Okarthel

Government

The city's leadership is overseen by Preistess Shizhia, who rules as stewart of the city while General Archie conducts his work with The Red Scales. The seat of power is heald within The Temple of Zehir at the center of the city. Here, Shizhia and her council of yuan-ti nobility oversee all matters related to Okarthel and its relationships with neighbouring communities.
The city exerts a strict heirarchy within its citizens, with yuan-ti abominations ranked highest, followed by malisons and purebloods respectively. Abominations are able to ascend to powerful positions wtihin the community, including lieutenant in the city guard, vault keepers and temple preists. Malisons fill the majory of other positions, including temple acolytes, city guard, researchers and merchants. Yuan-ti purebloods are expected to serve under the malisons, working as servents to malisons and abominations.
The city also has a controversial slave culture, with yuan-ti of all ranks able to purchase and sell slaves. Typically these are bought and sold at the market and are brought into the Okrathel from cities like Suturi and Tilsini-Svern, where travelling ships can be raided and crews captured. These attacks on passing ships result in slaves of a variety of races, including: human, elf, dwarf, half-elf, half-orc, tiefling, goliath, leonin and tabaxi.

Defences

The Walls. Okarthel is protected by a thick, wooden palisade made from the trees which once grew where the city stands. The wall is 30-feet-tall with spikes coated in serpent's venom at the top. Two gates, one to the south-west and one to the south-east, are the only way in and out of the city. They are manned 24/7 by the city guard, with each gate protected by half a dozen yuan-ti abominations.
The City Guard. The city employs a large number of its most powerful citizens into the city guard. The majoriy of these are yuan-ti malisons, with approximately 500 guards in total, however some abominations also make up the ranks, typically fufilling more senior work. They are lead by Captain Shakhu, a power warrior and the husband of Preistess Shizhia.
Magical Defenses. Since earning the favour of Queen Ixenvor, the city has also developed a number of magical wards which help to protect it:

• Fire Resistant Walls. The wooden pallisade with perimeters the whole city is immune to fire damage. A ward which was bestowed by the queen herself, created using scales from her own body. Close inspection of the wall reveals flecks of crimson embedded into the wood.
• The Red Scales. Should the need for reinforcements arise, the city's barracks has a maagical alarm fitted in the office of Captain Shaku. Activating it will send a message to members of Queen Ixenvor's army, The Red Scales, who will be delopyed to the city via the teleportation circle located within The Temple of Zehir.
• Animated Statue. The statue of Queen Ixenvor is able to be animated and defend the city. If the command is given, the statue transforms into a young red dragon, known as a Scion of Ixenvor. The command is known by Priestess Shizhia, Captain Shakhu, General Archie and Queen Ixenvor herself.

Infrastructure

Flower Garden. A garden belonging to an ex-herbalist from the zehiran temple named Inessu famously grows magical roses imbuded with elemental power. The first flowers sprouted from seeds gifted to the city by Queen Ixenvor after they aided her with reclaiming an Orb of Dragonkind. Since then, the garden has flourished and many high-ranking members of the city are known to wear them to signify their wealth. Inessu will happily sell her flowers to anyone, the profits from which she often donates to the temple, for 500GP each. These flowers are Chromatic Roses and she grows all five varietes.
Market. Located next to the western entrance is the city's marketplace. Here, merchants from all across The Darastrix Dominion come to trade their wares. The market is not partrolled by guards typically, with outsiders exected to look after their own belongings. Typically the market stall will be operated by:

• Goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears selling weapons and armour, including Studded Leather Armour of Weightlessness (450GP).
• Grung selling unique poisons and herbal ingredients, including an Oil of Slipperiness (250GP).
• Kobolds selling mecanical traps as well as a Mystery Key (50GP).
• Lizardfolk selling slaves, who are also willing to part with a Wand of Entangle (300GP).
• Minotaurs selling gems and dwarven relics, including an Amulet of the Drunkard (450GP).
• Orcs selling weaponry and preserved meat, including a Scimitar of Warning (400GP).

History

Okarthel was founded in the early years of Queen Ixenvor's reign. It was built around a number of pre-aspect-war ruins, whose original purpose has been lost to time.
The city remained modest for the majority of its history and was isolated from the other settlements which were developing during this time - namely Suturi and Tilsini-Vhira. This changed when the famous General Archie of The Red Scales united the three cities under his rule by excecuting each of the city's previous leaders. In the years that followed, this act lead to a greater sense of community being fostered across the all the houses of yuan-ti living in the forest and bettern trade between the cities.
Since the yuan-ti people gained the favour of Ixenvor in the year 498 PAE, Archie has left the rulership of the cities in the care the religious leaders of each major temple - though he still returns on occasion to ensure his rule is remembered and that affairs are being directed in the way he would expect.
The city has also seen a number of magical influences and improvements thanks to the queen herself and those who serve under her since that time. These changes have made Okarthel a more popular place to live within the yuan-ti community, causing many houses to leave their own homes and establish themselves in the city.
To date, Okarthel is the most prominent yuan-ti settlement in The Ophidian Rainforest and stands as a bastion of unity to what would otherwise be a fractured and reclused people.

