Akhom

Kingdom of Akhom
Capital	None; Siamun (former)
Ruler	None
Government	None; absolute monarchy (former)
Demonym	Akhomite
Adjective	Akhoman
Languages	Meroitic, Common, Amurrun
Religions	Osirion and Common pantheons, especially Ptah, Ra, Horas, Thoth, Gozreh, and Pharasma

Akhom (pronounced OCK-um), formally the Kingdom of Akhom, was a once prosperous nation before it was annihilated by the Deluge, a magically induced tsunami that drowned the largely coastal cities. The survivors have mostly left the region and moved south to Rudamun.

Geography, flora, and fauna

The land that was formerly the Kingdom of Akhom is located on the eastern coast of the Kilche Sea, on the edge of the Taizzan Expanse. Almost all population centers were located directly on the coast, though some towns were situated inland on the Khmuna River. To the south, Akhom is bounded by the dry and rocky Shedet Hills on the southern edge of the Taizzan.

Overall, the climate of Akhom is rather similar to that of Khapesh. Temperatures are relatively high the entire year, though with some seasonal variability. Along the coast where most of the population lived, temperatures were slightly cooler due to winds off the Kilche Sea.

The Khmuna River in Akhom does not have the regular cycles of flooding that provide stability in Khapesh. Instead, the coastal desert kingdom was reliant on rainfall that arrived infrequently to replenish the normally low water levels of the river. As a result, Akhom did not have anywhere near the agricultural output of Khapesh.

Most greenery in Akhom can be found in the arid shrublands that characterize most of the region. Dwarf shrubs, saltbushes, and sedges are common in these environments, among others. Reeds and the like grow by the river, alongside some trees like acacias and date palms. Some trees of similar types also find roots along the coast.

Despite the relatively rough conditions, a good variety of wildlife lives in Akhom. Camels, tahrs, fennec foxes, hyenas, sand cats, hyraxes, oryxes, and baboons all thrive in the region. Sandgrouse and falcons live in the interior, while seabirds like pelicans and gulls are frequently found along the coast. Small number of karkadanns can be spotted in the outskirts of Akhom, on the edge of the Expanse. The inhabitants of Akhom treated these creatures with respect, as they are capable of purging toxins from those afflicted - though often not without outlandish demands in return. Today, some adventurers hunt karkadanns for the medicinal properties in their horns, which has led to the magical creatures retreating farther into the Expanse.

After the Deluge, brine dragons and other creatures native to the Plane of Water have become far more prevalent in the region, usually living just offshore.

History

Timeline

• Pre-Y4000^* - Ancient azarketi cities thrived in the waters off the coast of Akhom. These cities were long abandoned by the time the region was permanently settled by land-dwellers, but their ruins remained, slowly deteriorating from time, looters, and careless practices.
• Y4900^* (approx) - The first settlements in what would later become Akhom were established by migrants from Khapesh. These grew slowly and remained small for quite a while.
• Y6090^* - The Kingdom of Akhom was established by Ammeris I, often referred to as Ammeris the Father. The kingdom began to swell in population as refugees fleeing the droughts, famine, and instability of the Second Intermediate Period in Khapesh moved to the region.
• Y8075^* (approx) - Significant amounts of mithril were discovered in the Shedet Hills. Prospectors rushed to the area and Akhom became quite wealthy as a result. Even today, much of the mithril used elsewhere in the world was originally mined in the Shedet Hills.
• Y9498^* - In an effort to drive out what she saw as the land-dwelling peoples slowly destroying her ancestral homeland and planning to establish her own watery dominion, the Khapeshan azarketi wizard Isfet opened rifts to the Plane of Water just offshore from Akhom, exploiting the thin planar boundaries at these locations. Water rushed into the Material Plane in great waves, quickly overwhelming the coastal cities in an incident that would become known as the Deluge. Its origin was not immediately understood, and some of the survivors at first viewed the Deluge as a punishment from Gozreh for not properly respecting the god of the sea.
• Y9500^* - After both hiding from and fighting against those in pursuit of her, Isfet was eventually apprehended by Zandroanyx and imprisoned in Atonement, where she has remained to this day. The rifts have been closed since, for the most part, though occasionally sailors see inexplicable spouts of water rising from the sea. Most of the surviving citizens of Akhom evacuated to the region now known as Rudamun, with the assistance of nearby countries, especially Khapesh.

Demographics

Akhom used to be a thriving kingdom of humans, catfolk, gnomes, and ifrit, among others. People from far and wide used to stop by Akhom, due to its location on important trade routes, and some ended up staying in the coastal kingdom. Today small communities remain in Akhom, a shadow of the nation's former size.

Nomadic gnoll tribes that wander through the Taizzan Expanse sometimes enter the former kingdom, some of the few surviving descendants of the desert kingdom that still remain in the area.

