Rhoona
by Håvard
Rhoona is first mentioned in X3 The Curse of Xanathon and later in X13 Crown of Ancient Glory. It is also detailed in Gaz7.
According to X3, Rhoona is a bustling port city which was established by Eric of Rhoona and now (AC1000?) has been ruled over by the Dukes of Rhoona for five generations. The current ruler is Duke Stephen of Rhoona (notice how every major NPC in Mystara is named Stephen)? Rhoona is also connected to Rockhome via a caravan network and a large number of Dwarves live there. They are currently aiding in the construction of a new palace for Duke Stephen. Three major Immortals have their own temples here. Forsetta (Lawful), The Spuming Nooga (Neutral) and Cretia (Chaotic). Cretia's temple is erected by an Ethengar minority who have also settled in town. The town is protected by the Ducal Guard under the leadership of Draco Stormsailer. Gaz7 is pretty consistent with X3. It leaves it open that the events of X3 have not happened yet. X13 is moved to AC1150.
I have changed the Duke of Rhoona a little. He still styles himself as a modernist, but he refers to himself as the Jarl of Runaheim. Although foreigners sometimes call him Stephen, his real name is Svein son of Erik (Eriksson). His homestead is built on land featuring a large number of standing stones inscribed with runes, giving name to the place. The first Jarl of Runaheim was Erik around AC850, centuries after the battle of Bridensfjord. I am not a huge fan of Forsetta and the Spooming Nooga being the major Immortals in this town, but I suppose it creates some diversity within the Northern Reaches. Doug Niles wrote X3 at a time when Vestland probably wasn't as Viking-esque as Gaz7 made it out to be. Still, Vestland is the most advanced of the three countries and Rhoona/Runaheim is a meeting place between different races and cultures.
After X3:
What happens in Rhoona after the plot of Xanathon is revealed? Will the temple of Cretia be destroyed? Perhaps repurposed as a temple of some Norse Immortal? Will the Ethengar community be expelled/decimated, or will the ones not allied with Xanathon be allowed to stay?
X13 teasers:
High King Maramet has not yet been crowned, but what of the famous Sorona? Has it been forged yet? Perhaps the dwarves of Rhoona are instrumental in creating the crown? Even though this module was pushed into the future, it is a shame not to make some use of the information in this module. Perhaps it is intended as a gift to King Harald Gudmundsson?
Ragnar the Stout
If Ragnar the Stout is successful in uniting Soderfjord, how will this affect Vestland and Rhoona? I think Rhoona stands to benefit from this. A strong Soderfjord can be a strong ally to balance against Ostland and both nations are interested in trade with the rest of the Known World. Rhoona is similar to Castellan (IMC: Slottsberg) in Soderfjord in that both are located around major overland trade routes.
Have you used Rhoona in your campaigns? What are your thoughts on this Jarldom?