Daanvi, The Perfect Order

According to the Book:

There’s a rhythm to Daanvi, a subtle metronome keeping perfect time. If you act without thinking, you unconsciously move to the beat. The streets may be crowded, but everyone walks at the same pace, every foot striking the ground at the same moment. It takes a conscious effort to break this rhythm, change the pattern, stand out from the crowd. Your instincts push you to fall in line, match the pattern, be part of the great machine.
This is Daanvi, the Perfect Order. It represents the triumph of law over lawlessness, of discipline over chaos. From the perfectly structured insect hives to the inevitable tribunals that judge every mortal action, this is a triumph of order. On the one hand, Daanvi shows how structure and discipline can create enduring systems, and how laws are the backbone of prosperous civilization. On the other hand, it can crush individuality and innovation. It shows that laws can serve justice, but they can also pose an endless series of obstacles, or even be the tools of tyrants. Daanvi encompasses all of these paths. It shows the benefits of law and order—and the risks of taking them too far.

Universal Properties

The impulse toward order affects all creatures in Daanvi. It’s impossible to knowingly lie while in Daanvi, and the effects of random chance are reduced. In Daanvi, all things are inherently reliable—remarkable fortune and bad luck are equally rare. Plane of Truth. A creature can’t tell a deliberate lie. It can avoid answering questions, or be evasive in its answers, as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth. Impeded Illusion. When a creature casts an illusion spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, the duration is halved. The Eyes of the Law. When a creature casts a divination spell, its range is doubled; if that spell has a duration of at least 1 minute but less than 24 hours, the duration is also doubled. No Chance. The first time in a round (or any time outside of combat) that a creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw (other than a death saving throw), treat the roll as a 10. If the creature has advantage or disadvantage on that roll, it only rolls one die, and treats the other one as a 10. Flowing Time. For every 10 minutes that pass in Daanvi, only 1 minute passes in the Material Plane. So if a creature spends 10 days arguing a case before a Daanvian court, less than a day has passed on Eberron.

Denizens of Daanvi

All denizens of Daanvi either embody the concept of law and order or exist to be bound by it. Most modrons, angels, and devils perform administrative tasks as they serve as cogs in the grand machinery of their plane. Nearly all of Daanvi’s inhabitants follow an unvarying daily cycle, each denizen limited by its jurisdiction. Some authorities can move freely and enforce laws in multiple layers. But a deva can’t take action in the Iron Ward, even if it feels that an adventurer is suffering injustice, because that ward is under the jurisdiction of the local devils. The angels and devils of Daanvi use normal statistics, but their appearance is similar to modrons and inevitables. They might have metallic skin or wings, or even look like living constructs. These immortals are creatures of absolute law and can’t be compelled to break it or act against their nature. All celestials and fiends of Daanvi possess the following Axiomatic Mind trait:

Axiomatic Mind. The creature can’t be compelled to act in a manner contrary to its nature or instructions.

