[Urbis] Snake Kingdoms

[Jürgen Hubert]

Since Urbis is the Campaign Showcase for this week, I thought I'd ought to post a few of the things I have been working on during that time.

I'll start with a preview of the Snake Kingdoms, a region on which I've written about 2,000 additional words recently. The Snake Kingdoms feature both psionic powers (which are a rarity in Urbis) and the surathi, a race of beings I created as a substitute for the yuan-ti (since those are not in the SRD) but which are (I hope) even more disturbing than the original.

You can read more on the surathi here. You can find the Snake Kingdoms in the far south of the Urbis Detail Map.


----------------------------

The Snake Kingdoms
Population: 29,457,320 (surathi 56%, humans 35%, dwarves 4%, elves 3%, gnomes 1%)
Government: Surathi aristocracy
Imports: Slaves
Exports: Psionic artifacts, spices

This jungle region is well known for the multitude of poisoned snakes that call it their home. Yet it is named for a different kind of snake: The surathi, who maintain their greatest realms here. Their rulers scheme and plot to make the surathi the rulers of the entire world, and only their constant in-fighting and the occasional revolt of human slaves prevents larger conquests.

Industries
Most of the industry of the Snake Kingdoms is based on slave labor, and thus fairly inefficient. Slave produce most things that the surathi need, and thus the surathi have never seen much reason for changing this system, but the relatively cheap but advanced goods filtering in from northern regions are beginning to make slave labor unprofitable in some industries. It is unlikely that the slave planations will be abandoned any time soon - the local infrastructure simply isn't good enough to transport the amount of food needed to feed the teeming millions of surathi - but those who use slaves to manufacture all sorts of items are coming under increasing pressure. The standard response to this has been simply to work the slaves harder, but many surathi with more foresight are contemplating other solutions.
However, there is one area where the Snake Kingdoms have a virtual monopoly on: The creation of psionic items. A few trinkets are exported as curiosities, but most items are created for domestic use. To help the manufacture of such items, the surathi have even devised something similar to nexus towers (which are incompatible with psionic energies): So-called death pits, where slaves too weak to work are put and slowly drained of their life energy to power the items. It is said that sometimes individuals can hear the screams of the slaves who died this way when they use psionic items made with the help of a death pit.

Life and Society

Government and Politics

Groups and Organisations
Surathi society seems to be inherently fractious. Numerous power groups and different philosophies have sprung up over the centuries, with their adherents warring with words, and, all too frequently, with force.
Animalists: These surathi eschew the trappings of civilization, instead making their homes in the deep jungle. Travelling in small bands differing by what animals they resemble the most (and patterning their behavior after them), they seem to be content with ruling the wilderness and deep jungle. It is hard to know just how numerous they are and how far they have spread, something that worried some of the more "civilized" city-dwelling surathi to no end.
Contemplatives: These surathi focus on exploring psionic powers. Master psionics, they say, and master of the world will follow soon thereafter. A commonly held belief is that if they become sufficiently powerful, they might be able to follow in Sarush's footsteps and become deities themselves.
Cult of Sarush: Worshippers of Sarush can be found in every region, and befitting a deity of deception, its cults can take many forms.
But in the Snake Kingdoms, the Cult of Sarush has become the state religion, and among more traditional pursuits of his worshippers also focuses on strengthening the surathi as a race. Among other things, this means sponsoring elaborate breeding programs with worthy mates to make individual surathi as powerful as possible. The highest levels of the cult are almost always filled by Pure Ones.
Currently, the Cult has given its blessings to the Expansionists, though more than a few priests disagree with that decision. In the meantime, the conquests give the Cult many dwarves for its sacrifical altars, for the Cult practices life sacrifices of non-surathi.
Expansionists: Currently the dominant faction, the Expansionists argue that the surathi are now strong enough to expand their rule through force of arms. They have led the charge against the dwarves of Gol Murak, and their successes so far have bolstered their position.
Modernists: These surathi argue for a change to a more modern form of society, as seen in more northern regions. This would allow the surathi better access to all sorts of modern comforts and also allow them to infiltrate those other societies more easily. They think that slavery is an institution that has outlived its usefulness - returning visitors to the Flannish Cities speak in an impressed tone of how wealth disparities can easily fulfill the same purposes without having to spend siginficant resources to keep the workers in line. They argue that after modernization the surathi would naturally drift to positions of wealth, power, and leadership - while the current aggressive course will only trigger an anti-surathi backlash.

