Zalthyx: The Ancient South

South of Shahoya lies Zalthyx, a vast and varied continent of great river basins, mountain systems, tropical forests, open uplands, wetlands, grasslands, and long coasts. It is the oldest known homeland of the Ssith'katha, though their civilizations are only one part of a history that began before the first serpentfolk were created.

Zalthyx has never belonged to a single enduring empire. Ancient dominions gave way to successor states, while later powers such as the Zsarthal Empire and Xal'Tarothi Empire rose in different regions and periods. Today the Zsarthal Basin is divided among competing states, Kazzir-Tel dominates much of the Fangsreach Highlands, the Riven Strand remains politically fragmented, and the Xal'Tarothi continue to rule a powerful southern empire.

The continent also bears the consequences of older upheavals without being defined by them. At Zarthuun, the failed Ninefold Offering left the Preserved bound within the damaged region now called the Shrouded Coil. Elsewhere, Dawncoil communities have developed throughout Zalthyx and Shahoya, challenging older traditions while remaining part of the wider and increasingly diverse Ssith'katha world.