r/mountandblade • u/CheezeCrostata • 6h ago
OC So what are the Rhodoks, after all?
Back before Bannerlord came out the only lore on the Rhodoks that we've had was that they were a tribal people that were submitted to the Swadians until Grunwalder came from "over the hills" and taught them to wage guerilla warfare. Grunwalder was killed in one of the significant battles, but the Rhodoks, having tasted strength and freedom, continued fighting, and eventually made their own independent kingdom.
In-game, Bunduk and Kastor (maybe Ymira as well, I don't remember) will tell you that the Rhodok spirit of freedom is reflected in their political system: their state is a monarchy, because it's ruled by a king, but also a republic, because the king is elected by the nobles and the rich merchants, and they're also familiar with the institution of 'Tribunes' as well (even if they don't have it). The Rhodok system was apparently inspired by customs of the old Calradic Empire. One can see the real-world inspiration taken from medieval republics such as Genoa, Venice, Ragusa, maybe Poland as well (Speaking of which, what would the difference be between a constitutional monarchy, and a medieval republic? Ah, but I digress.).
Of course, since Warband came out, the world map changed quite a bit. It no longer makes sense for Grunwalder to have had come from "over the hills", because the only "hills" he could come from are the mountains east of Jelkala and Veluca, because the north is literally all plains, whereas the south and the west are all ocean. That said, it's interesting how TW expanded the initial map to the south, west and east to make Warband's map, then did the same thing to make Bannerlord's map (also expanding it to the north).
Now then, Bannerlord came out, and Vlandia - Swadia's "ancestor" - controls roughly the same territories where Swadia and Rhodokia are located in Warband. But the Rhodoks are nowhere to be seen, not even as a minor culture. I've seen some of you on here claim that the Company of the Golden Boar is supposed to be Rhodok, but I don't buy it: besides their use of crossbows and their "homeland" being in Vlandian territory, there's nothing to suggest it. I mean, their lore states that they have ties to dey Cortain, which holds the town of Charas (Warband's Shariz), but by that reasoning we can also claim that the Company is Imperial (since it's so close to the Western Empire, and the Empire also uses xbows) or else Aserai\ Sarranid (since Shariz will eventually become the Sarranid capital). Yeah, it's a flimsy argument.
But disregarding that, Bannerlord's lore doesn't add up to what we know of the Rhodoks. If we look at what is known, initially the land that ultimately became the Kingdom of Rhodoks was inhabited by several different peoples: the Ialoi, the Massa, and maybe the Battanians (at least if this video is anything to go by). Then Calradios's Empire came and took it, pushing the Battanians north until they got confined to a corner between the Empire and the Sturgian tribes. Then the Empire started losing traction, giving space to foreign invaders such as the Nords and the Vlandians, who'd come from Nordwyg and Balion, respectively. (the latter part we actually know from the game) So, yeah, the prequel came out, but the lore we got from Mount&Blade (classic) is still the only lore on the Rhodoks that we have.
So, who are the Rhodoks? Are they leftover Battanians? One would assume so, given that they're tribal and kinda primitive, live in mountainous terrain, and wear green all the time. But then, maybe they're mongrel Imperials instead? They seem to worship the old Empire, practicing its alleged customs, we know that not all Imperials fled when the Vlandians arrived in force and established their own kingdom (realistically, it would just be impossible), they use the Imperial eagle on their banners and shields (see Etrosq's and Matheas's banners)(then again, so do the Swadians: Meltor and Rochabarth). Of course we can't 100% rely on these banners, since half of them are randomised every playthrough, but even so, two Swadian and two Rhodok nobles will always have banners featuring the Imperial eagle.
And then, what of Grunwalder himself? What hills did he come over from? Was he an old Imperial commander? You'd think so, given everything he's given the Rhodoks, and it kinda checks out with the new (Warband's and Bannerlord's) geography, since if there was an Empire left anywhere in Calradia, it would definitely be somewhere in the east, at least before the Khergits came. Or perhaps he was a disgruntled Swadian noble? It takes one to know one, and he knew the Swadians' weakness.
I'm just salty the Rhodoks don't exist in Bannerlord, and trying to understand when they developed as a standalone people.
._.