Culture

Traditions

Much of the cultural traditions of Akhom were quite similar to those of Khapesh. The two kingdoms had connections dating back many thousands of years, with quite close relations for millennia. Notably, however, the absence of the Aur River (or an equivalent) led to differences between the culture of the two regions. For example, Akhom did not use the same method of river-based method of timekeeping that is used in Khapesh. Worship of some of the Osirian gods was also deemphasized as the river was no longer of central importance.

Religion

The gods of the Osirion pantheon were the most commonly worshiped in Akhom, though many temples and clergy to the common pantheon existed as well. Ptah, Ra, Horus, and Thoth were especially widely respected, as were Gozreh and Pharasma. Unlike in Khapesh, Akhoman cities did not have patron deities.

Languages

The languages most often spoken by the people of Akhom were Meroitic, Common, and Amurrun. A somewhat unusual combination, this came about as a result of the region’s history and location. Most of the original inhabitants of Akhom were Meroitic-speaking humans from Khapesh, and their descendants made up quite a large proportion of Akhom’s population. Amurrun was frequently spoken even by non-catfolk as they comprised another significant chunk of the population, so it became convenient to learn this language to speak with one’s neighbors. Finally, Common was adopted as a lingua franca to facilitate communication with those traveling the trade routes in the Kilche Sea. Besides these three languages, other regional and racial languages saw significant use as well.

Arts

Mosaics and friezes were common types of Akhoman artwork, decorating homes, temples, ceremonial buildings, and more. The region was also known for its elaborate pottery, which frequently took unusual and impractical shapes, intended more for display than use. Akhoman potters sometimes worked with mages to infuse simple magic into their works, sometimes for practical purposes (a light spell cast on a pot lid when open, so it won’t be misplaced easily in the dark) and sometimes purely for aesthetics.

Architecture and urbanization

Architecturally, most buildings in Akhom were made of sandstone or mud brick, usually with flat roofs and many canopies to provide shade and cool the structure. Unlike in Khapesh, the use of wood in architecture was fairly commonplace, with the material imported from farther south on the coast of the Kilche Sea. The style of temples varied by the deity. Many of these buildings were quite well built, and some continue to stand to some degree.

Akhoman cities were never as large as those in Khapesh, though the two kingdoms had similar levels of urbanization. At its peak Akhom imported much of its food, and was therefore less reliant on having a large rural population to feed its cities.

Travel

Travel in Akhom was undertaken by water whenever possible. Few large population centers were located inland, and the ones there were almost entirely on the Khmuna River. The coastline of Akhom used to be full of small vessels ferrying passengers and goods between the cities.

Society

Akhom was devastated after the Deluge. The cities on the coast, where almost the entire population lived, were almost wiped out by the massive walls of water that hurtled towards the coast. Inhabitants of Akhom that survived were almost entirely located farther inland, or else away from the kingdom at the time. With assistance from Khapeshan and Vua Battuan ships, the survivors mostly relocated to the region now known as Rudamun, along the coast of the Kilche about six hundred miles south. Though more fertile and full of plant life than Akhom, Rudamun is home to many highly dangerous creatures, and their new lives have not been easy.

A number of strange sights greet visitors to Akhom’s abandoned landscape. The Deluge moved boats, buildings, and other large objects far inland into incongruous places.

The border between the Material Plane and the Plane of Water is particularly thin just offshore from Akhom in the Kilche Sea. This was well-known to Akhoman fishermen for centuries, as occasionally massive sea creatures would have the misfortune of being shunted between planes. This connection to the Plane of Water would prove to be the destruction of Akhom in the end.

Fashion

Linen is by far the most common textile and material used in Akhoman clothing. Dyes derived from plants are sometimes used to add extra color, but more commonly the material is left in its natural color. Among the upper class, bleached and dyed clothes are more widespread, along with jewelry and other cosmetics (particularly eyeliner and other makeup). Sewn leather sandals are the most common footwear. All clothing is designed to be light and avoid excess material, in order to keep the wearer cool in the hot desert climate.

Government

The government of the Kingdom of Akhom was set up quite similarly to that of Khapesh. The kingdom was led by a hereditary monarchy, with appointed viziers administering day to day operations at the city level.

Economy

Akhom was quite wealthy as a result of its nearby raw materials, especially mithril from mines in the Shedet Hills. The kingdom also exported large amounts of fish, as well as salt harvested from the opposite coast of the Kilche Sea. By the time of the Deluge, however, Akhom had begun to decline in wealth. The mithril mines yielded less and less material, and Khapeshan and Tarkussan dominance of trade in the Kilche had led to lessened fortunes for Akhoman merchants.

As the kingdom was located on the important Kilche trade routes, its merchants used to be quite influential. Merchant vessels would frequently resupply in Akhom rather than in nearby Avaris, where they could not always expect those they were dealing with to be entirely above board. Today the decaying docks of the kingdom’s cities are occasionally used in emergencies, but are otherwise avoided.