Rabitala: a Lubanese tribe of Kusola District, Dansho-Riba Province. They are farmers and hostile to the L'Kusolo.

Rainbow Caves of Liho: a very large cavern system in Liho Province, said to be the most beautiful known. It is a Royal Preserve.

Ratan: collectively, the lands to the southeast of Lirith Kai, which were once the Empire of Ratan.

Ratani: the race of the area called "Old Ratan" or simply Ratan. See Handbook.

Ratani Fire: a highly flammable liquid used by the Army in making firebombs.

Ratani Scarp: the cliff which separates the "Ratani Steppe" from the Karndiz Steppe. It runs north and south, roughly parallel to the Wall of the East and is from 300 to 1000 feet high and about 550 miles long.

Ratani Steppe: a cartographer's name for northern Ratan and what would more rightly be considered a continuation of the Palenian Steppe.

Recomar: another name for the rencomar, which see.

Red-Eye Orchis: a type of very common Coastal Orchis which causes a poison ivy-like irritation of the skin on contact; it is believed to emit fumes which irritate the eyes, as well.

Red Forest: the forest that occupies the Red Forest Basin. It is a forest of mixed hardwoods and evergreens and received its name from the redpine, which is one of the most common trees there. It is believed that there is a nation of elves living here, but no one in the Empire cares if there is or not.

Red Forest Basin: the bowl-shaped lowland which holds the Red Forest; it lies between the two rivers which join to form the An-Kiu, the Whitewater and the River of Fires, and is surrounded by mountains from the west through the north to the east. It is roughly oval in shape and covers some 35-40,000 square miles. Most of it lies outside the northern border of the Empire, and it has long been a haunt of outlaws and bandits. The southern part of the basin lies in Tirian Province.

Red Hammer Society: a well-known teva society.

Redhart: a large red-coated deer found near the Twisted Lands but never in it. The bucks develop a heavy mane around the neck and shoulders during the fall and are more quarrelsome at that time.

Red Lord: title of a chief figure in the proscribed Durstalen cult. The title 'Red Lord' may refer to a man who heads a branch of the cult or the entity worshipped by the cult.

Redonal: another name for the rendonal, which see.

Redpine: the tree for which the Red Forest of Tirian and the far north is named. It is an evergreen growing to a height of some one hundred feet; its sap is sweet and resinous and is made into wine. It blooms in midsummer and fills the forest with a soft golden pollen that most people find pleasant to the smell and some mildly intoxicating. Redpine wine to which pollen has been added (it dissolves but colors the wine orangy red) is extremely intoxicating.

Redpine Pollen: the sweet-tasting, pine-scented pollen of the redpine, produced in enormous quantities in the summer months. Some people find the raw pollen mildly intoxicating. If dissolved in wine (it is soluble in alcohol), it increases the potency of the wine. If mixed with tabbac in a snuff, and to a lesser extent in other forms, it yields an unpredictable but very powerful drug and is addictive.

Redpine Wine: a wine made in Tirian Province from the sap of the redpines for which the Red Forest is named. It is sweet and slightly resinous in taste. If redpine pollen is dissolved in it the wine is much more potent and changes from red to orangy in color.

Red Rain Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Red Star: a rumored regional warrior society of Ini Palel. It is said to be a society of assassins. It is not listed with the known regional societies, since its existence is largely speculative.

Red Thunder Society: a regional warrior society found in Angsin Province.

Redwood River: the river which joins the Whitewater at the Redwood Fork. It lies near the western edge of the Red Forest and is sometimes, for convenience, said to mark the edge of that forest, even though redpines occur to the west of it. It is about 250 miles long, navigable as far as Lynel Tyn, and is deep and swift, with rapids between Lynel Tyn and Tallwood, and many falls above Tallwood.

Regular Army: see Provincial Army.

Relson: the Drahnoran god of knowledge and scholarship and patron of oracles. The High Priest is called the Eyes of Relson.

Remontir: another name for the renmontir, which see.

Rencomar, or recomar: a lesser but important member of a renvor family; ranked as a comar.

Rendonal, or redonal: a lesser but important member of a renvor family.

Renling Falls: a stretch of rapids on the Kerang River, about 150 miles upstream from the mouth. They are officially considered to mark the head of navigation, but men familiar with the river have gotten sturdy boats through the Falls area by towing.

Renmontir, or remontir: a lesser but important member of a renvor family; ranked as a montir.

Rensenar, or resenar: a lesser but important member of a renvor family; ranked as a senar.

Rentiral, or retiral: a lesser but important member of a renvor family; ranked as a tiral.

Renvor: the highest rank of hereditary nobility in Lirith Kai. The Imperial family is of this rank, though the Emperor himself is considered to be above and outside the noble caste.

Resenar: another name for the rensenar, which see.

Retiral: another name for the rentiral, which see.

Rhilda Trail: a pack-trail running from Mazgourrah to Onour Amoun; it is marginally passable for wagons.

Rhoanise: a berry growing on a low bush, said to cure many illnesses. It is much cultivated in Dal Shang Province (to which it is native) and dried for shipping to apothecaries all over the Empire. It is very high in vitamin C.

