Riah

To the north of Mokso and south of the Taugata is a sky known as the Umbral Sky. It is a dark, dreary place if you take it at face value. The people of this sky, the Riah, are just as dreary. The Riah are a religious lot. They believe in veritism to an extreme extent. Oftentimes to the point where the Chuch calls them crazy zealots. One of the key beliefs of the Riah that gives them this reputation is their literal belief that most people are demons in disguise. Though, one would expect the Riah to be violent or aggressive with this belief. The opposite is true. To the Riah faith, they believe that demons never chose to be demons and it is the responsibility of the Riah to show them how to be just and good.

Military

The Riah military is made up of volunteers and mercenaries. Most Riah are not skilled combatants and do not have the experience or training to build a proper military. So they have formed a close bond with the Talons. They pay the Talons for protection from the pirates, as well as use the Talons to wage any war they need to. They believe the Talons to be demons, but it is easier to pit demon against demon than to fight them yourself.

Riah Faith

Before the rise of Veritism, the Riah were a group of fanatical worshipers of an old god of death. They were a primitive people who sacrificed each other to this god and performed strange rites. When the first missionaries of veritism arrived the people were torn. Some thought these people were sent from heaven, while others thought they were demons sent to punish them. A small civil war was waged, in which the ones who believed the Missionaries to be angelic were victorious. The missionaries were held up as gods and gospels of the truth. So when they taught the people of Veritism, they were quick to change their ways. Over the decades, they have stuck with this belief. Their own version of veritism, combined with their old religious ideas, began to show itself.
The Riah faith teaches one to be kind and just to everyone, even the forces of evil. They also believe that anyone can be a demon in disguise and are often taught that any stranger is, in fact, a demon. Though it is not the demons fault their soul is wicked. So the Riah will try to teach them the way of their faith. Pray twice a day, work hard, do not sin in any way, and do not be tempted by the Wyrd. This is what they teach, however, it is not what they follow most of the time.
Riah are untrustworthy and paranoid. They are quick to form mobs, wielding pitchforks and torches, willing to rip apart anyone or anything that will interrupt their way of life. Strange looking foreigners may be called evil by sight and are hung immediately. Entire villages of Riah sometimes revert back to their old ways, killing and sacrificing the "demons" that come to their land without remorse. This has given the Riah a reputation for being crazy cultists of their own version of the true faith, even though this is the minority.

Goverment

Riah is an oligarchy ruled by a council called the Council of the Realm. The council members are voted in by other existing councilors. The exact number of councilors varies, but it is usually between 15 and 20. People voted into the Council are usually politically powerful, rich, popular, or are prominent members of their church. Indeed, it is difficult to find a counselor who is not a prominent member of their churches. Beneath the Councilors are the mayors of their villages and cities, and underneath them are various officials which serve many purposes.

Appearance

Riah have pale skin, skinny features, and thin faces. Their eyes are often sunken into their skull, giving them an eery appearance in the night. Their hair is generally blond or brown, but it is almost always cut short or hidden.

Personality and mannerisms

Riah are untrusting and paranoid. They regard everyone with suspicion. Though, once they learn who you are and accept you, it will become apparent that the Riah are hard working, faithful, and loyal. They will accept you into their community in order to teach you their ways of life and living, which they believe to be the only way to live.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Family names are usually simple and are named after their profession or lineage. Anderson, Smith, and Johnson are a few examples. Riah go by their given name and their family name with no middle name.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Umbral Skies do not leave much room for color, and the Riah embrace this. They favor dark clothing which covers as much of their skin as possible. Hair is almost always hidden under a hat or other covering. If someone is unfamiliar with the Riah, it would be very difficult to differentiate between two Riah in a crowd.

Gender Ideals

The male is clearly given more power and authority in Riah. No women have political power and are generally only permitted to raise and teach children. Wives and daughters generally do not speak to guests, and usually go out of their way to avoid them. Unlike Mokso, there are no anarchists which fight this practice, but sometimes Mokson Anarchists do come to the Umbral Skies in order to revolt this sexism.