Page 125 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

and number. At present, the cult controls most of the illicit Tashalar, The
activities in Surkh, including trade in slaves and black market
goods. Members of the cult must still keep their faith secret, Capitol: Tashluta
but the day is coming when they will be able to challenge the Population: 889,920 (humans 94% [Tashalans 83%, Calishites
primacy of the church of Semuanya. The Cult of Tiamat is 12%, Chultans 3%, Shaarans 1%], lizardfolk 4%, yuan-ti
fi ercely opposed to the Cult of the Dragon and recently fought 1%)
off an attempt by its Hlondethan cell to establish a base in the Government: Merchant oligarchy
City of Lizards. Religions: Amphisbaena the World Serpent (Sseth [now Set]),
Chauntea, Malar, Savras, Talona, Waukeen
Regional History Imports: Beef, calantra, fruit, silver, slaves
Exports: Calantra wood carvings, cheese, crossbows, dyed fabric,
The City of Lizards began as a nameless human fi shing vil- glass, olive oil, olives, seafood, ships, spices, wine
lage much like Elupar and Ulkan are today. It was settled by Alignment: CN, N, NE
emigrants from Lachom and Nimpeth in the Year of the Deep
Wellspring (167 DR). Although many use the term “the Tashalar” to broadly refer to
In the Year of the Cloven Stones (1159 DR), a dragon the Tashtan Coast, which stretches from Narubel to Sheirtalar,
turtle pursued a band of Okothian sarrukh from the Dragon in truth it refers only to the Tashalar Basin, which is encircled
Eyrie through a portal into a fl ooded cavern system beneath the by the peaks of the Hazur Mountains. The Tashalar is a verdant
Spines of Surkh. The sarrukh fl ed into the Deepwash and then coastal area full of bountiful vineyards, gardens, and groves of
onto the nearest shore, which was coincidentally the site of the olive trees. Tashalaran harvests are shipped north to ports in
aforementioned fi shing village. There the dragon turtle fi nally Calimshan and along the Lake of Steam, and from there to the
slew them, destroying much of the village in the process and rest of Faerûn. Tashalaran grapes are so perfect that even the
causing the few human survivors to fl ee in terror. worst vineyard of the region produces wines worth 100 gp or
In the years that followed, increasing numbers of lizard- more in Waterdeep.
folk migrated to the site, drawn by reports that servitors of
Semuanya had been seen battling a great wyrm of the depths. Life and Society
The fi rst tribes discovered the bodies of the sarrukh and interred
them with honor in the peaks above the village. Their tribal Tashalarans are famed for their skilled craftsmanship, hunting
leaders began studying the skins (scrolls) that the sarrukh had prowess, shipbuilding, exotic spicy cuisine, and winemaking,
left behind, and in time they began to ape their creators in and they have adopted much of the high culture of Calimshan
custom and practice. over the years. Tashlutans (as inhabitants of the capitol city are
In the Year of the Claw (1299 DR), Griss’tok’s grandfather known) are warm and welcoming to strangers, and many speak
fi nally united the tribes and declared himself king. He estab- foreign tongues. Attitudes quickly change in the smaller settle-
lished the system of gladiatorial combat that serves even today ments of the countryside, however.
in lieu of normal intertribal and interclan feuding. His son es- Most of the Chultans, lizardfolk, and Shaarans living in
tablished the precedent that the most powerful offspring of the the Tashalar are slaves purchased in foreign markets. But
current king must establish his or her right to become the heir slaves comprise only a small percentage of the total popula-
through gladiatorial combat. tion, despite the willingness of Tashalaran merchants to traffi c
in sentient lives. Most Tashalaran commoners labor in the
Plots and Rumors fi elds, groves, or vineyards, although some work as sailors, ship-
wrights, sailmakers and provisioners. The wealthy merchant
Surkh is a relatively peaceful place, but occasional events can families dwell in ostentatious palaces, dividing their time
draw interest from outside the realm. between their country estates (most of which include a hamlet
Wyrmlings’ Exodus: A clutch of black dragons has emerged just outside the villa walls) and the elite districts of Tashluta.
in Surkh via the portal from Dragon Eyrie and fl ed into the Hunting is a popular sport among the merchant nobility, and
depths of the Deepwash. The wyrmlings seem to be hunting the bravest hunters seek out the deadly denizens of the Black
something—possibly an artifact stolen by the sarrukh from Jungles (albeit in the tamer reaches north of the Tashan Gap)
Tiamat’s hoard. Although the dragons are not yet a threat, as trophies.
King Griss’tok has sent word of his need for brave adventurers The merchants of the Tashalar defend their country with a
to nearby cities, fearing that the wyrmlings will threaten his fl eet of fast ships, most of which have fallen under the infl uence
realm when they grow up. Surkh’s monarch dares not employ of a consortium of aggressive traders known as the Rundeen.
lizardfolk for such a task because they might establish cults to This group, based in Tashluta, effectively controls the ruling
Tiamat instead of destroying her followers. Tashalaran oligarchy and dominates all trade into and out of
the Tashalar. Despite the loss of their monopoly on shipping on
the Shining Sea, the Rundeen also dominate Calishite shipping

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