History of Surket

Surket is the oldest inhabited settlement founded by humans. It has been inhabited for at least 6000 years and has an incredibly rich history because of it. This page details the history of the city, from possible origins all the way to the modern day.

Pre-Ozymandium (b. 4300 BA)
Before Surket was founded, there is archaeological evidence to suggest that humans lived there for at least a thousand years prior. Before this, there may have even been elves living near the coast, though evidence is thin as is common with ancient elven historical records. Dwarves recorded an outpost named Kar Galad and described it as being "upon a white bluff near the water" in the year 6253 BA, but no evidence of such a place has ever been found. If this dwarven fortress did exist, it was either completely lost in the desert or dismantled by humans.

While most all of the history before Ozymandias is lost, some things can be safely assumed. For instance, the region was host to many nomadic tribes before Ozymandias who relied on the river and the animals who live in it. Many of these tribes may have been incorporated into Ozymandium upon its inception.

Founding of Surket
Sometime around the year 4300 BA, the empire of Ozymandium was founded with Surket as its capital. According to legend, the city and empire were founded by Ozymandias, a human who had rallied the enslaved human tribes of the Yuan Ti empire of Azantia. He had defeated the Serpent Lords of the Yuan Ti and united the nine slave tribes under his banner, then marched them north across the Crimson Desert to a land promised to him in a vision from Mandas, the sun god.

When Ozymandias and his tribes exited the Crimson Desert, they founded the city of Surket upon the cliffs where the Crimson River meets the Veridian Sea. The heads of the tribes created the Council of Surket to govern the city and act as an advisory cabinet for Ozymandias.

The Murder of Ozymandias and Rule of Xerxes
After the founding of Surket and the creation of the Council of Surket, Ozymandias began to build an army to conquer the surrounding lands. The exact reasons are unknown, though many have speculated, but tensions between the Council and Ozymandias rose to a boiling point. On the summer solstice, when Ozymandias was preparing to give a speech at the partially erected Pyramid of the Sun, the Council stabbed him to death and went out in front of all the citizens of Surket instead. They declared that Ozymandias had ascended to godhood and that his son, Xerxes, would be the new Ozymandias.

Xerxes was the first of the Ozymandian Emperors to use the title of Pharaoh, which he used specifically when operating as a religious leader. he also expanded Ozymandium westward into modern day Oristan. His stated goal was to one day stretch Ozymandium across the Veridian Sea, something he considered to be a sort of manifest destiny for the nation. His rule was bloody and violent, with only 7 years of peace in his 42 year reign, but he also established Ozymandium as the first great human empire, warring with the many tribes of beastfolk and demons which lived in the area, as well as any human tribes that refused to join his empire. When he died, his body was mummified and placed in a temple in the Valley of the Gods

The Age of Expansion
For the next several hundred years, Ozymandium continued to expand and grow in influence throughout the Veridian Sea. Humanity stretched across the coast and Ozymandium followed close behind. At one point, the empire had stretched all the way to the western coast of Antibor, where it never quite managed to conquer the Salt Kings of the Dragon Coast and secure the northern half of the continent. It had also managed to reach much of the southern coast of Eltera, and ruins can be found of Ozymandium origin across the northern Veridian Sea. It seems that they could never hold onto the territory for long, however.

Ozymandium was at its peak in the year 2377 BA, when it covered roughly 60% of the Veridian Sea coast. This was during the rule of Cyrus IX, sometimes called Cyrus the Silent, who is notable for having the most peaceful reign out of any emperor in Ozymandian history. He ascended to the throne just after his father, Cyrus VII, had conquered the eastern Royal Coast but died on the voyage home. His rule is considered the height of Ozymandian power and was followed by millenia of decline for the empire.

The Great Decline
After the rule of Cyrus IX, the empire fell into a decline that lasted until its absorption into the Aquian Empire. The nation collapsed to Surket, what is modern-day Oristan, and the modern Protectorate of the Holy Flame. There were numerous mediocre emperors, countless minor wars, and an overall decline in the power of Ozymandium throughout the Veridian Sea until the Aquian Empire formed and took over the empire.

Aquian Rule (0 AA - 763 AA)
The Aquian Empire, a nation stemming from an island in the central Veridian Sea, rose to power over the last few hundred years before the beginning of the common era. Over the reigns of Emperors Regulus and Tyrus of Aquias, the Aquian Empire grew to cover the modern day Royal Coast, Ramora, and all of western Antibor, even developing an alliance with the Salt Kings.

Ozymandias fell under the rule of Aquias when Aquian Emperor Felix struck a deal with the last emperor of Ozymandium Asham. Felix agreed to marry Asham's daughter Safiya, cementing the two empires into one. Felix was also adopted by Asham and made his heir, then abdicated to him. Finally, Felix appointed Safiya as Pharaoh, now the leader of the new Aquian faith, which blended the old cult of Ozymandias and the new Aquian Church.

From then on, the Aquian Emperor was introduced as the emperor of Aquias and Ozymandium. They ushered in a renaissance of sorts for the city, building the Golden Canal connecting the Auric Ocean and the Veridian Sea and establishing trade with Iliara and Solheven. They brought gladiatorial combat to Surket and were the first to expand it, establishing the East Surket extension to the walls.