Riedra
Structure
The Inspired are unquestionably the rulers of Riedra and they have their sights set still on the rest of Sarlona and on Khorvaire and Xen'drik across the sea. Though only those inhabited by quori spirits are truly Inspired, even those from Chosen families are favored over other humans. Elves and dwarves are not tolerated within the borders of the nation, branded as dangerous because they are less susceptible to quori influences, and kalashtar are executed right out. Changelings are a step above humans, however, as their changeable form is seen as an expression of their spiritual nature. Shifters and ogres are an important part of Riedran society even though they are thought of as lesser being in the hierarchy of the Path of Inspiration.
The Unity
The central government of Riedra is split into several important branches, each with its own purpose.
- The Bountiful Horn oversees production and distribution of food to the people of Riedra.
- Industry and manufacturing in Riedra is overseen by the Industrious Forge.
- The Sturdy Wall maintains the roadways and construction projects of Riedra, including the building of the hanbalani altas.
- Healing in Riedra is found through the Healing Hand which focuses the gifts of the Inspired to repair their people.
- Injuries to the mind and spirit are helped through the Sheltering Hearth with the nebulous task of coordinating the well-being of all Riedrans.
- The Guiding Path is the priesthood of the Inspired and assists in the education and upbringing of Riedran children so that they follow the Path of Inspiration.
- Foreign affairs are overseen by the Iron Gate, which stands by its imposing symbol as a force to keep foreigners out as opposed to negotiating admittance.
History
Military
The Harmonious Shield
The armed forces of Riedra are garrisoned across the nation and are divided into a number of different organizations.
- Stone Soldiers: The shieldbearers and infantry of the Riedran armies, these warriors focus on durability and defense.
- Fire Soldiers: Fast and skilled soldiers often used for special operations against Adar.
- Water Soldiers: Stealthy scouts and reconnaissance specialists who inform the rest of the army so that it can do its best.
- Bastion Guard: The soldiers at the disposal of the Thousand Eyes, tasked with maintaining order in the cities.
- Edgewalkers: The wilds of Riedra are marked with planar vortices that these independent operatives maintain on behalf of the Inspired.
- Harmonious Sail: These naval forces patrol the shores of Riedra, including the inland seas in the west.
- Horned Guard: This elite corps of ogre mages serves as a major weapon against the enemies of Inspired.
- Savage Legion: Though they are considered little more than animals by the Path of Inspiration, shifters are useful warriors for the Inspired to send against their enemies.
- Sleeping Sword: Unknown to most Riedrans, the Sleeping Sword agents are utterly loyal and amazingly skilled. They are charged with tasks that require ruthlessness and discretion.
Technological Level
In Khorvaire, magic is part of everyday life; adepts and magewrights are found in most villages. In Riedra, both magic and psychic power are tightly controlled and largely confined to the Inspired and the Chosen. However, a few psychic effects have an impact on daily life. These are essentially wondrous locations created and controlled by the quori. For the people of Riedra, such wonders are proof of the miraculous power of their benevolent overlords.
All of these functions draw power from the hanbalani altas, the massive monoliths spread across the nation. If a monolith is shut down or destroyed, any community tied to it loses access to these functions.
These are the most common effects, but the Inspired can develop new techniques, and you should feel free to invent effects unique to a specific bastion or village. A bastion might have an inner sanctum shielded by an impenetrable wall of ectoplasm; the only way to get past this field is to shut down the local monolith.
Climate Control: Inspired architects have developed crystal plating that, through kinetic manipulation, can be heated or cooled and can even draw moisture out of the air. This effect uses considerable power, and it's rarely seen outside the palaces of the Inspired or the Chosen. Nonetheless, in the tropical climate of Corvagura, entering a cool, dry palace can have a consider able impact on a traveler.
