Rivain

The nation of Rivain is located in the northeastern part of Thedas.

Its capital city is Dairsmuid, which is on the southern end of the Rivain peninsula. Being a peninsula, it is almost wholly surrounded by water except for a bridge of land connecting it to neighboring Antiva.

Culture & Society
Rivaini people tend to have skin tones ranging from dark tan to ebony. Social standing in Rivain is often marked by tattoos and body piercings. The more elaborate one's decorations, the higher one's rank. This is often accompanied by extravagant jewelry.

Though possessing a currency-based economy as other nations do, Rivaini society values communal welfare over the accumulation of individual wealth. As such, people in a village often work together to support each other, sending supplies to other communities when needed.

Religion
Unlike the majority of peoples in Thedas, most Rivainis are not Andrastians and don't believe in the Maker. Rather, they believe in the Natural Order. While the Chantry believes they "worship" a pantheon of spirits, Rivianis would disagree. Rather, they hold the belief that spirits and demons are merely forces in the world like any other natural force. Villages have relationships with their local spirits, and build friendships with them and request help from them, but do not worship these spirits as one would worship a god. There is no standard pantheon.

Rivain's royalty is still Andrastian. Small pockets of Southern Rivain follow the Chantry religion, most notably the capital city of Dairmsuid. But the Chantry lacks any real authority in Rivain outside of Dairsmuid. The farther north in Rivain you get, the less familiar people are with the teachings of Andraste. Many in the far northern reaches, especially in Kont-aar, have also converted to the Qun, as their religion and the Qun are not very contradictory. According to Ferdinand Genitivi, a well-known Chantry scholar:

"The Chant of Light never truly reached the ears of these people. Resistance to the Chant goes deeper than the Qunari Wars. The Rivaini refuse to be parted from their Seers, wise women who are in fact hedge mages, communicating with spirits and actually allowing themselves to be possessed. The Chantry prohibition against such magical practices violates millennia of local tradition."

Seers
Though a Circle existed in Dairsmuid, it was merely a means to appease the Chantry. The mages of the Circle were allowed to see their families, unlike other Circles of Thedas that keep their mages cloistered away.

Some Rivaini mages (traditionally women) who are particularly gifted in Spirit Magic are chosen to be trained as Seers, a position in Rivaini society that is revered as a matter of tradition. These local hedge witches converse with spirits and even allow themselves to be possessed for the benefit of their villages. These Seers educate apprentices in their craft and are allowed their freedom provided they assist Templars when needed.

The Oracles
Among the Seers, there are four different orders. Oracles

The Oracle of Dairsmuid,

The Oracle of Seere

The Oracle of Ayesleigh

The Black Oracle

Northern Rivain
Northern Rivain is hotter, wetter, and swampier than Southern Rivain. The villages in this region tend to be tiny and remote, with the exception of two small cities, Seere and Kont-aar.

Northern Rivain is somewhat influenced by Qunari culture. This is because about 200 years ago during the Steel Age, the whole of Rivain was conquered by the Qunari and its people were forced to convert to the Qun. It wasn't until the Chantry declared the New Exalted Marches back in the Storm Age (60 years ago) that the Orlesian Chantry and the Tevinter Imperial Chantry united forces to push the Qunari out of Rivain. The Llomeryn Accords were signed, and peace was forged, with only a single Qunari settlement remaining in the north, called Kont-aar.

Northern Rivain is only lightly populated, and most of the people in the region live in difficult terrain (swamps and mountains). Many of the smaller villages were able to evade Qunari attention and were able to retain their traditions, whereas the more populated South was forced to adopt the ways of the Chantry (to some extent).

Unlike the people in Southern Rivain, the Rivaini people in the north do not believe in the Maker. Rather, they are pantheists who believe in the Natural Order and follow the old traditions. As such, many hold to the belief that their god and the universe are the same, and seek the wisdom and guidance of spirits and the ancestors. Some Qunari ideals melded into the Xirake traditions, such as the idea that the individual is only a piece of a greater whole, and should strive to exist not for themselves but in service of the greater purpose, and the idea of putting the needs of the greater community over family or personal desires.

Seere
Seere (pronounced "SEA-ruh") is a small coastal city, and is the northernmost city in Rivain. The Chantry has historically lacked any authority in Seere and the surrounding regions. Although they've tried, Seere is just too remote. Seere is more culturally influenced by Tevinter and the Qunari through trade than it is by Antiva, and as such, it is not unusual to see magic being used openly, nor is it unusual to see Rivaini converts to the Qun engaged in friendly trade, hauling crates of nutmeg from the Qunari plantations of Seheron.

Kont-aar
Kont-aar is the first (and only) Qunari settlement on the mainland of Thedas. The Qunari have a reputation for being war-like and forcibly converting others to the Qun religion. However, in Kont-aar, they co-exist peacefully with the humans and elves who live in northern Rivain.