Religion

Important NPCs

Major Geographical Features
Crimson Lake: This lake has a permanent blood red tinge. Legends credit this coloration to a massive monster at the Lake's bottom that bleeds from a would that doesn't heal. Many surathi warriors drink the water of the Lake before a battle, which supposedly grants them some of the monster's strength.
Lake of Dragons: The second largest know freshwater lake after the Lake of Dreams, this is generally considered to be the southern border of the Snake Kingdoms by default, since several bronze and gold dragons make their lair in its waters and have made it sufficiently clear that the surathi are not welcome near it. Several tribes of ordinary humans, half-elves, and elves (the latter relatively recent refugees from the Verdant Coast) live close to the lake under their protection.
Plateau of Hungry Ghosts: By day, this plateau in the middle of the jungle seems in no way exceptional - it has the usual jungle flora and fauna. By night, however, ghosts of animals prowl the land and hunt each other as their flesh-and-blood brethren do during the day. They and the living animals completely ignore each other, but any thinking being that sets a foot on the plateau will instantly become the prey of all ghosts that see him - unless it is shielded from them in some way.
It is said that a group of druids makes their home here.
Sarush's Bowl: This large crater was created when Sarush, the creator of the surathi, battled Shargul and subsequently ascended to divinity. It has long since been overgrown with jungle, and serves as the holiest of holies for the entire yuan-ti race. By Sarush's decree, no surat may kill another within the confines of this bowl. Trespassers who aren't surathi are quickly slain by the crater's guardians for their sacrilege.
Valley of Thorns: The Snake Kingdoms are built on slave labor. The life of a slave is harsh, and they tend to be worked to near death by their surathi masters - and once they cannot work any longer, their life energies are drained by nexus towers. This creates a constant demand for new slaves, and many surathi solved this by raiding their neighbors - even other yuan-ti communities. This eventually got so out of hand that the priesthood of Sarush intervened, and instituted the "Thorn Wars", annual mock battles that take place in the Valley of Thorns. All cities of the Snake Kingdoms participate, as well as many smaller groups and individuals. The goal is to capture as many surathi of opposing forces as possible. Any living surathi prisoners are exchanged for a ransom after the Thorn Wars are over - the groups whose members were captured are obligated to exchange humanoid slaves for them - 2 for a thin-blooded, 10 for a lesser brethen, 20 for a favored one, and 50 for a pure one. It is perfectly acceptable for any participants to use human slaves or mercenaries as soldiers in the Thorn Wars - but whoever manages to capture those gets to keep them.

Important Towns and Cities
Karos (Metropolis, 1,227,975): Also known as the "Gateway to the Snake Kingdoms", Karos does its best to present a friendly face for the world. Its architecture is light and airy (if somewhat alien in aesthetics), the few slaves seen on the street seem well-treated and healthy, and the more disturbing surathi are mostly kept out of sight. Traders from many lands come here and find the natives accomodating and friendly, if somewhat peculiar. Many scholars are likewise attracted to its libraries, which hold many ancient manuscripts from the Atalan Empire and even earlier periods.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the Surathi here belong to the Modernists, and they do their best to build a network of connections with the outside world. Negotiations for a rail link between Karos and the Parginian city of Stercia are currently proceeding.
Kelzech (Large Metropolis, 2,579,220): Many surathi are obsessed with breeding programs. The ruling Zeshkel family of Kelzech just takes this obsession further than most.
Each year, a series of games is held in Kelzech, in which any member of a humanoid species can participate - surathi, human, hobgoblin, and so on. Even slaves are permitted to enter - by law, their owners cannot prevent them from doing so. The contestants must face a series of trials that range from simple one-on-one fights against other aspirants to complicated mental puzzles. The high points are various "team games" where the contestants must work together in small groups to succeed - and be ready to betray them moments later when it becomes convenient. Contestants are frequently maimed or killed, but any non-lethal injuries will be healed by surathi priests (though accepting such healing is grounds for disqualification. No magic or psionic powers of any kind are allowed in the contest on pain of death.
The three best placed contestants are showered with wealth (and given freedom, in the case of slaves). The overall winner is expected to marry into the royal family of Kelzech, and a suitable mate will be selected for him or her by the family elders. Note that the Zeshkels will not take "no" for an answer from the contest winner. In their view, he or she has proven to be suitable for breeding purposes, and they will not permit that person to get away. If that person tries to flee, they will psionically enslave this person and use him or her as breeding stock anyway. The same goes for someone who commits suicide - in this case, the Zeshkel simply send for a priest to perform a resurrection first.
Shasrar (Metropolis, 1,784,321): This city is ruled by a matriarchy of surathi, whose leaders frequently grow to enormous sizes. Males - of both humans and surathi - are enslaved and in most cases are treated little better than cattle.
Slendar (Large Metropolis, 2,137,883): Ruled by the powerful Ashin clan, Slendar is known for being a haven for those who are in trouble with the Cult of Sarush. While the Ashin do worship Sarush in their own way and believe that the surathi are naturally destined to rule over lesser people, they are convinced that the blind fanaticism of the Cult will do more harm than good for the ascension of the chosen people. The Ashin thus serve a foil for the Cult in many conflicts, and they plot and scheme to expand their influence, eventually hoping to rule all of the Snake Kingdoms.
Trasoch (Metropolis, 1,537,331): This city boasts the finest academies of psionics in the entire world, and many those who wish to train their psychic abilities - and not just those from the Snake Kingdoms, either! - travel there to progress in the arts. The masters of the schools constantly vie to discover new powers or to manufacture new psionic items. One school has secretly created a new device that has the potential to make death pits obsolete: Victims are put into suspended animation within a crystal coffin while their life energy is being drained. During the operation of these coffins, the mind of the subject wanders in elaborate dreamscapes, with rejuvenates the life force of the victim. In this way, psionic energy could be generated indefinietly from those strapped into the device.
Zalnar (Small Metropolis, 844,761): This city built on the sides of Sarush's Bowl is the "Holy City" of the Cult of Sarush. Most surathi priests travel there to recieve their initiation into the mysteries of the Cult, and most other surathi visit this city during a pilgimage at least once during their lives.
Zarkurush (Large City, 314,753): This subterranean city was once part of Gol Murak, but the surathi conquered it 65 years ago. Now the city serves as the Snake Kingdoms' biggest supplier of iron ore. The mines are kept operating through massive use of slave labor, mostly humans, as most dwarves have either fled or died from the brutal treatment by now.

Important Sites

Regional History
This verdant region has been inhabited for a very long time. Small tribes of humans staked out stretches of jungle as their territory, viciously defending it against all intruders. But gradually, the first cities arose close to the rivers, allowing a first flowering of civilization.
But human civilization teetered close to extinction two thousand years ago when a dark warlord - some say a demigod - called Shargul arose. He gathered a force of orcs and kobolds from the Star Mountains and other remote regions, and swept into the region, conquering all of it within a few short years. Any resistance was brutally crushed. He then took several decades to consolidate his holdings, building a vast network of paved roads (some of which are still in use today) connecting the newly fortified citadels in the center of his conquered cities. Most of these improvements were created by human slave labor, with kobolds and orcs working as overseers. He also created Yaragol, a dark and brooding fortress built into the sides of a volcano in the center of his territory.
Most humans did not try to resist, for even knowing a rebel could mean death after lengthy interrogation and torture. Still, a few brave souls dared to resist, and the most famous among those was Sarush, a human who wielded strange psychic powers never before seen among that race. Over the course of several decades he fathered numerous children with several women, all of which became strong psychics in their own right. Despite the best efforts of Shargul's enforcers he managed to elude them and continued to be a thorn in their sides.
Nevertheless, the war machine of Shargul's empire grew, and his forces began raiding the elven empire of the Verdant Coast. But after several decades of low-level warfare and expenditure of a small but significant fraction of his forces, Shargul came to the conclusion that while he probably would win a war against the organized and magically powerful elves and their human subjects, his forces would be weakened and overextended, thus threatening the stability of his rule. He began to look for weaker targets and started to expand his empire to the west and northwest.
Eventually, he reached the Parginian Rim, and while the armies led by the city of Atalus fought fiercer than predicted, their resistance began to crumble in face of his overwhelming military and magical might. At this point, with most of Shargul's forces far away from the jungle, an old but unbroken and powerful Sarush made his move and journeyed to Yaragol. What precisely happened then is unknown to this day, but the result was obvious to all: The volcano on which Yaragol was built exploded together with much of the land around it, forming the depression known today as Sarush's Bowl. The resulting release of dust and debris into the atmosphere darkened the skies around the world for many years, triggering a minor ice age and causing crop failures and starvation in most lands.
For the humans oppressed by Shargul, however, it was a day of joy, for Sarush spoke to his most loyal followers in their dreams, explaining that he had ascended to godhood and that the threat posed by Shargul was ended forever. The ability of his clerics to conjure large amounts of food saved many lives over the next few years, and together with the elves from the east they managed kill most of the now leaderless orcs (the kobolds, on the other hand, have proven more adept in hiding in the jungle, mountains, and other remote places, and thus remain in the region to this day).
The humans took control of the cities and began to rebuild their cities. The descendants of Sarush ended up as their leaders thanks to their powers and gratitude for the deeds of their ancestor. However, strife and warfare sometimes erupted between them, which kept their rule from expanding outwards. Only the threat of the Atalan Empire - with whom they fought a few inconclusive wars - served as a unifying force, and when the Atalan Empire began to disintegrate, so did their unity.
In the sixth century NA, Assoros, the ruler of the city of Kelzech, began experimenting with newly discovered psionic powers which allowed their users to crossbreed with other creatures - including snakes, which were sacred to the Cult of Sarush since many of the powers he manifested used snake symbology. His children were half human, half snake hybrids, and demonstraby more powerful than ordinary humans. When his experiments came to light, most people were shocked, but he argued that he had found long-lost scriptures which claimed that it was the will of Sarush that his descendants should breed with other creatures, taking on their best abilities to strengthen the bloodline. So powerful was his charisma that many surathi (back then merely a term for the blood descendants of Sarush, and not considered a distinct race from humanity) were convinced of the truth in his words and started snake cults that created new hybrids.
When Assoros was assassinated by an unknown party, his followers called for revenge and triggered a civil war for the control of the region - today called the "War of the Snake". In the beginning, the hybrids were in the minority, but their ability to create lots of descendants with many creatures - not just snakes or humans - allowed them to swell their numbers rapidly (not to mention turning their descendants into grotesque monstrosities). In the end, the hybrids were victorious, with the rest of the surathi either falling in line and submitting to crossbreeding, fleeing the region (most of these ended up in the Hamajan Mountains), or getting killed by hybrid fanatics. From this day on, the region became known as the "Snake Kingdoms", with the surathi cruelly ruling over in their eyes inferior human slaves.
While this did not stop conflicts between the surathi, after a time their numbers were large enough to eye the outside world enviously. After a time, a target for conquest was decided upon: The dwarven realm of Gol Murak. While the war has proven long and costly, the dwarves are weakening by the year. Soon, the war will reach a turning point and this mountain range with its fortress cities will be theirs. From there, they can reach out to the Lake of Dreams - and from there, to the rest of the Known Lands.

