Azir

Azir is a powerful and populous empire in the western reaches of Roshar, the heart of the Makabaki region and the seat of a bureaucratic, scholarly civilization quite distinct from the martial kingdoms of the east. Ruled by an emperor known as the Prime Aqasix, Azir features significantly in the later events of The Stormlight Archive as a key member of the coalition against Odium.

Geography

Azir lies in the western, drier portion of the supercontinent, partly sheltered from the worst of the highstorms by distance from the Origin. Its capital, Azimir, is a city of remarkable construction, including a great bronze dome. The empire commands extensive trade routes across the Makabaki lands.

Society

Azish society is governed by bureaucracy and the written word rather than by martial prowess. Position and authority are earned through examinations and the proper filing of documents, and a person's standing is often signified by elaborate, layered clothing. To hold office one must possess the correct seals and paperwork, and even the emperor's legitimacy rests on bureaucratic and scholarly tradition rather than birth alone. Azir follows its own religious traditions distinct from Vorinism.

History

Azir became a crucial member of Dalinar Kholin's coalition against Odium, its Oathgate linking it to Urithiru and the wider war effort. The selection and protection of its Prime Aqasix during the crisis, and the kingdom's vast resources and population, made Azir one of the most important human powers in the conflict.

Significance

As the dominant power of the Makabaki and a bureaucratic counterweight to the warlike Alethi, Azir broadens the political landscape of Roshar and anchors the coalition's western strength.