Rohara, the Wild Plains

Roharan History

Though this is not the field of expertise for this humble cartographer, a modicum of understanding of the historical backdrop of Rohara, and more particularly their relationship with their neighbours in Valewyr is required to really fully understand the nation of Rohara. This is in no small part that geography, specifically the aspects of quality farmland, food supplies, and just well space in general for people to live play key roles in those interactions and thus it is unavoidably tied to my field of expertise.

Rohara has a turbulent history, given the militant nature of the Empire of Valewyr, its eastern neighbour. As Valewyr came into being one nation from the disparate clans of Skye Elves whom make up the ruling caste of the Empire, clashing and being brought under one heel. Though not necessarily the cruelest of regimes, to say the Sun Empress of Valewyr and that nation's regime are not militant would be a lie. They also, early on in their history specifically, but even somewhat to this day, most definitely had imperialistic ambitions. Of the three continents of Valerick, Gavis-Lune has seen the most warfare between nation states, conflicts beyond merely fighting the twisted monsters and nightmarish horrors hiding in the darker corners of a shattered world. Rohara's history with Valewyr has seen four military conflicts.

Of these, three of them were relatively short, seasonal affairs, as Rohara and the neighboring regions of Valewyr do experience winter, complete with snow and ice. Its milder and shorter than the continent of Durol, only lasting perhaps three months, maybe into a fourth. however for at least two of those most rivers become unpassable by boat and the mountain passes through the Valeyri Shelf become to buried too traverse. Equally, the Grazea becomes more of a directionless snow and ice covered waste, hammered early on in winter for two to three weeks by ice storms and blizzards almost non-stop. This is the harshness of the steppes, for though it is fertile, strangely the Grazea experiences this harshness, despite neighboring a true desert. Of course this weather does not extend that far south, only affecting most of the northern half of the nation. However this is where the best farmland is, as the plains give way to scrubland and savannah further south, less desirable to an empire seeking food production in its expansion.

Those seasonal conflicts were brutal and violent when they were on, two of them only lasting one year, another lasting two. But the last war between the two nations, which only ended six decades ago, and started but sixty-four years ago, nearly set the continent and the world alight. Both had entered into major military and trade alliances and agreements, though Valewyr in its biased fashion, had mostly only set its agreements up for trade, with little military obligation between it and its allies. They had also, some might suggest, come to those tables begrudgingly. Rohara meanwhile had just entered into the NPA, becoming the only nation not on the continent of Durol to be part of that trade and defensive alliance. Valewyr had a change in regime, the old empress passing and a new firebrand and her husband taking the throne.

Immediately it was clear hostilities were intended. Communication and trade with Rohara were cut within weeks, and the Roharan embassy in Valewood, Valewyr's capital, was stormed and its diplomatic staff taken prisoner, being held pending investigation. Only a week later, both nations had troops posturing at their shared border and Valewyr officially declared war, with a strike force positioning and laying siege to the border city of Woadvale immediately. Some reports claim that within an hour of the declaration of war being delivered to Adra, the first shells and shots from cannon and ballistae struck the walls of the city.

Within a few weeks it was clear this was not going to be like the other conflicts. The troops laying siege to Woadvale did not offer terms. They surrounded the city, blew the rail lines coming in, torched her docks and hammered it into submission with cannon, magic and ballistae. It was no mere strike force either, it was the entire 2nd army of the Valewyrian empire, near twenty thousand strong.

With this it was on and the war would rage in earnest. After those initial gains, despite the benefits of flatter terrain of the Grazea being opened to them, the Valewyrian advance was not a smooth operation. Add to this that from the onset, volunteering regiments of troops of all sorts from Suranth, Depenwoad and Raechin began funneling into port cities, as did supplies, on Rohara's western coasts, and very swiftly it became clear this was going to be long and drawn out. The Valewyrian troops were superior, but on the open plains they could not travel or move an army that large unseen or unnoticed. Besides this they could be harried, their supply lines were not optimal.

Another Valewyrian army swept in from further south, or tried to, however they attempted to pass through sovereign territory of Susma, and the desert nation, mercantile though it was, was also no stranger to a fight. They also were staunch in their neutrality and stood their ground, clashing with the Valewyrian Empire troops and turning them back, three times in those four years. The mercantile 'Nation of Nations' might be made up of squabbling mercantile principalities, however they were not about to let outsiders use their territory to traverse and fight each other, and certainly not without a very steep fine, steeper than the Empire wanted to pay.

After four years of continual seasonal campaigning, sieges, settlements lost and taken and retaken, and easily near six hundred thousand combat casualities between both sides. With a further three to four hundred thousand civilians if not more from both sides lost between things like food shortages, illness, collateral damage and more. Along with easily another hundred to two hundred thousand people left homeless and destitute, both sides were finally forced to the table to negotiate. The war had become untenable for Valewyr's coffers and the Roharan people needed peace, however more importantly they needed some security guarantees.

