Jhal'Qerzaan

## The Eternal Empire

South of Lorath’s Wall and dominating half the Jhanin continent is Jhal’Qerzaan, home of the Amukreen. Here it is said drops  of Khapri-Amun’s blood touched the world, and the Amukreen were born.

From the coast and light scouting, the Eternal Empire may seem like empty wastes. But beneath its surface lays a great empire of tunnel networks that span the whole region. Three great hives thrust up from the earth, covered in golden domes and topped with soaring spires.

## History

The oldest nation in the world, Jhal'Qerzaan is the ancestral homeland of the Amukreen, the first people. It was home to the Proto-kreen, the people before Khapri-Amun was defeated by the other gods. Upon his defeat, as his body crashed into the world, droplets of his blood fell to Jhal'Qerzaan, creating a divine breed of his children that would slowly breed with and out-live their older brethren.

Outside the records of the Hm’Netjer, there is little history known before the Invasion. It is believed Jhal'Qerzaan used to be regularly invaded by Khaz Vedran, as such continued in the years after the Invasion until midway through the first cycle.

Since then, Jhal'Qerzaan has been relatively peaceful. Though it is known for attacking Lorath's Wall, this isn't so much a war or conflict to them, but a means to prune the weak and test out new capabilities and methods.

In 885/2 the Eternal Express Nefer'Kiz disobeyed the order of the Absolute Record and staged a coup of her own kingdom against the Hm’Netjer. Unhappy with her role in the greater scheme of things, she overwhelmed Lorath's Wall and pushed her forces into Jhanin. It was only an alliance between the Giants, Kyn, and the surviving Hm’Netjer that she was stopped. The Amukreen priesthood would watch the line of empresses carefully for the next few centuries.

Those sharing Nefer'Kiz's views would emerge once again in 388/3 however. Taking the Amukreen idea of racial supremacy to the extreme, they refused to ally with Ahmed Thrakul. However unlike in the second cycle, they were not nearly as entrenched within the hierarchy. They were swiftly put down by Ahmed's forces.

Following Emperor Ahmed's disappearance in 403/3 it is unknown what their stance on their alliance is, the nation remaining oddly quiet. Given the Amukreen's belief knowing time, there are those who speculate the Amukreen knew of Ahmed's eventual disappearance overall, and willingness to ally with him originally is all part of their long game.

## Notable Locations

### Grand Hive Ahn'Gyza

The capitol of Jhal'Qerzaan and its largest city. Upon the surface it is a great mountain from which countless observation spires reach into the heavens. In the mountain's depths however is one of the largest city's in the world, a spiraling hive of alcoves, web-bridges, and buildings that only the insectoid mind of the Amukreen can understand. It connects to the other two cities by long tunnels.

### Hive Ky'Ro

Ky'Ro is the manufacturing hub of the empire. It is here that most of the Amukreen's wondrous Kresnite-forged items are produced.

### Hive Zaw'Yet

Zaw'Yet oversees the military organization of the Amukreen, and organizes the sieges of Lorath's Wall.

### Zer'Zura

Zer'Zura is the holy city of the Amukreen, secondly to Tik'Neraal. Seperated from the mainland, it is the city of the Hm’Netjer, the high priesthood of the time god. This small hive houses the Absolute Record, a holy relic the Amukreen claims is an archive of all time, past, present, and future. It is the Hm’Netjer's duty to mediate the dispensing of this information, and make sure it is not used to lead the Amukreen astray.

## Trivia

* Jhal'Qerzaan is heavily inspired by the Mantid Empire from World of Warcraft
* The cities are all designed to sound like various cities in Egypt