The Nightmare Kingdom of Kazel-Karn

The Nightmare Kingdom of Kazel-Karn is the closest thing to a Liberated Path Kivishta  state - a kingdom that sees Ederstone and its creations as a path to spiritual enlightenment. It is clustered around a massive Ederstone deposit, known as the Twirling Temple by the faithful (or the Twisting Heart by outsiders), which is protected by the Kingdom as a holy site. 
Much of the kingdom is made of subterranean sanctuaries, cavities in the living stone of that warped land, which are laced with thin layers of Kobold bone and skin (inspired by the city of Rumakel ). These grave-layers are enough to make life in these sanctuaries coherent for non-Kobolds, while still constantly irradiating anyone who lives there. 
Even with measures to preserve coherent thought in the sanctuaries, this is still called the "nightmare kingdom" for a reason: reality blends together, the landscape is alive and shifting, and impossible creatures roam the surface.

Structure

The theoretical leaders of the Nightmare Kingdom are the Heavenly Host, a group of "Angels" created through intense exposure to Ederstone that resulted in sentient (though alien) non-hostile creatures. These Angels are kept in a series of palatial vaults, where they are tended to by the priesthood, who rules in their name.
All actual government is led by the Circle of Prophets, an oligarchy of ten Liberated Kivish priests. Several on the council were founding members, and each Prophet gets to choose a successor who best represents their philosophies. The Circle of Prophets also helps the Oracular Orders interpret the whisperings of the Heavenly Host. 
Beneath the Prophets, there is a priestly bureaucracy intended to breach the gap between the autonomous and variable local priests and the Prophets.

Culture

Libertarian Mysticism

Do what you want, practice whatever you please, as long as you believe something. If the angel's will that something is banned then it is, but the default is always tolerance and apathy. Theft and murder are still illegal, but most any other crimes are answered by local exile - just go to a different sanctuary or community. If someone does something strange, the dominant cultural attitude is to watch and treat it as an omen. Taboos still exist, but tend to evoke condescension (and possibly mild fascination) rather than disgust. Eat your dead family on your front porch? If you didn't kill them, then this is basically just a weird dream everyone is having, wonder what that means.

Hierarchies of Angels

There isn't much traditional social stratification here, but it does happen. Displays of wealth are unusual, as they are easy ways to get your property confiscated, but the priests and head merchants do have a lot of resources and access to luxury goods. Additionally, species does have an impact: Kobolds aren't treated as superior per say, but they are seen as more logical and reliable (they are the only ones with consistent memories and forms) and as something of a default. Starspawn are cherished, but as objects and ideas more than individuals with goals. Certain starspawn who are descended or touched by Angels, known as Aasimar, are particularly cherished and controlled by the community.

History

The Daughters of Heaven

Kazel-Karn is a recent kingdom, a utopian project realized less than a century ago. For most of history, the Liberated Path of Kivishta was a religion of isolated communities and wandering nomads. The idea of unity across the Liberated Path flies in the face of its basic theology for many: that everything has the potential for truth, and that every community and individual has their own path to enlightenment. The early Liberated Path movement of the late 1000s and 1100s was a unified army of priests and followers, but few have seriously attempted anything like that since.
The crisis of the Empire of Kizen from 1680 to 1750 stirred elements of the wasteland, as it drove Reverent Path refugees into Liberated Path communities. One of the largest and most stable Liberated Path groups, the Daughters of Heaven, took in the most of these refugees - they had the most stable settled communities and consistent contact with border communities, as they had acted as wasteland merchants for centuries. The Daughters of Heaven were dangerous in their way - while they were not particularly aggressive, they did work towards creating "Angels", or ascended beings, out of willing non-Kobolds. They were not the only Angel-makers, but they were the most consistent; and while not as openly hostile to other humanoids as normal monsters, Angels could be extremely violent when it suited their needs. To the borderlands Kivish, the Daughters and their Angels were usually a stabilizing influence, who directed the local enthralled Starspawn away from violence with travelers or merchants. 
The sudden injection of Reverent Path followers led to the Daughters of Heaven rapidly expanding their operations in the wasteland. They began stabilizing even further - drawing more ire from local monsters, but growing in numbers. They also grew more ambitious, as Reverent Path ideals and values infected the cult's ideology. At the beginning of the 1800s, the Daughters began looking for some kind of new arrangement: their new setup was generating more and more friction with the wasteland, and between the Empire and the monsters their current location seemed unsustainable. Plans began to be drawn, maps were gathered, and expeditions were sent out to find omens guiding the Daughters to their destined homeland.

