Sangezer is the most controversial figure on the whole continent. He styles himself sovereign emperor of the lands of Vash — "or at least of whatever he can control," as those who know him whisper. He reigns from Cripta, the largest and most populous city of the Forgotten Realms, the first great settlement at the entrance to the vast land of Vashrath.
Where he came from, when he arrived, and why he crossed the portal, no one can say for certain. As with everything in Vashrath, his story is lost in the timelessness of the world: many things are said, and few are ever confirmed.
The Authority at the Threshold
Sangezer embodies the authority that rose at the threshold of the banished. Cripta grew from camp to walls, from walls to a kingdom — and over that kingdom he extends whatever dominion he can sustain. It is no guaranteed throne: the very title of "sovereign" carries the caveat that his control ends where his reach does. In the valleys beyond the gates, other powers contend for what he cannot hold, and the Three Forces answer to no crown.
Still, every awakened soul who enters Vashrath passes through his city first. Whatever the valleys think of his title, the gate itself is his — and in a world of exiles, holding the gate is no small claim.
Known Ties
- Cripta — the city he rules
- Vashrath — the continent over which he claims sovereignty
Mysteries
His origin remains unresolved. There is no record of his lineage, of the crime or exile that brought him to the portal, or of how one man came to claim the title of emperor in a world made of exiles. Any account of his past should be treated as valley gossip — nothing is confirmed.