Fiction:The Firmament/Arkhanset

"Gaze upon our wonders! From dry, dead sand, we have created an empire fit for the eyes of the gods themselves! Sword and magic alike bow to our whim and obey our directives. Realize you stand before your betters, who should be treated accordingly unless you want the bitter taste of the lash!"

- Pharaoh Opharkhaph II the Eternal

Arkhanset is a nation located in the Great Sea of Sands of Dryadala. The southmost nation of humans of the world, it is famed for its zealous warrior culture, magic arts and for being one of the continent's greatest in the arts of creating automatons. Due to their harsh homeland and history plagued by violence, they are not a welcoming folk and tend to look down on other races due to a religious sense of self-importance.

History
The ancestors of the Arkhans are widely believed to share ancestry with the men of Aynach, living north to the Sea of Sands before being forced to relocate south due to the ogres of the Ogrelands. Forced to adapt to the harsh conditions of the desert changed these men considerably, and over the years they prospered by becoming fierce warriors, wise scholars and perhaps most of all, adept magic wielders; according to legends, the god Rakun descended from the sun and taught the early Arkhans how to create magical constructs, before appointing the first pharaoh to serve as ruler of the land now known as Arkhanset.

At the year 2503 AL, the lizardfolk sultan known as Karnak rose to the throne of Merovaren; a bloodthirsty individual, Sultan Karnak sought to expand his kingdom's borders through military assaults against his neighbours, most notably Arkhanset. Lasting from 2512 AL to 2538 AL, the War of the Sands between Merovaren and Arkhanset was the bloodiest one in both nations' histories, only ending when the mages of Arkhanset led an attack on the lizardfolk capital of Sohitaria and assassinated Karnak, forcing Merovaren's surrender. In the modern day, Merovaren and Arkhanset have an uneasy peace, as both cultures now see one another in a bad light for the actions they inflicted on one another in the war.

Geography
Arkhanset is one of the most desolate regions of Dryadala; much of the region is made up of nothing but sandy dunes as far as the eyes can see. It borders the Ogrelands and Merovaren to the north, Khalmartis to the west and Okran to the south.

Government
Arkhanset is an absolute monarchy currently led by the mighty Pharaoh Opharkhaph II the Eternal, self-proclaimed champion of the Arkhan gods. Below him are a number of less powerful Priest-Kings who rule over smaller provinces across the region. Government and religion are intertwined in Arkhanset, and all those in positions of power are also servants of the gods by obligation.

Religion
Religion is perhaps the most important aspect of Arkhan culture, led by the caste known as the Priest-Kings. The nation is very zealous in its worship of the Arkhan Pantheon, and every citizen is assumed to belong to their faith by default. As government and religion are intertwined in Arkhanset, most individuals with authority are also priests to some extent. Arkhanset is rather hostile to gods beyond their pantheon, leading them to be mostly non-existent within Arkhanset outside of passing visitors; even the most noble of the greater gods are seen with extreme suspicion.

Pantheon

 * Rakun, king of the gods
 * Arubit, god of the dead
 * Neithor, god of war
 * Gizanera, god of sphinxes
 * Horian, god of law
 * Osarnath, god of fertility
 * Sethrun, god of darkness

Inhabitants
The human culture known as the Arkhans rule over Arkhanset, one of the mightier nations of the Great Sea of Sand. Dark-skinned and possessing impressive constitution, they are famed warriors and scholars alike, having among the greatest number of spellcasters among human nations. They are stereotyped as unwelcoming and haughty by most other nations of human, and indeed, their relations with their fellow men are shaky, in heavy part due to their territories being separated by the much maligned Ogrelands.

Beyond humans, Arkhanset is also home to gnolls, goblins, trolls, harpies and sphinxes. Due to their sense of importance, the Arkhans generally treat these as second-class citizens at best or wild beasts to be destroyed at worst, though it varies from species to species; sphinxes enjoy great freedom across Arkhanset due to their supposed connection to the gods, and it is not unheard of them to achieve positions of power.

Relations
Due to their self-centered demeanor and sense of superiority, Arkhanset does not consider its foreign neighbours as equals and generally treats them as inferiors, ranging from savages to unenlightened. While open for trade, the nation is untrustworthy and claims no true allies, though they will provide support to matters which directly concern them, such as a rise in monster activity.


 * Positive relations
 * Aynach - Arkhanset possesses a certain fondness for Aynach due to their shared ancestry, and treat them better than most other nations.


 * Ambivalent relations
 * Confederation of Lechner - Despite regular trading, most of Arkhanset's higher castes consider the Lechnerians unenlightened.
 * Khalmartis - Arkhanset believes Khalmartis is a highly dangerous place due to its monstrous inhabitants and attempts to keep contact minimal, but as amiable as possible.
 * Merovaren - While they currently hold a pact of non-aggression, there is still much bad blood between the Arkhans and the lizardfolk.


 * Negative relations
 * Ogrelands - Ogres from the Ogrelands consider killing Arkhan constructs as a test of their might, and raid Arkhanset regularly.
 * Okran - Arkhanset's southern borders are often visited by gnolls, either seeking homes or as raiding parties. The Priest-Kings generally see both as unwelcome.

Notable Arkhans

 * Divine Realm of Arkhanset
 * Opharkhaph II the Eternal - pharaoh of Arkhanset