Arqozath

Arqozath was a small tyranny on the Thunder Coast of eastern Sapphros. Named for Arqozath the Audacious, it was one of the last tyrannies to emerge in Sapphros during the First Age but was also among the wealthiest. The natural dyes derived from the Khromark river were valued all over the world. During the Night Wars, Arqozath was notably the most northerly tyranny the Thanasians conquered.

Arqozath

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Arqozath is a small dracostate on the Thunder Coast of eastern Sapphros. Named for Arqozath the Audacious, it was one of the last dracostates to emerge in Sapphros during the First Age but was also among the wealthiest. The natural dyes derived from the Khromark river were valued all over the world. During the Night Wars, Arqozath was notably the most northerly dracostate the Thanasians conquered.

History

First Age

For much of its ancient history, the land that would become Arqozath was merely the southern provinces of Tharzavok, its eventual neighbor to the north. Those southern provinces were vastly weathier, however, than the rest of Tharzavok combined and thus, its wealthy merchant class planned to secede. Raising their own blue dragon in search, the newly-minted tyranny officially declared its independence from Tharzavok and fealty to its own dragon – named Arqozath the Audacious – in 690 1A. This angered Tharzavok but none more than the blue dragon herself. In her wrath, she descended on the newly-renamed capital of Qoza and, finding no rival dragon, nearly reduced the city to ruin.
Over the following centuries, Arqozath constructed Zath, its new capital, on the southern shores of Tharza's Bight and accumulated more and more wealth from the prosperous dye trade.

Night Wars

As the Night Wars drew close and Thanatos carved a path through southern Sapphros, Arqozath marshaled her armies to repel the armies of the dead. At a critical moment in the siege of 30 2A, however, Tharzavok the Tremendous descended from the sky to smite Arqozath the Audacious. The two wyrms fought a desperate aerial battle, the younger dragon defeated by the elder but the elder so wounded, it fell into the ravening hordes of undead below and was devoured.

Second Age

Shortly after the siege of Zath, however, the Night Wars abruptly and mysteriously ended. While the southern half of the tyranny lies devastated beneath the Spoils, the northern half was largely evacuated, refugees streaming north in the thousands. By 67 2A, Zath was a haunted ruin that none dared approach. Qoza became a haven for gnolls, minotaur and aarkocra, inhabiting the overgrown city. Only Arqo in the north maintained any sense of national identity, though it was hard beset by invasion from the Son of Tharzavok.

Geography

Arqozath shared a terrain with many of its neighboring along the Thunder Coast – rocky shores, thick scrublands, semi-arid steppes, coastland wetlands, sandy beaches, clear blue waters and a myriad of islands that dot the coasts.
Tharza's Bight cut Arqozath in two. To the north, Arqozath shared a disputed border with its quarrelsome neighbor Tharzavok. The colorful Khromark River wound through central Arqozath, emptying into the Bight. To the east spanned the Draconic Ocean and the largely depopulated Vermin Isles dotted the distant horizon. The Labirynth Sand abutted Arqozath to the west, providing a hard geographical boundary that prevents much exploration in that direction. South of the Bight lay the Spoils, the necrotic devastation wrought by the armies of Thanatos.
Arqozath had three major cities of note:

• Arqo: Once a farming community, centuries of border skirmishes transformed Arqo into a redoubt.
• Qoza: The economic center of Arqozath, Qoza rested on the Rainbow Delta and dealt in dyes.
• Zath: Once the militaristic capital of Arqozath, the Night Wars left Zath a haunted ruin, broken by Thanatos.

Climate

Like much of the Thunder Coast, Arqozath had a dry summer climate, known for a dry dustiness, refreshing sea breezes and especially rainy winters. Wheat, grain and olives were particularly prevalent in the region, along with expansive vineyards in its rolling hills.

Politics

During the First Age, Arqozath was nominally ruled by its draconic patron. Arqozath the Audacious was a romantic, adventurous dracoqueen, always searching for some new endeavor or risk she could undertake. Now and then, she would flap away on one venture on another, leaving her Circlet to run the nation in her absence. As long as the dragon was entertained with a dangerous enterprise or another, the people were free to run their country as they saw fit.
After the fall of Zath in 31 2A, however, Arqozath completely failed as a state. No central authority rules the nation now. Zath is a benighted ruin and Qoza in the hands of a new warlord every month. Only Arqo and its besieged Circlet maintain any semblance of order but their influence is limited to a bowshot beyond the city's crumbling walls.

Economy

While Arqozath did a brisk trade in olives and wines like many nations along the Thunder Coast, its primary export was textiles and specifically dyes. The Khromark that ran through central Arqozath was home to a rare panoply of freshwater plants so potent with natural pigments, they colored the riverwater in a dazzling rainbow. Once harvested, these plants produced a dizzying array of natural dyes. Arqozathi dyers were highly sought all around the world. This trade was the primary source of the nation's wealth.

Demographics

During the First Age, Arqozath was a human-dominated culture. Merchants and diplomats, particularly from Auros, were occasionally seen in its cities but the landed population were overwhelmingly human. Kobolds were also common during this period, the offspring of the many dragons that called Sapphros home.
The Night Wars brought massive migration, the native human population fleeing their homes in droves to escape the incoming undead menace. This left the cities, farmsteads and villas abandoned and, after a decade or two, nonhuman people from beyond the Labyrinth Sand – gnolls, minotaurs, centaurs, leonine, aarakocra and even loxodonns from beyond the distant Sphinxes – trickled into Arqozath, now residing in the abandoned human communities.

Culture

Color was an essential part of everyday life for most Arqozathi people. They favored garish fashion, particularly stripes, often with as many colors as possible. They wore elaborate dyed wigs in greens and purples and pinks. While their cuisine iswasfairly typical for the region – fish, olives, figs, dates, plus an assortment of wines – they would often dye even their food in bright and shocking colors, its hue as important as its taste.
Arqozathi had a defiant streak. They were natural iconoclasts, often challenging established norms and taking great pleasure in subverting them. While the more conservative aristocrats limited their temerity to daring new fashions, Arqozath had always entertained its fair share of revolutionaries and firebrands. It was said the best way to ensure an Arqozathi did something was to tell them not to.
Crossdressing was also a persistent element of Arqozathi culture, particularly among the nobility. Once a shocking fashion statement, it soon became commonplace for men of good standing to wear gowns and makeup, while women wore tunics, leggings and often ceremonial armor. Shocking as this may have seemed to the rest the world, it was perfectly ordinary to the people of Arqozath.

Campaigns

The Menagerie

• Vhakizla: The campaign began in Qoza, Arqozath, in 67 2A. After a humiliating defeat against Arqo in the north, the Menagerie came here to lick its wounds but eventually found work in the employ of Vhakizla, the first dracolich.

Name: Arqozath
Capital: Zath (former)
Largest City: Qoza
Government: Tyranny (Former)
Official Language: Draconic
Demographics: Integrated (31% human, 16% gnoll, 13% minotaur, 14% centaur, 11% aarakocra, 3% dwarf, 3% elf, 3% orc, 1% other)
Demonym: Arqozathi