Oprak

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Oprak

(Nation)

LE

Land

Eye of Dread, Avistan

Alignment

Lawful evil

Capital

Hunthul

Ruler

Azaersi

Government

Military dictatorship

Adjective

Oprakan

Languages

Goblin

Religions

Hadregash

Images of Oprak

Source: World Guide, pg(s). 44

The Vault of the Onyx Citadel.

Oprak, one of Avistan's most recently established nations, achieved its statehood through the arduous struggles of the Ironfang Legion, a formidable hobgoblin army under the command of General Azaersi that ravaged northern Molthune and southern Nirmathas during the year 4717 AR.

Geography

Oprak's territory was carved from a sparsely-populated, forbidding, three-hundred-mile section of the Mindspin Mountains between Nidal and Nirmathas, carefully excluding the dwarven Sky Citadel of Kraggodan. However, unknown to the rest of Golarion, Oprak also extends into the Plane of Earth by way of the Vault of the Onyx Citadel, which is even bigger than its territory on Golarion. Five entrances to the Stone Roads that connect the Onyx Vault and Golarion exist across Oprak, the largest being the obsidian tower in the newly established capital of Hunthul, and another has been established in the fellow hobgoblin nation of Kaoling in Tian Xia.

History

See also: Ironfang Invasion

Azaersi and the Ironfang Legion earned their early reputation as a Molthuni non-human mercenary company. When she had attracted all the recruits Molthune could offer, she went rogue and led her army to Nirmathas. With the help of the Onyx Key, the Ironfang Legion conquered the Vault of the Onyx Citadel. From there she could create dimensional portals to any location she chose, allowing her to easily move supplies and troops alike.

In 4717 AR, the Ironfang Legion launched a simultaneous invasion of Molthune and Nirmathas that took much of the southwestern region of the latter nation. A group of Nirmathi adventurers raised a militia against them and convinced Azaersi that warmongering would bring nothing but ruin to her people. Azaersi, exhausted by war herself, decided to withdraw into the Mindspin Mountains and established Oprak as a nation that hobgoblins and other "monsters" could call home.

Government

Oprak's founder, General Azaersi, has maintained her Ironfang Legion as Oprak's army, but has shifted her focus to economic development and currently seeks to avoid war. Due to the nature of the Onyx Vault, Oprak is relatively safe from the threat of the Whispering Tyrant. She is assisted in ruling the country by the Enclave Council, who advised her not to claim the free dwarven city-state of Kraggodan for fear of antagonizing them.

Foreign relations

As a fledgling nation, Oprak currently struggles to establish itself among the powers surrounding it. Azaersi is well aware that despite her military triumphs, the nation may well collapse if stability is not achieved, and stability requires nation-building and diplomacy. She nevertheless maintains a fairly aggressive posture towards most other nations, practically daring them to contest Oprak's independence. Immediately after Oprak's foundation, representatives of the Umbral Court, the mysterious rulers of neighboring Nidal, recognised its independence and agreed to a three-year non-aggression pact. Nirmathas' Forest Marshal Dardinna Yallis then followed, and agreed to four years of peace, in the hope that the hobgoblins would look to Nidal first for military conquests.

In 4720 AR, Azaersi established diplomatic relations with the Pathfinder Society, a globally established organisation in the hopes that they would be a useful ally. A group of hobgoblins were selected to travel to Absalom for evaluation and training while the Society hopes to learn more about the hobgoblins' goals and culture. As of 4721 AR, Oprak had recently established contact with the distant hobgoblin city of Rakh Lo in the Darklands below distant Tian Xia.

Realizing the long-term importance of diplomacy in Oprak's survival, General Azaersi has begun emphasizing political skill amongst her highest ranking officers. Now alongside their regular military routine, they drill in manners, social niceties, knowledge of local customs, and being generally charming. They undertake this training with the same dedication and brutal military discipline as all other training, including harsh punishments for any lapses in skill.

Economy

Although still establishing itself as an independent country, Oprak's economy relies heavily on the export of precious ores (both metals and gems) from the Mindspin Mountains and the Vault of the Onyx Citadel. Since the end of their military expansion Oprak has turned its militaristic approach to economic matters, with squadrons and formations devoted to crafts and trades like alchemy, agriculture, mining, and smithing. Their militaristic tendencies have coloured these endeavours, with masters driving their apprentices with the same brutality that Oprak's generals drive their troops into battle. Thanks to the massive advantage afforded to them by the Onyx Key and their trade routes criss-crossing the Plane of Earth, Oprak has grown into a surprising economic powerhouse in only a few years.

Inhabitants

Hobgoblins and other creatures who seek jobs in its burgeoning industry have been flocking to Oprak. They seek to tame the Vault of the Onyx Citadel, to negotiate with the elemental natives, and to mine its resources.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.