Anashfet and the Restless Undead of Nithia

Image by DusanMarkovic, source

Across northern Ylaruam there are dotted sites of the ancient Nithian civilization that died out long before the rise of the Emirates and the Eternal Truth. These range from simple shrines to entire buried cities, from farmsteads to huge pyramids that contain wealth and horror in equally large amounts. The Nithian civilization thrived between 1500BC and 500BC. Their culture was characterised by great reverence for death and the great effort put into the preservation and burial of their dead. Even lowly paupers were given a proper burial, while their great kings, known as pharaohs, had grand pyramids constructed as their tombs. Even lower officials and priests were buried in tombs with great ceremony and careful ritual. Given the generations of Nithians who lived and died during the millenium of the Nithian Empire, there are probably millions of preserved corpses under the sands of northern Ylaruam. 

Anashfet was one of the most powerful clerics in the later days of Nithia, and it is said he was the power behind the throne of Pharoah Kerathis II. But his influence was malignant, for although Anashfet claimed to be a follower of Neutrality, in actual fact he secretly worshipped Chaos. He dreamt of being elevated by the forces of darkness to the status of Chaos Prince and he conducted many dark and foul rituals to further this goal. But Anashfet was found out after one of his captives, due to be sacrificed to the powers of Chaos, escaped and told the Pharoah and his officials. Anashfet fled the capital with his most loyal retainers into the foothills of the north where they evaded the Pharoah's men who had attempted to capture Anashfet. He had already created a secret hideout for such a contingency, and he and his followers built it up into a veritable fortress of evil, said to be east or northeast of what is now Cinsa-Men-Noo. It was here that he was inspired to look at an alternative to Chaos Princehood - lichdom. Normally the domain of magic-users, his research and communing with chaotic powers beyond this world showed that it was possible to become a clerical lich, using the blasphemously evil magic developed in Allaktos known as Soul Magic. 

After gathering the materials and texts necessary, Anashfet and his most devoted disciples of Chaos carried out the ritual, and Anashfet swallowed the potion that would end his mortal life and bring him back as one of the undead. It did the first part - the potion killed Anashfet. But his corpse just laid there, while his disciples became increasingly worried and puzzled. After a week of his body lying on the slab, the followers that had not just given up and wandered off decided to bury Anashfet. He was mummified in accordance with the rituals of Nithian religion and buried in an ornate tomb underneath the fortress hideout that had been his home in exile. 

A thousand years passed. And then foolhardy adventurers exploring northern Ylaruam found the fortress of Anashfet and searched it for buried treasure. Maybe they spoke some magic words from an ancient text or maybe it was when one of their company fell into a pit trap and was skewered by the spikes at the bottom. It is not known exactly what they did but something happed that completed the ritual that had not worked a thousand years before. Anashfet awoke, in his funeral wrappings, and slew the insolent mortals. Confused about his circumstances, Anashfet then spent time gradually learning about his situation and also gathering undead forces to him, using many different spells and rites to reanimate the buried dead of Nithia and bind them to his command. For over 300 years he has been gradually developing his hidden realm of undeath. 

He is familiar with Allaktos, including its layout, its inhabitants and many of its secret rituals of Soul Magic. He has even conversed with some of the resident liches (at least when they are sane enough) but he is not a resident of that forbidden place. He is currently establishing outposts based in ancient Nithian ruins where undead lieutenants (typically mummies, though sometimes spectres or wights) command companies of animated skeletons and zombies at his whim. As well as the well-established forms of undead, Anashfet has also recruited some much rarer types such as coffer corpses, ghasts, heucuvas,  and death knights. Some of his mummified lieutenants can cast chaotic clerical spells. He has also applied the Animate Dead spell to the bodies of non-humanoid creatures, with unpredictable but terrifying results. The skeletal centaurs pulling Nithian war chariots ridden by Bone Warrior archers are frighteningly effective skirmishers in the open desert.   

Anashfet's grand scheme is to establish an empire of undeath, completely overrunning the mortals of Ylaruam with their foolish ideas of the Eternal Truth. And after that, the barbarians to the north in Vestland and Soderfjord, and then those upstart backstabbers in Thyatis, and then who knows where next? Anashfet dreams of recreating the Nithian Empire in all its glory, only more terrible and awesome for having shed the weakness and foibles of the living and finding new strength, determination and discipline in undeath.  

But he has his enemies, most notably the Holy Killers of the Eternal Secret - this is exactly why they feel justified in lethal force against foolish adventurers disturbing ancient Nithian tombs. Except that now the cat is out of the bag, or rather the Lich is out of the tomb. The Holy Killers are experts at killing mortals, not destroying the undead. They are aware of the growing undead presence in northern Ylaruam (although not of Anashfet himself) and are debating among themselves the best way to deal with this.  Perhaps an alliance with carefully selected clerics of the Eternal Truth? Or maybe hire adventurers, but then dispose of them if they learn too much of ancient Nithia? 

Anashfet's growing forces are currently unknown to the rulers of the Emirates. But it is only a matter of time before they start to encroach on living settlements, and then the living and the undead will clash in battle. It is quite possible that adventurers will stumble on an outpost such as a forgotten Nithian temple in their wanderings. Whether they realise this is part of a grander scheme or just dismiss it as another haunted ruin is uncertain - perhaps if the adventurers encounter enough undead they will realise the pattern. 

Art by Jian Li, source