Crystal Illumination: Riedran architecture often incorporates a form of crysteel. When properly treated and charged with energy from a monolith, a structure containing that material sheds colorful light. A bastion city can be a remarkably beautiful sight at night. In a village, buildings are not actually constructed of crysteel, but beacons are set at key points to provide illumination. Riedran communities have two grids of light—key regions remain lit at all times, but other areas (such as living quarters) are shut off after curfew. Light is a gift of the Inspired; they provide it, and they take it away.
Dreamshaping: One of the primary purposes of the hanbalani is to shape the dreams of the Riedrans, projecting soothing dreams across the nation. This is a delicate art; unlike charm or dominate, a dream does not force the target to take any action. It simply plants an idea; if the subject acts, he does so of his own free will.
In limited circumstances, nocturnal manipulation involves targeted dreams, visions crafted for a particular subject. By this means, the quori sparked the Sundering and continue to undermine their enemies.
A far more insidious dream conditioning occurs over a wide area. Effectively, the network of monoliths projects a constant, low-level dream effect across Riedra. Anyone who falls asleep must attempt a DC 17 Will save. Those who fail have the dream that is currently being projected. The typical Riedran dream is soothing and vague, blending images to project the wonder of Riedra, the joys of being part of a greater whole, and the celestial benevolence of the Inspired. Every so often, these soothing visions are interspersed with flashes of the dark horrors that lurk outside the borders of Riedra. Although insufficient to change the views of a PC over a short time, the dreams serve to constantly reinforce a Riedrans indoctrination. Although a saving throw is allowed, Riedrans voluntarily fail it. A Riedran takes comfort in her stable dreams and looks forward to resting and bathing in the love of the Inspired. The widespread knowledge that Riedrans suffer from chaotic, unpredictable dreams when in foreign lands is one more reason they hate to leave their homeland.
Monolith dreamshaping is a background effect, and targeted use of dream, nightmare, or a similar ability takes precedence over the broadcasts. Furthermore, anyone who has the Dream Scion feat is immune to dreamshaping. The content of dreams is controlled from Dal Quor, and it can be made more specific (for example, broadcasting the image of a wanted criminal). A particular dream can be targeted at a village, a sphere, or the entire nation. The quori can also choose to use the dreamshapers to project nightmares across a region. In this case, any sleeper who fails the saving throw is fatigued, and the disturbed sleep is insufficient for regaining infusions, power points, and spells. These nightmare attacks are usually blamed on kalashtar, dromites, or altavars.
Scry Shielding: The Inspired have long shielded their realm from prying eyes. Although the monoliths are not as powerful as the Shroud of Adar, each one projects a nondetection effect (DC 31) that blocks all attempts to scry into Riedra. The Riedran shield blocks scrying only from outside sources; once someone penetrates the borders, all powers and spells function normally. Disrupting this field would require the destruction of a substantial number of monoliths, and even doing this would only drop a segment of the shield.
Teleportation: The largest bastion cities and kintams (fortresses) are linked by a network of permanent psionic teleportation circles. While these are created by the most powerful Inspired nomads, they draw on the hanbalani for power. Shutting down a monolith could prevent the Inspired from summoning reinforcements or escaping.
The Soothing Voice: The hanbalani network allows the quori to broadcast telepathic messages across wide areas. The effect can be narrowed to a single village or linked to broadcast across an entire sphere, but it cannot pinpoint individuals. The Voice addresses the populace throughout the day, providing news, encouragement, and instruction to the people. This system is controlled and monitored from Dal Quor. Those who want to do so can cut off a village from the Soothing Voice by deactivating a nearby monolith, but they cannot transmit messages of their own without going to Dal Quor.
Religion
Only one religion is tolerated in Riedra—the Path of Inspiration. Its practice is mandatory. Omnipresent yet subtle, the Path is easily overlooked. For a Riedran, work is worship, and life itself is an act of devotion. According to the Path of Inspiration, dedicated and hard-working souls ascend a ladder of spiritual evolution over the course of many lifetimes, traveling from beast, to nonhuman, to human, to changeling, to Chosen, to the il-altas—the "great spirits" that cannot be perceived in this world, but that continue to guide lesser beings by acting through the Inspired. A follower of the Path should embrace the life he is given and learn the lessons he is meant to learn from it, resisting the temptation to rise above his station or change his lot in life.