Some theorize that this is because they depend on the Rivaini people to be their outlet of trade to the rest of the continent (other nations fear the Qunari and are reluctant to have any form of relationship with them). Some say that it's because the Rivaini people are open to the ideas of the Qun, which aren't so terribly different than the communal-based living that they already engage in. Indeed, there are many Riviani converts to the Qun who live in Kont-aar. However, the Qunari position on mages is the one main point of contention between the two cultures, so Northern Rivaini mages almost never convert to the Qun.

Ghizela

Zora is from a village called Ghizela, in the swamps of northern Rivain, not too far from the Qunari settlement of Kont-aar. This was historically the home of the Black Oracle and the Order of Chata, until the Templars massacred most of the Order.

Superstitions

 * Rivaini consider beetles to be ill omens.

Dairsmuid
Dairsmuid is the capital city of Rivain and the largest city by size and population. This is the hometown of Calderon Quiroga, where most of his family still lives today.

The capital is the seat of the monarchy, and an important center of trade.

The capital is the one place in Rivain where the Chantry still has some measure of power. This is because about 200 years ago, during the Steel Age, Rivain was conquered by the Qunari and its people were forcibly converted to the Qun. It wasn't until the Chantry declared the New Exalted Marches back in the Storm Age (60 years ago) that the Orlesian Chantry and the Tevinter Imperial Chantry united forces to push the Qunari out of Rivain. The Llomeryn Accords were signed, and peace was forged, with only a single Qunari settlement remaining in the north, called Kont-aar.

The people of the capital tend to believe in the Maker rather than the more traditional polytheistic Rivaini religion called Xirake (shee-ra-KAY) that worships spirits and the ancestors, although some of the old Rivaini traditions are still observed (seers, for example, are still revered for their insight, even though outside of Rivain their practice would be considered heretical).

Llomeryn
Llomeryn is a politically neutral port city on an island off the southern tip of Rivain. The city is a favored base for pirates and criminals and its renowned bazaars often peddle stolen goods. It is also a headquarters of the Black Hawks (officially known as the Felicisima Armada).

Greater Rivain

 * Rivaini are traditionally a matriarchal people and many believe that women are best suited to ruling. Most Rivaini villages are governed by elder women. The head monarch of Rivain is a Queen.
 * Rivaini consider beetles ill omens, and kill them on sight.


 * Rivain is known for its spiced tea, one in particular that is a blend of cinnamon, ginger and cloves, which appear to have healing properties.

Northern Rivain

 * Kont-aar: A Qunari settlement located on the northern coast. It's the last holding of the Qunari on the mainland of Thedas and is supposed to be well fortified. It is also the sole peaceful Qunari settlement on the continent.
 * Seere: A tropical coastal city on the northern edge of Rivain. Has a large Qunari population who live in a quarter of the city and even have a small temple on the outskirts of the city. Seere is a hugely important trading partner for Qunari, and is where they import most of their goods to sell to the rest of Thedas.

Southern Rivain

 * Ayesleigh: A mid-sized Rivaini city. Famous as the site of the end of the 4th blight, where the archdemon was defeated.
 * Dairsmuid: The capital city of Rivain, as well as its biggest city. Antivan cultural influence is strong here, as well as Chantry presence. The biggest port town in the nation.
 * Llomerryn: The smuggler's haven. A largely neutral, largely lawless city.  Its markets and bazaars are notorious for their abundant and exotic treasures - a lot of them stolen - and it is said that "any man can gain his heart's desire - for the right price." The Felicisma Armada still operates out of Llomerryn, to the Sea Guard's chagrin.

Minor Settlements

 * Ghizela: A small village in the swamps of northern Rivian, notable for being the home of the Black Oracle and the Order of Chata
 * Suferinta: A Rivaini village on the northern coast of Rivain. Considered a difficult place to live, since it is constantly getting hit by typhoons.
 * Taritoare: A tropical beach town that is home to an order of spirit healers who are said to be able to fix pretty much any ailment but the Blight. It is often visited by Tevinter, Rivaini, and Antivan nobility seeking specialized healing, and is said to be like a paradise.
 * Vindaar: A Qunari village located in northern Rivain.

Geography

 * Burja Spit: The enormous swampy grove of cypress trees located on the northeastern edge of the vast Xiuperca Swamplands. Contains the village of Ghizela.
 * Erou Mountains: The mountain range that runs along the eastern edge of Rivain.
 * Ixiola River: A major river that runs from the Erou Mountains northward to Kont-Aar.
 * Xiuperca Swamplands: A region that encompasses the majority of Northern Rivain. There are villages in the swamp, but most are very small. It is difficult to navigate, and has almost no roads.