The lands of the Azure Savannah, home to the great Azure Sultan, the draconic ruler of Eastern Aetha'Shar. Ruling the stormy and windswept badlands and savannah of Aetha'Shar. The regions here are pervaded with strange and exotic wildlife and flora. Noted for its fulgurite trees, known as the
Storm-Trees, the fossilised lightning that has struck the desert and sands for all the centuries that the Azure Sultan has ruled - a mark of their longevity and prominent power. But standing tall over the land is the great
Terafurni ant-towers, built by armies of the Great Ants of the Azure and servants, swarmed by gentle swirling sandstorms and pervaded with the occasional flash storm overhead. The region has been forged and changed by the works and the conflict between the ants, and those that serve as the dragon's vassals and slaves, devoted to achieving their dream of re-establishing and to rebuild the great Dragonaught Ozon'Cerull - under great works pulled by the ant armies and those charged with their labours. The livelihoods of the people devoted to the dragons rest within their sacred sanctuaries and well-guarded oasis, granted enchanted works to protect them from the ravages of the desert storms and provide a harvest for their people - at the whims of the
Council of Seven Heads, the Sultan's obedient and loyal dragon followers.
Noteworthy for being the land known to enslave other dragons, a breed in and of itself over generations of their society - a mix between dragons and humanoids, the half-dragons, as well as more intelligent wyverns, known as the
Dracoya. They were elephant and rhino breeders, as this was the favoured food of the dragons themselves in this region.
The Council of Seven Heads:
- Phazurbrow of the Black Oasis, the Dragon of Abjuration.
- Kharazan of the Storming Savannah, the Dragon of Conjuration.
- Talimund of the Glistening Dunes, the Dragon of Divination.
- Ghollem of the Thunderdome, the Dragon of Enchantment.
- Savianna of the Tomb Temples, the Dragon of Evocation.
- Azarius of the Brave Rivers. the Dragon of Illusion.
- Zao-Tan of the Devils Desert, the Dragon of Necromancy.
Each of these appointed Heads, or Sibedar (Cyber-Dar) have been allocated with gifts of Great Magical Rings from ancient Ozon'Cerull, as marks of office and bestow expert powers of magical prowess to each of the younger adult dragons. They transform as Staff's of Power which bend and become bound to their users as coiled rings in their draconic forms - otherwise known as the '
Ozon-Adamas Regalias'. Containing the essence of draconic spirits of power, and the ancient mystics of Ozon'Cerull contained and gift sage advice and potentially lending portions of immortality to their wielders (the borrowed essence of draconic life) - savoured upon Ozon'Cerull's fall by the original Great Mage to preserve their power to the inheritors of the New Ozon'Siiari. Through this they inherit the sage sorceries and magical prowess of the Great Magocrats of the past, and bind them to their will.
Phazurbrow. The First, is the Sibedar of the Scaled-Bastion. Empowered as the Stormshield, known as the Imepentrable Wyrm - capable of summoning walls of force and storm, surrounded by a wash of thunder and lightning - adorned in a remarkable and extravagant golden-armour studded in sapphires, a great military leader & keeper of order. Protecting the greater interests of the realm, and its greatest sources of revenue. Ruling over the Black Oasis, at their Fulcrum Tower in
Suba Abihar. Under the Black Oasis, he protects the regions valuable freshwater supplies and oasis', ruling over the fascinating desert settlement of
Quadaka, the Black Oasis, surrounded by a dry but fertile landscape kept fresh and seasoned by the Dragons will - home to the great elephants and rhinos that feed the dragons, and the ants that feed the great populace. The region is well protected by a perimeter of ant-hill bastions and fulgurite woods that mark the territory. In Quadaka, the Sibedar takes his seat of power, watching from the skies and protecting all the land-dwellers below in a underground foundry that is home to many subservient kobolds and Dragonborn, enslaved humans, Halflings and Tabaxi. The city in which all the Azure Savannah collects its waters towards, and its most vital point to protect to earn the support of the masses and their continued prosperity. Meanwhile, it is beholden to being the expansive prison network leading to the UNderdark below. The region is also pervaded with destroyed ruins of the Lamias, used as rallying stations and nexus points for defence.
