When Churl the Conqueror invaded Rostland, there were some soothsayers who warned the Aldori Swordlords that to
resist him in battle would lead to their doom. A few of the Swordlords listened to their advisors (and indeed worked out that their skills were useless against dragons). These fled south and founded the city state of Mivon. This action has led to still festering bad feeling between the surviving Swordlords in Rostland and those now dwelling in Mivon.
The kingdom of Mivon they founded, even more so than modern Rostland, is dominated by the philosophy of dueling. A weekly
duelling tournament takes place with the results recorded and publicly displayed. Although it is not mandatory for
citizens to take part in the dueling culture all government positions are reserved for those who do. Fights the
death are rare and generally take place when the ritual insults that accompany the duels go too far.
Today Mivon is home to a thriving industry in fish (particularly eels) harvested from the marshy ponds which surround the city. Rumour has it that the eels of Mivon sometimes feed on the flesh of men. Certainly the Swordlord,
Raston Selline, who rules the city under a guise of gentility but with a network of informers second to none, is sometines seen walking out to the marshes with some petty miscreant or a troublesome adventurer and returning with
just his faithful guards. 'A walk to the fishponds' has a very particular meaning in Mivon.
In addition to eels Mivon exports lumber and peat but its most famous export is its mercenaries. No war in the River Kingdoms is said to take place without a Mivon mercenary company fighting on at least one and possibly both sides.
Most of the companies are sponsored by one of the nine Aldori Swordlords who in addition have their own private
militias.
Mivon is generally welcoming to law abiding strangers and is one of the more stable of the River Kingdoms. Unless they are looking to start a career as a mercenary, however, outsiders are advised to stay well clear of the intricacies of the dueling culture.