1. Locations

Daanvi: The Perfect Order

Plane

Daanvi embodies absolute order, along with the ideals of law and discipline and their impact on civilization. The perfectly ordered, immaculate districts of the plane represent different aspects of law: precisely maintained fields, legalistic tribunals, and hordes of modrons compiling archives of every rule or regulation ever created. Some districts are governed by a justice system based in goodness, where laws help to maintain harmony. In more oppressive locations, harsh laws are imposed on the suffering populace by tyrannical devils.

Daanvi Manifest Zone Features

d4 Feature
1 People who live in the manifest zone are inclined to follow duly enacted regulations without question, regardless of moral implications.
2 Creatures can’t tell deliberate lies while in the area.
3 Flora and fauna are preternaturally orderly and homogeneous. Trees here grow in neat rows without needing to be tended, rocks are situated in geometric patterns, and identical cattle graze in unison.
4 A contingent of modrons is methodically deconstructing and reorganizing the zone, heedless of their effect on the other inhabitants.

Source: Rising from the Last War


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.

Source: Exploring Eberron

Denizens

Source: Exploring Eberron

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.


Formian worker, formian warrior, formian taskmaster, formian myrmarch, formian queen, kolyarut (inevitable), zelekhut (inevitable).

Manual of the Planes: Axiomatic creatures (template).

Monster Manual III: Justicator, visilight

Visilight

In the EBERRON campaign setting, visilights are native to the plane of Daanvi, the Perfect Order.

Keith

Source: http://keith-baker.com/planes-of-hope-peace-and-order/

As with many other planes, the Perfect Order has levels and layers that embody different aspects of the ideas of Law and Order, Discipline and Civilization. Unlike the other planes, in the Perfect Order these layers are carefully laid out and connected by a clear and simple system of portals — of course, you have to follow the proper protocols and be authorized to USE those portals. There are districts where Formians endlessly toil over perfectly maintained fields. There’s an endless series of courts where Inevitable tribunals judge the actions of mortals, chronicling every crime every committed; in some instances judgement is passed instantly, where other cases can last a mortal lifetime. All laws, systems of government, and violations of these laws are recorded and filed away in the Infinite Archives, catalogued and managed by a seemingly endless hierarchy of modrons. There are districts that are prefect models of utopian societies… and districts where the law is a brutal and oppressive force. Order is powerful, but it’s not innately good; the Perfect Order thus embodies law as a force for justice as well as the crushing weight of an oppressive system.

This is a slight twist from the depiction of Daanvi in The Eberron Campaign Setting, which focuses on order purely as a dispassionate force for an abstractly general good. In my mind, the Perfect Order should be entirely as diverse as Shavarath, and with the same dichotomy: the nature of an outsider reflects whether it represents Order as a positive or negative force. Formians, Inevitables and Modrons are neutral, and they reflect the dispassionate imposition or law and order outside of judgement of good or evil. But then you have devils embodying the harsh imposition of order and the use of laws as a tool of oppression – with celestials embodying the noble aspects of law and order, the quest for justice and for a utopian society. In many cases an entire district will follow a particular theme, but there are surely districts where devils debate archons before impassive inevitable arbiters, engaging in cases that could last for centuries. I’d love to explore this in more depth — exactly what sorts of fiends and celestials would fill these roles? What are some specific examples of an oppressive district? — but it will have to wait until another time.

Here’s a few thoughts about ways to use the Perfect Order in a campaign.

  • It’s unusual for an inevitable to interfere with the material world. But there are oaths that can be sworn — mystical vows that enforce a bargain with the power of Daanvi. It’s no trivial thing to enact such a pact, but should it be broken the oathbreaker will be hounded by kolyaruts and other inevitable forces.
  • The Infinite Archive records all laws and transgressions since the dawn of time. Perhaps the PCs need to know the details of some ancient transgression… but can they work their way through the modron bureaucracy to get it?
  • The tribunals of Daanvi judge all crimes, but they don’t have the jurisdiction to punish crimes on the material plane. However, if a mortal comes forward and offers to serve justice against a heinous transgressor, the powers of Daanvi might provide tools to help this person enact a proper punishment. However, this would call the eye of Daanvi down onto this person and their allies, and place them under the jurisdiction of the Court… are they so sure they are without crimes of their own?
  • As with the Azure Sky, a fugitive could flee to the Perfect Order. The PCs need to apprehend this person quickly to prevent some sort of disaster. But when they get to the Perfect Order they discover that the villain is already on trial… but that this trial could last a decade. Can the PCs find a way to either extract their target or so speed up the justice of Daanvi?
  • Artifacts from the Perfect Order could have powerful effects with dangerous consequences. A stone could cause all creatures within a mile to always speak the truth. A scourge could purge all thoughts of rebellion from anyone struck with it. A crown could whisper advice to its wearer, guiding its bearer to rule a perfect kingdom – but is it just order, or cruel tyranny?
  • Whether by natural mishap or the actions of an enemy, PCs could suddenly find themselves in a brutally oppressive district in the Perfect Order. Can they survive and escape? Through their actions, could they even shift the balance of the district – replacing tyranny with justice?

