"In cities of white marble did they live, in splendour and grandeur the likes of which cannot be rivalled by kings in present times. Tall were their towers, great was their power, and beautiful their domain. But all of it, all of those many generations of plenty, were built upon the backs of -- and due entirely to -- the hordes of human slaves."

-- from "The Fall of the Ssthessic", by Inigo val Hoon

The Ssthessic Vrasa, lit. "the Home of the Snake People", was the empire of yuan-ti that dominated the Valley of Endon before the rise of the Sunderking. From 1,520B.E. to the burning of Tol Fallent in 4A.S., their influence was unquestioned through the lowlands of what is now the Kingdom of Endon. Many of the largest and most successful towns in Endon are built upon the ruins of the Ssthessic.

Foundation

According to the lore of the goliaths, who held the Goliath Dominion in Endon before their arrival, the forces of the Ssthessic marched in force across the Iron Mountains and down the valleys, driving the largely nomadic goliaths before them. The campaign was short, but their pursuit of the goliaths into the uplands of the mountains and the downs was extremely costly, due to the interference of the goliaths' allies, the giants.

After the planting of the Stone Tree at Greenmarsh Henge, the yuan-ti formally claimed the land and began a period of massive expansion.

Height of the Empire

The Ssthessic were extremely sophisticated for an ancient empire, thanks in part to their trading relationship with Pelivere. Though they lacked the advanced technology of that southern city, their city planning, hygiene, and agriculture was forethought and organised, perhaps in part due to the military beaurocracy that ruled the empire.

The imperial capital was at the White Tower in Tol Mannic, where the imperial family lived and the court made their arrangements, but there were several other large settlements, including Mnassesq-Tlassri in modern-day Klad, Tol Ssullara in Riverbend, and Tol Fallent in the Duchy of Fenlock.

Slavery and Fall

The strength of the empire was undoubtedly built upon infrastructure and labour, the vast majority of which came from the imperial slaves. Mostly human in number, the slaves were initially captured from the early warring expeditions of the Ssthessic as they expanded and consolidated their hold on the lands in Endon and around. As the decades passed, they established a vast and meticulous breeding program amongst the slaves, using a mixture of fear, miseducation, and deliberate cullings to control them.

However, eventually their hold on the slaves weakened and the labour force grew unruly. In the far north of the empire, one of the slaves led a bloody revolt and captured an entire town. His forces armed themselves proper, and began a war of revolution and extermination.

Eventually, this man - the Sunderking - finally managed to chase down the last remains of the Ssthessic Vrasa and crown himself King, certain that he had wiped them out forever.

Legacy

Due to the circumstances of the fall of the Ssthessic Vrasa, there is still a great deal of animosity directed towards the yuan-ti - and the reptilian races as a whole. However, their influence is undeniable, and not always for the worse. The sewers and infrastructure in the largest cities is based on their designs, their record keeping was meticulous and continues to inform scholars today, and the Sunderking was unsuccessful.

Ssthessic colonies persist under several of the major ruins in Endon.