The Darkness of Riku is a massive, socially progressive nation, notable for its ritual sacrifices and absence of drug laws. The hard-nosed population of 1.541 billion Rikuans enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.

The medium-sized, liberal government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Welfare. The average income tax rate is 24.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but inefficient Rikuan economy, worth 50.5 trillion francs a year, is quite specialized and led by the Furniture Restoration industry, with major contributions from Door-to-door Insurance Sales, Woodchip Exports, and Information Technology. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 32,767 francs, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.5 times as much as the poorest.

Genetic researchers have been expelled, organ donation rates are among the lowest in the region, military spending recently hit a new high, and forty-year-old men are asked for their ID before watching the latest pony cartoon movies. Crime, especially youth-related, is relatively low, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Riku's national animal is the falcon.

Riku is ranked 182,181^st in the world and 1^st in United Nations of Nature for Most Advanced Public Transport, scoring 730.95 on the Societal Mobility Rating.