City of the Dead
The City of the Dead is a colossal and ancient mausoleum-complex built by the Amrikh Empire. Elven explorers and Akshusian nomads speak of countless graves, both above and below ground. Most of the City is either underground or covered by sand dunes, rarely seeing the light of the sun.
In the center of the city is the only constant marker that soars above the desert: a pyramid covered with a solid layer of gold at the top: the Royal Tombs.
The City of the Dead have attracted many strangers to Akshus, and caused many would-be adventurers to disappear, as most potential graverobbers never leave the city, and those who do are changed and cursed by their expedition.
Akshusians avoid the City like the plague, as they know of its necromantic and cursed properties.
In the center of the city is the only constant marker that soars above the desert: a pyramid covered with a solid layer of gold at the top: the Royal Tombs.
The City of the Dead have attracted many strangers to Akshus, and caused many would-be adventurers to disappear, as most potential graverobbers never leave the city, and those who do are changed and cursed by their expedition.
Akshusians avoid the City like the plague, as they know of its necromantic and cursed properties.
Purpose / Function
The City of the Dead was used by the Amrikhi as a great communal tomb for millenia, where everyone were buried for in the consecrated ground of the sun. During the Year of the Sword, Sa'nakt built great barrack-tombs for burying his legions of undead with weapons, armor and war materiel for the day he needed them again.
Alterations
During the Year of the Sword, the City of the Dead was expanded to include proper defenses, armories, forges and treasuries, almost like a massive army camp. Many new tombs were built that contained thousands of individuals each, all of them with weapons, shields and whatever else they might need for the war to come. Skeletal horses were buried alongside riders and chariots.
Following the Year of the Sword, when the Amrikhi disappeared from the surface of Akshus, the City of the Dead was slowly consumed by the desert, and now exists in a strange equilibrium with the sands, with different tombs being buried, unearthed and buried again. This is one of the reasons that no comprehensive map of the City exists today, as between every time and expedition tries to map the city, its topography has changed.
Following the Year of the Sword, when the Amrikhi disappeared from the surface of Akshus, the City of the Dead was slowly consumed by the desert, and now exists in a strange equilibrium with the sands, with different tombs being buried, unearthed and buried again. This is one of the reasons that no comprehensive map of the City exists today, as between every time and expedition tries to map the city, its topography has changed.
Architecture
The City of the Dead is mostly constructed of cheap local sandstone, as it was all average Amrikhi workers could afford, and it is made in the geometrical and simple style Amrikhi preferred. However, a few of the tomb-complexes are more elaborate and made of marble or imported bricks, and these were made by rich families. An honor and distinct architecture of the City are the pyramids, massive buildings carved for different dynasties that ruled the Amrikhi throughout the millennia. These pyramids are the subjects of poetry, adventure and greed, as many expeditions try to break through their defenses to unearth ancient magic or treasure.
At the center of the City of the Dead stands the oldest and largest pyramid: the Noon Pyramid. This was Sa'nakt's resting place between lives, and also where his most loyal followers were buried. The Noon Pyramid was the only place that remained undefiled during the Collapse.
At the center of the City of the Dead stands the oldest and largest pyramid: the Noon Pyramid. This was Sa'nakt's resting place between lives, and also where his most loyal followers were buried. The Noon Pyramid was the only place that remained undefiled during the Collapse.
Defenses
The City of the Dead has no great army defending it and no manned walls, so any person can freely walk into it. The individual tombs, however, are often protected by wards, by the undead denizens that claim them or by mighty constructs, depending on how wealthy the tomb's owner was. Thus, getting into a single tomb is relatively easy, but as the tombs get more valuable, and thus more interesting targets, they also become more and more dangerous.
Most of the tombs of the City of the Dead that are easy pickings, those of workers or freemen at the edges of the city, hardly contain anything worth graverobbing. However, the more luscious targets are known to be in the city center, and of these the legendary pyramids are by far the most precious!
A few graverobbers have been known to make it out of the city with their spoils, such as the famous air genasi Stormchaser, but many more wind up dead due to the construct defenders of the City or the curses that befall those who desecrate the graves. Akshusians will not make bargains with "dhabab maleun", cursed gold, and one must travel far to sell one's riches.
Of all the defenses of the City, the curses are the most feared. But those that have taken the most lives is the "Awakening", where the City's denizens seemingly come alive to attack those who have wronged the city. If an expedition should succeed in breaking through a tomb, it must then contend with the Tomb Stalkers, Grave Wardens and regiments of awakened skeletal warriors. Making it out of the city then becomes even more difficult.
Most of the tombs of the City of the Dead that are easy pickings, those of workers or freemen at the edges of the city, hardly contain anything worth graverobbing. However, the more luscious targets are known to be in the city center, and of these the legendary pyramids are by far the most precious!
A few graverobbers have been known to make it out of the city with their spoils, such as the famous air genasi Stormchaser, but many more wind up dead due to the construct defenders of the City or the curses that befall those who desecrate the graves. Akshusians will not make bargains with "dhabab maleun", cursed gold, and one must travel far to sell one's riches.
Of all the defenses of the City, the curses are the most feared. But those that have taken the most lives is the "Awakening", where the City's denizens seemingly come alive to attack those who have wronged the city. If an expedition should succeed in breaking through a tomb, it must then contend with the Tomb Stalkers, Grave Wardens and regiments of awakened skeletal warriors. Making it out of the city then becomes even more difficult.
History
All true-born Amrikhi were supposed to be buried in the City. During the height of the Golden Age, many slaves were also slaughtered here to sustain the Ka-Afterlives of the Amrikhi elite, so great Death-Temples to the Moon were also errected.
When the Collapse happened, the City of the Dead became a vision of hell, where the shadowspirits could easily step through from the corrupted Ka-Afterlives and into the real world. The Death Architects, slaves, priests and visitors to the City were all killed.
It took all the Amrikhi might to break through the City and reawaken Sa'nakt from his pyramid. With this act, the Amrikh regained hope in the form of their god-king. After years of brutal campaigns, the City of the Dead was finally reconquered and the corruption contained behind mighty wards.
When Sa'nakt began the Year of the Sword, the killed Amrikhi were buried in vast barrack-tombs with weapons, armor and shields, ready for the day of thei ressurection.
The Years of Shadow still leave their mark on the City, as shadowborn and other spirits from the plane of resltess dead sometimes slip past the wards, and entire tombs of the old Amrikh remain corrupted to this day.
When the Collapse happened, the City of the Dead became a vision of hell, where the shadowspirits could easily step through from the corrupted Ka-Afterlives and into the real world. The Death Architects, slaves, priests and visitors to the City were all killed.
It took all the Amrikhi might to break through the City and reawaken Sa'nakt from his pyramid. With this act, the Amrikh regained hope in the form of their god-king. After years of brutal campaigns, the City of the Dead was finally reconquered and the corruption contained behind mighty wards.
When Sa'nakt began the Year of the Sword, the killed Amrikhi were buried in vast barrack-tombs with weapons, armor and shields, ready for the day of thei ressurection.
The Years of Shadow still leave their mark on the City, as shadowborn and other spirits from the plane of resltess dead sometimes slip past the wards, and entire tombs of the old Amrikh remain corrupted to this day.
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