Daanvi doesn’t have a significant population of mortals, though there are other immortals in Daanvi beyond those explored by this section, each one representing a facet of the plane; for example, ant-like formians inhabit numerous layers of their own.
Modrons and Inevitables Modrons, Daanvi’s most common inhabitants, are embodiments of pure law, with no bias toward justice or oppression. They do their assigned tasks and obey every law; nothing more, nothing less. Monodrones can be found in many layers performing the most basic tasks. More sophisticated modrons perform endless administrative tasks and enforce basic laws.
Inevitables are powerful constructs dedicated to enforcing the law in all its aspects. Mighty maruts can be assigned to enforce specific contracts; note that these maruts have nothing to do with their counterparts in Dolurrh, just as the devils of Daanvi aren’t related to those in Shavarath. The Justify trait of Daanvian maruts transports victims to the Hall of Justice in Daanvi. In addition to the modrons and inevitables presented in the Monster Manual and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, all of which are found in Daanvi, there are others that serve specific tasks within the plane. In particular, an entity known as the Kolyarut resides beneath the Hall of Justice, with absolute authority over enforcing the law. The Kolyarut acts through a legion of host bodies, one of which serves on every inevitable tribunal; these beings are also called Kolyarut, though they’re only representatives of the greater force.
Angels The angels of Daanvi represent law in the service of justice and the greater good. These immortals enforce the laws, but also do their best to act fairly and to see that justice is done. While angels have duties to attend to and rarely have time to simply chat with random mortals, they’re typically kind and helpful when they do have time. They believe with all their being that law and civilization are the most vital virtues of all, and that the law can’t be set aside for any reason.
Devas and other angels of similar power are local authorities. They can be found as ministers, magistrates, and sages. A deva may be appointed to serve as a counselor for mortals called before an inevitable tribunal. The devas at the Infinite Archive serve as sages; modrons file and record, but the devas study the data and reflect on it. Meanwhile, powerful planetars serve as high ministers and guardians of important gates and sites.
Solars dwell in the Panopticon. There are thirteen solars, each assigned to monitor and administer justice within one of Eberron’s planes (though no solar holds dominion over the Material Plane). However, there are a host of restrictions on how and when they may act. Typically, a solar must be invoked by a legitimate authority within the plane in question—so while Hazariel, the Solar of Syrania, is usually called in to cast down radiant idols, Azazar, the Solar of Xoriat, has never yet been called on by that plane. Until called, they watch; while in the Panopticon, solars can observe anything that occurs in the plane of their dominion. Shortly before the shift of the Quor Tarai that produced il-Lashtavar, Tyrala, the Solar of Dal Quor, went to investigate the actions that resulted in Dal Quor being thrown off its planar axis; she hasn’t been seen since.
Devils The devils of Daanvi represent law in the service of tyranny and personal gain. In essence, they depict the danger of laws and how order can become an oppressive force. While the angels and devils of Daanvi despise one another, the strict laws determining jurisdiction mean that they rarely come into contact and almost never engage in combat—though it’s common for a devil and an angel to be found in opposite positions arguing a case before an inevitable tribunal in the Hall of Justice.
Most often, devils are found in layers such as the Iron Ward, where they’re cruel enforcers and tyrants. They can be encountered as guardians and sentinels, though they’re invariably too harsh when it comes to performing their duties. Other devils seek to exploit loopholes and use the law to their advantage, extorting adventurers or otherwise using the law as a weapon. Orthons and erinyes apprehend lawbreakers, while pit fiends serve as executioners in the Hall of Justice.
Subjects Every tyrant needs people to oppress, while every utopian society needs people to enjoy its just laws. The countless manifestations of Daanvi, called subjects, serve this purpose. They’re humanoid, but their shape is indistinct. They provide the impression of a person—someone completely normal and unremarkable, often of the same species as the viewer—but no matter how hard anyone tries, it’s impossible to actually focus on them. Conversations with subjects are surface-level at best, with no distinct personality or goals. Subjects pose no threat in combat, and are dispersed if they suffer any damage, only to reform within a few minutes.

Manifest Zones

Manifest zones tied to Daanvi—which are relatively uncommon—often share one or more of the plane’s universal properties. Zones with the Plane of Truth property are often used as makeshift courtrooms by local communities, and a number of the largest courthouses in the Five Nations are built in such zones. Intelligence agencies are always searching for zones with the Eyes of the Law property. Other zones simply reflect the unnatural order of the plane—crops innately grow in perfect rows, or residents find they are more naturally inclined to follow orders. Unsubstantiated legends tell of modrons appearing in manifest zones, attempting to “repair” any local buildings and redesigning them to match the architecture of the Perfect Order.

Layers

Prime Gate.

Imagine Terminus Station in Sharn, but instead of skycoaches and rail tickets, portals lead to different layers. Hundreds of subjects and modrons mill about, standing in orderly queues as they wait to pass through a portal. By Daanvian law, all travelers must pass through the Prime Gate, where plane shift and astral travel deposit adventurers. If people enter Daanvi through some other means, they’re in violation of the law— never a good idea.
While the Prime Gate’s bustling appearance suggests Daanvi is as welcoming to travelers as Syrania, most traffic consists of local commuters moving between layers. Extraplanar visitors must acquire travel passes from the Passage Authority; how difficult this is depends on the tone of the Authority when you arrive . . . and this shifts from day to day. If the Authority is just, the angels keep it moving quickly and smoothly; as long as you truly have a valid reason for your travel, you should be able to pass. If the Authority is even-handed, it’s managed by modrons; it’s possible to get through, but there are immense lines and a lot of redundant paperwork. In addition to having a clearly stated reason for travel, Modrons might only provide access to specific layers, or impose restrictions—“You’ll have to drink that potion now or throw it away.” And if the Authority is oppressive that day, the devils on duty make it a living hell.

The Panopticon.

In the grand tower of the Panopticon, a host of immortals monitor events occurring across Eberron’s planes. Countless modrons observe crystal balls. There are chambers in which angels and devils stand around wide scrying pools, replaying recent events. And in the highest chamber of the Panopticon, twelve solars—with one seat empty—contemplate the events occurring in the planes they are bound to and wait to be summoned by the authorities of those planes.
The Panopticon is larger than the entire city of Sharn. Different sections are devoted to each of the planes, and some immortals have spent countless years monitoring a particular location or creature. It holds the most powerful and sophisticated scrying network in existence, dwarfing the capabilities of even the dragons of Argonnessen. However, this system is not intended to benefit mortals. Adventurers must have an exceptional reason to secure a travel pass allowing admittance to the Panopticon, and the immortals who work there are not inclined to answer questions.