Adventuring in the Snake Kingdoms
Traveling to the Snake Kingdoms is of interest to those who wish to learn more about psionic powers - or about the surathi, an insidious threat that has subverted more lands than most people wish to believe. Actually travelling through the Snake Kingdoms beyond the border city of Karos can be difficult for those who do not display psionic powers (and are thus recognized by the surathi as kin) - non-surathi only have those rights that the local rulers are willing to grant to them, which usually aren't many.
The best way of entering the Snake Kingdoms is probably by acquiring a letter of passage in advance from a local ruler or other high-ranking subject. This is not particularly difficult if the PCs have made a name for themselves as scholars, adventurers, or experts on any other subjects. Many individual surathi have an almost frightening level of knowledge about events and people in other lands, and by asking around it should not be too difficult to find a high-ranking surathi with similar interests who will be glad to extend an invitation.
Of course, the PCs then runs the risk that their host has rivals who seek to harm his guests as a way of getting back at him. And the odds are good that their host has ulterior motives in inviting them as well - does he seek to involve them in some sort intrigue? Use them against his rivals? Send them back as brainwashed spies to their cities of origin? Or does he see them as so impressive individuals that he considers them to be suitable mates for his children?

Adventure Seeds
A letter from afar: One of the PCs - likely one of scholarly bent - gets a letter from a high-ranking surathi who claims that he has heard of his impressive reputation and wishes to invite him to his home to discuss matters of mutual interest from person to person. His letter is also accompanied by a generous stipend (sufficient for all party members) for the journey to the Snake Kingdoms, should he accept this invitation.
If the PCs have any curiosity at all, an opportunity to travel to the mysterious and exotic Snake Kingdoms should be an irresistable lure. But if they aren't careful in navigating the local customs, they could make some powerful enemies among the surathi - and that's even without the mysterious spies and assassins that seem to follow their every move during the journey. What is the real reason for their invitation - and if things go sour, how will they get out of the Snake Kingdoms again?

