The Urek

The cradle of civilization on Odo Kas, the Urek Empire was the greatest of the post-Ravaging cultures. Moru Kel, Saffa, and Esmi all have direct roots in the Urek Empire, and are proud to carry on the legacy of the Urek in the modern world.

The Urek Empire

The Empire itself is shrouded in mystery, but there are a few chronicles of emperors and empresses and tantalizing glimpses into the old history. The Urek alphabet is preëminent across the land, serving as the basis for Gamaal writing used by the Nawabe, Dalgar, Wurdoni, and Maal people. The Oracle of Esmi has long been a cynosure for people from across the continent seeking religious guidance in their lives. And Skandara is hailed far and wide as the location where the great knight Whiro turned back the Gamaal, saving civilization.

Chief among the Urek contributions is that of religion: while those on other continents sometimes use alternate, dubious names for the gods, the true Urek names have spread widely across Odo Kass.

At its height, the Urek Empire encompassed nearly a quarter of the land of Odo Kas, and all of the most productive shoreline in the south. Unlike the Gamaal — the other great post-Ravaging culture — the Urek were a true empire, building roads to connect their cities, having a central military and government, and sharing a common body of learning which is passed on to this day. Urek emperors governed from their seat in Skandara.

Invasions by the Gamaal Empire and Skandara’s eventual collapse contributed to the end of the Urek Empire, but the constituent city-states proved the resilience of the Urek people.

The Modern Urek

Following the collapse of the Urek Empire, major centers emerged around Saffa, Skandara, and Esmi. Eventually Skandara was abandoned, but with the emergence of Moru Kel on its site those three centers remain influential today. While they do not share a government, the shared heritage of the Urek city-states makes them virtual sister-states, sometimes squabbling with each other but generally allied against external threats. Moru Kel is by far the youngest of the three, but it’s made great strides to establish itself as an equal: unearthing the old Urek road to enable cross-country trade with Esmi during the time of the Maelstrom was a feather in its cap. Respect for the constructs of old Skandara has been critical, given the reverence of civilized people for that legacy.

Esmi, in contrast, has fallen somewhat in esteem in recent years: once the overland port for all trade to or from the south, it’s now lost that economic status. The Three Towers still serve as testaments to Esmi’s prominence, though, and with Skura’s blessing the cycle will continue there for millenia to come.

The Urek cities remain near the pinnacle of civilization, with the religious center of Esmi, the trading capital of Moru Kel, and the educational nexus of Saffa forming a formidable core. Moru Kel’s rise as an artistic and innovative center is being highlighted at the Symposium of Wonders.