User:Truthwatch3r/Idris

{{nation
|ethnicity=[[:Category: Idrians|Idrian]]
|capital=[[Bevalis]]
|ruler=[[Dedelin]]
|world=Nalthis
|universe=[[Cosmere]]
|books=[[Warbreaker]]
}}

Composed, simple, hard, and capable. Idrian.

—King Dedelin's observation of Vivenna[1]

Idris is a country to the north of Hallandren on Nalthis. Citizens of Idris are called Idrians.[2]

Geography and EcologyEdit

Idris lies in the highlands, where its location allows control over the four main trade passes to the north.[1] The land in Idris is rich with minerals that also bring the country wealth.[2] The countryside has vegetation that buds out in spring, though it only gets warm for a brief period each year; some valuable roots grow higher up in the mountains.[3][4]

HistoryEdit

The royal family of Idris, who can apparently trace their line back to the first Returned. Another heritage of divinity, a challenger for rightful rule in Hallandren.

—Siri musing on the politics surrounding the throne of Hallandren[5]

Idris was one nation with Hallandren until the Manywar, when the royals refused to support the conflicts that led up to the war.[6] The separate nation of Idris was formed at the climax of the war when the royal family fled to the mountains for safety after being rejected by the people of Hallandren in favor of being ruled by the Returned.[1][2]

Twenty years before the events of the Pahn Kahl rebellion, Dedelin's father was assassinated, and he inherited the throne. King Dedelin's first official act was to negotiate a treaty with Susebron promising to send his daughter (ostensibly Vivenna, though this was not stated specifically) to the Court of Gods to marry him when Vivenna turned twenty-two, thereby reintroducing the bloodline of the royals into Hallandren's own ruling line. When the time came, however, Dedelin could not bring himself to send his beloved daughter to what he was sure would be her death, so he sent Siri instead.[1]

During that time of deteriorating relations, Lemex, the chief Idrian spy in T'Telir, acted on Dedelin's orders in an attempt to destabilize Hallandren and undermine its ability to wage war. Unfortunately, he was oblivious to the fact that Denth and his crew, whom he had hired to aid in his efforts, were manipulating him; Lemex's actions were actually inflaming the already considerable tensions.[7] Vivenna continued his work, also in the name of helping Idris and also unaware of Denth's true motivations.[8]

At the culmination of the Pahn Kahl rebellion, Hallandren's Lifeless army was sent to Idris to slaughter its population; however, Susebron sent Kalad's Phantoms after the army, who reached the Lifeless in time to defeat the force.[9][10]

PoliticsEdit

Idris has a monarchical system of government and is ruled by King Dedelin. The eldest child, regardless of gender, inherits the throne.[3] Those of the royal family who either rule or are potential heirs have the Royal Locks: hereditary hair that changes color according to the bearer's emotional state, at their will, or not at all when the bearer uses training and discipline to suppress the changes.[1][11] Those with the Royal Locks can also grow them when they want to, and this feels to them as if they were using a physical muscle.[12] The royal family in Idris usually keeps their hair black or brown, as other colors such as red or yellow are considered ostentatious.[1]

Your people are in a state of rebellion against the rest of the kingdom.

Treledees to Siri[13]

While Idrians consider themselves a separate nation from Hallandren, Hallandren considers Idris to be rebel-controlled land still within its borders. This is the main source of tension between the two nations, a tension that is kept in check during the first twenty years of Dedelin's reign by his treaty with Susebron that promises to send one of his daughters to the Court of Gods to marry the God King.[1] Because King Dedelin fears war, though, he establishes Lemex as the head of his spy network in T'Telir and closely monitors the information Lemex sends.[4] Idris' armies are harried by Vendis raids and are no match in general for the Lifeless army of Hallandren, and Vahr's failed rebellion has renewed Hallandren's focus on its enemies. Due to these factors, General Yarda advises Dedelin to do what they must to delay war at least until winter, when heavy snows can be another of their allies; Dedelin decides to send Siri to fulfill the treaty and stall the process of war for a little longer. In the meantime, Yarda discusses riling up the remnants of Vahr's rebels and approaching Tedradel about gaining their support.[1]

CultureEdit

The kingdom is drab and relatively devoid of color, reflecting the Idrian people's aversion to any display of "ostentation" in their way of living. Stone walls are whitewashed, and clothing is kept a dull grey or tan in accord with a superstition teaching that this can prevent Awakeners from using colors to fuel their magic.[1]

Idrians consider the Hallandren gods to be strange and their religion to be untrue. Though Ramblemen come through and tell the Idrians of the outside world, many Idrians hold false ideas of the horrors of Hallandren and tell stories of horrible rituals they supposedly carry out there.[14] Although the people of Idris can also become Returned, this is a rare occurrence. The people of Idris, unlike those in Hallandren, refuse to provide any Returned with Breath, causing them to die at the end of the week.[14]

Women chasing runaway geese, men pulling donkeys laden with spring seed, and children leading sheep on their way to pasture.

Siri describing the people of Bevalis[1]

Idris is mostly rural, with most people working as shepherds or farmers. Most people believe in Austre, and it is a tradition that all families with means enough to spare them should send at least one child to work in the monasteries. These monks dedicate their lives to working for the good of the poor and don't amass possessions or wealth for themselves.[3][15]

The people are taught to be reserved from a young age and "to avoid shameful outbursts of emotion." The model Idris woman dresses in a way to avoid drawing attention, with hair modestly contained and no makeup;[1] clothing typically covers even the neck.[12]

BevalisEdit

The capital of Idris is the city of Bevalis. Its roads are unpaved, and its houses are stone-walled, thatched cottages. The royal palace, which serves as a meeting place and a center of operations for the kingdom, is a single-story building with a courtyard of packed dirt; it is, however, large enough to be considered almost "flamboyant."[1] Bevalis is a small city in comparison with the capitals of other nations on Nalthis, with a population of around a few thousand.[4]


Idrian Royal Family
Key
Parents/Children
Siblings
Ancestors/Descendants
Marriage
Partnership/relationship
  Deceased

Notable CitizensEdit

NotesEdit

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