Zahir Highlands
The Zahir Highlands is a place of ancient secrets and modern wonders. Home to the ancient city of Kadath, Highlands was once the seat of power for the Elven Kingdom of Karnath founded by the Quadi Karthis in the virgining days of the 6th age. Here Karnith tried his best to create a place were elves and gnomes of central Dramon could live in relative peace with the Dragons of the Mountains and Lizard folk and Yu-anti of the Jungles. This fell apart though as Dragons began waring and Genie lords flooded the lands, burning Karnath to the foundation and scattering its people. With Yu-anti and Lizarfolk cultists believing that the great end was nearing they begain taking people for sacrifice in the Jungles of the north. Meanwhile, The God Pharaoh and their Dragon Lords of the great southern "plains" and the Genie Rajas of the West took slaves as workers. It was in the Dramon that Karthis' son would be raised, and this Dramon that his son would save.
Raphael A'un first Shi'it and lord of the great sand seas would eventually reclaim the Highlands with the help of his allies and friends, The Everlight, Paretel, The Arcane King, Metatron, and Einshun. Here he chose to travel deeper into the highlands were he built the city of Kadath and reassured his coven with the God of Fate and Sven Pillars. For 10 years Kadath acted as a beacon while the rest of the world was still chaotic. A'un still travled and aided his friends in other tasks but always in his mind was Kadath and his family waiting back home. But while A'un's reputation as a hero grew the Dragons of the South grew only more jealous. Long ago had the great Ragas of the west fallen at A'uns blade and the Serpent priests of the north retreat into the holes. But the Pharaoh and their Lords wished his demise and the beacon of equality he had created for all creatures, including humans weakest of creatures in creation. An so the plotted and with the aid of an equally jealous mage the Dragons and the cohorts brought fire to the great capitol of Zahir once more.
But the city did not burn at least not the way Karnath did, in reassuring his coven with Fate and his journey with Paretel and the others A'un had been granted a boon by the universe. In his final adventure before the night Kadath vanished he had become keeper of the Primordial Flame. A kind of demi god in the cannon of Fate and the Court of Elemental Power. But as the dragons raided and slaughtered his people A'un witnessed the murder of his family at the mages hands. This Mage, Kaamil Gellilis Alraed Alqalb, was once a great friend to him and he slaughtered A'un's wife eldest son and left his youngest daughter to an unknown fate. All before turning with a Brass and Blue dragon at his back to finish A'un, but as this happened the Flame A'un still carried reacted to a force that believers of fate understand is dangerous. For A'un was filled with lot just sorrow but rage, and the Flame of Fate is fed by two cardinal thoughts, patience and wrath. From A'un burst forth a flame of vengeance that burned all that saw themselves enemies of the Shi'it and the people of Zahir. This flame burned and swept away the unwelcome but also scattered the last of his people for when the night was down Kadath was gone. Kaamil was sealed away, as an ancient lich the Pharaoh of the south believed that he had known of A'un's power and tricked him into sending his army. As for A'un, he was all that remained in the crater that was once Kadath, or at least his body. Traped in Glass created by the fire of wrath the dragons belived that A'un was dead and sealed away the body in a tomb guarded by their most loyal of servants. Meanwhile they went about destroying any trace of the A'un's existence.
Then about 3 years before the Cataclysm a group of adventurers found their way into the tomb of A'un and freed him. Now The Ember Heart Raphael, he aided the adventurers in finding the lost city and returning Zahir to prominence. Now the city sits where it once did with a new ruler upon the thrown as Shi'it and his ruling council of Pasha lords.
Raphael A'un first Shi'it and lord of the great sand seas would eventually reclaim the Highlands with the help of his allies and friends, The Everlight, Paretel, The Arcane King, Metatron, and Einshun. Here he chose to travel deeper into the highlands were he built the city of Kadath and reassured his coven with the God of Fate and Sven Pillars. For 10 years Kadath acted as a beacon while the rest of the world was still chaotic. A'un still travled and aided his friends in other tasks but always in his mind was Kadath and his family waiting back home. But while A'un's reputation as a hero grew the Dragons of the South grew only more jealous. Long ago had the great Ragas of the west fallen at A'uns blade and the Serpent priests of the north retreat into the holes. But the Pharaoh and their Lords wished his demise and the beacon of equality he had created for all creatures, including humans weakest of creatures in creation. An so the plotted and with the aid of an equally jealous mage the Dragons and the cohorts brought fire to the great capitol of Zahir once more.
