Ralamnish Ridings

The Ralamnish Ridings was a distant frontier region of Calimshan during its Third Age.
==Geography==
The Ridings broadly consisted of the northernmost territories of ancient Calimshan in the area that would later be known as Amn, though the extents varied greatly with time.
==History==
===Empire of Calimshan===
The Third Age of Calimshan ( to ) saw the conquest and settlement of the lands north of the imperial core, of which the lands of Tethyr, Mir, and Iltkazar became known as the Calishar Emirates. A long-running war with the elves of the Forest of Tethir ( to ) continually sapped the strength of Calimshan, but expeditionary armies pushed beyond the Forest of Tethir regardless.
The initial effort to conquer the Ralamnish Ridings was overseen by the scout commander Ralamn, who led the army and organized the construction of numerous outposts in the lands between the Tejarn Hills, Troll Mountains, and Lake Esmel. The conquest of a great kingdom of trolls further north led to the naming of Trollford and the Troll Mountains, and the near-extinction of trolls in the region.
Despite efforts of the empire, elven and goblin raiders perpetually troubled the Ridings, and the extreme distance from Calimshan presented many difficulties. The beholder invasion from the Alimir Mountains around caused a reduction of troops on northern frontier as resources were drawn away to deal with the critical threat they posed. Although the garrisons were weakened, Calimshan maintained overall control of the Ridings from that time onwards.
===Shoon Imperium===
During the Shoon Imperium, a number of cities were founded in the adjacent Western Emirate of Amin, including Athkatla (100 DR), Crimmor (163 DR), Murann (212 DR), and Trademeet (223 DR), providing the basis for later urban civilization. The imperial advisor Saref Adnan had a villa in the Ridings, and he lived out his last days there in madness after gaining the enmity of every faith and priest, and perished of a curable illness in 111 DR.
Before his brief rule as Qysar, Amahl Shoon VI commanded and fought alongside the army in the Ridings. His brother Shoon IV went on to rule from 205 DR to 281 DR, and decided that a light hand over the Ridings was preferable to forcible colonization. He allowed small, autonomous realms to form and develop in their own way so that they could be exploited later, with 227 DR seeing Meiritin founded around the Tejarn Hills and Tathtar along the Deepwash. During this time, the Mad Mage Ilhundyl rampaged about the region from 224 DR till 238 DR, when he was killed by Elminster and Myrjala. The city of Xandar was built in 250 DR, but only lasted ten years before being destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
===Legacy===
The name of the Ralamnish Ridings eventually faded from use, replaced by the realms of Meiritin, Tathtar, Minsorran, Valashar, Cortryn, and eventually Amn. The surviving few fortifications became known as the Nine Sentinels, while the lengthy road built to connect the disparate garrisons and allow the speedy march of armies from the south remained known as the South Road.
==Appendix==
===See Also===
* Emirate of Amin
* Calishar Emirates
===References===
Category:Locations
Category:Locations in Amn
Category:Locations in Tethyr
Category:Locations in Calimshan
Category:Locations in the Lands of Intrigue
Category:Locations in West Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril