Chal-Kazod

Category	Ruins
Continent	Karterus
Region	Gulimbor
Founded	17 Saunas 211
Map	Marninnoth

The ruins of Chal-Kazod, Tragaran for "Meeting Place", are situated at the convergence of Lake Girrun'nâth, the Imrabêl valley, and the southwestern edge of the Woad jungle. Chal-Kazod was established by Tragaran settlers from Lanirûk.

Chal-Kazod flourished and amassed substantial wealth from the numerous mines dotting the southern foothills of the Pharôzîn mountains. Located in the southern hills of Imrabêl were additional mines and an abundance of water mills. During the early portion of the First Epoch, the threat from that region stemmed from the minotaurs. They had inhabited Imrabêl long before the arrival of the Tragaran migration from Ma'Ohari and Azrik.

The city's economy flourished due to its strategic position along a prominent trade corridor. Chal-Kazod commanded the southern approach to the Imrabêl valley, levying tolls on road usage and taxes on imported goods.

In the year 255, this town with a population of 15,000 was conquered by a Khazarkar army led by King Belkazim. Chal-Kazod became one of the two principal territories of the Kingdom of Belkazim, along with Akann'ndâb.

During the third and fourth centuries of the First Epoch, the khazarkars commenced encountering discord with the minotaurs of Imrabêl. In 412, the First Khazarkar Empire waged war against the minotaurs (c.f. Third Imrabêl War). Upon the war's conclusion, the vanquished minotaurs were compelled into servitude. Chal-Kazod absorbed the majority of this captive population.

The city endured numerous conflicts and battles as the empires and kingdoms of Ing-Serold and Khazarkar vied for supremacy in the valleys of southern Gulimbor. With the ascendance of the First Khazarkar Empire, Chal-Kazod functioned as a crucial strategic stronghold for communication during their territorial expansion through Imrabêl.

During its prime, the city played host to numerous rival schools and guilds of the arcane arts. Many of these guilds functioned akin to educational institutions, offering instruction in the arcane and accepting select students into the guild ranks. Two of the most enduring of these were the League of Magicks and the Eldritch Conclave. It was within this city that the reckless magical practices which precipitated the Gulimobr Cataclysm were first cultivated.

The city endured the disastrous effects of the Gulimobr Cataclysm, including corrosive rainfall and ferocious electrical storms that ravaged the metropolis. Chal-Kazod was ultimately abandoned when the Khazarkars departed Gulimbor (as detailed in the Great Exodus).