High Imaskar

High Imaskar stood on the shattered ruins of Mulhorand on the eastern shore of the Sea of Fallen Stars. It represented one of two nations of Imaskari survivors in the 15th century DR.

History
The great empire of Imaskar was destroyed when the gods of their slaves, the Mulan, rose up and shattered the empire. Some of the Imaskari retreated to Deep Imaskar in the Underdark beneath the Hordelands. The Spellplague had two benefits for them, scouring the Mulan from the map and cracking the Great Seal that kept Deep Imaskar safe from the outside world. Explorers from Deep Imaskar set out to see if the Mulhorandi persisted, only to find another group of descendants, under the wizard Ususi Manaallin, had relocated the old Palace of the Purple Emperor to the barren Mulhorandi lands and founded the city of Skyclave.

Deep Imaskar was subsequently attacked by ancient living weapons of Imaskari design and only the timely intervention of Empress Ususi and the vengeance-taker Iahn Qoyllor saved the beleaguered city. When the threat had been dealt with, many of the younger Imaskari of Deep Imaskar left with Ususi to support the growth of High Imaskar.

Geography
High Imaskar claimed the ravaged lands that the Mulhorandi kingdom once sat on. The Spellplague scoured the lands, reducing them to a blasted range of mountains, chasms, and earthmotes. The terrain made transportation all but impossible by anything but air. To the east, across the Dragonsword Mountains, lay the Plains of Purple Dust, a new extension of the Raurin Desert beyond. The highly inhospitable region was plagued by large purple worms and dust devils.

Society
High Imaskar was divided into the cities of Skyclave and Gheldaneth. Skyclave was a miracle of magic and an empire reborn. Gheldaneth was the last remnant of the Mulhorandi kingdom but existed as a vassal to the revived Imaskar.

Skyclave attempted to recapture the grandeur and glory of the original Imaskar empire with two significant changes. Empress Ususi's first imperial decree abolished the Imaskari tradition of slave-holding and outlawed slavery on pain of death. She then established the Body of Artificers, Planners, and Apprehenders as a foil to her power. Skyclave itself was a huge single tower, enchanted to be larger on the inside than the outside. It was a symbol of the former might of the Imaskari wizards and it housed the revived Academy of Imaskar.

Gheldaneth, in contrast, was a failing metropolis where the remnants of the Mulan people found themselves unable to resist the renewed might of High Imaskar. While the edict banning slavery also applied to the vassal city of Imaskar, a second edict was enforced in Gheldaneth prohibiting the worship of the old Mulhorandi pantheon. The local detachment of vengeance-takers had to put down several revolts led by priests of the illegal religion. The majority of palaces, temples, and academies of old Gheldaneth were submerged in the devastation of the Spellplague, and a large number of treasure hunters occupied the city, hoping to plunder the sunken quarter of the city.

Trade
High Imaskar maintained trade relations with Deep Imaskar, but the backward and introspective sister city grew jealous of its brighter sibling and that resent was festering.

High Imaskar also recognized the need to have allies in a world that didn't quite recognize it as a full kingdom yet. To that end, they give favorable trade deals to the new dragonborn kingdom of Tymanther to the west.

Trade in High Imaskar was accomplished via the huge redwing insects, bred by the Imaskari to carry passengers and cargo through the harsh lands.

Settlements

 * Skyclave (pop. 18,000)
 * Gheldaneth (pop. 22,000)