"Not usually for adventurers, no. I tend to give tours to wealthy foreign lords and ladies. As to answer your first question, there are over 300 pyramids in this city alone. I believe there are something like 2,000 along the river between here and the sea. It will be impossible to show you all of them, but we will cover the important ones."

-Pyramid Tour Guide, Efram

Mehtian Culture

The Tomb Lords

Since the fall of the Great Jungle Kingdom, there have been three different powers to claim the title of King of Kings. The second to hold this title was the land of Ekmeht, which laid along the banks of the Geje River, and the southern coast of Kelior on the Wine-Faced Sea. It was positioned in the heart of the Bleached Desert, and the heat there was incomparable with the rest of the world. The Mehtians settled the land there because, despite its location in the desert, the Geje River itself sported some of the most fertile ground in Adra. Frequent flooding from the river as well as active silt drifts from Lake Hastur ensure that plentiful crops can be grown year round, and in the flood season, the farms of the Geje can outproduce farms elsewhere in Adra by 100-200%. During the reign of the Empire of Bahsparis, the Mehtians were largely responsible for feeding the armies of the empire, and this granted them a place of prime importance. When the Bahrians were at their most vulnerable, the Mehtians cut off all supplies to their armies, who after starving for food, revolted against the empire. In the aftermath of the civil war that followed, those with the supplies to feed the largest army in the land came out on top, and the Satrap of Ekmeht became the Empire of Ekmeht. The Mehtians understood that the Bahrians were too lackadaisical in their rule, and so the Mehtians ruled far more vigorously, stripping the Satraps of many of their rights and powers, and ensuring a constant flow of tribute to Dosala. With the wealth they collected from the empire, they built a series of massive stone pyramids throughout Ekmeht, dedicated to the gods, and to the important figures of the empire. The ultimate goal of any Mehtian was to become rich enough to be buried in a Pyramid, preserved and embalmed, surrounded by their fortune. They believed that with enough wealth, they could pass on into the finest parts of the Shadowfell, to live eternally in happiness and prosperity. In truth, Erethelon and his followers corrupted many of these tombs, and today they are viewed with both fear and awe. The subjects of the Mehtians grew to hate their rulers, and disorder built in the Satrapies. War broke out between the Mehtian Empire and the Arissians, and Mond Kalas was besieged. Eventually, the Satrapy of Yuyake broke away from the empire after a war with the Mehtians, and in the following chaos, the Tomb Lords lost the throne of the King of Kings, with the Tesiphonians taking over. Harsh rebukes came swiftly under the Tesiphonian rule, including the plundering of several ancient tombs. The Tesiphonians did not make the same mistake as the Bahrians, and they kept constant guard over the grain supply from the Geje. Now the Mehtians chafe under the rule of Tesiphon, and they would surely take any opportunity to break the shackles around their neck.

          The Mehtians are perhaps best understood by contrast with their sworn rivals, the Bahrians. The Bahrians live in the moment, extolling the virtues of living in comfort, or even luxury if possible. In contrast, the Mehtians are an extremely frugal, perhaps even miserly people. They argue that ones life should be spent in preperation for death, and believe that by giving up comfort now, one can eventually live in unimaginable splendor. The Mehtians believe that Lothal will reward those who prepare well for their eventual death, and therefore any personal suffering or sacrifice in this world can be justified. Thus, Mehtians don't necessarily shun the idea of comfort, but instead view those who live lazily and in overly-comfortable conditions to be foolish, for they gain some comfort now, by giving up maximum comfort later. Of course, in reality, the richest among the Mehtians can easily manage to live comfortably in this life and the next, at least by the standards of their beliefs. In addition, the poorest of the Mehtians could give up food and shelter their whole life and never afford to build a family tomb. Still, the idea of eternal happiness motivates the populace to work hard, forgo easy living, and remain obedient. Of course, it can have a radicalizing effect, pushing some to strict adherence to the law, in an effort to never risk the meager fortune they have built, while forcing others to move outside the law, to steal, embezzle, and cheat their way to paradise. This is especially true of the poor, who have little hope of amassing a fortune as was previously noted, that is unless they can steal a few golden chalices and silver rings along the way. Life among Mehtians also revolves around the agrarian economy. The grain of the Geje feeds people across Kelior, and therefore most of the population, even within cities, serve some role within this economy. Not only are there farmers, but also blacksmiths who manufacture farming equipment, wainwrights who transport the grain, clerks who count it and store it, millers that grind it, merchants who sell it, sailors who ship it, guards who protect it, slavers who provide workers for the whole process, and on and on. This is true in most cultures, that many have a hand in food production is a commonality in any pre-industrial economy. However, the sheer amount of grain that is grown and produced in Ekmeht brings this process to the forefront. There is also a great deal of cruelty among Mehtian society. Ekmeht serves as the nexus point for the slave trade, where merchants from Adra Majoris and Kelior meet to trade their slaves. The average Mehtian has seen terrible cruelties to these slaves, and whether they approve or disapprove, most of them at least tolerate it. Considering their beliefs on the afterlife, the Mehtian's tolerance of slavery is particularly troublesome, for according to their own tenants, they rob an eternity of paradise from some so that they may have it. The practice of purchasing one's freedom, or being granted it for some other reason, a common one in Arissia, is almost nonexistent in Ekmeht.

          The Mehtian people are most highly concentrated in Ekmeht, a nation which surrounds the Geje River and Lake Hastur, as well as bordering the southwestern coastline of Kelior that meats the Wine-Faced Sea. There are some Mehtians who live in exile, banished for fear that they would attempt to rebel against Tesiphonian rule. These Mehtians mostly live in Yuyake and Arissia. The races of the Mehtian culture are most predominately humans, loxodons, kenku, kobolds, goblins, and dwarves. Many gods have come and gone in the ancient history of Ekmeht, but throughout it all, Lothal has always dominated the religious heart of Mehtian culture. Mehtians tend to be diligent, frugal, and patient. They also tend to be miserly, single-minded, and uncompationate. The dominant language among the Mehtians is Old Keloran, though the elites tend to speak Loxocommon among each other.

If you choose the Mehtian Culture, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Constitution score or a +1 to your Wisdom score~

~A -1 to your Dexterity score~

~As a known language, either Old Keloran Common or Loxocommon~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Mehtian Culture~

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