Reshi Isles

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Reshi Isles
Locator ReshiIsles.png
Type Islands
World Roshar
Universe Cosmere

The Reshi Isles are a collection of islands on the northern edge of Roshar in the Reshi Sea. People from the Reshi Isles are called Reshi.

They include the islands of Kadrix, Quili, Abri, Arak, Akak, Relu-na and Sumi.[1] According to Dalinar's memories the people of the Akak Reshi were destroyed.[2]

One of the smaller islands is home to the ardents Geranid and her husband Ashir.[3]

GeographyEdit

ClimateEdit

As an equatorial collection of landmasses,[1][4][5] weather of the Reshi Isles is warm and overwhelmingly humid. The rainfall on the Reshi Sea often forms a misting haze.[6] As Roshar lacks obliquity, the heat is constant and the sun passes directly overhead.[7][8][citation needed]

The summers tend to be sweltering, especially at the beaches, where the sand is heated enough that it hurts to walk across.[9]

Shalebark mounds made vast fields of vibrant colors. Moss coated nearly everything. Vines and rockbuds wound around trunks of small trees that had gained a foothold in cracks between plates of the animal’s shell.

—Rysn describing a Tai-na.[6]

Flora and FaunaEdit

  • I-nah - A type of tree with bark of stone which grows along the bottom of the Reshi Sea.[6]
  • Tai-na - A type of island-sized habitable greatshell worshiped by the Reshi.[6]
  • Coracot - A fearsome creature that is hunted in the Reshi Isles.
  • Zatalef - The zatalef is a cephalopod that lives at least in Akak, and perhaps in other Reshi Isles.
  • An unknown species of minnow.
  • An unknown species of greatshell living on Kadrix.[10]

PeopleEdit

The Reshi are described as having straight black hair, tan skin and rounded features.[11] They are said to look similar to Herdazians.[12] They speak Reshi, which is a language sounding like barking, according to some people. They are a relaxed people, living a simple life, though not every Reshi is carefree and prefers lounging to fighting.[6]

They know much of foreigners, but are not aware of the current economic situation on the mainland, so they only trade with people they trust and respect during the trading season. With outsiders seeking out the place and trying to exploit them, they grow tired of those who bring goods of low quality.[6] Despite this, they are capable of sending messages to distant locations, as Talik was able to tell Vstim in advance that he should bring goods to trade for a larkin corpse.[6]

The relatively relaxed culture of the Reshi Isles attracts foreigners to the isles as permanent residents.[6] According to Vstim, relocating to the Tai-na called Relu-Na requires giving all you own to their king.[6] It is unclear if this is standard practice for all of the Reshi Isles, or just for this one.

As indigenous populations, most Reshi have no real concept of assassination and war.[13] To them, battle is more about yelling and posturing than actual killing. However the eastern Reshi often raid Alethkar. When trading, a Reshi judges the other trader as they would judge a rival in battle.[13][6]

When a foreigner is nearby, the Reshi tend to jump into the water from greater heights than they would normally, doing so to impress and shock these foreigners.[6]

CultureEdit

ReligionEdit

The Reshi worship Tai-na as their gods. They believe that the Tai-na approve of boldness and respect and interpret the movements of the Tai-na as divine will. They also believe that everything in life serves the same purpose of pleasing the Tai-na.

They use bundles of fruit as offerings.[6]

They appear to observe taboos regarding discussion of the spren that inhabit Tai-na.[6]

ClothingEdit

Reshi standard clothing includes colorful wraps leaving the shoulders bare as well as tassels. Some Reshi also wear their hair in two long braids.[14] Reshi are also known to wear hair ornaments such as ribbons. Swimmers like to walk about unclothed.[6] In parts of the Reshi Isles, some women don't even wear tops due to the hot weather.[15] The king of an island is dressed in full bright voluminous robes.

