Murghôm

Murghôm was an inland nation of farmers and horsemen in East Faerûn north of Brightstar Lake. Before the 15 century DR, it was theoretically a subjugated territory of Mulhorand, having been a part of Mulhorand in the past. However, Murghôm was an independent nation, rival to Semphar. In the 15 century DR, Murghôm became a nation ruled by dragons.
==Geography==
With their position beside Taan, Murghôm was surrounded by Thay, the Great Wild Wood, Brightstar Lake and the Plains of Purple Dust.
===Flora & Fauna===
Fearsome dire horses were known to roam its wilderness, inspiring fear, awe, folk tales, and even cultist veneration.
==Defenses==
During the wars between Thay and Mulhorand, the pass of Thazar was used as an eastern approach to Thay. In the mid-14 century DR, Thay sent occassional pirates into Murghôm. Privateers from Murghom were a constant threat to Dhaztanar around the same time.
Murghôm was too poorly administered to combat the bandits in the Mountains of Copper, and thus limited itself to patrolling the most traveled roads. Zindalankh was under the protection of the Bey of Murghôm, but the citizens paid little mind to his laws. Mercenaries in the service of king Tharmakkas IV viewed the soldiers stationed at Port Ghaast as pompous, unprofessional fools. They were neither very motivated nor highly trained.
Under the rule of the dragon princes of Murghôm, the nation issued permits for mercenary companies of 40 or fewer veterans. All were formed by former Murghômi commanders as the nation's armed forces were reduced by the dragon princes' decrees over the decades. Murghômi mercenary companies were forbidden from banding together while on the nation's lands or its immediate neighbors, like Thay. In the 15 century DR, some of the noteworthy mercenary companies were Naelor's Banner, based out of Nimjammir, Shaele's Shields, based out of Vurlakh under the command of Shaele Flamehair, and Turvuld's Swords in Sessim.
==Government==
During the age of ancient Netheril, Murghôm was thought to have been ruled by the family of the then mortal Myrkul, known at the time as Myrkul Bey al-Kursi, the Crown Prince of Murghôm.
Before the 15 century, the leaders of the Murghômi were called atamans. The state was a series of semi-autonomous communities that gathered into collective government only in times of war. Murghôm was nominally ruled by a king from the city of Murghyr whose law was enforced by the nation's army, but as of 1359 DR the king was a senile old man with little control over the country and the Murghôm army was composed mostly of shady mercenaries. The Mulhorandi precept of Ganath had their post located in Murghyr, and they doubled as the ambassador to Murghôm. It was considered cushy, a good place to get away from politics. In 1357 DR, the post was held by Imthalos.
That changed in the 15 century DR, when Murghôm was "conquered" by dragons. As of 1489 DR, the nation was ruled by the powerful dragon princes. 
==History==
A local peak in the Mountains of Copper, called The Kobold Crown, was thought to have held a kobold civilization once, annihilated by . The ancient city of Dharrmaghongh in Murghom was leveled by a single rune of power in ancient times.
Mulhorand used to encompass Murghôm from its annexation in .
The Daggers of Dusk were known to have meddled in the affairs of Murghôm after the fall of the Shoon Dynasty, for a bit longer after .
The Havi attacks on Murghôm after the independence of Semphar greatly contributed to diminishing the Mulhorandi control of the area.
Though Murghom was declared a vassal state once Mulhorand expanded again, their hold was tenuous, and Murghom declared itself independent after Semphar did. It remained effectively a vassal state of Mulhorand, however.
Murghôm had a rivalry with Semphar, and had militarily disputed many territories between the rivers Ghaast and Haqar. There had been two wars in which Murghôm attempted to reclaim Semphar. It was semi-independent from Mulhorand, but would provide food or soldiers upon request. As of 1357, it hadn't been requested in centuries. Most of the incarnations of Mulhorand saw Murghôm as a land with no ties to them whatsoever.
During the wars between Thay and Mulhorand, the pass of Thazar was used as an eastern approach to Thay. In , a Thayvian invasion ravaged Murghôm. In the , the forces Thay ravaged Murghôm in their invasion of Mulhorand.
Per Elminster Aumar, the brothers Iraun and Srivven hailed from a mage academy in east Murghôm, which was destroyed in a conflict between students and mentors. The event must have happened well before the , when the brothers' stay at Adaerglast was known to the Mage Royal of Zindalankh.
A group of escapees from Mulhorand and Thay who hid in the Ganathwood around had been at least partly destroyed after attacking a Murghômi village in by the druids Berun and Chereth.
==Demographics==
Inhabitants were referred to as Murghômi. As of 1479 DR, the population was made up by dragons of many varieties and a large population of Mulani. 
