Uresh-Tur

Overview
Prior to The Falling, the Empire of Uresh-tur dominated the West of the Great Continent. It was ruled over by Azzabatchnat, a warlord whose power was only overshadowed by that of Redian itself. Through mysterious magiks and deals with beings most profane, Azzabatchnat managed to extend his life near indefinitely.

During The Falling, Azzabatchnat fled to his tomb as both his empire and the world crumbled above him. After accepting a deal made by a titan (Primordial) of the desert, Azzabatchnat emerged from beneath the ground to find his empire destroyed, and a vast desert in its place. Undeterred by this setback, he reclaimed as much of his territory as he could. Uresh-tur can thus claim to be one of the only major empires to survive The Falling, and given this early head-start, it emerged as the most successful of the petty nations to come out of that calamity.

Early History
As a child, Azzabatchnat inherited a small desert province when his uncle died of a mysterious sickness. As the new Regent at a very young age, Azzabatchnat grew fond of the riches and splendor that his position allowed him. However, his greed could not be contained, and he began to search for even more riches and power. Settled to the west of the lands of Redian, Azzabatchnat watched from afar as the great warlords of Redian used the power and influence of that realm to conquer great swathes of territory. The power of the Redian warlords was such that Azzabatchnat was forced to watch as they made their homes in hollowed mountains, under seas, and commanded armies that numbered in the tens of thousands.

More patient than most, Azzabatchnat waited for opportune times to grow his small empire. When nearby tribes showed weakness, he struck. He fed on power struggles, losses in battle, droughts and storms. As time went on and this strategy proved most effective, Azzabatchnat became obsessed with it. He sought ways to extend his life, to out-wait those around him. While nearby regents grew old and died, their heirs fighting for control over their empire, Uresh-Tur suffered no such weakness. Azzabatchnat patiently waited for those squabbles, and took those empires when it occurred.

Still, this got him only slightly closer to challenging the might of Redian. While his empire was massive, it still could not compare with the splendor of that realm.

The Corruption of Azzabatchnat
The lust for the riches of Redian festered inside Azzabatchnat, and he finally grew tired of waiting. On the seven hundredth and seventieth year of his reign, he had built a gleaming tower of ivory and silver. Its stories numbered forty-nine, and it was to be filled with copies of all the books and manuscripts on power and magic found in all the world. Azzabatchnat already possessed a great deal of this knowledge from his conquests of surrounding empires, but it was incomplete. He sent his troops out across the lands with instructions to acquire by any means more knowledge of power and magic.

For seven years his armies scoured Arkhalea, and on the last day of the last year, Azzabatchnat assembled the remaining tomes in his tower. On the first day of his seven hundredth and seventy-seventh year reign, Azzabatchnat sealed himself within the tower. For seven years and a day he delved into histories of realms burned, of gods better left dead, and of secrets so profane that their very utterance was punishable by death.

None know what happened during that time, nor what he learned, but it seems his mission was a success.

The Fall of Azzabatchnat
After his seven year exile, Azzabatchnat returned a changed man, wizened and thin, yet standing tall under the weight of his golden accouterments. In short order he wrested control of his empire back from those who had ruled in his place, and began rebuilding his armies to face Redian. The first thrust caught Redian off guard, and a rich area of farmland was taken by Azzabatchnat. Feeding his armies and starving those of Redian, Azzabatchnat prepared for his next strike.

However, before that strike could occur, The Falling occurred. Azzabatchnat watched in dismay as his armies fled in terror, and as the foundations of his realm began to crumble. Rushing back to his capital to determine the source of this calamity, Azzabatchnat was horrified to see his silver and ivory tower crumble and burn, the knowledge of the world lost with it. Great ravines opened throughout his lands, devouring his crops and forests, destroying all that he had worked so hard to conqueror and hold.

Realizing that all was lost, Azzabatchnat fled to his tomb, both his final resting place and the location where he had stored one final secret. There, he slaughtered his entire court to fuel a spell that sustained him as a deathless undead. While his empire may have been taken from him, his life now never could be. It was his final act, one of madness and desperation, the final gasp of a being so consumed with power that he could never let go.

The Rise of Azzabatchnat
But this was not the end of Azzabatchnat - it could not be, now that he had descended past life itself. For many long years Azzabatchnat lingered in his tomb, slowly going mad. He screamed until his voice went, and continued screaming a soundless scream, consumed by his anguish at losing everything he had spent so many centuries acquiring. He might be there still, his dangling jaw issuing no sound, except for a fateful visitor who disturbed his mad ravings.

She-of-the-Comely-Sands, a titan (Primordial) of the desert found Azzabatchnat in his tomb. What she saw in him and what she offered him, or vice-versa, none will likely every know. But She-of-the-Comely-Sands convinced Azzabatchnat to return to the surface and to re-conquer his empire.

When Azzabatchnat emerged, he found his realm drastically changed. Where lush fields once grew crops to feed his empire, great deserts now spread. His cities and palaces were buried, and nothing but a few scattered tribes still called Uresh-Tur home. Reinvigorated after his meeting with She-of-the-Comely-Sands, Azzabatchnat conquered mile after mile of his former realm. Single-handedly, he built a civilization in the desert wastes to rival the memories of the opulence he once had. His mortal foe Redian gone, Azzabatchnat had nothing to consume him but the goal of rebuilding civilization. Humanity found itself without a home, and Azzabatchnat was happy to offer them one. People flocked to the first stable realm to emerge from The Falling, coming to build themselves a new homeland. Greeting them with open arms, Azzabatchnat organized a new empire, his lust for power now turned upon a foe which like him will never die: the desert itself.

Modern Times
Today, Uresh-tur is a militaristic empire with a powerful connection to the undead and elemental sand. The biggest weakness Uresh-tur has is one of geography. Uresh-tur is separated from most other civilizations by the ruins of Redian. In addition, the undead and elementals that make up most of Uresh-tur leave a sour taste in the mouths of the Dwarves, Goblinoids and Elves. While Azzabatchnat has done much to reclaim parts of the desert to build his empire in, it is a never-ending battle. Great sandstorms cover outposts and small towns, and almost as many are lost each year as are built.

Still, the empire flourishes, filled with hearty souls bent on carving out a life in the desert heat.

Geography
The majority of Uresh-tur is desert or scrublands. The continent is dominated by the Eshik Desert, a sand desert whose placement is colloquilly described as "Souther than the snows, and norther than the stones". This saying makes reference to the two other main biomes of Uresh-tur, the mountain ranges and frigid forests of the unmapped north and the great sandstone plateau that the nation of Uresh-tur shared with Redian. The Eshik frays away as it gets closer to the sea on both the east and the west sides, revealing dark grey rock and pebbled beaches.

The nation itself is built on a natural sandstone plateau that rises roughly a hundred feet above the Eshik desert. This natural defense, as well as the elemental and necrotic power wielded by Uresh-tur's leaders, ensures the continued safety of the people who live and work in the fields around the capital of Deshervaask.

Politics
Uresh-tur is the primary nation on the continent, but it is by no means the only one, or even the uncontested one. The Weaver's People, a group of Orcs and Drow, make their homes in the Eshik and the beaches.