Government of Riedra

The rulers of Riedra are the quori. All important decisions concerning the fate of the nation are made in Dal Quor. The bastion lords don't gather in Riedra to debate policy, because such councils are held in Dal Quor. To a foreigner, it seems that the bastion lords and generals of the Harmonious Shield operate unilaterally; however, they all act in perfect accord with the plans formulated in the Region of Dreams.

While the destiny of Riedra is set in dreams, a complex bureaucracy manages its daily affairs. The Inspired hold the top tier. A powerful Inspired noble rules each bastion city, and Inspired serve as generals, ambassadors, inquisitors, and high ministers. Although mighty Inspired are rare, lesser Inspired serve throughout society, in positions where trust or psionic power are required.

Beholden to the Inspired, the Chosen dedicate themselves to being worthy of inhabitation by an il-altas. They manage the bulk of the administration of Riedra, also serving as officers in the military. Chosen overseers govern most villages. The most important positions are granted to Chosen who served as Inspired before their quori spirits moved on to other hosts; after decades of possession, the minds of these individuals have been molded by the quori, and they are fully trusted by the overlords.

Whether Inspired, Chosen, or commoner, Riedrans serve in one of four groups: the Unity, the Thousand Eyes, the Harmonious Shield, or the Dreaming Dark. 

It is a crime for a Riedran to possess anything that has not come to him through official channels. The method of acquisition is irrelevant. Whether someone deals with the black market or steals goods, possession of unauthorized goods is a crime. Contraband goods are always confiscated. This rule does not apply to foreigners, but no Riedran is allowed to accept goods from strangers.

Any form of violence against a citizen of Riedra is illegal. Thousand Eyes or Harmonious Shield agents can be violent in pursuit of their duties.

It's a crime to challenge anyone who holds a higher rank or disobey a command from a social superior. However, if the challenge proves true, such as when a Taskaan shifter identifies corruption in an officer, the "crime" becomes a rewarded act.

Aside from the Chosen and the Inspired, only authorized individuals are permitted to study any form of magic or psionics. Such abilities are to be used only in the service of the nation. Foreigners aren't persecuted for having supernatural abilities—it's well known that all foreigners traffic with fiends—but they are arrested and punished if they turn these powers against Riedrans.

The widest category of crime is that of corruption. This includes any action that could draw an honest Riedran off the Path of Inspiration and imperil her soul. Challenging the benevolence of the Inspired, teaching new skills or ideas, and offering people goods they don't normally receive are all acts that can draw punishment. Open practice of any religion besides the Path of Inspiration is also strictly forbidden. A foreign cleric of the Sovereign Host can wear his holy symbol and heal a companion, but he mustn't discuss his beliefs with Riedrans, perform any sort of sacred ritual, or use any form of divine magic—even a benevolent spell—on a Riedran citizen.

Most minor crimes are punished by a varying term of solitary confinement, along with counseling by the local priest. Given their indoctrination and communal nature, Riedrans find isolation frightening and punishment enough. The shame of being marked as even a minor criminal or deviant is weighty to a Riedran as well.

In the case of more serious crimes, the criminal simply vanishes. Sometimes the individual is taken to the local bastion reclamation center, where she is subjected to intense psychological conditioning. Even if someone emerges from a reclamation center, she is assigned to a new community. Otherwise, the criminal is summarily killed. Executions are not public, but it is well known that anyone taken by the Thousand Eyes never returns to her prior life.

As for foreigners, minor crimes performed in ignorance might be dismissed with a warning. In the case of a violent crime or use of magic against a Riedran, the offender's goods are confiscated, and he is usually deported or executed. If the Inspired believe that a criminal has valuable information, he might be held in a reclamation center while they obtain it. Still, the Inspired do not believe in long incarcerations. Captured PCs must escape quickly if they hope to avoid execution.

The Inspired stand above all laws.

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 shifters, but bitterness exists between Tashana's shifters 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.