Riava

Riava is an oligarchical meritocracy led by the Anjoman (Council of Sages). It is located on the southwest continent, known locally as Bazwebwe. The official languages are the Karad Zeban (Language of Knowledge) and the Traveler's Tongue. Due to its policies, Riava is a diverse nation, with all religions welcome. However, almost all citizens of Riava, and specifically the people of ancient tribes, follow Niada, the goddess of knowledge.

Tribal Era
Riava is one of the nations that stayed in the tribal era for ages. It had been the longest period of tribal era for a nation, due to severe conflicts between tribes. Even the advancement of the surrounding world could not affect Riava. For years, many adventurers tried to enter those lands but only a few of them returned home. They described Riava as a real hell, sinking in the blood of its own people and whoever dared to enter those lands. The story of the starting point of these conflicts is shrouded in fog. Nobody exactly knows what happened or how the conflicts started. Only some stories from the few adventurers who successfully returned from there resemble fairy tales or stories that parents tell their children at bedtime. The appearance and disappearance of Niada, the goddess of knowledge, and the story of Roadarth, the Genie were the famous stories related to this era of Riava.

The Niada's Advent
Long ago, when there was only one tribe in Riava, known as Anthene, a mysterious event took place on a rainy night under a full moon. The owls of the tribe began to fly in circles and hoot, as if they were singing a song. The people of Anthene came out of their houses to see what was happening, and suddenly the moon shone in a bright golden light. They heard a loud flapping sound coming from the sky, so loud that they thought it could be heard from all around the world. The sound grew closer, and as the bright golden light of the moon illuminated the darkness, a massive creature came into view. The owls returned to their trees, and as the creature drew near to Anthene, a woman riding upon it spoke in a beautiful voice to the people of Anthene. "Do not fear, I am Niada, the goddess of knowledge." As her enormous bird, with the head of a hawk, the body of a dog and the claws of a lion, landed next to the tribe, the people saw her absolute beauty, with two-colored eyes, one golden and the other dark blue.

Niada stayed with the people of Anthene for three nights, teaching them the Karad Zeban (Language of Knowledge) and the principles of recording and collecting knowledge. On the third night, she gifted them with a magical book known as the Book of Knowledge. She promised to return every year on the first full moon night.

The date of Niada's advent later became the epoch of the Jnan Calendria, the official calendar of Riava.

Roadarth, the Genie
The magical book given to the people of Anthene by Niada was guarded by a genie named Roadarth, who was responsible for entering new knowledge to the book and granting a wish every time someone added something new to the book. For many years, the people of Anthene used the magical book wisely and wished for prosperity and fertility for their lands. They grew and became an advanced civilization very fast compared to other regions of the world. They wrote about planting and harvesting, philosophy, and industry in the magical book every day that passed. However, as time went on, they became more greedy. They had covered all the basic knowledge they had in the book, their wishes grew bigger than their needs, and knowledge became something important for them. They expected everyone to bring something new for the book of knowledge. They started to raise their children to serve the book of knowledge, and if someone was unable to add something new to the book or a child was unable to learn quickly, they exiled that person to the desert and out of the tribe.

Ferhidia, The Desert Tribe
Those who were exiled formed a new tribe, Ferhidia, in the harsh desert lands to the north. Unhappy with their treatment, they soon decided to fight for their rights against Anthene. Among the exiles was a young man named Farhad, who was in love with a girl named Shirin still living in Anthene. When the forces of Ferhidia attacked Anthene, Shirin was killed in the crossfire and Farhad was consumed by rage.

He returned to Anthene that night and stole the Book of Knowledge. A fierce battle ensued between the two tribes, with Anthene showing no mercy. Farhad and a group of followers fled to the Canous mountain, but when Anthene's soldiers followed, a great disaster struck. The mountain shook and a fiery inferno consumed all those present, leaving no survivors.

Diappearance of Niada
Some say Niada was angered by the greed and violence of the tribes and destroyed the mountain and the Book of Knowledge, while others believe Farhad caused the disaster in a fit of madness. But one thing is certain: Niada never returned to Riava and the land fell into a state of misery and conflict. The battles between Anthene and Ferhidia continued, each blaming the other for the tragedy that befell their land.

Present Day
Everything began to change when Rhapsody Azadivar, a stranger, entered the lands in search of the Book of Knowledge. He was able to contact the people of Anthene and reach the Canous mountain where he found the Book of Knowledge. With the book in hand, he presented it to the people of Anthene and Ferhidia, putting them all in shock. He spoke of the advancement of the world and how far behind the people of Riava were. He urged them to end their conflicts with the people of Ferhidia and to give the book of knowledge back to them.

Union of Tribes
Successfully achieving what people had not been able to do for years, both the people of Anthene and Ferhidia accepted Rhapsody's request, but only if he agreed to become their leader. On 03/09/13 (January 28, 2023), a hundred owls flew from the first city and capital of Riava, Basokuh, to all parts of the world with a message from Rhapsody Azadivar, the first leader of Riava, announcing the formation of the new nation of Riava.