Ridge Road: runs along the crest of the Blue Hills, a rough track unsuited to wagons but practicable for horses. Also called Blue Ridge Road. (not on map)

Ridge Walkers: a regional society of the Blue Hills.

Rima Plain: the local name given to the beginning of the wide plains of the west. The land here, which slopes gradually down toward the west, is gently rolling and cut by the occasional steep-walled arroyo. The grass grows thickly, knee-high, interrupted by a few wind-stunted trees. Except during and immediately after the rainy season, the wind carries dust--at times, it is thick as a fog. There is little surface water through most of the year. Small herds of antelope are sometimes found, and quail and rabbits seem to survive here even in the worst seasons, along with lizards, snakes, and the small, tough, cunning desert wolf.

Rinjo: god of the White Jade River, honored in Daroja.

Rintira: a horse-goddess of the Harinzans.

Rirorni Plains: a fairly flat, semi-arid plateau to the east of Lirith Kai, on the high ground beyond the World's Edge. The inhabitants of the Rirorni Plains are regarded as enemies by the Empire.

Rirorni Stair: the steep, switchback trail that climbs from Ratan to the Rirorni Plains in the vicinity of Onour Amoun. It is unsuited to wagons of any sort.

Rirorni Trail: a name applied as a general term to indicate the collection of routes which connect the Rirorni Plains with Ratan. This is principally the Rirorni Stair, a switchback descent of the Wall of the East, and the Rhilda and Holzarik Trails that run west from the foot of it, but there are other less well-known trails in approximately the same area which serve the same function.

River of Fires: one of the two rivers which join at Lyn Tirian to form the An-Kiu. Its total length is only 250 miles, but it is swift, with many rapids. When spring melts the snow off the Khriatrin Mountains and raises it to flood stage it is especially dangerous. Although intrepid foresters sometimes float rafts down the River of Fires, it is not considered to be navigable. Its name is said to be derived from the custom of sending floating lamps and rafts with bonfires down the river on the night of the winter solstice.

River Patrol: a waterborne equivalent of the Highway Guard.

Roads, quality of: For the convenience of calculating rates of travel, the roads in the Empire and its environs have been graded from A to E. Roads of class A are the very best, paved and maintained, suitable for wheeled traffic, and having unpaved strips to either side for the convenience of horse and foot traffic. The best possible time (allowing for weather and distractions) can be made on these roads. They are also called Great Roads. The Imperial Roads are class B. They are graded, paved in spots (may have been paved all along at one time, but that's a different story), and are kept clear of brush. Under good conditions, these roads may be traveled as rapidly as the Great Roads (class A), but in bad weather a traveler's speed will be reduced by one quarter to one third. These roads are also suitable for wheeled traffic. The class C or Provincial Roads are officially unpaved (some of them use parts of ancient paved roads, but you can't count on that). They connect the seats of provincial government with the main roads of the Empire and are maintained (more or less) by the provinces through which they pass. In good weather, travel on a Provincial Road takes one fifth to one quarter longer than on a Great Road; in bad weather, they may be barely passable. Class C roads are officially suitable for wheeled traffic and usually see a lot of it, but to travel one in speed and comfort simultaneously is probably impossible. Class D roads, Provincial Byways, are made and maintained (if at all) by the inhabitants of the province in question. They connect the provincial capital with the various towns and villages of the province and serve farmers bringing their produce to market and the like. The Imperial Department of Roads makes no claims as to their condition, which is usually bad. Most Byways are passable (sort of) for farm carts and wagons, but may be assumed to be badly rutted. It will take a half to a third again as long to travel one of these byways as to cover the same distance on a Great Road. In bad weather, if passable at all, it will often take twice as long--or longer. Inquire locally for road conditions. Class E roads are mere trails, too narrow, too steep, or both for wagon traffic of any sort and usually totally unmaintained. Class E roads are recommended only for the agile and well-guided and cannot be traveled with any expectation of speed.

Rock Sheep: an animal found along the World's Edge scarp, somewhat resembling a deer in build but having curled ramshorns and a rather woolly mane like a buffalo. They are beige overall, but the manes of the rams (much more developed than those of the ewes) may be almost any shade of brown from nearly black to creamy off-white; the hide of a rock sheep ram with an unusually colored mane, taken at the peak of its growth (late winter) is a prized trophy.

Romarn: one of the Ten Baronies of the Kingdom of Danath. It was located in what is now the Lower River District of Danath.

Romarn Retriever: a hunting dog bred in Danath for use when fowling on the marshlands to the west of the An-Kiu.

Rose Society: a well-known teva society, now split into the Black and White Rose societies.

Roumil Spring: a spring at the foot of the Ratan Scarp, at the site of Mil'Houzar. Though a fairly large spring, it does not feed a stream.

Royal Gull: a variety of Coastal Orchis. It is creamy white with a yellow center and has long side petals that arch away from the main body like wings.

Rustaram: a bear/wolf-like predator of the Jina Kabir Hills; it is considered dangerous enough that the pursuit of one is a Great Hunt. It preys on antelope and deer, sheep, goats, horses, and even people. It is usually some shade of brown, from a medium beige to very dark. Occasionally a white one appears, and local legend has it that the white rustarams are not mortal beasts but messengers from the spirits, some for good and some for ill; the white ones are always larger and seem to be more intelligent.