For the Inspired, this system accomplishes many ends. It encourages citizens not to question their roles in life—spiritual advancement is the goal, and only by follow ing the path set forth by the il-altas (as announced by the Inspired) can such advancement be attained. It also allows the Inspired to fail without shattering their status in the eyes of the people. The Inspired are mortal vessels of godlike beings, not actual gods, and any defeats or setbacks are the fault of the vessel. Finally, it contains just enough truth to weaken any attempts to expose the true nature of the quori. The Riedrans know that their rulers are possessed by outsiders, and using banishment to drive out the possessing spirit proves nothing aside from the fact that the exorcist is a foul being to challenge the noble il-altas. Since most Riedrans fear or at least distrust magic, they are unlikely to accept the evidence provided by detect evil or similar spells.
Riedrans are warned to beware of the altavars, spirits that have fallen off the Path of Inspiration. These beings suffer eternal torment and assuage their pain by corrupt ing and torturing others. The precepts of the Path teach that the "gods" worshiped by other cultures are in fact altavars, and that these dark spirits are also the source of arcane magic. As a result, Riedrans are taught to fear and despise arcanists and priests of other religions.
No temples have been erected to the Path of Inspiration; the holiest sites are the palaces of the Inspired and the hanbalani. On days of celebration, people often gather around the nearest monolith to join their thoughts (in the process, unwittingly channeling more of their spiritual energy to Dal Quor). Priests of the Path of Inspiration are usually experts, charged with maintaining discipline and morale among the people of their communities. Only the most loyal priests are entrusted with divine magic. Inspired can't actually grant spells, but they can certainly eliminate clerics whose devotion to the state is in question. As a result, true Riedran clerics and adepts are usually trusted envoys of the Inspired, often working with the military or the Thousand Eyes.
Foreign Relations
For the past thousand years, the borders of Riedra have been closed to foreigners. Even today, the Inspired have no interest in allowing the people of other nations to spoil their terrestrial paradise. But after centuries of scheming and planning, the Inspired are finally beginning to turn their attention to Khorvaire, and Riedran ambassadors can be found in courts across the continent.
Most Riedrans never leave their villages, let alone travel to foreign lands. However, the Inspired know of and have plans for the lands beyond Riedra.
Adar
Once Adar was a land of refuge, a sanctuary for those who could find no place in the twelve kingdoms of central Sarlona. Today, it is the one land most Riedrans uniformly despise. Inspired have drilled fanatical hatred of the kalashtar into Riedrans. The typical farmer believes that if the Harmonious Shield let down its guard, the kalashtar could destroy the Inspired and lay waste to Riedra. Although they would like nothing better than to destroy the kalashtar, the Inspired still remember the losses suffered at Kasshta Keep. They believe that the hanbalani will give them the power they need to preserve the Dreaming Dark. The continued siege of and periodic strikes into Adar keep the kalashtar trapped and on the defensive. For now, that's all the Inspired need to do.
Syrkarn
Few Riedran commoners have any interest in the people of Syrkarn. Those who live on the borders occasionally see Syrk merchants. The common folk do not interact with strangers, but a village overseer might engage in trade. Human Syrks aren't trusted or allowed to move deep within Riedra, but if they approach in peace, they're usually greeted hospitably.
Riedra maintains a number of fortresses along the Kasshta River and Jathara Sound between Syrkarn and Adar. These serve as focal points for Inspired operations within Adar. The Inspired have no interest in conquering Syrkarn. The territory is too large, the population too low, and they are still concerned about the lingering threat of the rakshasa rajah buried beneath the realm. However, the Dreaming Dark takes whatever actions it deems necessary to prevent Syrkarn from becoming a threat to Riedra. Thoughtstealers and dominators foment dissension between the tribes, and dreamblades might be sent to deal with truly dangerous leaders or anyone delving too deeply into the dark magics of the past.