---------------------

So what do I still need for this setting? Well, a couple of additional cities and unique sights couldn't hurt. But I also need some good ideas for the overall government of the Snake Kingdoms. I've already hinted that the surathi are a fractious lot, but despite this, they seem to be able to work towards common goals after some fashion. So what does an overall governing body of these beings look like?

And any other ideas to make this region more interesting are appreciated as well.

[Jürgen Hubert]

No comments?

[Elven Doritos]

No comments?

The sheer depth and breadth of your work is intimidating, I'm afraid-- I've had similar problems (but on a lesser scale) with my setting. I'll try and take a look at the Kingdoms tomorrow morning.

[Tybalt]

It's very impressive, thorough and in depth, it gives a clear picture of the basis for the society and is wonderfully atmospheric, even the title of your thread is compelling.

[DeeL]

From what I have read of the surathi, they would appear to be participants in a consensual anarchy.  Their direction is provided by their dogma of manifest destiny, their instinct would provide them with energy and drive, and their racial purpose is focussed through their psionic abilities, as only a few individuals would need to have strong telepathic abilities in order to enable them to cohere as a society - and such individuals needn't be leaders in the social sense; they could simply be 'oracles' or 'chamberlains', shadowy mentalities who concern themselves with grand destinies rather than personal dominions.  And probably Pure Ones, at that.

This is merely what comes to mind when I read the precis on the surathi.  I could be completely mistaken.

[Wensleydale]

Basically, I can say that the Surathi are EXTREMELY cool. I presume that the lack of an original creature (as in, just a statted out Surathi that isn't a template) basically means that Sarush has impregnated these creatures and their children have the templates added, and then procreate - that is, there is no terrestrial non-template creature who has caused these templates to be added.

One thing I did notice about them is that there are only 14 powers available, but a trueblood can take 15? That means a DM will have to make up at least one new power himself (unless the Surathi takes multiples of the same).

As for flavour issues... I notice some references to fur and paws - not snakish traits. Have I just misread this?

Are you going to flesh out the religion/important NPCs parts?

[Jürgen Hubert]

Basically, I can say that the Surathi are EXTREMELY cool. I presume that the lack of an original creature (as in, just a statted out Surathi that isn't a template) basically means that Sarush has impregnated these creatures and their children have the templates added, and then procreate - that is, there is no terrestrial non-template creature who has caused these templates to be added.

One thing I did notice about them is that there are only 14 powers available, but a trueblood can take 15? That means a DM will have to make up at least one new power himself (unless the Surathi takes multiples of the same).[/quote]Mutants & Masterminds[/i] or anything like that...   ;)

As for flavour issues... I notice some references to fur and paws - not snakish traits. Have I just misread this?

any[/i] terrestrial creature. There is a preference for snakes for historical reasons, but that's not nearly the only possible combination.

Are you going to flesh out the religion/important NPCs parts?

Eventually. All in due time - there are many parts of Urbis which I am still working on...

[Numinous]

[spoiler=Detailed Review]

The Snake Kingdoms[/size]
Population: 29,457,320 (surathi 56%, humans 35%, dwarves 4%, elves 3%, gnomes 1%)
Government: Surathi aristocracy
Imports: Slaves
Exports: Psionic artifacts, spices

This jungle region is well known for the multitude of poisoned snakes that call it their home. Yet it is named for a different kind of snake: The surathi, who maintain their greatest realms here. Their rulers scheme and plot to make the surathi the rulers of the entire world, and only their constant in-fighting and the occasional revolt of human slaves prevents larger conquests.

Industries[/size]
Most of the industry of the Snake Kingdoms is based on slave labor, and thus fairly inefficient. Slave produce most things that the surathi need, and thus the surathi have never seen much reason for changing this system, but the relatively cheap but advanced goods filtering in from northern regions are beginning to make slave labor unprofitable in some industries. It is unlikely that the slave planations will be abandoned any time soon - the local infrastructure simply isn't good enough to transport the amount of food needed to feed the teeming millions of surathi - but those who use slaves to manufacture all sorts of items are coming under increasing pressure. The standard response to this has been simply to work the slaves harder, but many surathi with more foresight are contemplating other solutions.[/quote]
Life and Society

