HISTORY

Zoar is one of the oldest cities in the human world, if not the oldest. Its dating system begins nearly four-hundred years before the Imperial dating system, when Ibel the Founder settled there. The city is carved from stone and gained much of its wealth from its mining operations. In addition to iron, copper, diamonds, and gems, it sits on a region dense with mooncrystal, a material that can be suffused with magical energy. This allows the famous magical archers, the Fingers of Barukh, to wield their explosive volleys of crystal arrows.

An early ally of the Imperials, it is hotly debated whether Zoar’s twofold government—the Council of Elders and the king—was influenced by the Empire, or if the similar ideas developed independently. A more controversial theory states that Zoar influenced the Empire and gave it the government.

A great rebellion in 989, which nearly ended in the death of King Magon, was put down by the emperor Julio Seánus. His help came with a price; a constant presence of Imperial soldiers in Zoar followed, making it—in effect—a client state.

SIGHTS

• The most famous symbol of the city is the Lighthouse of Zoar, standing over 500 feet high and dominating the skyline.
• The mines beneath the city stretch deeper than any others known in the Empire. At some point in the mid-700s, operations ceased after the miners delved too deep and heard “strange noises beyond the walls and beneath their feet.”