The following is a compilation of the written and oral history of River’s Rest, as told by various authors.  There is no way to be certain of the exact events in the history of River’s Rest. This is, however, my attempt to piece together in a coherent fashion, the history of the town.  There will surely be discrepancies, but no one can be certain of all that has happened on the small island in the Tempest River.

Once called the Jewel of the Kingdom of Elanith, River’s Rest is a small town with a big history.  The location of River’s Rest makes it a prime location for the staging of inland supply routes, ocean trade routes, and military endeavors.  This has made it an important strategic point for more than one empire and made it a prime target for both raiding bands of creatures and opposing armies.

 It is uncertain when the town was originally founded, though it is believed to have reached it height during the reign of the Kingdom of Elanith.  Over time, the Tempest River became known as the lifeblood of the Kingdom, and River’s Rest its heart.  The Kingdom of Elanith was eventually absorbed into the Kannalan Empire, though River’s Rest continued to grow.

 In 3961, the Kannalan Empire was conquered by a barbarian horde, with the support of orcs, trolls, and other humanoid creatures.  During the Empire’s crumble, only four western Kannalan cities survived the initial crumble:  Toullaire, Kedshold, Gor'nustre and River’s Rest.  The Kingdom of Elanith’s fall was averted for over a century by the actions of one man:  Jabez Cannfort.

Cannfort, the commander of the military forces located at the Citadel of Elanith quietly took control of the standing forces of Elanith and led a brilliant tactical retreat.  His tactics slowed, and eventually stopped, the advancing barbarian armies.  Though most of the former Kingdom of Elanith had been lost, Cannfort saved the heart of the kingdom, the area around Maelstrom Bay.

  The origins of the Citadel of Elanith and surrounding buildings are unknown, though there is strong evidence of it being a distant point in a ring of fortresses around the lost city of Elanith.  Despite being located far northeast of River’s Rest, the Citadel is just a short walk away.  A two-way portal created as an escape route for the Citadel’s inhabitants connect the island and Citadel directly.

 Though Cannfort was firmly in control of the Citadel and its standing armies, the land was still in turmoil and roaming bands raided farms, villages and monasteries with alarming frequency.  River’s Rest eventually came under attack, and the town couldn’t defend all four bridges leading into the town.  The population living on the mainland was forced to give up their homesteads and move onto the island. After relocating the villagers, three of the bridges were destroyed.

 Commander Cannfort’s front-line style of leadership ended up costing him his life.  He was wounded in a raid on the town in the year 3964 when a crossbow bolt struck him in the face.  Ten days later, Cannfort named his successor and poisoned himself.  The name of his successor is unknown, as well as the name of every commander following him.  It became tradition that each ascending commander gave up his name, any family he might have, and all birthrights.

 Over the years the army had become increasingly despondent and loyalty waned.  By the time the final commander had taken over, the army was no better than the savage barbarians they were fighting against.  After the final commander was assassinated, the council of mages appointed to advise the commander took temporary control of the Citadel.  The line of commanders ruled for approximately fifty years.

The council of mages maintained stability for some time, but a committee is rarely as effective as a single ruler.  Eventually the conflicting philosophies and racial animosities split the council into rival factions.  As time went on, the mages turned away from the army while working dark magic in attempt to strengthen their hold on the territory surrounding the Citadel.  Many of the mage’s creations, such as golems and various undead creatures, can be seen around the citadel to this day.

The temporary rule of the mages lasted another fifty years before the combined forces of the orcs and trolls took over the remaining territory under the Citadel’s control.  The trolls and krolvin, who formed a temporary alliance, soon overran the citadel compound.  Thus destroying the last of the Kingdom of Elanith.  The River’s Rest residents who survived the invasions fled the town and headed north to the town of Fairport.

Nearly 500 years after the fall of the Kingdom of Elanith, settlers once again began to inhabit the island of River’s Rest.  Re-settlement was slow and the town remained small of hundreds of years.  Most people chose not to live in New River’s Rest, preferring the larger town of Fairport.  Over the years, people fleeing Fairport law settled in the Rest and the town took on the reputation of being lawless.  The leaders of the county considered the town’s lack of law to be a blessing, as it kept the troublemakers out of Fairport, which was a more important economic city.

Over time, the town’s reputation for being lawless diminished, and greater crowds of people made a living there.  The town is currently within the County of Torre, and a part of the Turamzyrran Empire.  Torre and Tamzyrr show little interest in the town, and their troops rarely patrol the area.  The arrangement works well, as the township prefers to be independent and local leaders have one less thing to worry about.

River’s Rest remains fiercely independent to this day.

 
 The views above are by no means an official history, merely my attempt to piece together the many bits of knowledge we have on the history of River’s Rest.

Written by Jaxia Jensia, with thanks to Lord Prata Aghaidh, for his thoughts and theories on the history of River’s Rest; Myron the Kobold, for his personal views on the council; and Taistil the elf, for his comprehensive research and subsequent tales of local histories.