Permejhed
Permejhed is about 25 miles west of the Stygian on the Bakhari River. The city is far enough from the Stygian that its agricultural production is watered by canals rather than by the river itself, and keeping those clear is a major duty of the town’s leadership. Its river port allows caravans from the Western Desert to transship here and then travel a good part of their route by water — and similarly in the other direction — so it is an important hub of trade. Founded during the 20th Dynasty, Permejhed has also been an administrative center, both for the Khemitian government and for the Hyperboreans during their period of influence. According to rumor, 1,000 years of Hyperborean (and other) records were dumped and left to rot somewhere in the desert outside of town, but because the desert is so dry, they are still out there, merely covered by several feet of sand.
Within Permejhed is the high seat of the temple of Set, jackal-headed god of evil and night. Despite his evil reputation, Set still has his duties to fulfill in the pantheon of Khemit: Every day the Black Serpent, Aapep, tries to devour Ra’s Sun Boat as it moves across the heavens, and it is Set’s task to battle him. Each evening, the serpent finally succeeds and plunges the world into darkness. Set must then cut open the belly of Aapep to allow the Sun Boat to escape and dawn to come to the world once again. Every morning when the sun rises, the people of Khemit know that Set is still doing his duty, and so the god receives a share of worship from most people even though they are certainly not his followers. Most such worship takes place at small shrines, though, and few common people ever visit Set’s primary temple, where poisonous serpents are allowed to roam free, and each priest carries a staff in the shape of a cobra, which (it is said) will bite an offender on command.
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