Suraakh (sue-rock)

Created by Azad Kazemi (godus0pp on Discord)

"Our history is one of death and ruin. A once-proud empire which descended into the jaws of chaos itself. To be forever lost along with the people who inhabited it. However, life endures. Babies are born. Heroes are made. In the depths of despair, a single flower blooms. The New Republic of Suraakh is reborn, here to reclaim what our predeccesor lost."

— President Almon

Suraakh is a country reeling from disaster and torment. After a tumultuous history during the The Century War, the Ancient Empire of Suraakh was ruined by its own Patron god, Eida. Natural disasters of unprecedented size, unpredictable weather phenomena, and ravenous creatures built to kill all prevailed in a history-altering event dubbed "Eida's Calamity." The most notable of these disasters was a 100km radius sinkhole, known as The Maw of Eida, which engulfed the Empire's capital entirely. Hundreds of years later, the surviving cities started to rebuild Suraakh on top the remnants of their ruined civilization. The burden of reconstruction was heavy and left the country vulnerable for most of its history. However, Suraakh recently found its footing and has become a notable adventuring site due to the ancient and valuable relics which are scattered around the Maw of Eida.

Geography

Suraakh is a well-forested temperate region which experiences heavy rainfall and fog. Despite its abundance of natural resources, many are weary because the land is prone to natural disasters and unpredictable weather conditions. High amounts of precipitation have gradually eroded the limestone deposits littering the hilly countryside. This erosion has created various caves, caverns, and other subterranean landforms as well as assisting in the creation of Suraakh's notorious sinkholes.

Landmarks

The Maw of Eida

The Maw of Eida is a 100km radius sinkhole segmented into three parts. This historic sinkhole opened up under an ancient civilization responsible for the Century War. Due to its eerie resemblance to a digestive system, many believe that the Maw of Eida is not actually naturally occurring and is instead an active organ of the Chaos god herself.

Ashmani Mountains

This mountain range houses various villages separated from urban civilization. It also serves as a barrier between the country's temperate forests and its Mediterranean region.

Mokavan Lakes

These lakes are plagued by dense noxious fogs which make navigation and breathing difficult. The polluted water is not safe for consumption.

Calcarta River

This river runs across the border of Suraakh and Myrsin. The Calcarta Dam keeps all its water from spilling into the Maw of Eida.

Kuluri Strait

Not pictured on the map of Suraakh. The Kuluri strait is a water strait in between Anamore and Suraakh. It is home to all kinds of exotic fish and sea monsters.
Note: Players are free to come up with their own smaller landmarks for character backgrounds and/or quest settings.

Cities

Almost half of Suraakh's population lives in the city of Oozir. Another twenty-five percent of people live in other urban settlements spread across Suraakh. The final quarter of Suraakh's population subsist off the land in independent tribes and communities deep within the country's forests.

Oozir, The Reversed Capital

Oozir is unique both in its location and architecture. This upside-down city was built underneath the edge of a cliff hanging over the Maw of Eida. Tall buildings reach low in order to catch awe of the spectacle which is the Maw. There's a sense of commodification concerning the sinkhole which has been commercalized as a natural wonder and adventuring hub for Suraakh's own Spelunker guild as well as other adventuring guilds across Edari. Diver's Descent, a magical elevator capable of plunging down the Maw of Eida, can be found within the center of Oozir.

Khet, The Abandoned City

This old city was once an industrial epicenter for Suraakh, but now it's an empty husk of its former glory. Due to poor waste management by nearby quarries and factories, a noxious fog originating from the Mokavan lakes has permanently blanketed the city. Most evacuated, but a stubborn minority refusing to leave their home keeps the city alive by a thread. The empty overgrown factories and warehouses have found a home with cultists and necromancers who need a secluded space.

Dahzda, The Stolen City

Dahzda is a ruined port city now controlled entirely by bandits. Several bandit groups moved into the city after it was abandoned during Eida's Calamity. Ships passing through the Calcarta river are often stopped and robbed if they don't pay toll at Dahzda. Dahzda bandits have recently gotten bolder and are trying to expand their territory further into Suraakh.

Seta, The Submerged City

Seta is a famous fishing city near the Kuluri strait. After a destructive tidal wave during Eida's calamity, the ancient city of Seta became half-submerged. Years of construction has enabled aquatic races to renovate the underwater temples and for new buildings to be built on top of the water-buried ruins. The seas surronding Seta are known for their exotic catches as well as dangerous sea monsters.
"Note: Players are free to come up with their own towns, smaller settlements, or ruins for character backgrounds and/or quest settings."

Culture

The culture of Suraakh is based around perseverance, coexistence, and self-preservation. Forced to co-exist with the land's hostile environments, Suraakhi people have grown innately resilient, resourceful, and adaptive. They embrace change as an opportunity for growth and rebirth. There is a deep respect for the land which offers them both opportunity as well as calamity. The bulk of modern Suraakhi culture is centered around their adventuring capital, Oozir.

Government

Surrakh's government is a Unitary Republic lead by a president. The president is elected every 5 years with no term limit. The current President, Almon, is a changeling man and ex-adventurer. A weak parliament consisting of leaders from each major city oversees the President's power, but they cannot act without unanimous agreement and are therefore typically overshadowed.

