Nuhimm

Nuhimm is home to an undead race which calls itself the Ventori. Many presume that the Ventori are evil beings, but in reality the Nuhimmians seek nothing but peace. The nation has found tranquility in pursuing those passions which evaded them in a past life. The nation comes from humble beginnings and a haunted past.

Ventori come in all shapes and sizes, as they can inhabit any undead body. Ventori often craft their own body out of bone and flesh, and some with a gift in necromancy can switch between unoccupied bodies at will.

Politics
Nuhimm operates essentially like a kingdom in that the entire nation is ruled and governed at large by a single entity. This king-like nationhead is known as the Allknower. Unlike a kingdom, however, leadership in Nuhimm is not sought after or inherited. Life as an Allknower is a heavy burden, bestowed (rarely) upon only the most capable candidate. Nuhimm’s throne has seen only two rulers in a span of over 700 years. An Allknower’s understanding of death and deep devotion to Kira’Zhin allows them to see their destiny before it unfolds. Only when Kira’Zhin sees fit to claim the soul of the Allknower can the position be passed down to fate’s next ruler of the nation.

Upon claiming the throne, an Allknower-to-be must perform a complex ritual known as The Allknower’s Awakening. The result of this ritual binds the caster’s soul to that of each and every undead citizen in Nuhimm. This spiritual attunement forces the Allknower to feel anything his subjects feel. This means that a suffering citizen’s torment is also the Allknower’s torment. The Allknower goes to great lengths to assure that his subjects are as comfortable as possible. This method guarantees that Nuhimm’s leader has his subjects’ best interest in mind. Through powerful necromancy, the Allknower also sustains life for any citizens who cannot sustain such magic themselves. To do so requires exceptional skill in necrotic magic, and any person who is fated to become the Allknower must endure rigorous training before he may claim the crown.

Surely the Allknower cannot rule all of Nuhimm alone, and because of this the Allknower appoints Counts to uphold districts. Counts are powerful vampires whose expertise in necromancy allows them to seize control of undead bodies, even bodies which currently possess a soul. Should any citizen of Nuhimm challenge the law, a Count can take over their body and suppress their actions. Counts are given enough political power to create and enforce laws as they deem necessary for the wellbeing of their district and its citizens, but the Allknower can always overrule these decrees at any time.

Though the nation longs only to be left peacefully alone, there are many who see necromancy as necessarily evil, and it has proven absolutely imperative that Nuhimm prepare an army for the surprise attacks that are sure to come. With their deep understanding of death, Nuhimm can easily ready undead lackies to defend themselves against attackers. Skirmishes generally don’t result in many casualties for Nuhimm, as much of their army is composed of minions. The deaths of Nuhimm’s true citizens, those with souls, usually are not permanent. Priests of Kira’Zhin or Syra can capture the souls of the fallen and return them to the mortal realm by anchoring them to a corpse. Assuming the body hasn’t been mangled beyond repair or burned, most beings in Nuhimm who suffer fatality in battle can even be resurrected into the body they died in.

Nuhimm’s lackies are terrifying creatures, unaffected by fear, and more often than not, fighting with a home-field advantage. Of course Nuhimm uses traditional undead creatures such as zombies, ghouls, and skeletons, but they also come up with more imaginative alternatives. By sewing together corpses, Necromancers can create undead minions of all shapes and sizes. They’ve been known to build scorpion-like beasts twenty feet long, armed with vicious steel claws and venomous, razor-like tails. They can raise beasts who can create an internal chemical reaction at will or when slain who charge into battle as “living” bombs. The only limits to what these war-Necromancers can create are their own imagination, the number of bones to which they have access, and the pounds of flesh at their disposal, all three of which are vast and at the ready in Nuhimm.

Home of some of the finest alchemist in the world, Nuhimm floods its enemy with hazardous or hindering solutions to give themselves the upper hand in combat. Warmachines fashioned from rotting corpses carry massive, glass, chemical-filled vats into battle. These vats are then loaded into undead catapults and flung overhead into the enemy. As a vat comes crashing back to earth, it crushes anyone in its path and shatters to release its potent contents. These vats can carry diseases, viscous liquids, acids, and poison, most of which have little or no effect upon the undead themselves. Nuhimm’s alchemy expertise has proven to give the nation a significant advantage in battle.

