Sozein

Sozein populates the western stretch of the Kozia Rainforest. Like Tafunga, Sozein has tremendous trees that divide the rainforest into three separate habitats: the emergent layer high above the rest of the forest, the canopy where most natural life dwells, and the forest floor, reserved primarily for rodents and some reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles.

The Sozeini swathe of the Kozia Rainforest also has dense bamboo forests, which are smaller than the rainforest at large but are impossibly dense to navigate.

Sozein’s cities are savvily built with drainage in mind, directing monsoon rains to flood their water reservoirs rather than their streets.

Academic.

Sozein’s largest cities all have well-staffed educational institutions. Magic and its practical applications is a chief area of study among Sozeini scholars.

Aristocratic and Political.

Sozein operates on a governmental system similar to a feudal system, but with only a dynastic emperor and the local governors of settlements. There are no lords or ladies that act as middle management between individual towns and the dynastic authorities, though there are emissaries from the emperor trained to speak on behalf of the royal family. The same dynastic family, the Long’han dynasty, has been in charge of Sozein for over a thousand years.

Mercantile and Trade.

Sozein is known for its spices, dramatically flavored food, bright pigments, vegetation (especially bamboo), and mineral-rich clay. It exports these goods to Nausa, Shadradoth, Valstrom, and its merchant vessels will also take their wares as far west as Nent and as far east as Vel.

Militant.

Sozein has a cutting-edge military with fighters that obsessively train in the art of using magic in combat. Different contingents of soldiers will focus on the same function of magic, and some elite contingents blend soldiers from multiple functional specializations.

Religious.

The Sozeini worship five of the six Archfae Conclaves in equal measure. They have little concept of the Vertumna Conclave as the only seasons in the Kozia Rainforest are humid, rainy, and monsoon. The other five Conclaves are all important to Sozeini culture.

Social.

Sozein offers little social safety for those who are unable to keep up with their jobs or with the advent of magic. Merchants and governors are often unnecessarily cutthroat in an effort to ensure that they will not be left behind.

Underworld.

Spies from Tafunga engage in elaborate undercover missions to destabilize Sozein as much as possible. They might stoke the flames of social unrest or undermine a strategically important governor at a crucial moment.

Wyvanai

The capital of Sozein, Wyvanai, is a tremendous coastal city from which Sozein’s ruling dynasty oversees their nation. It has the largest temples to the Archfae out of any Sozeini city, and has the second-largest university (the largest being at the world-tree). The Wyvenai Palace is protected by dozens of magical guards and wards, and the imperial gardeners breed domesticated wyverns.

Points of Interest

The World-Tree. Sozein maintains a tenuous peace with Tafunga at the World-Tree, which rests on the border between the two nations. While the Tafungans view the tree as a sacred site, the Sozeini are generally more interested in it from an academic standpoint. Magical scholars study the tree in hopes of learning how it grew so tall and what magical properties might be gleaned from it.

If the Sozeini were to trace the tree’s roots deep below the ground, they would find that it is an offshoot sproutling of the ancient world-tree in Doshairiel.

Quest Ideas

•The emperor’s favorite wyvern has flown off, chasing some kind of creature that nobody could identify. Can the heroes track down the wyvern and bring it safely back to Wyvanai?

• Researchers at the world-tree believe that they have identified a portal to the Everwilds within one of the notches in the massive tree. Will the heroes volunteer to test the portal?

• One of Sozein’s towns has completely fallen apart, likely because of Tafungan interference. Can the heroes put the town back together by supporting a new governor or otherwise helping repair the damage? Will they seek retribution against the Tafungans?