Tashana Tundra
Riedra has little use for the Tundra. Like Syrkarn, the land is large, harsh, and sparsely populated. Few people exist to manipulate and draw power from. The Inspired do maintain a few fortresses in the north, both as staging areas to deal with the Akiak dwarves and as bases for mining operations. The continued construction of hanbalani requires a constant flow of deep crystal, and the Tundra holds many rich veins of that material. These mines are a frequent target of Akiak attacks, and the soldiers of the north must always be on guard.
Most Riedran commoners know nothing of the north. The humans of Dor Maleer occasionally trade with skinwalkers, but bitterness exists between Tashana's skinwalkers and those of the Savage Legion. Any encounter between the two invariably results in bloodshed.
Aerenal and Argonessen
To date, the Inspired have kept their distance from the lands of the dragons and the Undying Court. Interactions generally occur on foreign soil, either in the courts of Khorvaire or in Stormreach on Xen'drik. No hostility is apparent between these powers, but the ancient elves and mighty dragons watch the Inspired with great interest. Perhaps their inaction means that they're unaware of the quori agenda, or perhaps they feel that they have nothing to fear from the outsiders.
Khorvaire
The first contact between Khorvaire and Riedra occurred on the neutral ground of Xen'drik, and much trade has passed through this gateway. During the Last War, Riedra provided nonmilitary assistance to many of the warring nations. Inspired ambassadors came to the courts of the Five Nations, occasionally serving as mediators between opposing forces. Seen as impartial outsiders, they're respected for their apparent wisdom and empathy. During this time, the Dreaming Dark gained a foothold in Khorvaire. For the last century its agents have been spreading across the continent, sowing dissension and subverting agents for future use.
Today Inspired ambassadors can be found in every metropolis and many of the large cities of Khorvaire. Most ports have small Riedran communities. Riedran goods are becoming more common. On the sordid side of trade, the sale of dreamlily has become a major industry in the underworld of Khorvaire.
While the Inspired have been providing material aid to many nations, their strongest foothold in Khorvaire is in Q'barra. King Sebastes is currently receiving military support from Riedra—the Harmonious Shield has established garrisons in the region around Newthrone to help defend the settlers from lizardfolk attacks. In the process, they are working to spread Riedran values. Rumors say that construction has begun on a hanbalan.
Given their extensive presence, the Inspired have much to offer. If war looms anew, Aundair could seek Riedran aid to defend itself from the larger armies of Thrane or Karrnath. A desperate move, certainly, but perhaps Queen Aurala will be swayed by vivid dreams of the power such an alliance might bring.
Kings and queens are not the only people who deal with the Inspired. Even though Riedran commoners rarely mingle with foreigners, Inspired ambassadors and their staff are active in their communities. Exotic and clever, these beautiful strangers fascinate the upper crust of Khorvaire. In Sharn, Ambassador Jorasesh often gives impromptu lectures at Morgrave University. Both Jorasesh and his aide Helkashtai can be found at all of the major galas and social events of the city.
Although the Inspired have extended their hand to Khorvaire, they have been reluctant to let foreigners visit Riedra. It is only recently that any outsider has been granted permission to venture beyond the foreign quarter of Dar Jin and Dar Ulatesh.
Xen'drik
The Riedran city of Dar Qat was established by the Inspired; centuries later, the freebooters who made a living preying on Riedran shipping established Stormreach as a hub for those activities. In time, the Inspired came to power there, interested in the raw resources of Xen'drik, specifically dragonshards, deep crystal, and the raw materials for crysteel. But Xen'drik also holds secrets of the previous age of Dal Quor and the war between the giants and the ancient quori. The Dreaming Dark is eager to learn about the quori of the previous age.
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