Akh

Spirit folk who protect the gates of death. People of the Beyond, based on Egyptian mythology.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: TheFolk

• Alignment: Aetherial

• Energy: Poarta

• Lifespan: 2,000 years

• Diet: Mortal fare influenced by the animal features they bear

• Habitat: Tropical deserts and river valleys or the Beyond

Origins

Ahks ("spirits") are souls who come from the Beyond and incarnate in order to live as guardians of death itself.

Description

On Shem, akhs appear to be humans with animal heads or other features. They take on different animal features every time their soul incarnates, but the commonest form among them is 7' tall with the bodies of humans and the heads of snakes. Other common animals include jackals, lions, bulls, vultures, ostriches, wolves, wild dogs, falcons, baboons, rams, and hawks, though any animal native to Azet or northern Taggarus, the central Island Bridge, western Dabusen, or Mahad are possible (SWANA and west Asia). In the Beyond, they appear to be white lights that guide the dead to through the afterlife.

Procreation

Akhs reproduce sexually with one another. They rarely reproduce with other spirit folk, and then, only when it is biologically compatible. In these cases, the species of the offspring follows that of the birthing parent. In other cases, interspecies reproduction is only possible with supernatural intervention.

An akh is born without a soul, and akh babies appear to be more or less human. During the first funerary service after their birth, they are given the soul of the deceased, which takes seven years to develop into a fully fledged person. Because experiences affect souls, the transference of the soul and the experiences of the recipient affect the soul and change how and who the person is - they are not replications of the deceased, but they do carry some of their memories and experiences. Every iteration of the akh takes on a new animal form. If more than one akh receives a soul, they all receive it entirely. This contradiction is a source of power among them.

Powers

Akhs can phase through solid matter once per year. They can return to the Beyond without dying. They use meditation to achieve this, sending their souls without their bodies, but still finding physical form.

Sending

Akhs can send undead if they are not in the Beyond, see souls while in the Beyond or not, and guide any souls in the Beyond to their destination if need be. They are powerful psychopomps in the Beyond. They can protect the souls of the Dead there by touching them and giving them part of their own soul. They have special knives made of mictlanium for fighting enemies of the souls of the Dead (or of akhs). They have the ability to calm the souls of the Dead in the Beyond with their touch as well.

Animal Powers

Every akh has powers associated with their animal features. For example, snake-headed akhs have a deadly poisonous bite. They have keen senses of smell and kinesthetics. They sometimes have the ability to control snakes with their voices. Hawk-headed akhs have keen eyesight, sharp voices, and the ability to sense the finest of movements. And so on.

Weaknesses

Msawhat harms them.

Because their souls are so close to their skin, so to speak, akhs are vulnerable to being controlled via their True Names. As such, they keep their True Names hidden and use nicknames publicly. Sometimes, they obfuscate their True Names by having multiple nicknames, picked at major life events.

Nations

There are seven akh nations, all clustered near the country of Azet save one:

• Atzami: the powerful nation who live in the northern ports

• Hafawawi: the slave nation from the south

• Hepteti: the original nation on Shem, they dwell upon the river itself

• Sawatwa: the only akh nation not on Shem - they dwell only in the Beyond

• Wapdi: the powerful nation who live along the southern waterways

• Warami: the subterranean nation who are control the path down toward the Spirit Gate

• Zatwani: the nation driven into the central Island Bridge

Culture

The Hepteti and the Sawatwa are the two original nations of akhs. The Hepteti migrated to Shem toward the start of Third Shem, while the Sawatwa remained in the Beyond. As groups of the Hepteti migrated further out, new nations formed. They settled in Azet and nearby regions, along the river Iteru. When they first arrived in Shem, it is said, they took the forms of animals, and only later took the forms of mortals, eventually uniting the two.

The Sawatwa’s culture is the most obscure, for they have only the form of white lights that guide the dead. The Hepteti developed a more complex culture.

Their respect for the dead is what the world knows them for, and this is a significant part of their culture, but it must be taken in context - they respect the dead because of their reverence for life. Death is simply the defining moment of a life and a profound moment of transition, as they can attest, to what comes next.