To show the unity between the prosperous plains of the south and the fiery dry lands of the north, Rhapsody began building Basokuh in the middle of both biomes, so that half of the city was covered with the desert biome and the other half with the plains. He had an ambitious plan to make Riava the center of knowledge in the world and planned to build the biggest academy and library in the world in the middle of Basokuh city.

Government and politics
Riava is an oligarchical meritocracy, ruled by the Farzaneh (Grand Magister) and led by the Anjoman (Council of Sages).

Farzaneh
Farzaneh is the ruler of tha nation, chosen by the Anjoman to take care of the executive branch and armed forces. Farzaneh will choose from the members of the Anjoman.

Anjoman
The members of Anjoman ("Council" of Sages) are called Parsa (Sage). Anjamn is responsible for legislation and judgeship in the nation.

Kargah
Kargah ("Guilds") are the backbone of Riava's executive power. The head of guilds are called Sarparast ("Guildmaster"); All work, activities, and developments are managed and executed through the guilds. The Farzaneh assigns tasks to the guilds for the progress of the nation. Citizens can either join an existing guild or create a new one by submitting a request. However, immigrants can not create a guild until they become citizens.

The role of guildmasters is crucial in Riava, as they serve as advisors to the Anjoman. They are responsible for managing and leading their respective guilds and ensuring that the objectives are met. The Farzaneh has the power to assign someone else as the guildmaster of a guild at any time, if necessary.

During the formation and unification of the Anthene and Ferhidia tribes, Rhapsody established two pioneering guilds in Riava, the Epsaian Kargah (Builder's Guild) and the Paykaran Kargah (Workers' Guild), with the aim of speeding up the construction of the Basokuh city.

Epsaian Kargah
The Builder's Guild is responsible for the conception, planning, and implementation of new construction projects throughout Riava.

Peykaran Kargah
The Workers' Guild is responsible for gathering, preparing, and distributing materials and supplies to other guilds and organizations. This guild is known as the treasury of Riava.

Military
The military of Riava is called Ertesh. The Erteshdar ("General") is responsible for leading the army. Riava's military is one of the most organized among the nations, with different types of units including light infantry, heavy infantry, cavalry units, officers, and special forces. Only citizens of Riava are allowed to join the Ertesh.

Erteshy
Soldiers of Ertesh typically consist of light infantry who stand on the front line, guarding cities, conducting patrols, and training to become more agile and stronger.

Asavar
The officers of Ertesh consist of cavalry units who typically play advisory, detective, and analytical roles within the Ertesh. They are scholars from Akademiya who have graduated from the Asavaran College of Akademiya and have chosen to serve Ertesh with their knowledge.

Javid
The special forces within the Ertesh, they are highly skilled scholars of the Akademiya. They have also served as Erteshy and are considered the best among all soldiers.

Mubariz
A Mubariz is a champion warrior in Riavan culture who represents the army in a duel before a battle. The Mubariz is part of a delegation that greets the opposing side in an effort to negotiate peace, and if peace cannot be reached, the Mubariz prepares to engage in a one-on-one fight with the champion warrior of the opposing army to start the war. The Mubariz holds a significant position in Riavan society and is viewed as a symbol of bravery and strength.

Erteshdar
The General of Ertesh, chosen by Farzaneh from the Javid units, is responsible for leading the army and setting both defensive and offensive strategies during wars.

Language
Karad Zaban (Knowledge Language) is the official language of Riava. Historically, the people of Bazwebwe and Riava used Hand Talk for communication, but after Niada's advent, she taught Karda Zaban to the Riavans, and it rapidly replaced Hand Talk as the official language of the region.

While Karad Zaban is the official language of Riava, only 1,000 residents of Riava speak it fluently, mostly belonging to the indigenous group. More than 3,000 people in the population speak the Traveler's Tongue, making the Karad Zaban the second most widely spoken language in Riava. The other speaking languages are Kolken and Gurfler Speak.

People
Most Riavans have dark hair and skin tones that range from tan to dark tan. In Bazwebwe, it is believed that the darker skin of the native people protected their ancestors from severe sunburn. Riavans are also heterochromatic, meaning that their eye colors are different from each other. While there are some Riavans with matching eye colors, those with heterochromatic eyes are considered blessed because the goddess of Riava also has heterochromatic eyes.

Due to the climate, Riavan clothing is made from lightweight materials such as linen or wool. The staple pieces of Riavan attire include tunics, trousers, shawls, coats, and closed robes. The robes are rectangular-cut fabrics that are draped and tied in different styles, depending on the fashion or the wearer's status. Women in Riava commonly wear a veil and accessorize their hair with crowns, flowers, or other hair accessories. It is also common for women to wear trousers.

War Traditions
The Riavans have several traditions related to war. Two of the most significant traditions are Greeting and Dueling. Before the battle, a delegation consisting of the army commander, their right-hand person, and the Mubariz (Champion of the army) will approach the front line to greet the opposing side and offer them one last chance to make peace. If peace cannot be reached, they return to their army, and the champion prepares for a duel. The Riavans start the war with a duel between their Mubariz and the champion warrior of the opposing army.

Sports
The most popular sport in Riava is Matrak. It is a sword and shield fighting game that is unique to the Riavan culture. The equipment used in Matrak includes an iron sword, an iron set, and a shield. The sport simulates combat and is played on a playing field or lawn.