Points of interest

Barracks. A tall, stone tower to the west is home to the city's barracks. This tower acts as the training ground and armoury for the city guard as well as the home for Captain Shakhu.
Inn. A large public space, whcih acts as an inn for travelling merchants and other visiting yuan-ti can be found close to the eastern entrance to the city. It is owned by a yuan-ti malison called Nezha, who maintains a well-stocked bar and kitchen while providing patrons with access to the large, open sleeping space and storage for goods beneath this chamber.
Museum. The museum is a public building with displays a number of records of the history of the yuan-ti people of The Darastrix Dominion as well as a number of uncovered magical artifacts. It is overseen by Lorekeeper Eskuh, who is responsible for preserving and protecting the items on display. The magical items on display include a number of spell scrolls:

• Clairvoyance
• Commune with Nature
• Locate Creature
• Locate Object
• Pass Without Trace
• Speak with Dead
• Speak with Plants

Shrine of Ixenvor. Just beyond the western entrance to the city is a large, red-stone statue depicting the large, draconic form of Queen Ixenvor. The statue was errected at the beginning of her reign and was strategically placed close to the western entrance for visitors, including The Red Scales, to see when they enter the city. Citizens are known to pay tribute to her at the base of the statue and ceremonies involving her are typically held beneath it.
Temple Triad of Zehir. The temple is the cultural centre of Okarthel. It is located in the heart of the city, within a self-contained district which homes the preists and acolytes who work there. The temple serves multiple funtions and has a variety of different areas.

• Ground Floor. The main floor is used as a large, public worship space to Zehir. Services are held daily and the citizen are expected to attend at multiple times per week.
• Upper Floors. The upper floors are the home of the religious and political leaders of the city alongside their most trusted staff and slaves. Currently, only Priestess Shizhia lives here, however General Archie still owns a large potion of the upper floors.
• Basement Floors. Beneath the temple are a number of basement floors. The first is home to the city's prison. The second houses spaces for the acolytes and preists of Zehir to practice vile ritual and research in the name of their god. Finally, the thirds floor contains a well-protected pair of teleportation circles, connected to the temples of Zehir in Suturi and Tilsini-Vhira. The circles are exclusively used by the highest ranked citizens and few others know about its existence, though rumour of portals connected to the other cities have been previlent in the rainforest for some time.
• Ritual Area. Outside the main temple, beyond the north-western entrance is a famous ritual space on the edge of a deep chasm. The space is used for excecutions and banishments of individuals to what is believed to be The Abyss. In truth, the chasm connects to The Underdark, where a sect of demon-worshiping yuan-ti take the bodies of those thrown into the pit to use in their own malicious ceremonies. The religious and political leaders of the city are aware of the sect's existance and the chasm's true destination, but happily keep up the facade to inspire more fear in those who visit the city. The bodies they throw to them act as a 'good will' gesture to maintain a peace between the two communities after a civil war hundreds of year ago which resulted in a portion of the yuan-ti community being exiled to The Underdark.

The ground, upper and basement floors are under the effects of the hallow spell (save DC 16). The usual effects of the spell do not affect undead. In addition, a creature who does not follow Zehir, the Cloaked Serpent must make a charisma saving thow when they first enter the affected area. On a failed save, they gain vulnerability fo poison damage while within the affected area. When they next take poison damage, they make the saving throw again. On a successful save, the effect ends and the creature is immune to this effect until the next dawn.
The Vault. To the east side of the city is a large building believed to be a council chamber or secondary temple in a pevious life. These days, it is used as a vault which the city store the tithe for Queen Ixenvor. All original entrances aside from its south-west door have been permantly sealed, and this is guarded by a rotation of yuan-ti abomination guards. Inside typically contains a large amount of coin, collected from market taxes and raids, precious gems mined from local caves, and art objects found from ancient ruins.

Tourism

Most people from the surrounding regions avoid visiting the city unless absoutely necessary. The yuan-ti slave culture makes coming to Okarthel a dangerous prospect for all. The city's main visitors are merchants, who stay exclusively as long as necessary to sell their wars before leaving, and yuan-ti from other communities, including Suturi and Tilsini-Vhira, who journey here to visit the city's temple and museum.

Geography

Okarthel is located deep in The Ophidian Rainforest, but is still the most accessible yuan-ti city to the rest of the country. Travelling merchants have learned to be careful when travelling through the thick forest floor, especially as the area surrounding the city is quite wild and untamed, where the yuan-ti do not inhabit. Locals only venture into the surrounding are to hunt when necessary. This also allows the city guard to establish a protective array of traps as further protection for its citizens against invaders.

Maps

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  Okarthel

Founding Date

24 PAE

Population

10,000

Location under

The Ophidian Rainforest

Characters in Location

• Lorekeeper Eskuh