“By Divine Providence, this inhospitable swath of land bears fruit befitting its people.” — Mara Breitling (LG female human [rauschite] bard [archivist] 3/ aristocrat 2; royal scribe)
Alignment: Lawful Good,
Population: 5,103,000 (65% Human, 13% Half-Elf, 11% Halfling, 5% Gnome, 2% Dwarf, 1% Half-Orc, 1% Mesocine [81% kobold, 19% lizardfolk], 2% other races).
Capital: Crystal Basin (pop 1,121,075).
Notable Settlements: Last Chance (pop 294,425), Fort Providence (87,200), Greenfield (62,500), Dresden’s Crossing (26,500), Sillowia City (25,725), Halcyon Farms (22,950).
Government: Theocratic monarchy.
Authority: King Most High Walter Hornby “W. H.” Thanek (N male human [rauschite] expert 2/rogue [charlatan] 5/cleric 13).
Languages: Rauschite, Common, Elven, Mezuan, Halfling, Undercommon, Draconic, Goblin.
Major Exports: Precious metals (copper, gold, silver), religion, raw materials (metal ore, stone [quartz, granite], timber), livestock.
Major Imports: Produce, fine leather products, textile materials (cotton, flax, wool), dairy products, fine tobacco products.
NOTABLE RESIDENTS
Enginemaster Birrin Rescko (LN male gnome [gentry] expert 3/gearhead 12)
Juaron Quetzal Cintez (CN male human [mezoqua] fighter [ructioneer] 7/ranger [blockade runner] 4; Mazan smuggler and saboteur)
Not all of the Feral Expanse that lies west of the Great
River is unlawful, unexplored territory. The Kingdom of Rausch stands as a shining beacon of piety and fortitude possessed of the human homesteaders who inhabit these lands. As the younger Federated States were taking root back east, Rausch had long since codified its doctrine of self worth and theocratic ethics that places its people at the forefront of civil society on the continent.
Rausch is a nation of conviction and high ideals. Rauschites, as the people are known, are cultured enough to tolerate differing opinions and beliefs from their own, but are well-bred enough to understand the underlying merit and righteousness in their own beliefs and opinions. It has been said that the difference between Rauschites and all other Ullerans is that whereas other cultures have come to be products of the land in which they dwell, Rauschites instead (through their faith) were able to produce something from the land where there was nothing before.
HISTORY
The Kingdom of Rausch is a religious splinter faction of the Mazan Empire. It was founded in –1,100 EA by the Prophet, and later king, Gayne the Elder and his followers as a monotheist community, rejecting the decadence and pantheism of Mazan, and dedicated to physical and spiritual purity. Rauschite historical record points to the gift of a sacred piece of crystal shaped as a humanoid head—the “Godhead”—from which King Gayne received a series of visions leading him and his people to the desert country of Northern Ullera. “Rausch” means ‘crystal,’ ‘purity,’ or ‘made of crystal’ in the native tongue of these lands. Thus, “Rauschite” refers to ‘the pure ones’ or ‘pure speak.’ As an emblem of spiritual purity, Rauschites never sport facial hair and attempt to keep their cheeks as smooth as their crystal Godhead.
It was Gayne the Elder who led his followers to a freshwater spring in the center of a vast salt plain. Considered a holy omen, this became the site of Crystal Basin: a community purified by its journey through the desert and sanctified by its obedience to the words of the Prophet Gayne, anointed orator of the Godhead. The crystal Godhead is considered by Rausch to be the embodiment of creation and a gift to Rauschites to lead them on the path to purity. In truth, the Godhead bust is a broken piece of ancient statuary carved by elves from a block of enchanted quartz first used to consecrate dwarven settlements in Drom Gol. The statue was stolen and broken apart by a clutch of dragons who worked additional spells over it, using the crystal bust as a kind of magical “mammalian repellent” intended to drive certain humanoids off the continent while other fragments (namely the right arm, shield, and crystal sword) were given other malignant powers. The elves recovered the bust and were able to rework the enchantment into a powerful censor for scrying, but it was eventually lost once again.
Consequently, the Godhead is a powerful relic, the magics within, ensorcelled by each of the longest lived races on Geir, have warped and taken on an intelligence of their own. King Gayne and his followers viewed this “intelligence” hidden in the crystal head as a singular divinity, not created by magic but instead superseding it, as that of a higher power.
