Nehekhara, the Lands of the Dead

Nagash, from back in the day

Nehekhara (which according to Ankh-Akh means the "the Great Land along the River of Life" or some such) is known in the Old World as the "Lands of the Dead." Imperial scholars are vaguely aware (though they have no inkling at its true age and greatness) that it was the site of a mighty and far-flung human civilization. It's currently the homeland of the Tomb Kings (which most Reiklanders will have heard of but don't really understand).

Located within the deep south of the Old World, Nehekhara stretches across the expanses of the lands and valleys between the Great Desert of Araby to the west, the Bitter Sea to the east, the rugged arid plains of the Badlands to the north, and the steaming jungles of the Southlands. Whilst the land of Nehekhara was once fertile, populous, and prosperous, it is now a desolate kingdom of barren wasteland sand searing deserts.

Nehekhara's true misfortune began with Settra, known by many godly titles such as Settra the Imperishable, the King of Kings, High King of Nehekhara, Lord of the Earth, Monarch of the Sky, Ruler of the Four Horizons, Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert, Great Hawk of the Heavens, Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands, Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's legions, and much more.

Having gained the favor of the Nehekharan gods by sacrificing all his many children, he set out to conquer all the lands of the world. Many were his conquest but in the end, Settra realized that no one could conquer everything in just the span of a single lifetime, no matter how greatly extended. And moreover, what use would it be ruling the world if he one day had to die, heirless? 

So it was that Settra set out to conquer death. For the first time, Settra knew defeat, for death would not be denied. But perhaps, his sorcerer-priests told him, it might be possible to bring him back to life if he was properly preserved. Thus began the Nehekhara tradition of interring dead kings and their retainers within great pyramids and mausoleums.

The end of Nehekhara came at the hands of another: Nagash, known by such names as Great Necromancer, the Great Betrayer, the Usurper, the Undying King, the Supreme Lord of Undeath, or simply He Who Shall Not Be Named. 

Unwilling to merely rule all of Nehekhara and the living, he sought to end all life, bring back the souls of the dead, and forever enslave them to his will. He very nearly succeeded, killing every Nehekharan man, woman, and child in a vile magical ritual that also turned the kings of old and their entombed armies into undead. But one man eluded his ritual, Alcadizaar, the true ruler of Khemri, the First City. It was he who struck the blow that ended Nagash - before he too perished.

Nagash was no more, but the damage had been done: the lore of necromancy had already spread into the wider world and there was no undoing the undead state of the kings of old nor returning the people of Nehekhara to life. To this day Nehekhara is inhabited only by the restless dead who slumber in their ancient tombs, rising only to defender their lands against invaders and treasure-seekers.

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Ankh-Akh was once the mighty sun god of Nehekhara but the people became corrupt and decadent, and he was forced to punish them most severely. Then came King Settra, who turned to darker gods for power, and the remaining faithful of Ankh-Akh were forced to flee, surviving only by taking refuge in the Great Desert. 

They were thus saved from Nagash's unholy ritual but their trials were not over: the rise of the Arabyans and their strange God and foul Spirits of the desert slowly but surely extinguished the flame of Ankh-Akh. Ankh-Akh's ancestors were among those taken as slaves by the Arabyans. Generations later they were set free by the crusading Knights Panther. Some, including a young Ankh-Akh, were taken back to the Empire to show as trophies - and when the novelty value faded thrown out with the bathwater.

Ankh-Akh may well be the last priest of Ankh-Akh and the last of the Nehekharans.