The nations of Suranth, Waston and Susma acted as mediators for the negotiations, which were very messy and heated. It is said within those three long weeks war nearly kicked off again no less than a dozen times. This is unsurprising when you consider two of the three 'mediator' nations also spilled blood and spent resources due to the initial Valewyrian aggression. However in the end, with some reparations paid out, large sums, and lands taken returned to Rohara, the two nations managed to come to some sort of peace and trade agreement. So Rohara would continue being the breadbasket to the world, Valewyr included.

Demographics and Population

Rohara's population is deceptively small for its size it would seem, until you realize that her cities are not much larger than the likes of those in places like Suranth. Most of her population live a more rural life, with an impressively large majority involved indirectly or directly in the agricultural industry. With only some 3.6 million people spread over the massive geographic area of the Grazea and the surrounding highlands. Interesting and of note, Rohara also has a uniquely low percentage of homelessness amongst its population, not quite zero of course, but closer than most any other nation. This is because of the agricultural industry, its size and robust nature insures that almost anyone, unless somehow entirely physically or mentally unable to function in society even through basic labor, that there are plenty of jobs. Most including at least shelter and food, as most ranches and farms do have simple lodgings on their property for their farmhands. So even the most transient and destitute are generally not homeless, even if they cant afford their own room, apartment or home.

Naturally however some might suggest this creates an illusion, a sort of mirage that implies better economic opportunity than exists in other nations and this is simply incorrect given the exchange rate of the Flaxxen. Rohara is not a nation for those whom wish to be individually wealthy in coin with that sort of power that comes from that. Its a wealthy nation instead in that food is cheap, for they do not ship it in its almost all locally produced, with so much extra that can be exported. Its a wealthy nation in that its citizens do not worry about basic healthcare, the basic needs of food and shelter by and large. However you will also find this means you have less individually exceedingly wealthy individuals as well. Such is the tradeoff Roharans have willingly embraced, seeing land, food, shelter and health as more important than material wealth.

Families in Rohara are also oft larger than other nations, Rohara, though only having a population of 3.6 million (again this count does ignore people not of age of majority, though it does NOT ignore homeless and transients, unless they are actively not Roharan citizens), has the fastest growing population of any nation in the NPA, with its birth rate being the highest of any nation in Valerick. Families in Rohara often have an average number of kids resting between 3 to 6, and with a low infant and child mortality rate, this does mean her population is going to explode over the coming generations.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the history previously mentioned, those of Valewyrian heritage and in particular Skye Elves, are noticeably the smallest demographic besides Mixed Elves, which makes sense with how few Skye Elves are present. Those of Valewyrian cultural heritage, and in particular those of Skye Elf ancestry are generally treated different than most, ranging from cold indifference to outright prejudice unfortunately, due to a deep bias. It has gotten better in recent years but only a little. Culturally, one can hardly be surprised, even whilst perhaps acknowledging it isn't really fair or reasonable to hold regular people accountable for the actions of an empire's government. The demographic breakdown of Rohara's population as of its last census three years ago is as follows;

Race/Ancestry	Rough % of Population	Count
Dwarf	12.7%	4572000
Gnomes	9%	324000
Halfmen	13.1%	471600
Human (Koltani)	7%	252000
Human (Renarii)	8%	288000
Human (Mogol)	11%	396000
Human (Mixed)	20.1%	723600
Skye Elves	0.8%	28800
Woad Elves	3%	108000
Mixed Elves	0.5%	18000
Tanturs	11.5%	414000
Forgeborn	3.3%	118800

What is also very noteworthy, and likely has a role to play in the nations structure, particularly the ages of military service and the like, is life expectancy in Rohara. Rohara has the longest average life expectancy among its citizens of any nation on average, adjusting of course for ancestry comparisons. Based upon what data is available, whereas humans for example, might live to see seventy or so in most other places, in Rohara that number is around eighty, nearly a decade of difference. This is likely mostly due to their much lower infant and childhood mortality rate more than anything else. However it does skew perception and statistics of what a long life is. Other races, even those longer lived, see similar benefits, though by percentage of their potential lifespan the number of years is far less significant.

One might also note Rohara is another nation who on their census already have Forgeborn listed and the population of them is substantial, particularly for three years ago. It would seem that many Forgeborn in their wanderings of the world, for some reason or another settled themselves in the nation of Rohara, a noteworthy if perplexing bit of data. Why is this nation, these wild plains such a common choice for Forgeborn whom set down roots so to speak? It is an interesting question, but one that I could find no real answers too in my own investigations.