Government and Politics

Groups and Organisations
Surathi society seems to be inherently fractious. Numerous power groups and different philosophies have sprung up over the centuries, with their adherents warring with words, and, all too frequently, with force.
Animalists: These surathi eschew the trappings of civilization, instead making their homes in the deep jungle. Travelling in small bands differing by what animals they resemble the most (and patterning their behavior after them), they seem to be content with ruling the wilderness and deep jungle. It is hard to know just how numerous they are and how far they have spread, something that worried some of the more "civilized" city-dwelling surathi to no end.
[/quote]
Cult of Sarush: Worshippers of Sarush can be found in every region, and befitting a deity of deception, its cults can take many forms.
But in the Snake Kingdoms, the Cult of Sarush has become the state religion, and among more traditional pursuits of his worshippers also focuses on strengthening the surathi as a race. Among other things, this means sponsoring elaborate breeding programs with worthy mates to make individual surathi as powerful as possible. The highest levels of the cult are almost always filled by Pure Ones.
Currently, the Cult has given its blessings to the Expansionists, though more than a few priests disagree with that decision. In the meantime, the conquests give the Cult many dwarves for its sacrifical altars, for the Cult practices life sacrifices of non-surathi.[/quote]
Modernists: These surathi argue for a change to a more modern form of society, as seen in more northern regions. This would allow the surathi better access to all sorts of modern comforts and also allow them to infiltrate those other societies more easily. They think that slavery is an institution that has outlived its usefulness - returning visitors to the Flannish Cities speak in an impressed tone of how wealth disparities can easily fulfill the same purposes without having to spend siginficant resources to keep the workers in line. They argue that after modernization the surathi would naturally drift to positions of wealth, power, and leadership - while the current aggressive course will only trigger an anti-surathi backlash.[/quote]Religion[/size][/quote]Important NPCs[/size][/quote]Major Geographical Features[/size]
Crimson Lake: This lake has a permanent blood red tinge. Legends credit this coloration to a massive monster at the Lake's bottom that bleeds from a wound that doesn't heal. Many surathi warriors drink the water of the Lake before a battle, which supposedly grants them some of the monster's strength.[/quote]
Plateau of Hungry Ghosts: By day, this plateau in the middle of the jungle seems in no way exceptional - it has the usual jungle flora and fauna. By night, however, ghosts of animals prowl the land and hunt each other as their flesh-and-blood brethren do during the day. They and the living animals completely ignore each other, but any thinking being that sets a foot on the plateau will instantly become the prey of all ghosts that see him - unless it is shielded from them in some way.
It is said that a group of druids makes their home here.[/quote]yuan-ti[/size] race. By Sarush's decree, no surat may kill another within the confines of this bowl. Trespassers who aren't surathi are quickly slain by the crater's guardians for their sacrilege.[/quote]
Important Towns and Cities
Karos (Metropolis, 1,227,975): Also known as the "Gateway to the Snake Kingdoms", Karos does its best to present a friendly face for the world. Its architecture is light and airy (if somewhat alien in aesthetics), the few slaves seen on the street seem well-treated and healthy, and the more disturbing surathi are mostly kept out of sight. Traders from many lands come here and find the natives accomodating and friendly, if somewhat peculiar. Many scholars are likewise attracted to its libraries, which hold many ancient manuscripts from the Atalan Empire and even earlier periods.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the Surathi here belong to the Modernists, and they do their best to build a network of connections with the outside world. Negotiations for a rail link between Karos and the Parginian city of Stercia are currently proceeding.[/quote]
Shasrar (Metropolis, 1,784,321): This city is ruled by a matriarchy of surathi, whose leaders frequently grow to enormous sizes. Males - of both humans and surathi - are enslaved and in most cases are treated little better than cattle.[/quote]
Trasoch (Metropolis, 1,537,331): This city boasts the finest academies of psionics in the entire world, and many those who wish to train their psychic abilities - and not just those from the Snake Kingdoms, either! - travel there to progress in the arts. The masters of the schools constantly vie to discover new powers or to manufacture new psionic items. One school has secretly created a new device that has the potential to make death pits obsolete: Victims are put into suspended animation within a crystal coffin while their life energy is being drained. During the operation of these coffins, the mind of the subject wanders in elaborate dreamscapes, with rejuvenates the life force of the victim. In this way, psionic energy could be generated indefinietly from those strapped into the device.[/quote]
Zarkurush (Large City, 314,753): This subterranean city was once part of Gol Murak, but the surathi conquered it 65 years ago. Now the city serves as the Snake Kingdoms' biggest supplier of iron ore. The mines are kept operating through massive use of slave labor, mostly humans, as most dwarves have either fled or died from the brutal treatment by now.[/quote]Important Sites[/size]