Plot: Phazurbrow seeks to claim greater power by being able to monopolise all the forms of natural water springs within the lands, and beyond in other Suba's - and portion them to the populace to make them more loyal to him. To make his land the one abundance of crops and herds in order to take control and unleash the ire of the Ants upon the other lands while he begins to conquer and overcome his other rivals.
Kharazan. The Second, is the Sibedar of the Floodrush. Empowered as a gatekeeper of energies, the keeper of circles and protecting against undeserved teleportation - a summoner of storms and dust-devils, rallying against foes and summoning ruin to any that face against the draconic sultan - maintaining the religious powers of the land and ensuring the Sultan is known. Kharazan, maintains the rule from his perch at the kingdoms central point to distribute trade and transport across the region - ensuring the flow of gold always comes to the Sultan at his crowning perch within the centre of East Aetha'Shar. Not only this, he is the keeper of the Abyssal Doorways that seek to pervade and invade their lands - making use of the demons for his own nefarious experiments and challenges to pursue further magical research and experimentation out in the Storming Savannah... using the greater temples as his own personal grounds, in
Suba Khaizan - ruling in
Ordazulla, the
Chromatic Sanctum. The region is pervaded with a series of ever-rolling windmills that generate self-sustaining power for the Gatekeeper to hold back the spread of the Abyss in the lands - guarded by Kharazan's chosen.
Talimund. The Third, is the Sibedar of Omnivisage. Empowered as the Sultans right hand, the leader of espionage and spies, controlling every written message and even spoken word. The Wyrm of Whispers, keeping to the Sultans court and the manager of its royal household. Although they maintain power from their personal household in
Suba Myramar, ruling over the Glistening Dunes, a desecrated and disastrous site that felt the impact of the gods many centuries ago - using the mirrored dunes and desert sand; feeling the latent magic within its core. The dangerous zone is kept that way in order to harbour the elite secret guard and police of the dragon, the
Shards of the Sultan. There, the Dragons hoard the secrets that would undermine their rule, keep prisoners in check within their prisons and labour camps there in the hot desert, and preserve the Myramar Library where one of Ozon'Cerull's pieces reside in a cratered canyon of the Glistening Dunes. Talimund seeks a means to centre his power there, and to reclaim this lost piece with a great excavation movement.
Ghollem. The Fourth, is the Sibedar of Alluring/ Beckoned Storms. Empowered as the manager of finance and political power, able to appoint, promote and remove those in power - to extract truth, keep order and maintain power for the dragons... the ambassador and voice of the Sultan to its allies and its enemies. The 'Calm before the Storm'. Ghollem enacts his will from his fulcrum tower in
Suba Glithli. His is the most welcoming and culturally vibrant of the Suba's; set within the great lake that resides between the north and south of the regions - with most of the roads leading toward or from it, and connects with the hives that lead into hte Underdark from within.
Savianna. The Fifth, is the Sibedar of the Oblivion Soul. Empowered as the Spear of the Sultan, the most feared and the most powerful of the Sibedar's, the leader of the military and the one that maintains and manages all excesses of expenditure and war equipment of the land - in charge of expansion and success. Often contested and swapped office of the Seven.
Azarius. The Sixth, is the Sibedar of Phantom Wrath. Empowered as the Keeper of Secrets, the protector of the borders and the oe to dismay and terrorise those within the Azure Sultanate that would defy the Sultan.
Zao-Tan. The Seventh, is the Sibedar of Immortal Scourges. Empowered as the Heartless One, the hunter of the great wyrms and enemies of the dragons - ensuring that the ants never overwhelm the region and naturally empower its peoples. Ensuring the cycle is returned, and that the Ant-Queens never stray too far from their servitude to the Azure Sultan.
Central Administrative Structure:
Supreme Head - controlling all judicial and military powers, all positions were owed to the Sultan - they has the power to appoint, promote and remove any one; they stand at the top.
Wakil + Wazir - second in the hierarchy. They held great powers - even unlimited power at times.
Diwan-i-kul: The Chief diwan, was responsible for managing revenue and finance, to strengthen the office and entrusted with revenue powers. They have the power of the entire revenue collection and expenditure of the Sultanate; used to inspect all transaction and payments to all departments, in addition to supervising the provincial diwans - reporting to the Sultan on a daily basis.