Manifest zones channel some aspect of the plane. Daanvi is more subtle than some of the planes; per the 3.5 ECS, there are no effects when Daanvi is coterminous. Personally, I think it’s that there’s no physically obvious effects when Daanvi is coterminous, but that’s a subject for another time. The basic issue is the imposition of law and order. Here’s just a few ways I could imagine this manifesting.

  • Modrons manifest in the region, designing and maintaining a system of pendulums or some other monument to stability and order.
  • The region is permanently under the influence of a zone of truth.
  • Magic that seems inherently “lawful” could be cast at a higher spell slot in the region, with disadvantage to save versus its effects; magic that is inherently chaotic could have its effect minimized, and saves could have advantage.
  • The region could subtly push people to come together in groups, to embrace rules and laws or surrender freedoms. On some level, one could make a case that Korranberg could be in a manifest zone to Daanvi, which drove the original foundation of the Trust and enhanced people’s willingness to grant such brought authority to the institution.
  • Natural phenomena could manifest in ways that are unnaturally symmetrical or uniform.

Inevitables

Source: http://keith-baker.com/planes-of-hope-peace-and-order/

As for when Inevitables will act directly, it’s up to you. In MY Eberron I don’t want Inevitables to be trivial or commonplace. I don’t want them to screw up my story (He just broke his word! Why don’t the inevitables show up to  punish him?) or to diminish the role of PCs. I want them to be exotic, frightening, and as a result RARE. So I’d say that Inevitables only act when they have jurisdiction… and they can only gainjursidiction when under the following circumstances.

  • When they are given jurisdiction by the target. As I suggest earlier, I think it should be possible to swear an oath that puts you under the eye of Daanvi. But this should be an actual magical ritual with expensive components, not something done trivially. A member of the Aurum could pull this out when demanding loyalty from PCs, but it’s not something you’re going to do with a common merchant.
  • The Inevitables could have jursidiction over actions taken in a manifest zone to Daanvi, or when Daanvi is coterminous with Eberron. So you may have the ancient oathstone where a tribe makes their vows (…and eternal justice will punish he who breaks his vow to the stones…) or a time when EVERYONE knows that you have to tread carefully when Daanvi is coterminous.

Universal Properties

Source: Exploring Eberron

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.

Layers

Source: Exploring Eberron

Daanvi is home to hundreds of layers, and each is a metaphor for a particular aspect of order or civilization. Time is consistent across all layers, though in some, denizens work at all hours, while in others, there are strict regulations about what times certain activities are allowed. Daanvi has its own calendar, but denizens can easily translate it to the standard calendar of Galifar (or any other system) when dealing with visiting mortals.

Traveling to Daanvi using plane shift or similar abilities takes you to the Prime Gate. The portals between layers are clearly labeled and easily found, with angelic guides happy to provide assistance. Lesser portals are guarded by modrons, while major portals may be maintained by a horned devil or planetar. Travel passes can be obtained at the Prime Gate, though violating local ordinances can result in a revoked travel pass.

While some rules—such as the system of gateways and travel passes—are universal, every layer has its own distinct laws. Often these are typical—no theft, no assault except in selfdefense. However, layers may have unusual ordinances—no spellcasting illusion magic after noon. The scope of laws, punishment, and enforcement vary considerably based on the oppressiveness of the layer; is it generally just (administered by angels), even-handed (modrons), or oppressive (devils)? In gentler layers, lawbreakers receive an instructive warning from an angel; those in harsher layers aren’t so lucky. In some cases, guardians administer an immediate punishment, as discussed in the “Daanvian Judgment” sidebar. More serious offenders may be taken to the Hall of Justice to face an inevitable tribunal.

Some of Daanvi’s most noteworthy layers are described below; other layers each express some form of order of civilization, though most are of little interest to adventurers. There are examples of utopian governance, mob justice, and countless other examples of law at work. The Perfect Grange is a vast, precisely maintained farm, displaying the virtues of agricultural discipline. Hive 43 is a formian settlement where immortal ant-like spirits care for their queen; if that doesn’t strike your fancy, maybe one of the other 42 hives will!

