Peredhel

Peredhel is the Peren nation, founded by the slaves who took it, and it has been at war on every border it has for most of the seven centuries since. That is not a recent misfortune. It is the arrangement: a country whose founding act was a rising, which has never entirely stopped behaving like one, and whose neighbors have never entirely stopped expecting it to.

It is a confederation of nine provinces under three Tarumbar, and it is the home of Lady Eravil Dark Eyes, whose temples stand everywhere here and whose defining tenet is tolerance of race, of sex, of culture, enforced with the same severity as everything else. More than half the country is Peren. Its citizens are Dhel, or Peren, depending who is asking.

Mikhail is from here, studied at the university at Durwyn in Bardh Province, and said so to nobody on the road for a long while, and then only to Koa, privately (S2E24).

The Ikhtari–Khadimé Divide

In Peredhel, class is not determined by race, wealth, or birth, but by sacrifice. A citizen’s worth is measured in blood, obedience, and service to the state. The two formal classes, Ikhtari and Khadimé, are not static, but the ladder between them is steep and often fatal.

Ikhtari

“The Chosen”

First-Class Citizens

Ikhtari are those who have proven themselves through deep and repeated service to Peredhel. Almost all have undergone In Ikhtar (the Trial of Choice) at least twice, and many three times: first to enter, then to rise. They hold near-total rights and responsibilities across the nation.

Key Privileges

• Full citizenship across all nine provinces (excluding the military province of Rast without clearance).

• May serve as officers, judges, councilors, governors, and high functionaries.

• May own property, operate business, and hold public office in any province or ward.

• Lower taxation and priority access to state resources.

• Legal protections not afforded to Khadimé, including trial by peers and exemption from forced conscription.

Inheritance & Children

• Children of Ikhtari are not automatically Ikhtari.

• Most are born Khadimé, unless the parent is of exceptional standing (high-ranking officer, provincial Prince, or national servant of distinction).

• This reinforces the idea that Ikhtari status must be earned, not inherited.

Cultural Identity

• Held up as paragons of discipline and virtue.

• Expected to demonstrate public service and uphold national ideals.

• Marriages to Khadimé are permitted, but legally complicated, especially regarding taxation, property, and overall freedoms.

Khadimé

“The Servants”

Second-Class Citizens

Khadimé are the labor force and foot soldiers of the Peredhel state. They make up the majority of the population and come from all walks of life: conquered peoples, foreign-born immigrants, and even the children of Ikhtari. Many earned their status through In Ikhtar, completing a tour of service; many others were simply born into the role.

Key Limitations

• Full citizenship is only recognized in one of the nine provinces (usually their province of induction).

• Outside their home province, Khadimé face travel restrictions, heightened scrutiny, and denial of many civic services.

• Forbidden from holding judicial, military command, or provincial leadership roles.

• Heavily taxed, often 2–3× more than Ikhtari, especially outside their home province.

• Require identification papers to move between provinces.

• Cannot own land in major capitals or reside in central districts. Instead, they are confined to lesser wards, often overcrowded but essential to urban function.

Special Provision for the Peren

• Peren who renounce all previous allegiances are automatically granted Khadimé status without enduring In Ikhtar.

• This policy, combined with the nation’s Peren origins, and the laws around Mette-hina contributes to their ethnic majority within Peredhel.

• Many native Peren view it as both a gift and an obligation: a debt owed to the nation that gave them sanctuary.

Cultural Identity

• Some Khadimé aspire to rise to Ikhtari, while others view the system as immovable.

• Many form tight-knit communities within lesser wards, with their own schools, rituals, and traditions.

• Their presence is both indispensable and controlled: the machinery that keeps Peredhel running, but one that must never rise beyond its designated function.

Choosing the Path

In Ikhtar, “The Choice”, is both gateway and proving ground. Once to become Khadimé, twice more to become Ikhtari. There are three paths through In Ikhtar:

Military Service: Frontline or siege warfare for three years. The most common route.

Public Labor: Seven years of state-assigned work (construction, farming, infrastructure, trades or crafting that benefits the armies directly, etc).

Death: A sacrificial death in service to the state.

Just as Lady Eravil Dark Eyes is worshiped in Peredhel, so is the Martyr. Self-sacrifice can elevate one’s status and aid either their personal legacy or those they left behind.

Those seeking elevation from Khadimé to Ikhtari must endure 2 additional passes through In Ikhtar, each are often far more difficult, dangerous, and/or scrutinized. Only the most loyal, brave, or useful are allowed to climb the ladder.

Structure

Peredhel is a triarchic confederation of nine provinces, each ruled by its own elected Prince. Above them, three Tarumbar, elected by the Princes, govern clusters of three provinces apiece. These Tarumbar rule for life (or until abdication) and act as co-equal stewards of the nation, each focused on their own third of the country. Though their authority does not overlap, they may collaborate on matters of national importance, offering aid across borders when necessary.

Government

Peredhel is an electocracy. The nine Princes are elected in their provinces, and the three Tarumbar above them are elected by the Princes.

Power Structure

Peredhel is a confederation. Each province keeps its own Prince and its own government, and the Tarumbar govern them in clusters of three.

Laws

Peredhel does not tolerate indiscipline. Its laws are precise, its punishments severe, and its values are not merciful, but measured.

Each class has explicit legal codes tailored to their role, just as foreigners have their own set of laws to follow.

Violating the boundaries between these classes, without permission, is considered seditious conduct.