Mir-Bakshi - The head of the military administration, appointing the
mansabdars and endorse salary papers; ensuring the property maintains the sanctioned size of armed contingents and war equipment; keeping astrict watch over them. As well as responsible for new entrants seeking service to the Sultanate.
Sadr-us Sudur: The head of the divine department - to protect the laws of the Dragon; a lucrative position, to distribute allowances and stipends to religious institutions and eligible persons.
Muhtasibs - (censors of public morals) - duties included examining weights and measures, enforcement of fair prices, etc.
Mir Saman: Officer in charge of royal Karkanas - responsible for all types of purchases and their storage for the royal household. Also the supervision of the manufacturing of different articles to be used in the royal household.
For each
SUBA (region), is the office of
Sibedar, the provincial head - responsible for maintaining general law and order. Directly appointed by the Emperor, encouraged agriculture, trade and commerce, and took steps to increase the revenue of the State.
The
DIWAN - head of revenue department in the SUBA - appointed by the emperor, and was a independent officer - supervising revenue collection, and maintaining accounts of all expenditures - also their duty to increase the area of cultivation. It is a matter of record in many cases that
taqavi (advanced loans) were given to peasants.
BAKSHI = provincial structure performed the same functions as the MIR-BAKSHI at hte centre. Responsible for hte welfare of those engaged in religious activities and learning - also looking after the department of judicial matters.
DAROGAI-I-DAK, maintain the communication channel.
MERVARS - the postal runners who were used by the D.I.D in sending letters to the court, and provide reports to the Sultan.
SUBA's (provinces) were separated into
SARKARS, and thus divided into
PARAGANAS. The smallest unit was the village.
FAUJDAR: Appointed by the imperial order, and existed to spread their jurisdiction across two Sarkars that belonged to multiple SUBAs.
AMALGUZAR (Amils): A revenue collector, whose duty was to assess and supervise revenue collection. Responsible among other things, of the maintenance of all accounts and sending the daily receipt and expenditure report to hte provincial Diwan.
At the Paragana level, there were the
SHIQDAR (assisting the Amils/ Amalguzar in revenue collection).
Working in polytheistic multicultural & cosmopolitan society, but allowed a system of 'protected people' to allow a spectrum of those to serve the Dragons, and educated Azure community within the subcontinent. The Sultan remains in supreme control, but allows autonomy and military of certain regional rulers. The government controlled hte economy, and increased penalties for private businesses that broke its regulations. There were no private markets, and rather had four centralised government run markets (appointing a 'market controller') and implemented strict price controls, on all kinds of goods. The price controls were inflexible even through droughts. Bans were instituted against hoarding, and regrating (creating monopolies of business granaries were nationalised, and limits were placed on the amount of grain that could be used by cultivators for personal use. Traders regard the regulations as burdensome, and violations were severely punished - leading to resentment among taders. A network of spies were instituted to ensure the implementation of the price systems.
The army of the Sultan initially consisted of nomadic military slaves belonging to the Dragons. Then this ended through an era, and invested a draconic military style of warfare. They were known to completely destroy cities and temples in their military expeditions. Many massacres take place. With many campaigns in the destruction of idols, and temples - mixed with years where temples were protected from desecration. The Azure Sultan has been known to order the protection, maintenance and repairing of temples between different religious practices.The demolished remains of temples were reused to rebuild other temples and other buildings.
In terms of mechanical devices, made use of the water-wheel; also one of the first to use paper and papermaking, becoming widespread - the paper being white and made from the 'bark of a tree'.
Government:
The lands of Ozon'Saiir is ruled as a magocratic-sultanate, under the leadership and power of the Azure Sultan, the most ancient and powerful of the Blue Dragons of Ozon'Cerull. Protected and overseen in its individual territories by the Azure Sultan's most powerful followers and vassals, the younger and more vibrant blooded blue dragons - the Council of Seven Heads. Here, they are charged with ruling each territory of the Seven regions of Ozon'Siiari, from their great and powerful Fulcrum Towers, constructed and aided by their armies of 'Great Ants'.