The Hepteti are part of the larger Azeti culture, which is dominated by a powerful ruling class and ruled by a pharaoh. The term “pharaoh” came from Hepteti culture, referring to the leaders of their peoples who were the conduit from life to death, but was co-opted by mortal peoples to simply be another king, though one with a reputation for resisting death. The Azeti culture is a slave-based economy with many gods and faiths and species; the Hepteti are considered one of the oldest cultures within it, and their customs were adapted by others over the millennia. Because Heptetis and other akhs value the concept of ma’at, balance with the world around them, they try to cooperate with the Azeti culture as much as possible while still respecting their own beliefs and nature itself.

The number four is considered auspicious among akhs. They try to incorporate it into their daily lives - four meals a day, never doing something for more than four hours at a time (work, rest, play, etc.), having four windows and four doors within a house, having four sets of certain household items, and so on. Communities are laid out in four-by-four grids.

Akhs have strict rules about which hand can be used for what purpose - left hands are for actions and right hands are for reactions. In multiple akh cultures, cleanliness is highly valued, and appearances are important. There is a cultural preference for being well-groomed, clean-shaven, and for wearing make up (for all genders). Clothing was usually linen or other simple cloths, undyed, and fashion was important. However, there were no class- or gender-based rules about clothing among them - anyone can wear what they want, including going nude. Children wear nothing until they reach puberty. In general, clothing is considered a symbol of wealth.

They live in homes made from mud brick, with richer akhs living in homes with thicker walls to protect from the heat, and the use of wood in anything is restricted to those who can afford the scarce material. Because it is scarce, it is reserved for use for doorways, which represent the transition of death, sacred to their cultures. In most Azeti homes, the roof is used as a gathering place.

Children are raised by their parents until they are about seven or eight years old, at which time they are taken under the wing of a specific parent, often the one who shares their gender but not always. Whatever occupation their parent has, they are trained in. If their occupation requires intensive learning, the child is sent to a school.

All akh cultures have some version of the game senet, which is popular throughout Azet, and other sports and games are common parts of their daily lives. Wrestling, racing, hunting, archery, sailing, water-jousting (jousting in rowboats), and swimming are very common activities. Children are taught to swim from a very young age. While hunting is popular leisure, it is also sometimes part of their survival. However, the Azeti ruling class has many strict rules about who can hunt what - certain animals, such as hippopotami and gazelles are limited to the nobility.

At the heart of most akh homes is their gardens. They give birth in their gardens, burying the placenta there, believing that this will draw their souls back to their homes when they die. They tend their home gardens carefully

As part of Azeti society, many of them are slaves to the ruling classes, working fields, being builders, even being soldiers.

Because Azet is a center of spiritual energies on Shem, undead are often attracted to it. As such, akhs are often employed to combat the undead in the area.

National Cultures

• Atzami: the Atzami are part of the ruling class of Azet, fully assimilated and living as spiritual advisers and a powerful priest caste among the rich and powerful.

• Hafawawi: the Hafwawi moved far to the south, to the country of Caliri, where they were enslaved for generations by powerful nations there.

• Wapdi: in southern Azeti, the Wapdi live along the river and dwell as sailors and fishers, amongst the poorer folk of Azet. They are also known for their artisans, especially glassblowers, furniture-makers, papermakers, horologists (making water clocks), and metallurgists.

• Warami: upon coming to Shem, a group of akhs were sent to find the Spirit Gate and settle there as its protectors. The Warami have developed over generations as its powerful defenders.

• Zatwani: the Zatwani were driven into the Island Bridge generations ago because of a conflict with the Atzami, scattering them into the islands and making them exiles.

Esoterica

Akhs embody the aether known as poarta, but which they call mawat. They are its greatest wielders. They also commonly wield hamasat al-sahra, conflueverant, kiiric yihi, ma’dhahabi, lunar aether, true shadow, kazaddarean, tmakikan, and prasinofos, the bright, viridian aether, and if they can find it, anumun. Outside of aetherial powers, they are frequent users of spirit energy, ambrosia, soul energy, b’qar, arcane shadow, fate, nommos, shavev mashkalran, menab’e, kor, and other poioumenonic and shebvic powers.