Laws are enforced swiftly, and appeal processes are only available to Ikhtari.

Demographics

People	Share
Peren	53%
Humans	20%
Hobgoblins	13%
Hobbin	9%
Gnomes	2%
Half-orcs	1.5%
Other	1.5%

No census total was ever written down, only the proportions.

Ikhtari & Khadimé

Khadimé make up approx. 65–70% of the population.

Ikhtari comprise 25–30%.

~5% live in a liminal state: foreign residents, prisoners, and those mid-In Ikhtar.

Peredhel benefits from a large, subservient class but carefully restricts Ikhtari numbers to maintain prestige and control. The open-door policy for Peren and the practice of Mette-hina skews demographics further in their favor, with ethnic Peren forming the largest group in both classes.

Currency

Unit	Abbr	Nickname
Princes	PP	Sovereigns
Gold	GP	Crowns
Fiddah	FP	Moonies
Silver	SP	Shines
Copper	CP	Pennies
Brass	BP	Slivers

Conversion Rates

1 PP= 10 GP

1 G = 2 FP= 10 SP= 100 CP= 500 BP

1 FP= 5 SP= 50 CP= 250 BP

1 SP= 10 CP= 50 BP

1 CP= 5 BP

Foreign Relations

Peredhel stands at the center of a web of conflict with a foreign policy that is defined by expansion, exploitation, and endurance. War is not a tragedy but a tool. Diplomacy exists only when war is inconvenient. While Peredhel is a vital hub for international commerce, most of its borders are locked in some form of hostility or cold standoff. Only by keeping fragile truces and working a few key trade routes can the Dhel hope for long-term dominance.

Amulta

Peredhel and Amulta are locked in a long, grinding war, not over land or resources, but over power and dominance. Both are magical powerhouses, though Peredhel’s strength comes from its alliance with the Arcane Congress. While Amulta was once the unrivaled leader in the creation of magically infused items, Peredhel seeks to seize that market. This would grant them both military supremacy and economic control. While Peredhel vastly outnumbers Amulta in raw fighting force, Amulta’s magical might and its incredible infrastructure have prepared it for a generational siege. Longstanding treaties with Galderia and Yovance ensure a steady supply of food and materials, keeping the war at a brutal stalemate. For every Amultese soldier lost, it’s said Peredhel sacrifices ten or more.

Taziondale

Though not entirely conquered, Taziondale lost nearly one-sixth of its territory in a past campaign. The annexed lands are mineral-rich, housing high-quality and rare ores that have bolstered Peredhel’s material strength. In recent years, Taziondale’s efforts to reclaim the land have intensified, fueled by bold resistance cells: locally organized militias rather than state-led armies. These fighters have grown especially aggressive following the emergence of a figure known only as Rena the Destroyer, whose presence has galvanized the insurgency and reignited the conflict.

Yovance

Once vastly larger, Yovance has lost roughly 40% of its landmass to Peredhel’s military advances. Still, the nation endures, made up of fiercely independent city-states governed by powerful merchant families. Though there is no central ruler, these oligarchs have aligned their forces enough to resist Peredhel for years. Peredhel’s greater numbers and coordination continue to give them the upper hand, but Yovance’s refusal to yield, despite its disposable view of human life and reliance on slave labor, has prevented an easy victory.

The Daelands

Far to the east, the war in the Daelands was once a story of steady conquest. But instead of consolidating their early victories, Peredhel’s ambitions pushed their armies too far. Now stretched thin across the harsh landscape, their forces face growing insurgency. Supplying the front is a logistical nightmare: land routes require navigating the deadly Barren Lands, while maritime paths are treacherous and slow. The only other method, extracting resources directly from the newly-claimed populations, has caused unrest and further fed the rebellion.

The Barren Lands and Eldamar

Peredhel’s borders also meet wilderness on two fronts: the Barren Lands, a cursed and monster-filled wasteland, and Eldamar, a dense, untamed rainforest. While not nations, both regions spawn regular skirmishes and threats. These ongoing conflicts drain Peredhel’s military attention, but their lack of political structure prevents them from being true warfronts.

Kijinxi

Though not currently at war, tension brews with Kijinxi. The region is under-supplied and lightly garrisoned, leaving any military aggression likely to devolve into chaos. Still, murmurs of conflict persist, though whether this stems from government ambition or rogue actors remains uncertain.

Idir

Enclaved entirely within Peredhel’s territory, the region of Idir remains unconquered. It resists both assimilation and occupation with fierce unity. The Peren ruling class seems oddly disinterested in subduing it, an apathy that defies logic, given Idir’s strategic position. Old tales of curses linger, and the people of Idir have earned a reputation for violent cohesion, making conquest not worth the cost, at least for now.

Galderia

Peredhel’s only direct neighbor without open conflict, Galderia maintains a wary but stable treaty. Trade flows through their border, forming a critical artery for Peredhel’s economy and diplomacy.

Ustos and Escaria

Though distant, Ustos and Escaria are strong trade partners. Peredhel connects with them through sea routes or via Galderia’s well-established trade networks. These relations remain peaceful and profitable.

Campaign Updates

The party has never set foot in it. Everything known of Peredhel in Idir came across a border: from Mikhail, who left; from Leon Yaegar, who fought for it; from the émigrés who founded Vigil after losing a princely election and walking out; and from the Peren scattered through Idir who took the road rather than the term of service.

Every one of them chose to be somewhere else.