Composition: Loose alliance of city-states
Geopolitical Stature: Economic power
Government: Plutocratic republic
Capital: Karanduniash (nominal)
Leadership: Tourmaline Council
Dominant Religion:
Dominant Language: Suret, Old Temple Suret
Imports: Cotton, furs, gemstones, hardwoods, ivory, jewelry, marble, science, silk, softwoods
Exports: Dyes, glass-quality sand, incense, silk, spices, wine

Hailed by some as the cradle of human civilization (correctly or otherwise), the Zahhak (or "serpent," in Old Temple Suret, describing the shape of the continent's southern curve) is a sprawling republic of wealth, art, and decadence. Ancient enough to be old when the Serene Empire was young, the collective nations of the Zahhak provided the basis for what eventually would become the Regnan Federation. United by gold and divided by faith, this realm of gilt and incense is far removed from the squabbling that consumes the northwestern nations.

Of course, this is not to say that the region is in any way perfect. Long trade with the arachnoid folk on the mysterious continent to the southeast has buried the Zahhak in treasure, and that treasure has been spent upon architecture, music, fine foods, and more. A hundred warring belief systems alternately claim that these riches are either ill-gotten and ill-fated, or the moral reward of clever investments; some of the boldest churches even demand their "fair share" of the Zahhak's profits. Greatest among them is the Orthodox Church of Ormuz, which has a heavy hand in the region's leadership process despite looking somewhat unfavorably upon the silk trade. Every five years, the clergy of Ormuz bully, threaten, cajole, and shame the proper people to ensure they have a say in the selection of the God-King, figurehead of the Tourmaline Council; this body sits over a hundred, but is united by its God-King...who, in turn, is sacrificed in an elaborate ritual to Ormuz, at the end of their term. Perhaps unusually, this means the politics of the Zahhak focus furiously on being Grand Vizier.

The tumultuous religious fora of the Zahhak also provide fertile ground for new philosophies, such as the atheist Sisterhood of the Covenant; the dualistic Cult of Days; the Adherents of the Machine, who covet imported Regnan technology and practice pseudomagical "self-augmentation;" and even the Dreaming Web, who idolize, lust after, and even worship their distant arachnoid neighbors. The constant debate over the nature of the gods and the part mortals play in the universe shapes Zahhak culture, uniting the many constituent kingdoms and city-states in leisurely (or aggressive) afternoon discourse; merchants are known, in other parts of the world, not only for their masterful trading skills, but also for their love of conversation and their willingness to talk about ineffable concepts for hours at a time.

Their meditations are recorded in Old Temple Suret, the scholarly tongue of the Zahhak, and find the largest audiences in Karanduniash, nominal capital of the republic and arguably the oldest and most famous of the region's demesnes. This grand city was built first on precious river trade and, later, on the importation and exportation of silk from the southeast. Today, it contends with Lombard for status as the known world's greatest cultural center; although it cannot hope to match Regna's technological or arcane innovations, it is an undisputed icon of art and entertainment, and a major tourist destination for those wealthy enough to travel such long distances.