Time of the (Race) Sarrukh (jan 1, 35000 BC – dec 31, 33501 BC)

Description:

Empires of the sarrukh, a sauroid creator race, arose around −35,000 DR. The first was the realm of Okoth, which came to dominate much of the land that would be Faerûn over the next century.

The sarrukh built the first significant civilizations of Toril, their empires rising and falling between −35,000 DR and −33,500 DR. This race of intelligent scaled creatures first appeared in the area known as Okoth, which is south of Mulhorand. The development of the sarrukh was relatively uncontested, and thus, their population quickly surpassed the level sustainable by the local resources. The sarrukh then spread rapidly throughout much of Faerûn, conquering other lands and starting new civilizations as they went. They met short-lived and disorganized resistance from the savages that inhabited the lands; furthermore, the sarrukh had already learned to smelt iron for steel weapons and armor, which made them virtually invincible. Within a hundred years, they had conquered most of Faerûn.

The Mhairshaulk Empire arose around −34,800 DR on the Chultan peninsula, and the Isstosseffifil empire followed in −34,500 DR, based in what is now the Great Desert of Anauroch. Okoth, the first of the sarrukh empires, still encompassed the sarrukhs' homeland. Lesser realms, which included the city of Ss'thar'tiss'ssun (located in what is now the Forest of Wyrms) and the city of Ilimar (which is now split between the Great Swamp of Rethild and the Gulthmere Forest), sprang up outside of the two great empires of Mhairshaulk and Isstosseffifil. These regions constituted the major hubs of sarrukh civilization, and the first stable portals in all of Faerûn were created to connect them.

The empires of the sarrukh continued to grow until the sarrukh eventually became the minority in their own empire (much like the Romans). Thousands of other races tended to them, fulfilling their needs and desires. The sarrukh savored the finest meats, surrounded themselves with gold, jewels, and other finery, and enjoyed all the luxuries of a civilization at its zenith. As with so many empires since, however, the sarrukhs' increasing dependence on other races would lead them in a spiral ever downward.

The sarrukh remembered distinctly the heights to which their race once climbed, and the fall to where it later lay. They were individually powerful, but their low numbers forced them to rely on the races that they created. During the height of their empires, the sarrukh became lazy and domineering. Instead of directly involving themselves with the rest of the world, they delegated their building and fighting to the lizardfolk, with the yuan-ti supervising those activities and acting as the sarrukhs' personal servants. The nagas were entrusted with the tasks of magical research, exploration, and guarding important individuals and places. Withdrawing into their palaces, the sarrukh never emerged without heavy protection. Despite the fall of their mighty and grand civilizations, the sarrukhs' attitude changed little. They were interested in the goings-on of the world but chose to remain apart from it. They instead sent out their yuan-ti servants or small groups of nagas to learn what could be learned and report back to them. The most important consideration for the sarrukh became preserving each and every member of their race.

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