Live StockEdit

The Reshi paint their chulls' shells. One can identify what island a Reshi chull handler is from by the colors and patterns on their chulls' shells.[16]

The Reshi on Kadrix ride Greatshells.[10]

FurnitureEdit

Reshi furniture is flat and long. They do not use chairs, instead sitting on cushions laid across the ground.[3]

MilitaryEdit

Soldiers lined the path, armed with spears bearing colorful tassels. Their breastplates and armguards were of carapace carved wickedly with points, and though they wore only wraps for clothing, they stood as stiff backed as any Alethi soldier, with stern expressions to match.

Rysn observing Reshi guards.[6]

Though many Reshi are relaxed and carefree, there are those who prefer fighting to lounging. These soldiers wear armour made from carapace, their armguards are carved into wicked points. [6] They also carry spears with tassels on them. They do not have any Shards and are not known to have any soulcasters.

In large parts of the Reshi isles the fighting is ritualistic, with more posturing and yelling then actual killing, The eastern Reshi are known for their raids against the Alethi however, so its safe to assume these Reshi fight more like warriors from the mainland. Reshi wars are often short, only a single battle long.[citation needed]

When two Tai-na go to war the people of the islands get into boats and exchange insults and boasts, each starting with their weakest insults first. This would progress into a kind of verbal duel ending with the strongest insults. Afterwards arrows and spears would be exchanged, although this wouldn’t be to violently, with more yelling then actual cutting.[citation needed]

TransportationEdit

The Reshi travel the Reshi Sea using catamarans.[6] They also travel on their islands using Chulls.[citation needed]

PoliticsEdit

The Reshi isles are not united by a single government, instead each island has its own king.[citation needed]

HistoryEdit

The Silver KingdomsEdit

 
Map of the Silver Kingdoms

The Reshi Isles were founded as Rishir, one of the Silver Kingdoms on Roshar. It was created during the Heraldic Epochs. The largest area claimed by Rishir consisted of the Reshi isles. The Oathgate was established at the city of Kurth, on the border of the Reshi Sea.

Like all of the Silver Kingdoms, they were constantly returned back to primitive technological levels by the Desolations, often to the point to making use of stone tools. Though they advanced each time with the help of the Heralds whenever they returned, often helping them to enter into the bronze age, often receiving this assistance from Kalak and his Willshapers.[17][18][19]

Eventually at an unknown date the kingdom collapsed and fractured into multiple other nations.[citation needed]

Era of SolitudeEdit

Saving the LarkinEdit

At some point after the scouring of Aimia a group of Tai-na known as the Na-Alind took in the Larkin, as of 1174, they are still protecting the Larkin.[14]

Conquest of the Akak ReshiEdit

The Akak Reshi fought a war with the Alethi around the year 1155. They eventually lost this war and were destroyed. Dalinar fought as general on the Alethi side and claimed the land for Alethkar.[citation needed]

The Wastescum SkirmishesEdit

The Wastescum skirmishes are a collection of skirmishes in the northern region of Alethkar which occurred some time before 1166, and some time after the crowning of Gavilar in 1145. The skirmishes were started by Reshi raiders raiding northern Alethkar, seeking to take advantage of the instability of Alethkar soon after the crowning of Gavilar Kholin. It can be reasonably assumed that the raiders were repelled from Alethkar.[citation needed]

This conflict did not fully dissuade the Reshi from engaging in border skirmishes but combined with the destruction of the Akak Reshi it dealt a heavy blow to the nearby Reshi. Nevertheless they are still known to attack Alethkar as late as Kak 1173.[citation needed] However, some Reshi allied with the Alethi military during the War of Reckoning, providing them with Chulls, painted to indicate their origin.[16]

The True DesolationEdit

The CoalitionEdit

The Coalition invited the Reshi king Ral-na and his son to Urithiru to talk and show them around.[citation needed]

Notable CharactersEdit

Residents
  • Ral-na - Leader of an island[6]
  • Talik - Trader and son of the king and king's consort, who sent him to train in Thaylenah. He had a babsk, and made trademaster before returning home.[6]
Visitors
  • Geranid and Ashir - Two ardents who live together on an unnamed small island[3]
  • Rysn and her babsk Vstim (along with their guards Kylrm and Nlent) - They came to an island to trade for the corpse of a larkin.[6]
  • Axies - He was found hanging upside down from his feet for having offended the god of an island.[6]

NotesEdit

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