared while on an equine tour of the major cities and historical sites of Allotrope. Her brother Reilly then assumed the position of heir-apparent, and eventually, the consulship in 10043 upon the death of Roland Roundhead.

RUNDHEAD, JEREMY is a retired surface dwarf who lives in Galena. His only claim to fame is 15 documented--72 alleged-- assassination attempts that have failed to kill him. He says he has no idea why ninja gnomes break into his house at night, why his food is poisoned every six months, or why archers shoot at him whenever he goes riding alone. "I used to be quite a daredevil," he says, "but I haven't got this many enemies." Modern linguists suppose his problem is the difficulty in translating vowels from gnomish to dwarvish and an attendant target mix-up.

RURAL III (9940-10010) served as Supreme Prelate of the Universal Church from 9999 until his death in 10010. He was born Jerome Marquand in Blue Earth and had risen to become the Bishop of Boatia in 9990. He was known to be a cautious and devout man. His election to the office of Supreme Prelate was surprising and is generally assumed to have been the result of a deadlock between the supporters of Jonathan Kensett (Metropolitan of Dun Cess) and Schae Cornel (Prelate of Iceland). His death during the Second War of Ilican Succession allowed the supporters of Jonathan Kensett to dictate his election, owing to the unavoidable absence of international prelates. Most famously, Rural III abrogated the Quorum Law (enacted in 9755 after the death of Cyrus VIII), from his deathbed allowing a minority of council members to hold the elections. Had this law not been abrogated, the election would have been postponed (in all likelihood) until 10012 or 10013. Supporters of Prelate Cornel charged that the abrogration was both forged and coerced, but dropped their case after it became clear that the war had affected Prelate Cornel's mentality adversely, to the point where it no longer appeared that he was capable of assuming the Supreme Prelacy. Kensett became Pericles I in 10010.

RUSSELL, BERTRAND (8567-8627) was a gnomish spell theoretician who greatly advanced the areas of sorcery, physomancy, and biomancy with his research. Russell was fascinated with healing spells and dedicated the best years of his life to analysing the effectiveness and methology of various forms of magical healing. The current heal, cure poison, regeneration, and cure disease spells owe their efficacy almost solely to his work.

RYCHE (pop. 3,200) is the capital of Hypatia. Though it is a small town, it is well-known for its theater which specializes in dramas from the First and Second Orcish Republic's poets.