Because Nuhimm is rarely the aggressor, and because they have very little cross-continent trade, the nation chooses not to invest much in their navy. If the need ever arose, Nuhimm’s Necromancers could build undead battleship rather quickly, but no such action has proven necessary. Scout ships circle the coasts, granting Nuhimm time to ready an army should uninvited guests arrive.

Nuhimm is a largely misunderstood nation, and certainly one who is slow to trust. Because of this, there are few other countries with whom Nuhimm is allied. Their closest and most trusted ally by far is their neighbor Skyaard. Skyaard as the magic capital of the world understands better than perhaps any other nation that Necromancy, or dark magic of any kind, is not innately evil. Nuhimm is also friendly toward nations allied with Skyaard, namely Bretonia, Wixicroft, and Sprillan. Nuhimm also has a natural connection with Halign Mak’kai due to their preference for dark magic, but Nuhimm does not entirely trust the Dark Elves, and their alliance goes no farther than affable feelings toward one another.

Kahl is Nuhimm’s surest enemy. Kahl, as a nation devoted to the sun goddess Li’ina, sees necromancy as congentially evil, and believe it their own personal mission to cleanse the world of the undead. Kahl’s efforts to do so have been half-hearted at best and have yet to scale into a full fledged war. Kahl’s warships will sail to Nuhimm frequently enough that the undead nation must be ever-vigilant, however not frequently enough to force Nuhimm to put aside their aspirations for peace. Nuhimm is also wary of Sivverlynn and Utopia, both of which are seen by Nuhimmians as arrogant nations who would happily do away with the other races were it up to them.

Population: 407,100

Size: 20,500 square miles

Capital City: Kasq Gruhn

History
The people of Nuhimm have not always been undead. In fact, they were indigenous to one of the most alive continents in the world: The Savage Lands. The land is so flooded with life that even to this day, the Savage Lands is considered to be uninhabitable due to the overgrown plants and fierce beasts. The Savage Lands’ former race, called the Ventori, were hulking, humanoid creatures averaging around seven feet tall. The Ventori were a spiritual people who used their cunning to survive in a land filled with fearsome predators. Living in the Savage Lands where life is abundant and manifests itself through overgrown plants and wild animal, this race quickly came to revere Syra, the Goddess of life. On the contrary, as the Savage Lands was filled with unrelenting peril, untimely death was common, and the Ventori also came to revere Kira’Zhin, the Goddess of death.

The Ventori worked tirelessly, and living in the Savage Lands was never easy, but the people were content with their balance of life. Sometime around the year 415, the Ventori’s balance was disturbed when a fleet of ships sailed in from the west. The ships docked and an infantry of well-armed troops filed off the ships. The men marched through the land, burning down the forests and slaughtering any Ventori who sought to protect it. The attack on the Savage Lands was headed by a man known in Nuhimmian history only as Gargon the Mad. Gargon and his men, it is thought, came to the Savage Lands with hopes of civilizing the continent, and it quickly became apparent that Gargon intended to kill not only the natives who rebelled, but even those who wished only to live in peace and would have cooperated with the Human army.

Western Savage Lands was ravaged in about a week, and the Kahlmite army had laid waste to several thousand Ventori tribes. One Ventori, a priest of both Syra and Kira’Zhin named Krumla, shadowed the army, concealed by wildlife, burnt tree trunks, and magic when necessary. As the Humans carried out their genocide, Krumla followed behind, bottling the souls of his fallen brothers and sisters within his waterskin. In the night, Krumla would use death magic to animate the corpses of his kin and lead them to caves and hideaways throughout the continent. Krumla and his few followers seemed to be the last of their kind still alive in all of Western Savage Lands. As the Humans marched on towards Central Savage Lands, Krumla and his followers decided to flee the continent. Krumla made his way to the Northwestern coast of the Savage Lands and used the corpses to build a ship with which he could sail for new land. He headed North towards Guero, but it wasn’t long before a Human patrolman noticed the massive ship composed of rotting corpses and alerted Gargon. Gargon launched a pursuit, and within a few days, the Human ship had nearly caught up to Krumla and his crew. Fortunately for modern-day Nuhimm, a Bretonian naval captain named Arnold Rosewood noticed the bloody ship and sailed in to intercept it. Krumla spoke of the massacre in the Savage Lands and pled for passage through Bretonia’s waters. Rosewood not only allowed passage, but also readied defensive maneuvers and drove out Gargon’s pursuit ships.

