General
The mysterious and distant Kingdom of Soroth lies far to the south, stretching along the southern coast of Elcea from below the Badlands west to the mouth of the Ammerdan River. It is a theocratic monarchy, dominated by clerics, most of whom serve gods strange to the people of Xenthus. The kingdom is ruled by the Striatos Plutar, the Most High, whose power is absolute.
Most of its major cities are dominated by worship of one particular deity. This worship gives the city its character, depending on the deity in question. Soroth was founded by expatriates from Xenthus sometime around 1000 C.R., and thus their language is similar to the Common Tongue, though the two languages have diverged sufficiently that Sorothian is now considered a seperate tongue. It is a wealthy and powerful kingdom, though it is so far from Xenthus that there has never been military conflict between the two realms. There is in fact some commerce between them, mostly by ship, though the distances and dangers render this commerce a hazardous, though potentially very rewarding, endeavour. Soroth borders the Empire of Akam-Osar on the west, and there is a long history of strife between the two.
Geography and Climate
Soroth is sub-equatorial, and tends to be a much hotter place than Xenthus. Its a dry heat, though, save in the regions surrounding the Fengarve, the vast salt marsh near the center of the kingdom. Much of the eastern kingdom is arid and rocky; towards the west the land is greener and more fertile savannah country, watered by great rivers flowing south out of the Plains of Agran, especially the Ammerdan. There are some rugged hill regions in the north-central kingdom, especially the volcanic Demonspox, and the vast canyon known as the Hellsrift is also found there. Deserving of mention, and famous even in Xenthus, is the Floating Mountain, the base of which actually hovers almost 2000 feet above the surrounding plain.
Economy and Culture
Soroth derives much wealth from its gem mines, and also from its spices and exotic types of wood. Copper and gold are also found in abundance there. The kingdom has a dire lack of hardwoods, though, and lumber is their biggest import, followed by iron.
The people of Soroth tend to have bronze skin and dark hair. They pride themselves on their culture, which places a high value on performing arts and on architecture, though less on painting and sculpture. On occasion their love of luxury gives way to decadence. The kingdom also practices a limited form of slavery. Dress and architecture are much different than in Xenthus. Clothing tends to be light, flowing garments for both men and women; armor is used, but the heavy plate mail and plate armor common in Xenthus is almost unknown.
The first city founded in Soroth, and still the capitol, is Southron. It is a city made largely out of the red stone local to the area, and its major export is government. Almost the entire city is given over to the business of governing and administering a large kingdom. There are over two dozen other important cities and towns in the kingdom, but little is known of them.