Sar'Rukoth, known to outsiders as the Ruins of the Serpent Kings, was the capital of Okoth.[3][4]
Description[]
Appearing outwardly as a sprawling and half-buried ruin of low walls and crumbling monuments, a small central island was secretly inhabited and served as the seat of power for Okoth.[1][2][3] Underground, the city was connected by narrow crawl spaces and corridors that were dark and humid, and further down were catacombs, grottos, and underground pools of salt water.[1]
Beyond this central portion that comprised the inhabited capital, the broader Ruins of the Serpent Kings sprawled across a wide area and were rumored to conceal vast wealth.[3]
Geography[]
It sat on a low hill on the edge of the Lake of Salt. During the wetter time of the year, the water level rose, flooding the catacombs and turned the hill into an island.[2]
Government[]
The city was led by a council of eighteen sarrukh led by a khuzdar, or "imperator". Each councilor held a unique title describing their expertise[1] and was the leader of their respective clans. During the mid-to-late 14th century DR, they were led by a priest named Pil'it'ith, who was lord of Clan Sar'Ruuss.[2] As of 1479 DR, the khuzdar was Ziss'thiss, whose influence was spread across Faerûn.[1]
Defenses[]
The secrecy of the city was maintained by a magical field that filled intruders with dread, causing all but the bravest interlopers to leave in fear.[1][3]
History[]
Okoth was the first of the ancient sarrukh realms (founded circa −35,000 DR), and Sar'Rukoth had been its ancient capital. When the realm went into decline, the sarrukh of Okoth retreated into Sar'Rukoth.[1][2]
Following the Time of Troubles (1358 DR), the inhabitants turned away from their patron god, Sseth, as he had grown quiet. While serpentkind across Faerûn sought to reawaken their god, the inhabitants of Sar'Rukoth instead venerated the god Set under the guidance of Pil'it'ith, who in truth had struck a deal with Set to bind Sseth in eternal slumber.[1][2] This soon invited reprisals by the khaastas,[2] and then during the events of the Spellplague (1385 DR - 1395 DR), all of Okoth came under attack by serpentfolk seeking to stamp out its heresy. Pil'it'ith and his followers were slain, and not long after, Sseth reawakened and Set began to fade.[1]
As of 1479 DR, the sarrukh of Sar'Rukoth continued to bide their time and build up their strength away from the prying eyes of the outside world.[1][3]
Notable Locations[]
- The crumbling ruins included a series of new, unlit domes of the late 15th century DR. Each dome contained one of the eighteen sarrukh councilors and all of that sarrukh's servants, protectors, advisers, and entertainers, most of them being yuan-ti. They were connected by a system of tunnels that passed through various salt lakes, caves, and sarrukh tombs.[1]
- A pyramid occupied by wereserpent and human cultists was notable for its dark twin in the Shadowfell.[5]
- The Vaults of Record were a long-since plundered area of the Ruins of the Serpent Kings near the village of Buldamar.[2][3]
Inhabitants[]
Sar'Rukoth had long been home to the sterile sarrukh and their yuan-ti servants.[1] Following the city's alliance to the church of Set, wereserpents came into existence and settled in the city, and a contingent of werecrocodiles immigrated to the city on the orders of Set's ally, Sebek.[2]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 166. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 114–115. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 167. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 113. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 213. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.