Religion

Most akhs worship Nbt-Hwt, Death Herself, Guide of Souls, but they honor other Divines as well. Azeti society has many deities important to their religion, and the overall society has co-opted Nbt-Hwt from the Heptetis’ original faith. Azetis have a broader mythology that speaks of how the world has been spun from chaos and tamed by powerful Divines, the Hepteti make no claim to knowing how the universe was formed. They focus entirely on Nbt-Hwt and her role as gatherer of the dead and guide through the afterlife.

Among the Hepteti, the zatjeths (priestesses) lead the people in their faith and guide them in rituals, teach them the ways of the soul, and speak to people’s metaphysical essence. They exist in every Hepteti community and are often considered leaders. They Pharaoh is the leader of all of the Hepteti, a powerful mix of high priest(ess), elder, and sage who lives in a palatial houseboat that travels the river and visits all of the Hepteti communities. This figure is not to be confused with the Azeti pharaoh, who claims to be this spiritual leader but is usually just an autocratic ruler with some esoteric powers. In some communities, there is a jarat, a prophet of Nbt-Hwt who travels between the Beyond and Shem and bring wisdom from the afterlife.

Among the Sawatwa are the wadajis (sing. wadaj), akhs who attend Nbt-Hwt directly as those who push her barque through the nether-rivers or guard the Gates of Mortality and Divinity.

Some who serve Nbt-Hwt live on the river bond with it via aetherial powers and operate as druids with a profound connection to the nether realms. These druidic figures are called menytajaturows.

The religion of the Heptetis, Sawatwas, and other akh nations focuses on being grateful for being alive, being worthy of the afterlife, and being able to face judgment without guilt or regret upon one’s conscience. They do this by understanding their personal life goals and living up to them, often focusing on what brings them happiness and following it - if they can afford to.

The term “akh” roughly translates to “soul” among the akhs, but it is part of a more complex understanding of being. On Shem, akhs have a khat, or body; a ka, or double-form; the ba, which is the form they take when returning to or coming from the Beyond (often depicted as a bird with a human head, though it has no true form); shuyet, or shadow-self; akh, or transformed, inmortal self; sahu and sechem, aspects of the akh; ab, the heart, containing good and evil; and ren, their True Name. Because they are familiar with the Beyond and know their souls will return after death, they do not fear death, but they fear enslavement or being bound for eternity.

At the heart of Hepteti culture is a deep gratitude toward being allowed to experience life. Their profound thankfulness was assimilated into Azeti culture by the ruling class, being used as a form of indoctrination to convince lower classes to be happy to suffer and be enslaved, but among the Hepteti, it is a sincere understanding that once they dwelt in the Beyond, and now they get to breathe on Shem.

Funerary rites are a major part of their culture.

Funerals

Akhs have a cultural belief that their souls are tied to Azet, which is above the Spirit Gate, and therefore closest of all the places on the surface of Shem to other realms. If they die beyond the borders of Azet, they make arrangements for their bodies to be returned there so that their souls can be reincarnated. The understanding of their soul cycle and reincarnation makes them distinct from other Azetis.

Funerary rites are all about preparing the body so that the soul will not be bound to it. As such, they remove the brain, heart, and lungs of the body, bind it in fabric, and seal it in some sort of sarcophagus.

• Atzami: the rich and powerful Atzami nation is more likely to be buried in complex tombs, mausoleums, or, famously, pyramids. Their tombs are ornate and beautiful, and they are often buried with some of their wealth as a sacrifice to the Beyond.

• Hafawawi: as the enslaved nation, they are buried at the whims of their owners. Therefore, they have practiced in secret their rites and always bless the bodies with poarta before it is taken away by the authorities.

• Hepteti: living along the rivers, they often bury their dead in airtight sarcophagi and sink them to the bottom so that their souls are not tempted to return.

• Sawatwa: as they dwell in the afterlife, if they “die”, they simply move into the next realm.

• Wapdi: as artisans, albeit poor, they take pride in creating fine sarcophagi which they bury in the soft soil near the river.