Daanvian Judgment

Source: Exploring Eberron

What happens when characters break the laws of Daanvi? In theory, there’s an incredibly complex Code of Justice that the Kolyarut uses to determine the ideal punishment. In practice, the punishment should fit the crime, but it depends on the district where the judgment takes place. An angel upholds the law but seeks to ensure that the punishment truly is fair; a devil may use the threat of a disproportionate punishment (entirely legitimate by the Code of Justice, of course) to drive extortion.

Physical punishments are possible, from beating to maiming (such as the loss of an eye or tongue) to execution. Such punishments are most common in oppressive layers. Imprisonment is rare, but possible, either in a local cell or the Inescapable Prison. Because of the flowing time of Daanvi, a hundred years in a Daanvi cell is only ten years on Eberron.

Fines are common, not because Daanvi needs revenue, but because it’s easily adjusted to the individual. Fines like gold or property can be taken immediately, or future earnings might be garnished; perhaps half of all gold the character acquires immediately vanishes until the fine has been paid.

Another common punishment is the judgment tattoo, a complex marking placed across the victim’s face that can’t be removed by any power short of a wish spell. Any creature that speaks a language can magically understand its meaning, conveyed in a simple concept like MURDERER or THIEF. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check allows a character to identify it as a judgment tattoo from Daanvi.

Other magical punishments could be imposed. The offender could experience the effects of bestow curse for a year or a lifetime. A liar could be unable to tell a lie for a year (though they can be evasive in their answers). A convict could be stripped of a particular talent, taking disadvantage on a specific skill check during their the sentence. They could be stripped of fame, and no one will give the victim credit for positive actions, though they can still receive blame for misdeeds. There are few limits on what an inevitable tribunal can do, and undoing such a judgment requires the power of a wish.

Planar Manifestations

Here are a few ways Daanvi can affect the Material Plane.

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.

Coterminous and Remote

Daanvi has coterminous and remote periods, but unlike those of other planes, these have no obvious effects. Some sages believe it may impact the performance of certain rituals or the creation of eldritch machines, and others try to link the rise of major civilizations to coterminous periods, but any supporting examples could be entirely coincidental. Daanvi is noteworthy for its exceptionally long cycle. Traditionally, when Daanvi becomes coterminous, it remains so for an entire century; one hundred years after that, it becomes remote for a century.

Daanvian Artifacts

Daanvi does two things remarkably well: watch people and punish them. Adventurers could come into possession of an exceptional crystal ball that’s been stolen from the Panopticon, or a set of dimensional shackles lost by an orthon bounty hunter. Another way that people on the Material Plane can interact with Daanvi is through an unbreakable contract. In the Hall of Justice, any two creatures can negotiate a contract before a Kolyarut. The terms are inscribed on an enchanted sheet of gold (worth 5,000 gp) and bound to a marut, which acts to enforce the contract. On Eberron, a powerful conjurer could use planar ally or a similar spell to summon a Kolyarut to set a contract (though they must provide the gold).

Daanvian Stories

Source: Exploring Eberron

Daanvi rarely intervenes in daily life, and people don’t often think of it due to its lack of dramatic coterminous and remote cycles. Except for those who live near manifest zones, it doesn’t intrude on people’s lives. The main way Daanvi impacts adventures is if the party needs to get something from the plane itself—they might need knowledge contained in the Infinite Archive, or to know something that can only be seen from the Panopticon. However, they’ll have to have a solid case to get past the Prime Gate . . . or be prepared to bribe a devil.

The Wynarn Report. After an ambush gone wrong, the adventurers find themselves in possession of a file stolen from the Infinite Archive—an indestructible journal containing deep and dangerous knowledge about someone very important. A king? The patriarch of a dragonmarked house? This could be ruinous if it falls into the wrong hands, and it’s possible that the Archive will send someone—or something—to recover it. Since it can’t be destroyed, what will they do with it?

The Trial. After an adventuring mishap on another plane— perhaps in the Immeasurable Market, as Syrania is most likely to invoke Daanvi’s justice—the adventurers are collected by a solar and must account for their actions before an inevitable tribunal.

The Convict. A longtime ally of the adventurers always wears a mask. During a battle, the mask is knocked aside, revealing a judgment tattoo that signifies LIAR. Is there a reasonable explanation for this?

The Contract. The adventurers are negotiating a contract they don’t intend to uphold, but the other party has a surprise; using a scroll of planar ally, a Kolyarut inevitable is called to establish an unbreakable contract. Can the adventurers find a way around this? Will they accept the contract’s terms, or face the wrath of the marut and judgment in Daanvi?