Rilmani

Rilmani were powerful outsiders who were the living embodiment of pure neutrality.

"My lady, you know the natives of the region of the spire, the rilmani, would never allow that. They serve only the Balance and will preserve our truce. I suggested the spire as a neutral ground where you would feel safe for just that reason."

- Finder Wyvernspur to Beshaba

Description
Rilmani appeared humanoids. Their skin looked metallic and their eyes emitted a pearly light. They were capable of polymorphing into almost any humanoid.

Personality
Rilmani were infamous for their aloofness, as well as their cautious and observant nature. Their innate power was such that their mere presence tended to overwhelm some creatures.

Abilities
Rilmani were extremely powerful, gifted with many innate magical abilities. Every rilmani had the innate ability to duplicate the effects of the comprehend languages, continual light, darkness, detect evil, detect good, detect magic, detect thoughts, featherfall, hold monster, know alignment, polymorph self, sanctuary, teleport without error, and tongues spells at will.

Rilmani were immune to psionic attacks on the mind but remained vulnerable to telekinetic-based attacks. They were immune to cold- and fire-based effects and spells and had limited resistance to electrical, gas, and poison-based effects and spells.

Combat
Rilmani carefully analyzed all possible consequences, and to determine if aiding or not would help bring things back into the Balance, before engaging in direct combat. Rilmani would use their natural ability to polymorph to transform themselves into either a lawful or chaotic creature, depending on which action restored the Balance, before inserting themselves into combat.

Society
The sole purpose of life for the rilmani was to maintain the Cosmic Balance between the forces of Good, Evil, Law, and Chaos. Their whole society was centered around this and whenever any one side became too powerful, the rilmani would work with its opposing force in order side to restore the Balance.

Rilmani society did not have a class system, hierarchy or even a government. Each sub-species of rilmani played a unique and critical role within their society.

Homelands
Most rilmani were encountered in the Outlands, usually near the Spire. Their homes were inaccessible from the Astral Plane, which was why a rilmani was unable to be summoned via magic. They could be encountered anywhere within the Astral and Outer Planes, but were rarely seen on the Prime Material plane. In fact their access to the Prime Material plane was restricted—they were only able to travel there if a creature of law or chaos of equal power was already present on the Prime Material plane.

In the World Tree cosmology, many rilmani could be found in the House of Knowledge.

Languages
Rilmani spoke their own unique language, as well as Common and Undercommon. All rilmani were able to communicate telepathically with other sentient creatures, and empathically with animals.

Religion
A small number of rilmani worshiped the Celtic deity of mountains Dunatis, who claimed to be responsible for creating the infinite Spire of the Outlands.

Relationships
Rilmani sometimes acted as servants of the Mulhorandi deity Thoth. They would be sent by him to do his bidding or to make known his approval or disapproval.

History
In the distant past, the rilmani discovered the library of Timaresh, at that time still guarded by the kamerel, who, though also beings of neutrality, were xenophobic and loathed contact with any other peoples. The rilmani thought that the knowledge held in Timaresh would help them maintain the Balance and so fought the kamerel for it, in a series of conflicts that ended when the kamerel vanished completely.

As of the mid–14 century DR, a single aurumach and several ferrumach rilmani composed one of the three groups connected to the final seal in the fifth level of Watcher's Keep. Unlike other instances, these rilmani could be summoned to Toril when the spirit key was used to unlock one third of the keep's seal.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Tymora's Luck
 * Video Games:
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal