See also Houserules: Zakarion.

Zakarion is a mysterious land, but what is known isn’t good. Led by a council of 11 epic-level wizards, Zakarion is the largest empire in the world. Ancient beyond reckoning, the empire has given up any imperial designs. It is largely isolationist, though its navies and trading vessels travel the globe. The Wizard-Governers constantly vie for supremacy in a cold war, each engaged in a magical arms race towards apotheosis or its equivalent. However, this activity is largely invisible to the common people, who work the land as serfs. ¹⁾

The Empire of Zakarion (Zakarion being the name of the capital city, purported to have been named after its enigmatic founder) is renowned for being a dark and depressing land. The Mage-Governors consolidate all power under themselves, banning the owning of weapons or practice of magic by any but their loyal servants. Other laws depend on the Wizard-Governor who rules the province.

There are few dissidents in Zakarion. It is not a hopeful place. The Wizard-Governors have ruled there for a very long time and are basically without challenge. The most revolutionary act commonly taken in Zakarion by its native detractors is leaving, and even that is difficult.

It sits north of Al-Qashqa, beyond mountains and forests, north even of the lands of the North-Men.

Zaks are pale-skinned, with dark hair and features. They speak Zak, thought to be the progenitor language of Alban and Haderothi. Zakarion rarely produces adventurers; those that do exist are typically refugees, who managed to escape their homeland.

Through its governance, Zakarion has perhaps the oldest and most faceted magical traditions on the Roll. Zakarion Magocrats are known to engage in circle magic, magically bind loyal knights and retainers, and much more besides.²⁾

God-worship is generally prohibited. Divine spellcasters in Zakarion draw power from the Wizard-Governors, who act as gods³⁾.

The Mage-Governors are thought to be among the most powerful spellcasters in the planet; their first among equals, Nazira, an immortal mage-slayer, is by all available evidence the most powerful spellcaster in the world, and by a wide margin.

Each of the mage-governors rules one of the empire's eleven provinces. Most are evil; none are good.

Few of their names are known: many use a variety of epithets, while others are simply so feared that none dare speak their name aloud. They are as follows.

• An lich artificer of great skill, who rules over Ashana, the south-western peninsula-province. (LE female human lich Wiz 16/Acm 5)
• Mu'zatar the Maddening, one of the (but not the) greatest Uzzhin scholars in the world, who rules the forest province of Ushein in the far east. (CE female pseudonatural human Cnj 7/Ali 10/Acm 5)
• A necromancer of considerable power dedicated to Orcus, and his most powerful (though not most loyal) priest, who rules over the western forest-province of Zotrar. (CE male human Nec 3/Clr 3/Myt 18)
• An oracle of considerable magical insight but also something more, who rules the northern mountain-province of Uchor. (Male NE human worm that walks Div 3/Tel 3/Cbm 18)
• A cambion pyromancer who commands the hellfire of his sire, Mephistopheles, and who rules over the western plains-province of Cosnace. (LE male human cambion Evo 10/EmS 10/Acm 5)
• A masterful ogre mathematician who is obsessed with the rules of the universe, and resides in the desolate mountain-province of Baspax. (LN male ogre mage Wiz 12/Geo 5/Acm 5)
• A capricious wild mage infused with fey power and lore, who rules the southern forest province of Etril. (CN male unseelie sidhe Evo 7/WdM 10/AcM 5/Sor 6)
• An elven infernalist with much influence in the lower realms, who rules over the southern plains-province of Ogrus. (LE female elf vampire Cnj 14/AcS 10/AcM 5)
• A shapechanger known for wading into combat in the form of gigantic legendary beasts, who rules the northern plain-province of Atra. (CN female human Trs 12/MTr 10/Acm 5/WSp 5)
• A demigod, master of combining the arts of spell and sword, who rules the northern peninsula-province of Shuna. (LN male human demigod Wiz 5/Ftr 1/ElK 10/SSw 17)

and finally,

• Nazira, the most powerful Wizard in the world and renowned as a mage-slayer, who rules over the city of Zakarion and its surrounding lands. (LE female human Abj 34/Acm 5)

Zakarion is the only place on the Roll where accordions are known. The courts of lesser nobles often boast this common, if expensive, entertainment.