The Rauschite religion has remained static for centuries, secure in revelations revealed by earlier prophets, but this generation has experienced a great shift in religious thought. Brelonism is a new branch of the original Rauschite faith created after the discovery of a new crystal relic. Thanek, the current ruler of Rausch, is the founder of Brelonism and the latest Prophet of Rausch. The crystal artifact Thanek discovered was the right forearm and fist of the same crystal statue the Godhead bust had belonged to. It is called the “Fist of Justice” and was found inside the belly of a desert basilisk. The crystal arm was transmuted by the digestive tract of the beast into a somewhat deformed length of polymorphous material, changing composition in accordance with its wielder’s mental state. The intelligent arm spoke the word, “Brelon,” to Thanek, explaining that Brelon was the Godhead’s true name, a name meaning ‘handmade,’ which is exactly what the arm told Thanek it had done with humankind: handmade them to be Brelon’s faithful servants and messengers in the world. Brelonites differ from adherents of the original Rauschite faith in their proactive attempts at converting others to Brelonism, though Rauschites of every persuasion have never been more opposed to slavery. Factions within Rausch have always believed that the Godhead encourages them to oppose slavery in all forms, hence they aided Ullera’s revolt against the Dominion with arms, training, and money. Unwilling to be seen as anything less than what they were, Brelonism now makes abolition a spiritual mandate for all Rauschites, deepening the animosity toward Atanak.
GOVERNMENT & PEOPLE
The government and church of Rausch have been practically one in the same since its inception. The people often worship and pay taxes in the same buildings—and most do so happily. Military service is not coerced as in Ullera. Instead, social pressure for able-bodied boys to enter either church or military service is so strong, little money from the treasury is even spent recruiting. At the age of 15, males typically leave home to study at Crystal Basin Academy, specializing in any of a number of fields, including military strategy, foreign missions, and civil engineering.
The bloodline of the Elder Prophet is the ruling dynasty of Rausch, though the line has diverted into competing yet supportive houses over time. The Holy Quorum is the highest judicial authority, and clerics, paladins, inquisitors, monks, and oracles fill the seats of power. For the first time since Gayne the Elder, the pontiff (high priests are not always prophets) and king are one in the
same; Thanek is the thirty-second monarch of Rausch. RAUSCHITE SUCCESSION OF MONARCHS
Gayne the Elder*, –1,100 to –1,065 Obed I*, –1,065 to –1,040
Gayne the Younger, –1,040 to –1,005 Dradane I*, –1,005 to –993 Theogayne I, –993 to –920 Obed II*, –920 to –884 Obed III*, –884 to –850 Theogayne II, –850 to –799 Dradane II*, –799 to –737 Obed IV*, –737 to –710 Theogayne III, –710 to –675 Theogayne IV, –675 to –608 Obed V*, –608 to –591 Obediah I*, –591 to –564 Theogayne V, –564 to –510 Theogayne VI, –510 to –477 Obediah II*, –477 to –447 Theogayne VII, –447 to –400 Obediah III*, –400 to –369 Dradane III, –369 to –330 Theogayne VIII, –330 to –240 Theogayne IX, –240 to –194 Arbuck, –194 to –142 Obediah IV*, –142 to –103 Arbuckle, –103 to –57 Theogayne X, –57 to 4 EA Prall, 4 EA to 75 EA Jacsum, 75 EA to 94 EA Jacsumar, 94 EA to 102 EA Prallus, 102 EA to 116 EA Theogayne XI, 116 EA to 174 EA Thanek*, 174 EA to current * Prophet also
Rausch has always practiced monotheism but the recent revelation of Brelonism now guides them toward a new level of purity. Brelonism was founded by a former acolyte in the Rauschite church, Walter Hornby Thanek. He was a poor child who conned people in the streets for money to survive. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to a salt mine labor camp. He convinced a judge to remand him to church service after “heroically slaying” a desert basilisk and by claiming he was reformed. Shortly after, Thanek was first publicly seen wielding the Fist of Justice, and the rest became history. He ascended the church structure rapidly, becoming a bishop at 30 and high archbishop at 32. Soon he started reforming the church, developing the tenets of what he called Brelonism. It was then that he revealed his discovery of the crystal relic, the Fist of Justice, and his ancestral bloodlink to the first prophet Gayne the Elder. He blessed polygamy thereafter, and abolished the requirement for clergy to be celibate. One by one, he convinced the king’s three young
daughters to marry him. When King Theogayne XI died with no living heir, Thanek was naturally elected to the throne, where he now rules without dispute.