==Culture==
Mulhorandi was spoken in Murghôm. Curses and spells to safeguard tombs were favored in the area. Along with the Mulhorandi, the Murghômi spoke Mulhorandi and revered the Mulhorandi pantheon (as of 1372 DR). Muhjuri was spoken in Murghôm, too.
Murghôm worshipped the Mulhorandi pantheon; Thoth was considered the protector of Murghôm. Though Thoth held the title of Protector of Murghôm, he had little interest in the land, as it held little interest in mages. By 1371 DR, the Mulhorandi pantheon's flock was dwindling in Murghôm, and there were only some temples in some isolated parts of the realm. It was widely hypothesized that at least one great temple of Silvanus existed in the great wild wood of Murghôm.
The highly-valued horse breeds of Murghôm descended from Raurin horses; Semphari horses were bred in Murghôm, found mainly between that realm and Semphar. The Murghômi were known for their skill with horses. Their goads often had a whip on the back, and could be reversed for use as either.
Giant sturgeon were considered a delicacy in the courts of Murghôm, and the fish were paid for handsomely.
==Trade and Industry==
Its copper was traded with the nomads in Ejen Horo. Wood and fishery products from the Lake of Mists were often brought to Murghôm. Rugs from Murghôm were traded far and wide. The Rauthenflow river was central to trade in Murghôm, and several dredging barges were used to keep it navigable. 
Murghômi traders who sought to trade with Rashemen had to go through Shevel. Travelers from Thay headed for Murghôm took the road south from Pyarados to Rauthil in the mid-late 14 century DR. Traders trying to avoid the taxes of Murghôm would sometimes cut through the Spice Road.
There had been a printing industry for approximately three hundred years as of the mid-late 14 century DR. The term for a tannery was "batar" as of . The same word was used in Semphar. Kukri were popular in Murghôm. A local industry made cheap boxes for import.
Elkammath tea was brewed from the fibrous roots of groundnuts found in Murghôm, its neighboring regions, and Chondath. Halva from Murghôm was made with hard honeycomb. Marka was made from a bush that grew in local foothills. Ring-shaped loaves were a known food, measuring at least 10 inches in width, with some far larger.
In the mid-14 century DR, Murghôm had a small silk industry, though it was inferior to Shou production. There were also some traders in the late 14 century DR who had attempted to raise korontaun, though the goats struggled in the climate.
==Rumors==
Lord Yegar wanted to press a claim on the Mountains of Copper as of , though he had little luck getting the rest of Rashemen on board. That same year, Anton Tikizaras attempted to trick some adventurers, playing on their sympathy by claiming his brother had departed for Murghôm with a cartload of rugs he was supposed to deliver elsewhere.
==Notable Inhabitants==
* Iraun
* Srivven
* Hatim the Righteous, a rabble-rouser
* Emir Yaghi-Siyan
* Sheik Ar-Rabi
* Mestrel Hawkmantle
* Imthalos, a precept of Mulhorand.
* Tharmakkas IV, King of Murghôm
* Ghuldribrand Mroster, Mage Royal
* Lewan, apprentice to Berun in the mid-late 14 century DR.
* Taraj Hurlymm, Magelord of Athalantar in the early 3 century DR.
==Notable Locations==
===Geographic Features===
;Mountains and Hills
: Mountains of Copper
;Forests
: Ganathwood • Shalhoond
;Rivers and Lakes
: Brightstar Lake • River Ghaast • River Haqar • River Murghol • River Rauthenflow • Sempharwater
;Plains
: Fields of Ganath • Plain of Heroes
;Deserts
: Plains of Purple Dust
;Cities and Towns
:Alzayat • Athah • Delbyi • Diyala • Graumot • Hashimyi • Hatra • Isa • Isfasan • Jihandyl • Jurash • Khalab • Kilastann • Madan • Morten • Mulharahold • Murghyr • Nimjammir • Port Ghaast • Rume • Sinilyr • Skalnaedyr (formerly Phannaskul) • Somraggah • Sughra • Taj • Tar Arabal • Thalathat • Thandyl • Turvuld • Tuulish • Umarah • Ustann • Vurlakh • Wakirnayskul • Zindalankh
;Roads
: Road of the Dawn
;Structures
: Dracowyr • Skalnaedyr's Tomb
==Appendix==
===Gallery===
Murghom.PNG|A late 14 century DR map of Murghôm.
===Appearances===
:;Novels
::
::Elminster: The Making of a Mage • Sentinelspire • The Edge of Chaos • The Captive Flame • Whisper of Venom • The Spectral Blaze
:;Video Games
::
::Descent to Undermountain
===References===
FR:Murghôm
===Further Reading===
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Category:Countries
Category:Monarchies
Category:Locations on Gbor Nor
Category:Locations in East Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations in the Hordelands
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations