Dun Ronan

Dun Ronan is a planet in the Prythian Kingdom and seat of House Halfast. It is located on the border of the Prythian Kingdom, close the planet of Elbion. House Halfast rules Dun Ronan from the Veldhall, located in the capitol city of Cair Naenan.

Brandon Halfast is the Lord of Dun Ronan. The Halfast household includes his wife Loryn, his daughter Shea, and his counselor Thaidan Verton.

Description
Dun Ronan is a large terrestrial planet, with two brown moons, orbiting a red sun.

The Dun Ronan highlands are characterised by rocky, rugged hills and eroded mountain faces, interrupted by valleys and extensive forests. The lowlands consist of a wide expanse of field, plains, and marsh known as the Veld. The climate is generally rainy, and noted for it’s frequent rainbows. Dun Ronan is characterized by blue sky and white clouds.

Dun Ronan is noted for it’s many species of wild horses, which are generally larger and faster than horses on other planets. The highlands are poulated wih large bears and mountain lions.

The majority of Elbians are commoners, living in small houses made from straw, wood, or stone. The architecture of Dun Ronan is characterized by it’s use of grey stone, round towers, crenelations and simple shapes.

History
According to legend, Dun Ronan was inhabited by men before the arrival of Aldair the Strong. The natives of Dun Ronan lived in fear of Giants that devoured their people and livestock. They told Aldair of the legendary Horses of the Veld, who were thought to be untamable. Nonetheless, Aldair tamed the King of the Horses and named him Sefulon. He attempted to defeat the giants, but they stole his horse and imprisoned it within a mountain. Aldair then forged a hammer from a meteor in the fires of Embermont and used it do destroy the mountain, rescuing his horse, and creating the Great Rift. He then slew the rest of the Giants with his hammer and united all people of Dun Ronan under his rule.

During the Dawn Age, Dun Ronan was ruled by a line of Kings descended from Aldair for nearly four thousand years. Many legendary Dunnish heroes lived during this time and accomplished great feats, including Donall the Hammer, who formed the Riders of the Veld and with his cavalry, pushed the invading Asgarians into the Great Rift.

Dun Ronan was one of the few planets currently part of the Prythian Kingdom that was not conquered by the Athelion Empire. The Athelians established outposts, traded, and occasionally warred with the Dunnish, and their religion and government influenced Dun Ronan, but they remained fiercely independent throughout the Light Age.

After the collapse of the Athelion Empire, a number of leaders convened on Gallios to create a strategy to bring order to the planets and fend off the foreign invaders and it was decided that the planets would have to be unified under a single king. The position was offered to Eldon Alastor of Elbion, but he turned it down, ashamed that his ancestral seat had fallen to barbarians and corruption. He passed the role to Darrik Aryon of Dun Ronan, who accepted the honor. Darrik Aryon laid seige to Norath for one year before he was injured in battle. On his deathbed, he told his followers to continue the fight in the name of his unborn son. His followers fought for three long days after Darrik died while his wife Lyona struggled in labor. On the dawn of the fourth day, the Aryon forces took Norath and Arik Aryon was born.The planets were unified under the Aryon Kings, forming the Prythian Kingdom and ushering in the dawn of the Twilight Age.

Before Darrik Aryon embarked to Elbion, he left Dun Ronan in the charge of Angus Trenth, whose house was second in power to House Aryon. When Darrik attacked Norath, he called upon Angus and his forces to assist him, but Angus refused, believing that Darrik might be killed and House Trenth would rule Dun Ronan. After Darrik became king, he demoted House Trenth to a minor house and made House Halfast rulers of Dun Ronan. Dun Ronan has been ruled by House Halfast since.

In 314 AD, Lord Arthor Halfast formed an alliance along with Lord Gerold Alastor and Lord Wyllas Ansylon. Together, they defeated the Crimson King of Canthos when Lord Gerold slew him on the field of Norath.

Notable Locations
The Veldhall: castle and seat of House Halfast, is located in the city of Cair Naenan. Built in the Dawn Age, the Veldhall is a squat, expansive fortification built on a small rise in the middle of the Veld.

The Great Rift: a massive canyon that divides the North Veld from the South Veld. The Rift is deeper than the height of the tallest mountain on Dun Ronan.

Hammer Lake: a lake so large, its banks stretch far beyond the horizon. It is often perfectly still, forming a perfect mirror of the mountain range that lines it. Legends say the lake is home to Giants and mythical creatures.

People & Economy
Dun Ronan is the eighth most populous planet in the Prythian Kingdom, with approximately 3.5 billion inhabitants. The people of Dun Ronan are born with above average strength and endurance. On average most Dunmen are of very tall height, with red hair, green eyes, and ruddy skin. Dunmen travel mostly on by horseback, their people known for their prized horse breeds, and also use horse-drawn carts. The primary exports of Dun Ronan are horses, livestock, and sweetrum.

Military
The Dunnish army, known as the Riders of the Veld, is commanded by Lord Brandon Halfast. Dunmen are most proficient with warhammer, the main force of their army consisting of hammer weilding cavalry, but also use greatswords in battle. Elbion is capable of raising an army of 200,000 infantry, 20,000 archers, 3,000 knights, and 50,000 horse cavalry.

Culture & Religion
Dunnish culture is heavily centered around horses and riding. Young boys are often introduced to riding horseback before they can walk.

The majority of Dunnish adhere to the Aurean religion. Very few adhere to the Athelion Gods any longer, but a number of Dunnish inhabiting the rural regions, including the Veld Clans and Raiders, worship the Old God, Sefulon. Depicted as a large man with the head of a horse, Sefulon is king of the horses and created the fields and valleys.