Rausch does not legally tolerate the public practice of any other religion. All government officials are also members of the Holy Quorum. Men and women must marry, take religious vows, or join the armed forces by their eighteenth birthday. Every upstanding citizen of Rausch keeps their face shaved smooth as an emblem of their faith. Brelonites are deeply committed to living a pure life. They are forbidden alcohol, tobacco, and all other substances deemed pollutants to the body. Similarly, they too avoid vices such as materialism, envy, adultery, and gluttony—all poisons to the soul. Breaking these taboos can lead to excommunication and exile from Rausch. As a result, witches and alchemists are seen as highly objectionable by Brelonite law, whereas monks, paladins, clerics, oracles, and inquisitors are deeply admired for their reliance on faith and divinely-inspired gifts. Rausch has been hostile to Mazan since its founding, and Mezoqua consider Rauschites as rebels and spiritually bankrupt rivals. Some Rauschite factions have engaged interested Mezoqua in offers of absolution and cleansing, offering to undo the twisted practices of self-mutilation by biological augmentation and mutation practiced by them. Conversely, Mazan sometimes embeds agents within Rausch, taking advantage of its proselytizing, intent on undermining Rauschite authority and influence.
Rauschites are reluctant to use bio-technology and alchemy that enhances the body since they believe such things corrupt the body and spirit. They would prefer to rely on faith, training, and divine blessings to stay on the “pure path” according to the Prophet King Thanek.
Rausch is predominantly human. There are no civil laws restricting the rights of any nonhuman race, but the church has yet to come up to speed on allowing others races into the inner sanctums of its temples. The citizenry of Rausch are largely a welcoming, kind people, and there isn’t a lot of open animosity directed at other races. Rauschites often travel abroad as missionaries in the hope of spreading the teachings of the Prophet Thanek through good works, moral example, and combating evil in mortal or supernatural form. The nation deeply opposes slavery, and sees it as a moral imperative to help those in need. Rauschites dress in conservative, flowing (often elegant) clothing for men and women, favoring whites and earth tones. Clothing is more utilitarian for men, and heavily embroidered for women. Rauschites are not typically adorned with jewelry and never wear piercings. The “open book with an open palm emerging from within” is the symbol of Brelonism and a common embellishment to clothing and armor. Rauschites speak their own language
and tend to pronounce /s/ as /sh/ when speaking Common. GAZETTEER
Rausch features some of the most diverse and rugged terrain anywhere on the continent. Three distinct geographical regions are evident: the Western Shield (of the Great Divide Mountains), the Salt Waste, and the Silver Plateau. The Western Shield, capped by the redubbed Mount Thanek, includes several ranges of snowy peaks towering over 13,000 feet. Trolls and yetis lurk among these peaks, but church-sponsored monster hunts ensure that their numbers are never very large. At least one grove of treants is known to peaceably exist in the low mountain crevices hidden among deciduous valleys of gold, orange, and green. The salt desert surrounding Crystal Basin, formed by ice age pluvial lakes, is a wide, flat stretch of land that covers many thousands of square miles. Basilisks are common here, and a tradition of “basilisk-busting” has yielded a subculture that uses them as mounts. Basilisks are also used as the instruments of church-ordered executions, and there are rumored fields of the condemned turned into statues that populate the Salt Basin like macabre art galleries. Lastly, the Silver Plateau, named for the river that carves its scenic sandstone canyons, gullies, arches, buttes, and bluffs, is the natural home of dire armadillos and giant gilas.
Crystal Basin: Built on the eastern edge of the Salt Basin as the political and spiritual center of Rausch, crystalline pillars are incorporated into Crystal Basin’s buildings and defenses, and even the cement is infused with quartz crystals. Since the rise of Brelonism, people have taken to calling it “The Shining City of Brelon,” and making it the favorite pilgrimage site of the spiritually lost and all those seeking purity and prosperity. Unlike all other pilgrimage locations, however, those who come to Crystal Basin truly seeking a font of salvation (or at least a font of water and escape from inhospitable lands) tend to find their own piece of nirvana in this clean, strictly kept, and miraculously fertile place, and rarely return home. Crystal Basin has thus become one of the most densely populated metropolises in Geir, often compared to an insect hive in activity and unity of purpose. Only the divine generation of food, water, and sanitation allows the immense population to survive in such a desolate area. Dependence on the church for personal survival ensures a fervent and abiding faith and devotion by the residents of Crystal Basin, reinforcing basic childhood indoctrination. The sheer size of the capital has warped the national government into urban-centric communities, insular policies, and parochial perspectives. As a landlocked nation, Rausch has a fleet of airships that transport people and mail from Crystal Basin throughout the nation. The production of rail transport and other vehicles is gathering steam as the industrial capacity of the capital ramps up. Massive white stucco arcades shade many of the surface streets from the desert sun and miles of underground tunnels
keep the populace cool and comfortable. Individual buildings as populous as some cities dot the skyline and extend for more than one hundred feet below ground, while crystal conduits channel light throughout these structures. Divinely augmented roof gardens provide constant supplies of fresh water and food to feed the city. Rausch has even found a new source of energy utilizing the local abundance of salt. Pieces of sodium borohydride are tightly encased in copper shells pierced with little pin holes that allow the sodium to react slowly with water producing hydrogen gas as fuel for boilers, lamps, and airships. The city is secured by capitol troops who wear grand uniforms of white, silver, and gold.
