Razmiran

Razmiran

(Nation)

Land

Broken Lands

Alignment

Lawful evil

Capital

Thronestep

Ruler

Razmir

Government

Theocractic Dictatorship

Demonym

Razmiri

Adjective

Razmiri

Religions

Razmir

Images of Razmiran

Source: The Inner Sea World Guide, pg(s). 158ff. (1E)
Lost Omens World Guide, pg(s). 30f. (2E)

The realm known as Razmiran (pronounced RAZZ-meer-ann) was once a turbulent, violent River Kingdom called the Arch-Duchy of Melcat, where leadership changed as often as the years. This ended in 4661 AR, when the land was conquered by Razmir, a petty tyrant masquerading as a god.

Government

See also: Church of Razmir

A man tithes Razmiran as cultists destroy his property.

Razmiran is a realm devoted to its tyrannical ruler, Razmir, who claims he is a living god. He asserts that he achieved his divinity by passing the Test of the Starstone and now claims the nation of Razmiran as his own. Unbeknownst to many of the inhabitants of his theocracy, this is a lie. Razmir is little more than a powerful arcanist who feels no remorse in tricking an entire population into venerating him as an all-powerful god with the help of his chief lieutenants, colloquially called the Visions.

Gold-masked priests who have achieved the rank of Vision of the Fifteenth Step perform the day-to-day running of the country. These priests come from all walks of life: some are fierce warriors, while others are powerful wizards. As they are all dressed identically, most citizens obey them without question; many are vicious sadists with a lust for power, looking for an excuse to victimize the downtrodden. The rank of Mask of the Twelfth Step, who wear silver masks, is the second-highest rank in the Razmiri priesthood.

Despite having little to do with the country's daily operation, Razmir's erratic proclamations are always enforced. Razmir issues these commands from a thirty-one-stepped throne, with each step supposedly representing one of the stages Razmir went through to achieve divinity. Atop this throne he hides his ageing form behind an ornate ivory mask, and grows more power-hungry every year.

Foreign relations

Razmiran has poor relations with all three of the nations that border it. To the north lies haunted Ustalav, to the south the elven haven of Kyonin, and to the east the River Kingdoms to which Razmiran once belonged. It also has poor relations with nearby Brevoy, which detests Razmir's priests due to their reputation for spreading dissent wherever they go.

The River Kingdom of Lambreth lies very close to the theocracy of Razmiran, and this proximity has brought about a particularly violent history between the two nations as Razmiran seeks to expand its land and influence in the River Kingdoms through conversion. Razmiran nevertheless maintains small embassy-temples in several of the River Kingdoms. The Razmiri also launch raids into Kyonin in an attempt to punish perceived elven heresy and remain a constant thorn in the elves' side. The faith of Razmir was made illegal in Ustalav soon after the nation was founded. Despite later claiming hundreds of acres of land in southern Varno, Razmiri missionaries soon became the victims of numerous unexplained disappearances among their numbers. Discovery of bloodless corpses followed soon after, deterring future immigration and making the Razmiri understandably nervous of their northern neighbour.

Tar-Baphon's renewed threat

Before its fall, the rulers of Lastwall kept a close eye on Razmir and his clergy, not wanting its citizens to become distracted from their primary mission of watching the Hold of Belkzen and the prison of the Whispering Tyrant. After the Whispering Tyrant freed himself from his imprisonment and rose to power in 4719 AR, Razmir approached him with an offer: he would not interfere with the lich's plans as long as the Living God's efforts and nation were left in peace. It seemed that the bargain was struck and has been honored, but there have been hints that it was purchased by Razmir at a high price. Rumors have surfaced that Razmiran supplies the forces of the Gravelands with the bodies of the Razmiri dead to serve in Tar-Baphon's armies in exchange for neutrality. As the Razmiri people have strong taboos concerning the handling of the dead, who are seldom viewed before they are give to public mausoleums, it was not surprising that this was never confirmed. Additionally, many of the dead are said to come from the massive prison mines known as the Forgotten Track, where the condemned have been disappearing for decades.

Recent changes

Some of the most important members of the clergy have lately begun to whisper that Razmir has become even more erratic and strangely withdrawn from them. With the renewed threat of the Whispering Tyrant in the region, this change in behavior is greatly worrying his followers, as they are concerned that it could have an effect on the Living God's ability to protect them.

History

Razmiran's history is a short tale, as it is among Avistan's younger nations. It begins when Razmir first appeared in the region in 4661 AR, first stopping in the city of Xer near the shores of Lake Encarthan. He then moved on to the River Kingdom known as the Arch-Duchy of Melcat, where he began ousting the local magistrate and the parasitic trade guilds. Little did the people of Melcat know that he murdered the magistrate and incorporated the thieving trade guilds into the priesthood of his new religion.