Birth of the Kingdom

In the late 1800s, a charismatic and brilliant young wizard emerged among the Daughters of Heaven who took the name of Letma. Letma's ambition matched her talent, and she set out across the wastelands to bring together the resources, manpower, and knowledge of as many Liberated Path sects as she could. When she returned in the early 1900s, she brought nine communities with her- and was able to pressure the majority of the Daughters of Heaven into following her as well. 
While Letma was gone, the Daughters had made critical discoveries: that settlements near the heart of the Ederstone seemed safest, particularly underground; that a thin layer of Kobold bone or skin could insulate a cave from distorting the basics of time and space from Starspawn, and even provide some enthralled with elements of free will; that an organic tunnel system ran around the heart of the wasteland. 
Letma took their knowledge and gave it a massive injection of resources. The nine tribes looted hidden Liberated Path Kobold cemeteries across Stildane, recruited other Liberated Path groups, and set to work scouting and building their future kingdom. In 1955 ME, Letma and her followers brought the upper priesthood together and ironed out the specifics of their new government. 
The Nightmare Kingdom has attracted a lot of attention for its rapid expansion since 1955. It has projected its influence across the wasteland, much to the chagrin of the Empire of Kizen. It has also begun expanding its network of safe paths Southward, to the Kingdom of Tugrik - it claims for trading reasons, but many in Tugrik fear otherwise.

Demography and Population

Between 100,000 and 125,000 humanoids live in the Nightmare kingdom. Most are Starspawn, and around 30-45% are Kobolds.

Territories

Kazel-Karn is around 100 miles North-South and around 48 miles East-West. The boundaries of the nightmare kingdom tend to be fluid and uncertain, making territorial measurement difficult. The land is a mixture of mountains, grasslands, and temperate forest.

Military

The military of Kazel-Karn is fairly decentralized - most of the warriors are sworn to specific sanctuaries rather than the kingdom as a whole. There is a centralized military body, known as the Prophet's Brand, but they generally conscript local sanctuary guards for any major military operation. 
The warriors of Kazel-Karn are masters of magic and Ederstone creatures. Many ride tamed monsters; some wear living armor. Many use wizardry as well. Should a great threat ever demand a grander response, the Nightmare kingdom can beseech its angel's to stir the enthralled starspawn of the wastes to attack their enemies - and possibly greater creatures as well.

Religion

The dominant religion is Liberated Path Kivishta, which is baked into the fabric of society. It is not mandated, though - you can be any religion and even preach any religion. The Liberated Path ideology that is infused into the priesthood is a rather specific variety- intended to be universal, but really its own niche. The specific brand of Liberated Path theology promoted by the priesthood is found in its very name - 'Kazel-Karn' essentially means 'promise of ascension'. The theology here is preoccupied by prophecies, predestined fates, and the inevitable march towards bodily and spiritual ascension.

Foreign Relations

Kazel-Karn is something of an international pariah. While some merchants trade with them, most settled states treat them with suspicion at best and hostility at worst. The Empire of Kizen in particular sees them as a threat and has launched several expeditions to undermine the kingdom.

Agriculture & Industry

At the heart of every sanctuary is a heavily guarded farm, though the crops are ever-changing. For now, at least, they have remained edible across their many iterations. Some of these farms have begun to grow a unique crop, supposedly once only found in one or two Liberated Path villages: Ambrosia, the universal crop, which is edible by all and whose properties seem to remain consistent even if its form is mutated. 
Monster herding across the grasslands is also a common occupation.

Trade & Transport

Every sanctuary has a merchant's commission, who organize trading expeditions across the waste. Small independent communities that are outside of the sanctuaries are given resources and protection in exchange for help in maintaining and patrolling the safe roads.

"None Shall Be Left Behind"

Founding Date

1955

Type

Geopolitical, Theocracy

Demonym

Kazelan

Government System

Theocracy

Power Structure

Unitary state

Currency

Sunekan Gold Lions, Silver Foxes, Copper Stars

Major Exports

Mutated curiosities, monsters

Major Imports

Food, lumber, steel

Legislative Body

The Prophet's Chamber

Official State Religion

Kivishta

Location

The Northern Wastelands

Official Languages

• Wakingtongue language

Neighboring Nations

• Empire of Kizen
• The Kingdom of Gennorholn