Rira (country)

Rira
by User: Otto didact
World	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

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This article is about a nation on Roshar. For the slumlord of Hallandren, see Rira (character).

Rira is a kingdom in northwestern Roshar, bordering Iri and Babatharnam. Formerly a part of the Silver Kingdom of Iri, the people of Rira have a distinct appearance, with blond hair and light skin. Their culture is also unique, and incorporates certain aspects of both Iriali and Vorin tradition.

Geography and Ecology

Rira is located in northwest Roshar, a warm area of the continent. Rira primarily borders Babatharnam to the south; it also has a very small border with the Misted Mountains. To the east, a large lake separates Rira from Iri, with land borders to the north and south of the lake. The northeastern portion of Rira is mountainous and surrounded by the Reshi Sea.

Notable Locations

Rira contains an area known as the "sunken forests". It also controls the island that contains the city of Kurth. Rianal, Drehy's birthplace, is in the west; based on Drehy's blond hair, it may be located in Rira, but it does not appear on available maps.

History

In the Silver Kingdoms era, almost all of Rira's territory was a part of Iri. At some point, the Riran people that occupied the eastern portion of Iri formed their own nation. Rira also took control of a small island near its coast that contained the city of Kurth, previously held by the Silver Kingdom of Rishir.

Iri continued to claim Rira as a vassal state, but this claim was disputed, and Rira was recognized as a sovereign kingdom by other nations.

“Soulcasters. We have not these things in Rira or Iri. Fascinating, fascinating ... And so many Shards here. Perhaps half the world's wealth of Blades and Plates, all contained in Vorin kingdoms. The Heralds themselves favor you.”

—Toh

By the end of the Era of Solitude, Rira was not a military power and it did not possess Soulcasters. It did have at least one set of Shardplate, which belonged to a teenager named Evi. Evi and her brother Toh "stole" the Shardplate by taking it out of Rira; they used the Plate as a bargaining chip to gain asylum in Alethkar and convince Dalinar Kholin to marry Evi. The other Rirans were enraged that the Plate had been taken, and exiled Toh and Evi. Toh was very worried about retribution; he and Evi intentionally sought out the Alethi seeking protection through their military might.

During the True Desolation, the Riran government did not respond to Dalinar's overtures to form an alliance to fight the Voidbringers. The monarchy of Iri claimed to speak for Rira; they considered Dalinar a thief due to the history of Evi's Shardplate, despite the fact that the Iriali may not have had a valid claim to the Plate. Dalinar actually considered giving the Iriali the Plate, now worn by Adolin, if it would bring them to his side, but the talks quickly broke off.

As the war progressed, the Iriali invaded Rira and reclaimed its territory. Rira was then incorporated into Odium's stronghold in northwestern Roshar, and their armies fought against Dalinar's coalition.

Politics

Rira is referred to as a "kingdom", implying that it has a monarchy of some kind, but the structure of their government is not known. Even though Iri's claim on Rira as a vassal state is disputed, Iri is thought to have significant sway over Rira, at least from a diplomatic standpoint. Because Rira and Iri lack Soulcasters and Shards, they are not thought of as a threat in the east.

Rira becomes a strategically significant location during the True Desolation because of the Oathgate located in Kurth. Because Rira is deep in the territory controlled by Odium, Dalinar's coalition has not made an attempt to capture Kurth.

Culture

Peoples

“[Zu] had bronze skin that seemed metallic to Adolin, and her hair wasn't like his own blond—it was too golden. Though his mother had been from Rira, near Iri, the two peoples were distinct. ”

—Adolin's thoughts on Zu's appearance

Riran people superficially share some physical traits with the Iriali. They are tall, and have relatively light skin and blond hair. However, Rirans do not have the Iriali trait of a metallic tinge to their skin and hair. Rirans have a mixed ancestry and there are genetic differences between the two peoples.

Ialai Sadeas claimed that Rirans and Iriali wear very little clothing, similar to the Reshi, although she may have been exaggerating in order to tempt Dalinar. Evi does wear a "filmy" dress when she first meets the Alethi, and awkwardly covers her safehand.

Religion

Rira seems to be ideologically and religiously distinct from both the Iriali and the Vorin nations to the east. Some Rirans have a belief system that incorporates parts of each of these religions, while others feel that neither doctrine applies to their people.

Evi believes in the Iri concept of the One but also seems to worship the Heralds. However, she uses unique names for the Heralds such as Yaysi and Kellai, and she does not pray to the Almighty. She burns glyphwards, but she is careful to use fragrant paper that also serves as incense. She also refers to an unknown entity named Shishi.

Language

Rira has its own language that is linguistically related to the Iri and Reshi languages. The "Re" in Renarin's name comes from the Riran language, although it has no specific meaning.

Toh and Evi speak Alethi with a thick accent, lengthening their "oh" and "ah" sounds. Riran idioms do not translate well into Alethi.

Notes

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