• Warami: deep underground, they build upside down pyramids and other complex tombs in which they bind and bury their dead in rectangular sarcophagi.

• Zatwani: outside of Azet, the Zatwani believe they must place their dead on rafts and send them back to Azet’s shores.

Gender

Nbt-Hwt gave equal rights to all genders, but the Azeti lords took it away. Among the Heptetis and Waramis, every person’s gender is personal, though it tends to be the same across iterations. Among the Sawatwa, gender is a foreign concept. The Atzami embrace a binary view of gender common in Azet, but women have greater freedoms than in other patriarchal cultures, and the Hafawawi have this view thrust upon them. The Wapdi are somewhere between the Hafawawi and the Hepteti - they recognize more genders but still have rules. And the Zatwani embrace a set of genders that do not recognize “male” and “female” but instead base gender on which kind of animal someone resembles.

In Azet, marriage is uncommon amongst the lower classes, but very common amongst the rich, as it is seen as a means of ensuring property transferral. Courting rituals involving gift-giving, and marriage is a contract about property rights. Women are allowed to own property, run businesses, be rulers, even serve in the military.

Among the Hepteti and Warami nations, gender is considered a personal decision, tied to the soul, and everyone expresses theirs differently. There are no gendered pronouns, and what one wears or how one looks is not associated with gender. Instead, gender is expressed by how one wears one’s make up.

Among the Wapdi nation, there are four genders recognized - male, female, all (neb), and none (nej). Men are expected to handle financial decisions and be warriors; women are expected to be caretakers and crafters; nebs are expected to be religious figures; and nejs are expected to be slaves. There is, however, no rule about whether they can own property, what they can wear, etc.

Among the Zatwanis, gender expression is considered innate to the body, based on the animal they resemble. Snake-headed akhs are usually gatherers and caretakers. Jackal-headed akhs are warriors and priests. Lion-headed akhs are hunters. Cow- and sheep-headed akhs are artisans. Vulture-headed akhs are artists and musicians. Ostrich-headed akhs are athletes and gardeners. Wolf- or dog-headed akhs are slaves. Falcon- and hawk-headed akhs are scouts and sailors. Baboon-headed akhs are esotericists. Crossover from these is forbidden and results in banishment.

Economy

Akhs live in Azet, which is a slave-based economy, but their original culture is communal.

Military

Akhs have warriors who specialize in destroying the undead - the pitatis and montus - and they are often recruited to the Azeti military.

Language

Their language is loosely inspired by ancient Egyptian words mixed with Arabic.

Trade

Akhs are known for making paper, glass works, water-clocks, bronze and gold works, and furniture.

Occupations

• Anub’kha: warriors who can become jackals.

• Halhira: pirates who hunt the undead.

• Hepej: messengers from the dead.

• Ilhyept: reed musicians who play for the dead.

• Jarat: prophet of Nbt-Hwt.

• Ka Ibiaw: one who studies the Puzzle of Souls.

• Me-a: investigators of death or the undead.

• Menytajaturow: druids of the rivers.

• Montu: warriors who fight the undead.

• Papyropoios: paper artists.

• Papyruptah: papermakers.

• Pharaoh

• Pitati: archers who fight the undead.

• Psychopomp:

• Sedi: gravediggers and tomb builders.

• Sekhet'kha: androgynous ferrypeople who travel the Beyond.

• Thothian: scholars of death and life.

• Wadaj: those who push the barque of Nbt-Hwt or guard her gates, attendants.

• Zatjeth: priestesses of Nbt-Hwt.

Outside View

Akhs are viewed by outsiders are mysterious and strange. Some believe them to be monsters or impure halfbreeds, and most view them as obsessed with death. They are mostly feared by outsiders.

Notables

• Mawet Ren, Akh Manifest, Mother of the Hepteti, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Atzami: 4,000

• Hafawawi: 40,000

• Hepteti: 400,000

• Sawatwa: 4 million

• Wapdi: 40,000

• Warami: 40,000

• Zatwani: 40,000

• Other: 4,000

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 8
STR 8
AWA 8
WIL 12
PRS 8
STH 8