But the city did not burn at least not the way Karnath did, in reassuring his coven with Fate and his journey with Paretel and the others A'un had been granted a boon by the universe. In his final adventure before the night Kadath vanished he had become keeper of the Primordial Flame. A kind of demi god in the cannon of Fate and the Court of Elemental Power. But as the dragons raided and slaughtered his people A'un witnessed the murder of his family at the mages hands. This Mage, Kaamil Gellilis Alraed Alqalb, was once a great friend to him and he slaughtered A'un's wife eldest son and left his youngest daughter to an unknown fate. All before turning with a Brass and Blue dragon at his back to finish A'un, but as this happened the Flame A'un still carried reacted to a force that believers of fate understand is dangerous. For A'un was filled with lot just sorrow but rage, and the Flame of Fate is fed by two cardinal thoughts, patience and wrath. From A'un burst forth a flame of vengeance that burned all that saw themselves enemies of the Shi'it and the people of Zahir. This flame burned and swept away the unwelcome but also scattered the last of his people for when the night was down Kadath was gone. Kaamil was sealed away, as an ancient lich the Pharaoh of the south believed that he had known of A'un's power and tricked him into sending his army. As for A'un, he was all that remained in the crater that was once Kadath, or at least his body. Traped in Glass created by the fire of wrath the dragons belived that A'un was dead and sealed away the body in a tomb guarded by their most loyal of servants. Meanwhile they went about destroying any trace of the A'un's existence.
Then about 3 years before the Cataclysm a group of adventurers found their way into the tomb of A'un and freed him. Now The Ember Heart Raphael, he aided the adventurers in finding the lost city and returning Zahir to prominence. Now the city sits where it once did with a new ruler upon the thrown as Shi'it and his ruling council of Pasha lords.
Structure
Zahir exists as a principality with a ruling body of Shi'it Ras Al'men and his Pasha lords ruling from the capital of Kadath. While other settlements are ruled by a variety of headmen and elders ether elected or appointed by Ras and given the title of Agha.
Public Agenda
The Zahir Highlands simply want to survive and have zero plans to partake in any war that doesn't first come knocking on their door.
Assets
Despite having only become a power in the world again Zahir has a leg up do to the Ras' Pasha of innovation and Pasha of peace. While the Pasha of innovation is a gunslinger and artificer by trade the Pasha of Peace is a Former Magian Air Navel officer and when he left the order took his air ship with him, and was counted as one of the only three functioning air ship following the Cataclysm. Between the two Zahir processes possibly the strongest arcanoe tech advanced militaries rivaled only by Evaro and Magi in their use of it.
Military
Zahir is defended by the Pasha of Peace a Former Magian Air Naval commander that left after Magi made a number of decisions he has never agreed with. The Pasha along with the Pasha of Innovation were able to reverse engineer the technology aboard the nations flag ship the Pail Horse and have spent the better part of the last 50 years building up a sizable air navy rivaled only by Magi and Cohn. This naval force is supplemented by a force of weaponized golems that require a humanoid piolet and designed to be able to hover over sand and water. While unable to achieve true flight they can reach heights of up to 100ft. but require a skilled piolet to "stick the landing". Otherwise a military made up of volunteers mostly consisting of Rangers, Druids, Paladins, Clerics, and Artificers, rounds out the regions defenses. With a small cadre of wizards, bards and rouges aiding in subterfuge and espionage under the Pasha of Diplomacy.
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Capital
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Zahiren
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
The Ziharin Shekle, a coin used for massive trade and the building of anything of value or permeance. 1 shekle=1000gp
(Game Terms:this currency is used and generated by the characters performing jobs and adventures that would result in missive amounts of founds instead of pure profit the characters receive credit from the government to build and spend in certain ways)
Controlled Territories
Related Species
Comments