Okoth

Okoth, also known as the Empire of the Shimmering Sun, was the oldest known civilization of Faerûn, and the first empire of the sarrukh, one of the fabled Creator Races. Although the original sarrukh empire fell during the Days of Thunder, the remnants of the Okothian sarrukh returned to Toril some time before the 14th century DR and rebuilt their empire, although maintained this as a secret to spread their influence across Faerûn unchallenged.

Geography
Okoth encompassed the entire region in and around Azulduth and the Green Sword River.

Notable locations

 * Azun: A small village on the western shore of Azulduth.
 * Buldamar: A thriving town located on the eastern shore of Azulduth.
 * Moon Stair: A crystal spiral staircase that arose out of Azulduth near its southern end.
 * Sar'Rukoth: The ancient capital of Okoth.
 * Vaults of Record: Also called the "Ruins of the Serpent Kings", the Vaults were ancient Okothian ruins on the outskirts of Buldamar.

Government
Originally the lords of each sarrukh clan ruled over Okoth, but that changed when a sarrukh called Pil'it'ith became the emperor of the original Okothian empire. After his demise during a revolt against him in the years following the Spellplague, the sarrukh formed a council, led by one they called khuzdar, to rule over their empire. As of 1479 DR, a sarrukh named Ziss'thiss held the title of khuzdar.

Demographics
Okoth was inhabited by eighteen of the remaining sarrukh of Toril, as well as by their servants, all of them wereserpents, werecrocodiles, and yuan-ti.

The inhabitants of Okoth lived furtive lives, avoiding the attention of the nearby nations of the Old Empires, usually spending their time in their animal forms to increase the dangerous reputation of the region's wildlife. When their sarrukh masters ordered them to spy on those nations, the Okothians assumed humanoid forms and infiltrated the surrounding communities.

History
Okoth was the first of the sarrukh empires of old, founded in -35000 DR. The Okothians created many serpent and reptilian races, such as the lizardfolk. The original empire of Okoth crumbled in -34100 DR, because of a devastating civil war that forced the sarrukh clans, led by emperor Pil'it'ith, to flee across the planes. The races they had created were left behind to fend for themselves.

While on the outer planes, the Okothian sarrukh experienced alternating periods of growth and decline. In the Barrens of Doom and Despair, they found a reptilian race known as the khaastas and, assuming these creatures were to be descended from their own creations, attempted to enslave them. This action resulted in a war between the two races that raged for centuries.

In 699 DR, after sensing that someone had used one of their ancient portals, a faction of Okothian sarrukh returned to Toril to investigate the ruins of their former empire. More sarrukh returned to Toril in the following centuries, in the hopes of fleeing from their khaasta pursuers and to rebuild their empire.

In 1341 DR, a khaasta raiding party passed through the portal and attacked Okoth. Although the sarrukh managed to close the portal and destroy the raiders, the disappearance of this group drew additional bands of khaastas to Faerûn in subsequent years.

In 1358 DR, Pil'it'ith and his followers secretly approached the minions of the Mulhorandi deity Set and offered to help Set in binding their god Sseth, who had gone silent, into eternal slumber, in exchange for divine aid in their battle against the khaastas. Set accepted their proposal and created the first wereserpents to mark the agreement. He also convinced Sebek to send a host of werecrocodiles to serve in the Okothians' army.

This alliance caused a major religious upheaval among the other sarrukh of Toril. Those sarrukh and yuan-ti of other regions, especially Chult, opposed the Okothians and began to search for a way to awaken Sseth. During the Spellplague, large numbers of serpentfolk attacked Okoth and killed Pil'it'ith and his followers in a secret war. Sseth reawakened soon after and eighteen of the remaining sarrukh in Toril became the new masters of Okoth. As of 1479 DR, Okoth secretly had spread its influence across many lands of Faerûn.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Pil'it'ith, the last emperor of the original Okhotian empire.
 * Ziss'thiss, the khuzdar of Okoth in 1479 DR.
 * Sath'fiss'ith, an Okhotian sarrukh renowned for its mastery of sun, wind, and storm magic.