Page 115 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

The ancient sarrukh empire of Okoth collapsed millennia ago, for werecrocodiles migrating upstream to Azulduth from the
only to be slowly reborn over the last several centuries. Today, ruined city of Sekras, which lies at the junction of the Blue
the Empire of the Shimmering Sun encompasses the entire Sword and Green Sword Rivers.
Lake of Salt, including the salt fl ats along Azulduth’s edge that
are revealed during the hot season. A loophole in the ancient Important Sites
treaty between Mulhorand and Unther left the waters of the
Lake of Salt unclaimed. Thus, hints of the sarrukh’s renewed Though Okoth appears featureless, the old empire of the sarrukh
presence in the heart of their ancient homeland have been ig- still boasts several points of interest to adventurers.
nored by the slumbering Old Empires, even though Mulhorand Azun (Small Town, 1017): On the western shore of Azulduth
now rules much of Unther. lies the small town of Azun. Built as a waystop along the cara-
Okoth is ruled by the remnants of the Okothian sarrukh, van trail from the Council Hills to Durpar and the Golden
who have for now put aside the differences that shattered their Water, the town hosts a steady stream of Durpari merchants
empire long ago in a civil war. The bulk of the realm’s populace heading north and west to the lands along the Inner Sea. Azun’s
consists of wereserpents and werecrocodiles (immigrants from inhabitants also derive small incomes from fi shing in the Lake
the ruins of Sekras). Okoth’s inhabitants spend most of their of Salt and mining the salt fl ats during the summer months.
time lurking in ancient caverns and ruins beneath the salt One of Azun’s most frequent visitors is Baylox (LN male
fl ats (or the water’s edge, depending on the time of year). They Mulan human wizard 14/archmage 3), Master Mage of Shussel,
venture forth only to battle extraplanar khaasta raiders and to the reigning authority on Okothian magics and oft-consulted
recover ancient Okothian artifacts from the surrounding lands. sage. Intrigued by increasing reports of reptilian activity in
and around Azulduth, Baylox continues to collect evidence
Life and Society for his secret theory that the ancient inhabitants of Okoth
have returned.
Though the Lake of Salt is one of Faerûn’s harsher environ- Buldamar (Village, 578): On the desolate eastern shore of
ments, this dry, hot region is perfect for the reptilian races of Azulduth lies the village of Buldamar. This settlement grew
Okoth. The inhabitants live furtive lives, sneaking about the up around a series of semipermanent camps established by ad-
southern reaches of Mulhorand and Unther to avoid drawing venturers exploring the sprawling Okothian ruins known as the
the ire of the God-Kings of the Old Empires and their servants. Vaults of Record. The fortunes of the villagers have ebbed and
Both the wereserpents and the werecrocodiles spend much of fl owed for centuries when such delvings came into and out of
their time in animal form, allaying the suspicions of the Mulan vogue. When adventurers are few, the villagers eke out a subsis-
while adding to the dangerous reputation of the region’s wildlife. tence living by mining salt and fi shing for the few fi sh that still
When so directed, however, they assume humanoid form and swim in Azulduth’s depths.
infi ltrate the surrounding communities. Today the town is bustling anew, although few suspect that
Although the lords of the Great Clans nominally rule Okoth, many of the bands of adventurers based here are not what they
in truth the fractious Okothians are held together by the iron seem. The Okothian sarrukh have recently begun sending bands
will of Pil’it’ith, the albino sarrukh lord of Clan Sar’Ruuss (see of wereserpents and werecrocodiles in human form into the ruins
page 60). Pil’it’ith lairs amidst the ruins of Sar’Rukoth, the to search for any artifacts that might have escaped centuries of
ancient seat of his clan and now the capitol of the realm. From plunderers. Other Okothian agents are poring over the town’s re-
there, the albino sarrukh directs the escalating war with the cords in hopes of learning what items were removed in centuries
khaastas and entertains emissaries from the Church of Set. past and by whom. Pil’it’ith intends to employ human members
of the Cult of Set to track down the missing artifacts and return
Major Geographical Features them to their rightful owners. This plan, should it come to frui-
tion, is likely to result in a wave of mysterious thefts and killings
Only two waterways break the vast desert above and around in the elite quarters of Mulhorand’s northern cities.
Okoth. Nezram’s Tower: On the outskirts of Azun lie the ruins of
Azulduth: The Lake of Salt is a shallow, highly salinated Nezram’s Tower. Torn apart nearly seven centuries ago by the
body of water drained by the River of Swords in the southeast- young green dragon Chaathuuladroth, Nezram’s Tower was
ern reaches of Mulhorand. During the hot season, large portions largely looted of its treasures—fi rst by the dragon and then by
of Azulduth dry up, forming salt fl ats for months at a time. Nezram’s descendants who now live in the town of Nezras on
Azulduth is home to the sarrukh clans of Okoth, wereserpents the eastern slopes of Mulhorand’s Sword Mountains. Neverthe-
members of the Cult of Set, and increasing numbers of were- less, adventurers continue to visit the site, hoping to recover the
crocodiles from Sekras. hidden magics of the legendary Archtransmuter.
Green Sword River: The River of Swords has formed the Sar’Rukoth: This ancient ruin lies buried in the heart of a
boundary between Unther and Mulhorand since the First low hill in the southern salt fl ats of Azulduth. The hill becomes
Mulhorand-Unther War (–1967 DR to –1961 DR). The an island in the colder months, when the lower catacombs fi ll
Green Sword River, its eastern tributary, serves as a pathway with saltwater.

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