Riva (Belgariad and Malloreon)

Riva is a fictional kingdom in David Eddings' The Belgariad. It is located on the Isle of the Winds and is the customary meeting place of the Alorn Council.

The Isle of the Winds is a fairly rocky island, with pastures in the mountain valleys. There is only one city of any size, the capital of Riva, which is also the site of the only possible place to land a ship. There is a river coming from the mountains.

The kingdom was founded in 2000 A.C. by Riva Iron-grip at the breakup of Aloria. He constructed a city at the only beach on the Isle and married Beldaran, the daughter of Belgarath the Sorcerer. In 2018, he had a son named Daran. However, in 2038, Beldaran died, plunging Polgara, Daran, and Belgarath into mourning, and nearly incapacitating Riva.

Daran became regent, and blamed the Rivan Deacon for his mother's death. The next year, he charged the deacon and the whole Bear-cult of witchcraft and exiled them to the remote northern isles. The Bear-cult would never return to the Isle. In 2040, Daran married a woman named Larana, and in 2045, had a son, whom he named Cherek. The celebration was marred, though, by the fact that Riva died the same day.

The events leading up to the assassination of Gorek the Wise began in 3097, with the signing of the Accords of Val Alorn, which gave merchants the ability to travel to Riva. In 4002, Salmissra sent assassins to the Isle to kill the king, and only the 6 year-old Prince Geran escaped alive. This began a war between the Alorns and the Nyissans, and it was discovered that Zedar was behind the assassination.

Prince Geran went into hiding with Polgara, and Brand, the Warder of Riva, was put in charge. The next few centuries are quite peaceful, until the year 4850, when a total eclipse of the sun announces that Torak had come out of seclusion in Ashaba and taken control of Mallorea. These events worried the Alorns, who began to mobilize their armies. In 4865, the Angaraks invaded Drasnia, beginning the Angarak Invasion of the West.

The Rivans played a minor role for most of the war, seeing action only in the Drasnian campaign and the Battle of Vo Mimbre. At the battle, though, it was the Rivan Warder that killed Torak.

After the war was over, the Rivans returned to the peace they had enjoyed for the last few centuries.