Living along the lower part of the river Nek'Phal, the Kooshite kingdom is one of the oldest monarchies and states in the region, with their history going back as much as the the Sephs.
The Kooshites established their main cities on the southern margins of the river Nek'Phal, with minor settlements forced to live in the desert sands or the sporadic oasises of the Najha Desert. Both oasises and the river margins of the region are rich with lush vegetation, and it's bountiful river helps the farmlands grow and prosper.
These folk have had a long history with their northern neighbours, with a long rivalry lasting still to these days. Through their mingling, the Kooshites soon adopted the Seph pantheon, but unlike the Sephs, they prefer to worship some of this pantheon's minor deities, mainly Apedemak, Sebiumeker and Mandulis. It is also believed that these gods are the original Kooshite pantheon, that in yonder days their religion spread to the Seph'therak Kingdom and eventually adopted by the Sephs to their pantheon.
Being avid worshippers of Apedemak, the Feline God, these have adopted a fashion that resembles some of the big cats of the region, namely lions and leopards. Thus, it is not unusual to see their warriors fashioning with leopard skin patterns on their cloaks, helmets, shields, and so on.
Their worship also expanded into some of their elite warriors, known has leopard warriors. These leopard cloaked warriors are avid climbers, managing to climb thick walls or buildings with surprising grace, making them deadly for surprise attacks.
Meanwhile, acolytes of Apedemak fashion the lion skin. These are zealous fighters, trained in desert warfare and capable of deadly accuracy with their traditional weapons. These acolytes are an important part of the society, being used not just in wars, but also to help keep the peace in kooshite cities.
The kooshites are also reknown for their longbows, something rare in the region. Their soldiers are trained since young age to master these until perfection, and a wave of kooshite arrows is feared due to it's accuracy and increased range.
With a large portion of the population living in the desert, the kooshites have become known to embrace foreigners in these remote regions. With most of their international trade coming from these remote regions, that afterwards bring the goods to the kooshites main hubs.
A kooshite is is usually tall and very dark skinned. They prefer to use lighter clothes to be able to maneuver and to avoid any extra heat. Their nobles like to wear jewelry, mostly in gold, something their mines are rich in.
Main Hub
Nakara
Nested in the shoreline of the Nek'phal headwaters, the surrounding desert made the people of this land build their homes in strait pyramid shaped buildings. Their capital, Nakara, is by far the biggest hub in their land.
Nakara is built on the margins of the water spring from where the river Nek'Phal flows. Their jagged buildings give a outlandish look to their cities, with Nakara looking like a wide plain filled with pointy spears.
The Kooshite royal family lives on a island in the water spring, where they live opulently from atop their pyramid shaped castle, overviewing the city and it's denizens.
The city also boasts a large temple complex dedicated to the kooshite gods, with walls of sandstone rising and connecting several pyramids and bulking up the whole religious quarter. Here, devotees and acolytes make their home, but also the largest temples of the land can be found.