They aim to redeem and reclaim their heritage as the most powerful and wise scholars, sages and mages of their draconic empire from before the Cataclysm. They maintain order and balance, so they may reign supreme and keep the masses suppressed under their power to keep the power of the dragons alive in the world. Anyone that refuses them that threatens them, they dispose of and challenge before they become unruly and rebellious. They seek to reclaim the lost power within their ruined dragonaught remains and preserve their way of life as the supreme beings of the land. They preserve their ancient bloodlines, their families and protecting their precious hatcheries of blue dragons. However, they do not admit it; they are scarcely afraid of death and forgotten in the pages of history. They wish to remain immortal, in control and to live in their own ancient ways.
History:
The dragons managed to domesticate, experiment with and alter the species of ants in the East to gain supremacy over the land - after the battles to claim dominance over the desert nomad regions against the old Lamia rulers, taking away their slaver dens and setting them free but restricting their lives, elevating those to power to serve them and become part of their armies. The Blue Dragons once had to flee and isolate from the remains of their great citadel, as many robbers, thieves and trespassers stole and drove them from their precious riches and gold, but more importantly, they had taken their knowledge. It was only when the lost Great Mage of the Blue Dragons had isolated and protected their brood of royal blooded dragons, and trained them to be ready for their kind to return to glory and reclaim their old image - isolated in hte depths of the Underdark, that the Azure Princess rose with the aid of an ambitious Drow renegade to take over ht desert lands and overcome their Great Worm masters that hunted their kind down - they utilised the voracious ants that resided in hte UNderdark, combining it with the essence of predatory Umber Hulks and using experimental magics to enlarge and control the ants to attack from underground; and build monuments in the sky and control the estorms in the area; enforcing iron rule. Taking charge first of the life-sustaining rivers and oasis, blocking the marchlands with sandstorms and returning to the air - reclaiming and empowering their last magocratic cities. Or their remains at least. They took the remains of the dead are taken to the Drow mage locked away and resurrected them into the undead, to work against them, ad strike at their unearthly pleasures and worship of Graz'zt the Dark Prince; ending the
Abyssal Doorways, slaughtering the many sacrificial carnal houses and devoted temples; even citing a pact between the Gnolls to grant them aid and support, but then leaving them to ruin and defenceless - the Princess claimed power over the slaves and ants by imprisoning their queen, erecting amber and fulgurite palaces of glass and ant-hives to create their own kingdom... and an Underdark prison for the Drow and enslaved the ants with the power of storm, light and lightning activated tremours - hunting down the Worms and the cultists ... expunging any means of over-indulged pleasure - focusing cowards martialling the skills of the best and meeting out the worst in the remaining slaves. They abhorred any practice of necromancy except for themselves and treated any and all means of their weakness or anti-draconic turn of phrase as punishment in the desert into forceful servitude. They kept the masses at bay through indoctrinated legions through repurposed temples and shrines, after cleansing any means of cult-worship and making a prime example of the eLamia's - hiding any that would not save them or putting them to good use as secret police and inflictors of pain and fear. Keeping them collared, with shock-treatment therapy or making them docile through trepanning... they cared not for their people's health so long as it maintained their great workforce. Employing kobolds, Dragonborn and even Gnolls to their services - enslaving Tabaxi, and other races to their means.
After establishing dominance, the Azure Princess rallied potential younger males and killed any older rivals, or crippled any by breaking their wings and locking them in the UNderdark prison - she utilised her puppet, the Drow mage, to further experiment on the Ants in the 'Thunderdome'. She gathered the greatest slaves and granted them freedom if they swore themselves to her, upon the Azure Crown -and gave purpose to six other loyal and strong dragons that wished for her affections and to share, or even steal, her power - but kept them at bay, formulating hte Seven Heads of the East. Growing a great palace of fulgurite from the sands, surrounded by the nexus of ant-hils that connected to the Underdark.
The Storm Palace. Built with the aid and gathered remnants of the Ozon'Siiari dragonaught, and set to rebuilding their great empire - but had no or little power; and set out to reclaim the lost energies of hte draconic heart and republish the lost scriptures and dragonshards. Each Head was granted power ad will over their domain - acting as the law and will of the great Sultan. They maintained their power from the great towers and
Stormhills built from the backs of the
Stormants, over the remnants of the old temples to guard against the Abyss and suppress the power of their servants. They established the power structure within the desert - always hunting for more knwoeldge and power over the desert. Siphoning energies from the masses, and keeping knowledge for themselves. Protecting against the glass storms in the land.