Regional History
This verdant region has been inhabited for a very long time. Small tribes of humans staked out stretches of jungle as their territory, viciously defending it against all intruders. But gradually, the first cities arose close to the rivers, allowing a first flowering of civilization.
But human civilization teetered close to extinction two thousand years ago when a dark warlord - some say a demigod - called Shargul arose. He gathered a force of orcs and kobolds from the Star Mountains and other remote regions, and swept into the region, conquering all of it within a few short years. Any resistance was brutally crushed. He then took several decades to consolidate his holdings, building a vast network of paved roads (some of which are still in use today) connecting the newly fortified citadels in the center of his conquered cities. Most of these improvements were created by human slave labor, with kobolds and orcs working as overseers. He also created Yaragol, a dark and brooding fortress built into the sides of a volcano in the center of his territory.
Most humans did not try to resist, for even knowing a rebel could mean death after lengthy interrogation and torture. Still, a few brave souls dared to resist, and the most famous among those was Sarush, a human who wielded strange psychic powers never before seen among that race. Over the course of several decades he fathered numerous children with several women, all of which became strong psychics in their own right. Despite the best efforts of Shargul's enforcers he managed to elude them and continued to be a thorn in their sides.
Nevertheless, the war machine of Shargul's empire grew, and his forces began raiding the elven empire of the Verdant Coast. But after several decades of low-level warfare and expenditure of a small but significant fraction of his forces, Shargul came to the conclusion that while he probably would win a war against the organized and magically powerful elves and their human subjects, his forces would be weakened and overextended, thus threatening the stability of his rule. He began to look for weaker targets and started to expand his empire to the west and northwest.
Eventually, he reached the Parginian Rim, and while the armies led by the city of Atalus fought fiercer than predicted, their resistance began to crumble in face of his overwhelming military and magical might. At this point, with most of Shargul's forces far away from the jungle, an old but unbroken and powerful Sarush made his move and journeyed to Yaragol. What precisely happened then is unknown to this day, but the result was obvious to all: The volcano on which Yaragol was built exploded together with much of the land around it, forming the depression known today as Sarush's Bowl. The resulting release of dust and debris into the atmosphere darkened the skies around the world for many years, triggering a minor ice age and causing crop failures and starvation in most lands.
For the humans oppressed by Shargul, however, it was a day of joy, for Sarush spoke to his most loyal followers in their dreams, explaining that he had ascended to godhood and that the threat posed by Shargul was ended forever. The ability of his clerics to conjure large amounts of food saved many lives over the next few years, and together with the elves from the east they managed kill most of the now leaderless orcs (the kobolds, on the other hand, have proven more adept in hiding in the jungle, mountains, and other remote places, and thus remain in the region to this day).
The humans took control of the cities and began to rebuild their cities. The descendants of Sarush ended up as their leaders thanks to their powers and gratitude for the deeds of their ancestor. However, strife and warfare sometimes erupted between them, which kept their rule from expanding outwards. Only the threat of the Atalan Empire - with whom they fought a few inconclusive wars - served as a unifying force, and when the Atalan Empire began to disintegrate, so did their unity.
In the sixth century NA, Assoros, the ruler of the city of Kelzech, began experimenting with newly discovered psionic powers which allowed their users to crossbreed with other creatures - including snakes, which were sacred to the Cult of Sarush since many of the powers he manifested used snake symbology. His children were half human, half snake hybrids, and demonstrably more powerful than ordinary humans. When his experiments came to light, most people were shocked, but he argued that he had found long-lost scriptures which claimed that it was the will of Sarush that his descendants should breed with other creatures, taking on their best abilities to strengthen the bloodline. So powerful was his charisma that many surathi (back then merely a term for the blood descendants of Sarush, and not considered a distinct race from humanity) were convinced of the truth in his words and started snake cults that created new hybrids.
When Assoros was assassinated by an unknown party, his followers called for revenge and triggered a civil war for the control of the region - today called the "War of the Snake". In the beginning, the hybrids were in the minority, but their ability to create lots of descendants with many creatures - not just snakes or humans - allowed them to swell their numbers rapidly (not to mention turning their descendants into grotesque monstrosities). In the end, the hybrids were victorious, with the rest of the surathi either falling in line and submitting to crossbreeding, fleeing the region (most of these ended up in the Hamajan Mountains), or getting killed by hybrid fanatics. From this day on, the region became known as the "Snake Kingdoms", with the surathi cruelly ruling over in their eyes inferior human slaves.
While this did not stop conflicts between the surathi, after a time their numbers were large enough to eye the outside world enviously. After a time, a target for conquest was decided upon: The dwarven realm of Gol Murak. While the war has proven long and costly, the dwarves are weakening by the year. Soon, the war will reach a turning point and this mountain range with its fortress cities will be theirs. From there, they can reach out to the Lake of Dreams - and from there, to the rest of the Known Lands.[/quote]Adventuring in the Snake Kingdoms[/size]
Traveling to the Snake Kingdoms is of interest to those who wish to learn more about psionic powers - or about the surathi, an insidious threat that has subverted more lands than most people wish to believe. Actually travelling through the Snake Kingdoms beyond the border city of Karos can be difficult for those who do not display psionic powers (and are thus recognized by the surathi as kin) - non-surathi only have those rights that the local rulers are willing to grant to them, which usually aren't many.
The best way of entering the Snake Kingdoms is probably by acquiring a letter of passage in advance from a local ruler or other high-ranking subject. This is not particularly difficult if the PCs have made a name for themselves as scholars, adventurers, or experts on any other subjects. Many individual surathi have an almost frightening level of knowledge about events and people in other lands, and by asking around it should not be too difficult to find a high-ranking surathi with similar interests who will be glad to extend an invitation.
Of course, the PCs then runs the risk that their host has rivals who seek to harm his guests as a way of getting back at him. And the odds are good that their host has ulterior motives in inviting them as well - does he seek to involve them in some sort intrigue? Use them against his rivals? Send them back as brainwashed spies to their cities of origin? Or does he see them as so impressive individuals that he considers them to be suitable mates for his children?[/quote]Adventure Seeds[/size]
A letter from afar: One of the PCs - likely one of scholarly bent - gets a letter from a high-ranking surathi who claims that he has heard of his impressive reputation and wishes to invite him to his home to discuss matters of mutual interest from person to person. His letter is also accompanied by a generous stipend (sufficient for all party members) for the journey to the Snake Kingdoms, should he accept this invitation.
If the PCs have any curiosity at all, an opportunity to travel to the mysterious and exotic Snake Kingdoms should be an irresistable lure. But if they aren't careful in navigating the local customs, they could make some powerful enemies among the surathi - and that's even without the mysterious spies and assassins that seem to follow their every move during the journey. What is the real reason for their invitation - and if things go sour, how will they get out of the Snake Kingdoms again?
[/quote]
Thoughts on Government: Some sort of congress which governs the kingdom as a whole, with each major city being represented directly by it's ruler woul be an interesting rule for this region.  A grand structure where all these representatives gather would also make an interesting location.  Each faction could be a political party, as they struggle for amjority inthe congressional order.