Food and Art

Surrakh's cuisine uses anything Suraakhi chefs can lay their hands on. Vegetables harvested from nearby farms are paired with alien-like meats from the plentiful monsters roaming inside the Maw of Eida. Because resources can become scarce, every part of an animal or monster is used when they are hunted and harvested. Fish is also a large part of Suraakhi cuisine and is a part of many cultural dishes. Art is well practiced in Suraakh, especially in the form of carpet weaving or embroidery. Most famous Suraakhi art pieces depict images or settings of nature or natural elements.

Religion

The worship of Eida is highly polarizing in Suraakh. Many revere her for ending the war, but others view her in contempt for destroying the old Suraakhi empire. Worship of Eida isn't based in fixed principles or dogmas. Instead, worshippers opt to celebrate and embrace the ever-changing nature of existence through various personal means as their way to pay homage to the gods. Worshippers of Eida view chaos as a catalyst for transformation and innovation, so many make it their life mission to witness the unexpected and unknown in order to maybe receive Eida’s wisdom or inspiration. However, in the pursuit of knowledge of the unknown, many cults have sprouted up within Suraakh wishing to appease Eida through alternate means. The worship of other gods is common in Suraakh and there are plenty of temples dedicated towards the other deities.

Population

Suraakh's population is limited due to the willingness to live in the hellscape-like environments which litter the country. It has the smallest population of all other countries in Edari. Surrakh has a large population of shifters, tabaxis, changelings, and humans.

Clothing

As described in Food and Art, traditional Suraakhi clothing displays a lot of embroidery and ornaments. Felted clothes are also very common within forest-dwelling communities in Suraakh. Long shirts, loose robes, and wide dresses are the clothing of choice for traditional Suraakhi citizens. Within cities, urban wear is much more common although traditional clothing may be spotted during holidays or special events.

History

0 Creation of Garmu
100 Creation of Sentient Creatures
1100 Estimated Creation of the Suraakhi Empire Not many records on the Suraakhi empire have survived. Most information gathered about the empire has been retrieved through relics within the Maw. However, this is the assumed time-period that the Old Suraakhi Empire was created.
1400-1500 Estimated Creation of Oor, the Old Capital of Suraakh Buildings dated within the Maw seem to suggest that the Old Capital of Oor was built during this time period.
1900-2000 The Century War The Suraakhi Empire incited war with neighboring nations using ancient magic and technology fueled by the energy of Demi-Gods. The result was a century-long conflict that debilitated Edari permenantly.
2000 Eida's Calamity After Eida discovered that her Demi-Gods were being exploited as weapons of mass destruction, she unleashed a flurry of natural disasters which completely destroyed the Suraakhi Empire and essentially ended the war. The most notable disaster was the creation of gigantic sinkhole which engulfed the old capital of Oor.
2000-2200 The Mired Age After the Ancient Empire’s capital succumbed to the devastating sinkhole, the smaller edge cities were left reeling. Not only did they lose an entire city, but also the invaluable technology, culture, and history that vanished along with capital. The sinkhole also took the lives of prominent political and religious figures, such as the royal family, which left the country in a power vacuum. The surviving cities, struggling to rebuild, were too busy trying to survive so the government dissipated entirely. It is as if the cities were mired and stuck flailing in the mud by themselves. Cities saw almost no communication or cooperation with each other during this time-period and were forced to recover on their own after being the victims to disaster. Individual leaders rose to power within their own respective cities.
2220-2275 Reconstruction & Power Struggle After hundreds of years of isolation, the surviving cities were finally strong enough to reconnect. Roads were rebuilt and cities began to collaborate again during reconstruction. However, these times of peace did not last. Eventually, city leaders noticed the power vacuum in national leadership. Rulers and nobles from various cities began plotting on how to seize control and claim the shattered remnants of the empire. A relentless power struggle ensues which results in rulership changing hands many times. Mercenaries are hired to conduct most of the fighting.
2275-2280 Unification A group of battle-hardened mercenaries tire of the conflict. They band together to create a militaristic regime which forcibly unifies Suraakh. A provisional government is established and lead by a parliament consisting of every city leader within Suraakh and the heads of each mercenary group.
2290 Creation of the New Republic of Suraakh The provisional government implements and establishes the New Republic of Suraakh. First President Hayton, the leader of the Unification party, is elected by the people.
2900 Creation of Spelunkers Guild The president of the time, Rita, uses the now adrift mercenary groups to create the Spelunker's Guild. The Spelunker's Guild is a guild of adventurers tasked with exploring the Maw of Eida and retrieving/recovering any ancient artifacts from the old empire. However, the guild also had a dual purpose. It also served to keep the mercenaries busy and with a sense of purpose. The guild quickly became an instrumental institution to Suraakh.
3210 Modern Day Overtime, the reputation of the Spelunkers Guild worsened due to the behaviors of the members. Their brash, stubborn, and disrespectful demeanor made their image synonymous with bandits or occupying soldiers and lead to strained relationships with the local populace.

Capital: Oozir

Leader: President Almon

Government System: Unitary Republic

National Mascot: Flumph

Patron God: Eida

Demonym: Suraakhi

Population: ~300,000

Major Imports: Weapons, Fruits, Vegetables, Cattle

Major Exports: Rare Gems and Metals, Magical Relics, Exotic Fish, Monster Hides & Meats, Textiles