Ankhu

Pharaoh Ankhu the Endless, God-King, Demon-Sired, High Priest of the Black Temple, was an ancient pharaoh of Kemhet. He is believed to have been far more than a mere man, perhaps having been at once a mage and directly related to a demon, as implied by his titles, making him possibly a cambion of incredible power. HIs reign is largely forgotten except by a few, such as the Medjai, and his resting place is purposefully kept secret.

History

No one is quite sure about the story of Ankhu, including where he was born. He began as a vizier in Waset and quickly rose to power, slaughtering all in his path and conquering all of Kemhet. He doled out extremely harsh punishments to anyone who would dare defile them, cursing entire bloodlines. Where he went, he cast down statues of all the gods, calling them false, and built statues of himself in their place. These statues have long since been destroyed wherever they were found.

Power

The power of Ankhu were many and never fully understood, and only a few that were recorded included the ability to summon sandstorms and poisons, create plagues and curses, summon swarms of otherworldly insects to obey his every command, and to torture the very souls of his victims with dark magic. He also seemed immortal, ruling for many years; the exact number is long lost to history. Mortal weapons, it was said, could do no harm to him.

Legacy

Memory of Ankhu was all but destroyed, as the rulers of Kemhet did not want cults to arise in the wake of his legacy. A few accounts still remain, and there is mention of Ankhu in several important historical archives. Most knowledge of Ankhu and his rule, however, is kept locked away by certain governing forces of Kemhet. Those who do know of him know his was a reign of terror; what remains of his legacy is hate and fear of his name. He went down in history as one of Kemhet's most ruthless, oppressive rulers, and he helped bring about a greater mistrust of all who wield magic across Kemhet and neighboring lands, much like Mage-Emperor Ildrius in the Achaean Empire, whose evil rule is much better documented overall.

Tomb

There are endless legends regarding the mysterious Tomb of Ankhu. They say when he was at last defeated, he was cursed by several high priests of the Old Kingdom with something so unspeakable that it has been lost to time. His tomb was buried deep under the sands by the gods themselves somewhere deep in the desert, its location unknown save to a handful of its guardian Medjai.