The Hall of Justice.

The Hall of Justice is an immense complex containing an impossible number of courts and chambers of inquiry. In smaller chambers, immortals debate the actions of the beings observed in the Panopticon. There are angels discussing the Treaty of Thronehold, while inevitables dissect the latest actions in the endless wars of Shavarath. These debates are pro forma; while a judgment is made and recorded in the Infinite Archive, no action is ever taken. The weightier matters are resolved before an inevitable tribunal, led by a Kolyarut, an inevitable representative of the great arbiter of impartial justice whose spirit permeates the hall itself. The tribunal is typically filled out with a planetar and an amnizu, each working to sway the Kolyarut’s deciding vote to their side.
Adventurers who violate the laws of Daanvi are brought before an immortal tribunal. Usually this is a straightforward matter; the judges question the accused. The accused is granted an Advocate and opposed by a Voice of Justice; typically one of these is an angel, the other a devil. Both of these immortals may conjure images from the lives of the accused, drawing on the records gathered from the Panopticon. Such a case could be resolved quickly, but depending on protocols invoked or evidence sought (“Your honors, I’d like to show you three years of the defendant’s childhood”), a case can take quite a long time. Luckily for the accused, the Flowing Time property of Daanvi ensures that when—or if—they return to the Material Plane, time has passed for their friends and foes much more slowly. Once a case is resolved, the inevitable tribunal enacts their judgment; this ruling is final, and can’t be questioned or appealed. The “Daanvian Judgment” sidebar presents ideas for penalties that might be imposed on a wrongdoer.

The Infinite Archive.

Dolurrh’s Library merely contains records of every mortal soul that’s passed through it. By contrast, Daanvi’s Infinite Archive contains records on every being that’s ever existed. Here, the data gathered by the Panopticon and the rulings of the Hall of Justice are recorded and efficiently preserved. Records focus on each individual’s deeds, whether they’ve adhered to or violated countless codes of legal and moral standards. Daanvi doesn’t generally do anything with this data; they have no jurisdiction to act on it. So through your life, the immortals of Daanvi have watched and judged your every action. You aren’t rewarded or punished for your deeds, but they know what you’ve done, and it’s forever preserved on your permanent record.
Mortals must present an excellent reason—or bribe a devil—to get access to the Archive, but it’s not as restricted as the Panopticon. The Infinite Archive lives up to its name, and is unknowably vast. If adventurers have a legitimate inquiry, a deva sage can be quite helpful. Working with modrons is a long and tedious process, while devils make it even more unpleasant.

The Iron Ward.

The Iron Ward, a city of gray stone, embodies the worst aspects of oppressive law. Councilor Alashta, a cruel amnizu, wields absolute power and can’t be questioned or challenged. Most of the subjects of the ward are indentured servants, trapped in inescapable contracts; visitors must be careful not to accept any offers of work in the ward, lest they be similarly trapped. There are regular displays of brutal “justice” in the grand plaza. Imps scurry in the shadows, watching outsiders and carrying news of their actions to the chain devils and erinyes that serve as the brutal police force. While they can’t punish adventurers “unjustly,” they can tempt visitors into misconduct; fiendish merchants and patrons have many appealing offers for adventurers, but almost all would surely lead to breaking a law of the ward, obscure and ridiculous as it may be.
While the Iron Ward symbolizes the evils of oppressive order, it is driven by order. The police and councilors twist the law and weaponize it, but ultimately even they must obey the laws—the one advantage adventurers have in passing through this place. And while the subjects of the Iron Ward are brutally oppressed, they’re largely symbolic; it’s questionable if the subjects even exist when no one’s around to observe their suffering.

The Inescapable Prison.

Maintained by devils, this oppressive layer is the embodiment of prison—the inevitable consequence of challenging the law. With the full power of Daanvi behind it, the Inescapable Prison makes Dreadhold look like a cell in the local sheriff’s office. It’s designed to hold celestials, elementals, and other beings with vast power; there are convicts here from a half-dozen planes of existence. Mortals can also be imprisoned here; their biological processes are put in suspension, so they don’t need to eat or drink, and they don’t age. It’s rare for mortals to end up here, but there may be a few legendary historical figures, long thought dead, who have instead been held in the Inescapable Prison!

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural