khoom
Khoom was an ancient civilization that existed many centuries ago and was ruled by an elite group of warrior priests called the
Kermani. The Khermani began as a group of justice-minded worshippers of an earth goddess, but rich living and power went to
their heads and it was not long before they were worshipping gods of an unsavory, more ancient flare. Simple yearly sacrifices of bread and meats turned slowly to sacrifices of human lives and eventually, to the sacrifices of many human lives. The people of Khoom were feeling oppressed and terrorized and turned to the outside world for help. This help came in the form of Jonathan the Inquisitor.
Jonathan was a high priest of a small but influential sect of justice priests from the west. He was granted his desmene as a boon but he yearned action and the rumors of Khoom filled him with curiosity. He quickly packed and travelled to Khoom where a little investigation led him to believe that the Queen of Khoom, one Andotniheeri, was engaged in demon worship. He confronted her and her knights only to find that his guess was correct beyond his wildest dreams; not only was she worshipping demons, she had become one. Jonathan found himself dealing with a greater medusa. After a long and grueling fight, he defeated her with a magic pocket mirror that he turned on her gaze. She was petrified with her own demonic sight. Her minions fled and Jonathan declared the mountain kingdom of Khoom unclean and ordered it to be evacuated.
When all of the residents had fled, Jonathan sealed the door with a God's name etched in adamantite. The only place he allowed open was the entry in front of the city, as doing otherwise would have placed the entire mountain under the god's violently magical protection. To Jonathan's mind, Khoom was now a problem of the past. But this was not so. It took a few days but Andotniheeri woke up. she quickly realized her situation and cursed the gods for it. Even petrification did not provide her with death, she had become a Golemedusa, queen of stone. She then burst through the doors and into the foyer of the kingdom, only to find she could not return back to where she came, the seal was a one way affair. Since she had been cursed never to leave the city, she was now confined forever to the two room foyer. Andotniheeri used her power to its fullest, however, using it on unwary adventurers and lost travelers to make herself a small army of stone followers. She used her powers over them to make her small living space as comfortable as possible, and evil as ever. She lurks in that foyer to this day, preying on the foolish ones who enter her catacombs.
One day, when her demonic god, Goolifreesi, came calling for sacrifice, she refused him and turned the demon he sent against her into stone. The demon god thought about killing her but decided that a much more horrible punishment would be to seal the door to the catacombs, sealing her there forever. He shifted the mountain and trapped her within, for all eternity. One day, however, there was an earthquake and the door was uncovered. If anyone enter her kingdom, woe be to them for it has been a long time since she has killed, and anyone entering her domain will be a target.
Kermani. The Khermani began as a group of justice-minded worshippers of an earth goddess, but rich living and power went to
their heads and it was not long before they were worshipping gods of an unsavory, more ancient flare. Simple yearly sacrifices of bread and meats turned slowly to sacrifices of human lives and eventually, to the sacrifices of many human lives. The people of Khoom were feeling oppressed and terrorized and turned to the outside world for help. This help came in the form of Jonathan the Inquisitor.
Jonathan was a high priest of a small but influential sect of justice priests from the west. He was granted his desmene as a boon but he yearned action and the rumors of Khoom filled him with curiosity. He quickly packed and travelled to Khoom where a little investigation led him to believe that the Queen of Khoom, one Andotniheeri, was engaged in demon worship. He confronted her and her knights only to find that his guess was correct beyond his wildest dreams; not only was she worshipping demons, she had become one. Jonathan found himself dealing with a greater medusa. After a long and grueling fight, he defeated her with a magic pocket mirror that he turned on her gaze. She was petrified with her own demonic sight. Her minions fled and Jonathan declared the mountain kingdom of Khoom unclean and ordered it to be evacuated.
When all of the residents had fled, Jonathan sealed the door with a God's name etched in adamantite. The only place he allowed open was the entry in front of the city, as doing otherwise would have placed the entire mountain under the god's violently magical protection. To Jonathan's mind, Khoom was now a problem of the past. But this was not so. It took a few days but Andotniheeri woke up. she quickly realized her situation and cursed the gods for it. Even petrification did not provide her with death, she had become a Golemedusa, queen of stone. She then burst through the doors and into the foyer of the kingdom, only to find she could not return back to where she came, the seal was a one way affair. Since she had been cursed never to leave the city, she was now confined forever to the two room foyer. Andotniheeri used her power to its fullest, however, using it on unwary adventurers and lost travelers to make herself a small army of stone followers. She used her powers over them to make her small living space as comfortable as possible, and evil as ever. She lurks in that foyer to this day, preying on the foolish ones who enter her catacombs.
One day, when her demonic god, Goolifreesi, came calling for sacrifice, she refused him and turned the demon he sent against her into stone. The demon god thought about killing her but decided that a much more horrible punishment would be to seal the door to the catacombs, sealing her there forever. He shifted the mountain and trapped her within, for all eternity. One day, however, there was an earthquake and the door was uncovered. If anyone enter her kingdom, woe be to them for it has been a long time since she has killed, and anyone entering her domain will be a target.