I hope I helped.

[Raelifin]

Most of the industry of the Snake Kingdoms is based on slave labor, and thus fairly inefficient. Slaves produce most things that the surathi need...

Just pointing it out...

[Jürgen Hubert]

I'm impressed by the detail you put into each region, specifically, the populations.  I honestly would never bother with these.  Just curious, do you actually use them at all?

map[/url] - the plateau is just one of many locations in Urbis, and more than a paragraph or two on each of them would be excessive.

The plateau makes for a good mystery for an adventure or two, but it's probably not too important to the campaign in general. Thus, I'll just leave the secret for the GM to decide.

nexus towers[/url], if somewhat more effective.

Are they repressing the technology?

What would a spy have to do to steal said device?

Is there a reward for the schematics?  Are the other academies rivals or comrades in their research?[/quote]Any[/i] surathi faction would be very interested in this should they learn of it, and pay handsomely for it - assuming they don't kill the thief to keep the theft secret.

How is the ore transported throughout the kingdoms?

Do certain merchant companies cotrol the sale and/or distribution of this resource?[/quote]The detail here is immense, and fairly useful and thorough.  wouldn't Sarush forsake the Surathi in favor of the humans due to his orignal beliefs?[/quote]Ooo, this section was absolutely yummy.  I can't think of much to add to it.  Just great.[/quote]Not much to say here, adventure ideas are fine, and this is a specially intriguing one.  Perhaps an entire campaign arc could be based upon getting to and escaping from the Snake Kingdoms.[/quote]Thoughts on Government: Some sort of congress which governs the kingdom as a whole, with each major city being represented directly by it's ruler woul be an interesting rule for this region.  A grand structure where all these representatives gather would also make an interesting location.  Each faction could be a political party, as they struggle for amjority inthe congressional order.[/quote]

Hmmm... Could work. I'll have to think about it further.