Chult

## Jungles of Chult

Given to the primordial Ubtao after betraying the other primordials to the gods to end the Dawn War, the lands of chult are very different than most of Abeir-Toril due to the lack of the gods influence. This has led to a wild overgrown land of deadly jungles and old magic.

## Chultans

The human inhabitants of Chult are known for their belief in Ubtao and his maze. They believe that life is a maze for which you must travel through to earn your eternal reward. It is believed that Ubtao created the jungle as a maze for his followers and that when you die he will ask you to draw the maze that describes your life. If you are successful you are invited into Ubtao's home. If you fail you are sent back as an undead or ghoul. To chultans it is important growing up how to identify your maze and followers are seen endless practicing drawing their own.

## Environment and Creatures

Hot and humid almost everywhere, the jungle canopy blocks the sun in certain areas. The plant growth is famously carnivorous or extremely large. As are the common animals or large lizard beasts and dinosaurs. The people of chult respect and worship the warmblooded dinosaurs who are intelligent beyond the other beasts of the jungle and are expert hunters. Many chultans and even goblin tribes associate certain breeds of dinosaurs to Ubtao or goblin deities, despite this they still hunt dinosaurs for their meat and hides.

## The Mezro Seven

In the early years Ubtao rose the jungles and walked the lands meeting the many tribes of Chult.

In -2,637 DR, Ubtao founded the city of Mezro a holy city of the Tabaxi Chultans, Ubtao stayed in the heart of the city and helped the common people of the jungle learn to navigate the maze of life. Eventually there came a day when people came to Ubtao with petty problems and taking him for granted. Ubtao proclaimed:

*"If the people wish to cry and complain rather than listen to my wisdom, then so be it. I will leave them to wander the maze of life without my guidance."*

And he left, returning to his home in the sky. Leaving seven individuals as his Chosen calling them the Barae (bah-REY). Each bara was gifted with special powers by Ubtao serving as "paladins" but much stronger than regular mortals and live several thousands of years longer than they should. If one dies, a great maze opens up and if found worthy ascends to take their place. They live to protect the city of Mezro and if it were to be destroyed the city would crumble to dust.

In -438 the chultans killed each other in a brutal civil war between the Tabaxi tribe and the Eshowe tribe. In the Year of Blooded Sunsets (-137 DR) during the war the Eshowe tribe released a shadow giant to attack and destroy Mezro. The giant was known as Eshowdow, it was infused with power from both Ubtao and Shar and it nearly brought Mezro to ruin, however it turned against the Eshowe tribe almost eradicating them. Afterwards Ras Nsi seized the moment to use his undead to try and exterminate the last of the Eshowe tribe. For this he was exiled by the other six barae.

In 863 DR the entire city became invisible. This was caused by a magical wall that was built around the city that kept the city from sight and rendered all who came nearby magically confused. They remained hidden until 1363 DR when they again revealed themselves and began to again assist Chult.

There can only be seven barae, comprised of both men and women, and of the original seven that Ubtao first created only one remains, Ras Nsi. But he is an outcast living outside of Mezro dabbling in necromancy that goes against the maze of life.

As of the 1370s DR, the current *barae* were:

* **Osaw I** (King of Mezro, wise ruler)
* **Kwalu** (Son of the King, protector of Mezro)
* **Dhalmass Rayburton** (Outsider from Cormyr, explorer, kind and protective of Chult)
* **Alisandra Rayburton** (Daughter of Dhalmass, left to Cormyr with Artus Cimber in 1363 DR)
* **Mainu** (Mysterious and elusive, but a stickler for decorum. Requires visitors to treat her as royalty)
* **Fipya** (Shy girl, left overwhelmed by her responsibilities. Looks up to Kwalu like an older brother)
* **Ras Nsi** (Banished necromancer from Mezro, eventually turned into a Yuan-ti following the Spellplague)

Like most of the great cities in Abeir-Toril, Mezro was devastated in 1385 DR by the Spellplague, or so most chultans believed.

## Tomb of Annihilation

*The following is entirely homebrew-custom lore:*

Unseen by anything other than wandering undead or giant dinosaurs, a decade after the Spellplague hit in 1385 DR a bright gleam of light burst from the hallowed ruins of Mezro. Six figures stood silhouetted surrounding the light and then rising into the sky an astral copy of the city rose upon a floating island. The astral copy solidified into a perfect recreation of Mezro before the Spellplague, glittering gold above the jungle canopy for a brief moment. Then it vanished, leaving only a small floating earthmote with a hallow petrified tree at its center. This would become known as the Heart of Ubtao to the chultans and was considered a sacred remnant of their god.

