Zyirra and the Broken Empire

Zyirra of the Thousand Gods is a sprawling old trading city on a rocky island, built of endless tiers of stone. It stands across from the mainland where farms once thrived. Its original patron and god-king was Surkat the Conqueror, Father of Furies, devil-god of water and the underworld, patron of sailors, traders, and soldiers. Zyirra was the heart of the ancient Zyirran Empire, which conquered and enslaved all around the Sea of Storms and ruled over a long, uneasy peace.

Generations ago, the Zyirran Empire was overthrown by the paladins and priests of the sky gods of the eastern Samarran kingdoms. Temples of the sky-gods now stand where temples to devils once stood. Once-fertile fields were cursed and salted in the war. Docks, fisheries, and trading fleets remain, but Zyirra’s great prosperity failed when the people abandoned their bloody-minded gods. And yet the Samarrans lacked the strength and will to replace one tyranny with another. The empire disintegrated.

Today, only petty kingdoms and city-states remain, separated by dangerous wilderness where chaos, monsters, and ancient ruins lurk.

The wide savannahs of the Sunlands and the bitter Kahlar deserts sprawl far south of the empire. The mountains, deep forests, and rugged rivers of the north are held by the grim Valkan tribes, and their cousins the Kiavalkans farther north still. All hold mysteries, dangers, and wonders of their own.

“Swords & Sorceries” adventures can be played in any 5E setting you like, but their tone and detail draw deeply from the world of the Broken Empire.