Razmir's popularity slowly grew until he controlled much of Melcat. Soon the only part of the old duchy that was not under his control was its capital, Aerduin. Razmir went to Aerduin himself on 17 Erastus and made three demands of fealty to the Duke of Melcat, all of which were rebuked. That night Razmir conjured a terrible cloud of burning fire and obscuring smoke that descended upon the city. The screams of the dying echoed all night long, and by morning the city was naught but ash and ruin. Since then, the nation of Razmiran has expanded its border on five separate occasions, each time at the expense of a neighbouring River Kingdom or the country of Ustalav.

Geography

Situated between the eastern shore of the Lake Encarthan and the western-most of the River Kingdoms, Razmiran is not a particularly large country when compared to the great nations of the Inner Sea region like Andoran or Taldor. It is, however, a huge country when compared to the numerous tiny River Kingdoms to the east. Considering that Razmiran began as a small River Kingdom, its current size—after only sixty years of existence—is considerable, and few would deny that Razmir's conquests are impressive. The biggest geographical feature of Razmiran is the Exalted Woods in the center of the country. A secret fortress devoted to the worship of Razmir lies at the center of the woods, giving the place a fell reputation.

The Glass River is the most notable river of the region, which runs through southern Razmiran before emptying into Lake Encarthan.

Economy

Razmiran contains some of the largest stretches of arable land in the Broken Lands region besides Rostland in Brevoy. These are found in small pockets along the Sellen River, and are tightly controlled by the government, one of the main reasons why there is little open rebellion against the dictatorial regime. Razmiran produces enough foodstuffs to export them to neighboring countries. Other exports include cloth, lumber, and fine woodwork, while its main imports are alchemical, herbal, and medicinal supplies.

Inhabitants

The peasant inhabitants of Razmiran live much like the poor who slave beneath any other tyrant's harsh rule. The only difference is that those who speak ill of Razmir are not executed as traitors, but instead burned as heretics and heathens. Religion plays a larger role in daily life than it does in other states, as it is the state's main tool of control. The worship of any god other than Razmir is banned, and few dare to tempt the wrath of his faithful by criticizing this policy. The inequality between the nation's peasants and the ruling priest class is extreme, with the poor taxed to near starvation while the clergy live in luxury. Nevertheless, the people of Razmiran take some solace in the fact that they are at least protected from outside threats by Razmir, which they are often reminded of. What little organized opposition against the regime exists can be found in the Exalted Wood and the crossroads town of Pilgrimage, where secret rebels dream of breaking the Living God's stranglehold on the nation.

Cambions

A small colony of shackleborn cambions live in Razmiran, trained from youth to serve the will of the clergy. It is believed that these are the offspring of velstrac torturers, employed to persuade doubtful acolytes. However, the Razmiran priests have never confirmed any such dealings with the evil outsiders.

Church of Razmir

A cultist of Razmir.

Religion plays a large, often detrimental part in every aspect of Razmiri citizens' lives. The priests of Razmir have oversight over every part of society, acting more as enforcers than spiritual guides, and even the poorest laborer must tithe a portion of his meager income to the priesthood in what is known as the Tithing Step. While everyone else is forced to pay extortionate taxes, the priests of Razmir live lives of luxury and comfort. This lifestyle leads many of Razmiran's people to aspire to join the priesthood—regardless of their religious beliefs or their doubts about Razmir's divinity—as it seems to be the easiest path out of poverty. Every year, hundreds of doubters are sent to the heart of the Exalted Wood to be indoctrinated into Razmir's faith. Those who return come back changed; they seem to lose their niggling doubts and return with a new-found faith, and many return with unexplained burns and scars, although some never return at all. Whispers of the foul rituals that may take place in the depths of the Exalted Woods spread rumors of magic that can bend people's minds or warp their souls.

Temples

Razmir's temples are located in every Razmiri village and market square, but also have spread into several nearby River Kingdoms, Molthune, Nirmathas, and Ustalav. The governments of Druma, Kyonin, and Lastwall have banned his worship and forbid his clergy from proselytizing. Most churches are quite simple affairs with a large central worship chamber arranged around a set of steps that lead up to a gold or silver mask. The steps are meant to represent the 31 steps Razmir took to pass the Test of the Starstone. These steps are also frequently found rhetorically throughout the liturgy of the Church of Razmir and as well as being found literally in its buildings.

References

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