Dresden’s Crossing: The brilliant Olson Dresden (NG male dwarf [drague] tech savant 6/ranger [warden] 6), a follower of Art Landing’s nation-building venture out of the Disputed Lands, founded this burgeoning town when no one else would. Following a brief occupation by Rauschite troops after a bloody string of territorial conflicts between feuding scaly-kind factions, the church decreed the land vacated and open for development. Few Rauschite settlers showed interest, for fear of zaurto incursions, prompting Dresden to step in and offer Rausch another option. Dresden’s money and political backing would ensure development and leadership wouldn’t be lacking, and the area would remain loyal to Rauchite interests, so long as he was given autonomy over how the town grew up. Dresden’s appeal worked, and the town has never looked back since. Quiet but hidden from no one, Dresden’s Crossing has become a supply depot and a false front for a southerly rail route connecting with Holy Faith. The goal is to link faraway Landing with the rich foreign lands of Gom Shao, thus circumventing secondhand trade with Rausch. Ultimately, Dresden and Landing both are confident these lands will one day be fully ceded to their deft control, provided conflicts between Rausch and Mazan go their way, and the church doesn’t come snooping too intently. Its most valuable natural resource is a unique authigenic goethite which when added to paint or lacquer creates an energy resistant brown or black coating called “roofer’s spruce”. Dresden’s Crossing also claims fossil, oil, and phosphorus deposits, and the Vermilion River: a major tributary that provides access to boat trade on the majestic Silver River to the south, and for trappers and homesteaders to the north.
Fort Providence: Fort Providence is a hachenda-style fortress-city built on the edge of the pristine Paragon Lake under the shadow of Providence Peak; an alpine oasis in an otherwise arid plain. Fort Providence is home to several monastic orders of militant, scholarly, healing, and spiritual cynosure. The waters of Paragon Lake teem with avian and aquatic life including giant frogs and flail snails, as well as other amphibious predators. Providence Peak is the final resting place of Gayne the Elder, and has become a popular spiritual retreat for the dynastic elite and a pilgrimage site
outside of Crystal Basin for the ultra pious.
Greenfield: Greenfield is a new community first established by Brelonite missionaries accompanied by a team of gifted gearheads who were seeking asylum to practice their constructive craft. The team of gearhead specialists soon discovered that local hot springs and the arid environment was conducive to mechanical manufacture and stockpiling. The Brelonite priesthood blessed the gearheads’ work and after several years man- sized armatures had proliferated across the settlement. The humanoid population (currently 12,500) converted the standing army of armatures (today some 50,000) into an able and fully obedient workforce, expanding native artesian wells to grow more food and sustain the budding town. Not long after, the armatures began seeing use in every aspect of life, from raising children and caring for the sick and old, to modeling as fashion plates and standing in for heads of office during outings, and were soon granted full citizenship. Publicity showing the armatures as regular citizens has reached eyes and ears as far away as Keystone.
Fort Arrowhead guards the city and acts as a southern outpost for the Kingdom against Mazan and Gom Shao. The city is a southwestern railhead for Rausch and also a staging point for turquoise and silver mines. The fort specifically threatens Mazan’s water turbine factories built along the Silver River, which rumors say it will attempt to capture if war breaks out between the two countries.
Halcyon Farms: After many months of following the Prophet Gayne the Elder, the Rauschites became discouraged. The land was composed of rocks rent and riven, choking dust, gnarled trees misshapen and blasted, stunted shrubs clinging to life, thorns, thistles, cacti, and noxious weeds; wildlife sparse and hostile. But like a promise of