Ankhwugaht
A dark desert standing out from the frigid fields of Stygia, Ankhwugaht is the realm of the power Set. It stands out in stark contrast to that layer, just as Set prefers, placed here likely specifically because of how inappropriate a site it was. For many, the sands of Ankhwugaht make for a welcome respite from the surroundings, both in climate and in inhabitants. The skies above Ankhwugaht are in constant darkness, the deep, dark grey of a roiling storm with occasional flashes of orange lightning.
Set himself dwells within a massive black pyramid at the center of the realm, a structure that casts a perpetual shadow of midnight across the sands. From here, he can see all that happens throughout Ankhwugaht; even, if need be, into the minds of those within his realm, though this is an ability he uses only as is necessary. Besides the throne of Set, though, the deserts of Ankhwugaht are marked by two major cities and a number of smaller settlements, usually found along the shores of flowing rivers clean from the taint of the Styx. Outside the petitioners of Set, these settlements are home to many seeking asylum or refuge from Baator, something Set well encourages here. The people of Ankhwugaht can be quite harsh and unyielding, though contrary to popular belief, many petitioners here hold a much lighter heart than those usually sent to their afterlives in Baator. Still, those who worship Set in darker manners, despite his wishes for the end to such, are still accepted here as he would never abandon his own.
Of the centers of population in Ankhwugaht, the two largest are the cities of Khas-tep and Tukhamen. Both are fairly good-sized bergs, each around 20,000 people, each built around a central pyramid that serves as that city's temple. Khas-tep is led by the priest Omikrostis, an outpost largely of the darker worshipeprs of Set. Most Minions of Set congregate around Khas-tep; here life is hard for many, but the work pays off with the hope that the devotion will lead to the praise of Set. Tukhamen, on the other hand, is filled mostly with the followers of Set as he was, a chaotic force but hardly a dark one. This city is led by Irisiri the sorceress-queen, who manages her people with the same wisdom and grace she held in life. The smaller villages, farms, and fields of Ankhwugaht are led by Nekrotheptis Skorpios: in life, the first pharaoh of the Kemet, the Prime people from which the Ennead first arose; in death, the first of the Minions of Set and right-hand to the god. Wandering the sands, he travels from village to village, hearing the concerns of each and settling disputes as need be.
Wandering the sands can be found all manner of creature beyond the people that call it home. In great numbers can be found the sha, creatures holy to Set that resemble forked-tailed okapi. Other animals holy to Set can also be found here: gazelles, hippopotami, aurochs, crocodiles, wild boar, oryxes, and snakes and fish of all sorts. Many of these beasts serve as natural guards to the realm; some even hold some slight degree of intelligence, and help to lead the others in force against interlopers when able. A few baatezu can occasionally be found, especially around the borders of the desert, though the natives are usually fast to push them back out again, having no desire for a baatezu foothold to be taken in Ankhwugaht.
References
- Dead Gods, pp.70-71
- On Hallowed Ground, pg.91
- Planes of Law - Baator, pg.21
