| Category | Cities | ||||||||||||||
| Continent | Brucrumus | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Aerie of Dragons | ||||||||||||||
| Alias | Terrible Raft | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | independent city-state | ||||||||||||||
| Government | Dictatorship | ||||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||||
| Races |
|
||||||||||||||
| Deities | Tiamat, Kebechet, Lolth | ||||||||||||||
| Enemies | Tulukhan | ||||||||||||||
| Founded | 26 Witchrite 1122 HE | ||||||||||||||
| Map | Krein Jusk |
Zomaar Yelvaad, the Terrible Raft, was established during the Horgon Era by groups engaged in a thriving commerce with the northern empire Ashmerthoon, the Zeymah'kein Empire (600 HE - 1600 HE) to the east, and the Mir'piamauza from the southeast. Situated in a vast frigid marshland, the settlement's early inhabitants were predominantly Graagvrii and trolls. The latter either served as enforcers for those who could afford to hire them, or were compensated to refrain from attacking the barges and other vessels navigating the intricate network of channels, transporting the trade of nations across the expansive Minulkazar Swamp.
The city bears the designation "the Terrible Raft" due to the colossal plant mass upon which it floats. These are colonies of shambog that, when joined in their millions, form a singular biomass so buoyant that even cities may be constructed atop it. This floating city, when necessary, is propelled forward. Periodically, the entire populace is commanded to operate the poles and oars.
The prosperous settlement of Zomaar Yelvaad rose during the conflicts between its neighboring empires, thriving as the Zeymah'kein and the Mir'piamauza fell. The collapse of these two mighty empires created significant power vacuums, and for several centuries, the Terrible Raft became the most influential settlement in the region, prospering while others grappled with internal strife and the machinations of upstarts vying for control. The downfall of the Mir'piamauza was particularly devastating, accounting for nearly 80% of Zomaar Yelvaad's revenue, as it handled the trade of the Mir'piamauza through its toll stations at the Iiz Sostrah river and the traffic across the Minulkazar to the lands of the Galirkrad (1301 HE - 1725 HE). With the loss of this lucrative revenue stream, Zomaar Yelvaad turned to alternative methods of commerce, and slave trafficking became a significant source of income as refugees scattered across the lands. Attempts were made to secure parts of the fallen empires, but these efforts ultimately proved short-lived, and Zomaar Yelvaad returned to the same surface territory it had held when the Zeymah'kein and the Mir'piamauza were just beginning to clash.
Zomaar Yelvaad governs the chilly marshlands of Minulkazar along the northern banks of the Iiz Sostrah river, where they collect tolls. They also control the tunnels and mazes that delve into the shadowy expanse of Adunamar. Within this subterranean domain, Stalag is one of their more prominent vassals.
In the Second Epoch, the Church of Kebechet was established. Its temples are a product of the era when Lenassu Dras'ee governed the city as its Dragon Lord (1031 - 1123).
Zomaar Yelvaad is a corrupt and malevolent domain. One could be a citizen one day and a bondsman the next. The city's Drow populace are descendants of former thralls of the fomorians. At present, the majority of the city's Drow are free, demonstrating their greater utility as counselors, tradesmen, and warriors than as chattels. Beneath the surface, the city's territory is supervised by Fomorian governors, who oversee villages, townships, and vassal city-states.