Unknown to the chultans below, the Heart of Ubtao was little more than a doorway to the real Mezro. Which had removed itself to the astral plane prior to the Spellplague. However the doors were locked despite the return of the city and the six figures were not seen again.

Though no one saw the floating city, word of a bright glow from the ruins of Mezro quickly spread through the camps and ports of Chult. An old hero by the name of Artus Cimber heard the rumor and began seeking aid for an expedition into the jungle in hopes to find his lost wife, Alisandra, one of the barae from before the Spellplague.

Eventually, Artus and his adventurers would learn that Mezro would be lost until Ras Nsi the warlord necromancer who was exiles from the barae long ago, was killed. Ras Nsi was thought dead with the rest of the barae following the Spellplague but survived in the jungles and underwent a ritual to become a yuan-ti and aligned himself with the demilich Acererak.

## The New Barae

While in their self-imposed exile the barae of Ubtao, disconnected from their jungles, plane, and creator, underwent several changes. Several settlers and travelers in Mezro at the time of the Spellplague were also exiled with the barae and over the course of a decade several would ascend to become barae themselves, either through the aging new afflicting the once-ageless barae (now disconnected for Ubtao entirely) or through political upheaval or even assassination.

Lost in a paradise of their own creation the people of Mezro awaited liberation peaceful as the barae solidified their position. In 1487 BR the current barae were:

* ~~Osaw I~~ (Died of aging almost instantly)
* ~~Kwalu~~ (Becoming Osaw II, he was assassinated in his grief)
* ~~Dhalmass Rayburton~~ (Died of again after a few years)
* **Mainu** (Mysterious and elusive, chosen as Queen of Mezro following the deaths of Osaw and Kwalu)
* **Alisandra Rayburton**: (Wife of Artus Cimber in 1363 DR, turned herself into a lich rather than age and die alone)
* **Fipya** (Changed following the death of Kwalu, trains endlessly to killer those who would hurt those around her)
* **Morani** (Albino female wild dwarf, attuned to the wild energy of Chult, earned by right)
* **Gliffstiff** (Batiri goblin diplomat, first of his kind, embraces the chance to learn, earned by right)
* **Mallo the Torn** (Aarakocra who assassinated Kwalu, left crippled by the attack, earned by combat)
* **Ras Nsi** (Due to his banishment he was not exiled with Mezro and prevents its return unless he is killed or banished)

When Mezro left the material plane they disconnected with Ubtao and those protected by his ageless power lost it all at once. Osaw the Wise King died immediately while Kwalu becoming Osaw II and aging to become an elderly man was assassinated by his visiting aarakocran friend, Mallo, who blamed him for their exile. Fipya became distraught over Kwalu's death and hide away beneath the surface of the exiled city, while Mallo ascended by rights of combat and Mainu was crowned queen and secured in the seven storied tower at the heart of Mezro.

Filling the void left by Mainu after her crowning rose the first non-human to become a bara through non-combat. Having found enlightenment deep in the jungles of Chult, the dwaven druid Morani but had fallen in love with a gruff dwarven bard and they grew their family on the outskirts of Mezro, forcing her to leave her druidic circle. The bard had left the family in the middle of a night shortly before the Spellplague and she was forced to raise her children and grandchildren alone. Reclaiming her druidic faith she found her center and traversed the great maze that opened at the heart of Mezro upon Mainu's ascension.

A few short years after exile Dhalmass Rayburton died peacefully in his sleep of old age and again the great maze opened at the center of Mezro. Many of the exiles had been anticipating this day and hoping to secure a chance to become a barae rushed to the maze. However, all failed and the maze was left upon for weeks, until another unlikely ascendant would appeal to the maze's judgement.

A band of Batiri goblins, having heard of the long opening of the great maze, emerged from the underbelly of Mezro and one among them stepped forward and tested himself to the maze. An oddly inquisitive goblin, Gliffstiff had hung around the human settlements of Port Nyanzaru and Mezro learning the habits and ways of the humans. An expert at disguising himself he would with the help of his tribe, form a battlestack and cover themselves with a cloak. Gliffstiff, always at the top would use his illusion abilities to explore the human settlements. It was with this curiosity did not only another non-human become a barae, but a creature most the barae would consider an unworthy enemy would ascend into Ubtao's favor.

Despite their differences, the barae grew tired of combat and they each chose their own form of seclusion in their already isolated exile. It was then that Alisandra, recognizing her weakened state and rapid aging she surrendered herself over to The Fanged Crown, turning the magical item into her phylactery and herself into an archlich. She hides away from the rest of Mezro awaiting judgment from both Ubtao and her husband Artus Cimber, upon their return to the material plane.