Krumla docked in modern-day Bretonia and rested for a few days with his followers. Shortly thereafter, Krumla rearranged the corpses into a wagon and rode to the western reaches of Guero where he found a dense forest. While the forest could not compare with the forests of the Savage Lands, it was a suitable second home for the Ventori. Krumla and his crew prepared the death rituals for their fallen brothers. The ceremony was said to ready a soul so that it may be collected by Kira’Zhin. Krumla performed the ritual for several thousand fallen Ventori in the span of three weeks. This journey would later come to be called ‘The Exodus’ by the Ventori.

Unbeknownst to his followers, Krumla had grown tired and weak. It was his magic alone which tethered nearly 3,000 souls to the mortal realm, his magic which bound the corpses to make their escape ship, and his magic which performed 8-12 death rituals a day. Krumla’s power and energy was dwindling and he died a week after completing the death rituals. His followers had learned much from Krumla and together prepared and performed his death ceremony. As one follower spoke the final words of the death ritual, Krumla’s limp body began to levitate, slowly puttering upward into the sky. The body hung in the air, emitting a light, dim at first but rapidly growing into a light so immense that the followers were blinded. Two female voices rang out from the corpse, perfectly in sync with one another. The voices offered Krumla’s followers an ultimatum. Thundering through the forest and tremoring the ground, the voices said they would give Krumla a second shot at life for his sacrifice, but only if his followers would make the same sacrifice. If each of Krumla’s followers willingly laid down their lives, Krumla could live again.

The survivors would faced with a great dilemma. They knew they owed their lives to Krumla, but on the other hand, if they were all killed, it would mean the end of their race, as Krumla would have no way to reproduce. They stood in silence for several minutes, too shocked to speak, weighing their options. Before long, one woman stepped further into the blinding light. “I would sacrifice myself one thousand times over for Krumla,” she said, “No man in the world is more worthy of life.” The next moment, the woman’s body collapsed and drew its final breath. Without a word, each follower hand in hand, walked forward into the light, and they too fell dead beneath the body of their savior. The light diminished, and Krumla’s body was sent hurtling toward the earth. It crashed to the ground with a thud, and Krumla woke up gasping for air. He jumped to his feet, overwhelmed but ecstatic. His flesh and muscles peeled from his bones and piled together at his feet. His organs and blood poured to the soil, and all that was left of his corporeal being were his clothes and his bones. Krumla had awoken with extensive knowledge of life and death. Krumla threw his hands into the air and channeled the spirits of his fallen kin into their corpses. Upwards of three thousand Ventori souls were reaquainted with their old bodies, ripped from the realm of the dead back into the mortal realm. Krumla was flooded with pain and agony as the torment of 3,000 reborn souls entwined with his own. Suddenly Krumla had not only experienced his own death, but a death for every being he resurrected.

Krumla gathered all those he had given second life. The Ventori were cheated of their former lives, he explained, but now they could live in peace once more. He detailed how he’d brought them back to life, how their emotions were now his, and that he was no longer to be referred to as Krumla. From this point forward, he was only to be known as the Allknower, and their new land was to be known as Nuhimm.

The Allknower once known as Krumla requested his brethren get to work civilizing the forest. In the Savage Lands, the Ventori set up tents around water sources and were largely uncivilized. Now, however, the Ventori were undead, and their bodies couldn’t handle the stress the Savage Lands once placed on them. Furthermore, their new land was was not likely to have as much game to hunt, and it was already clear that rivers and lakes were fewer and farther between. The Allknower recognized that their best option was to settle down and build villages, and none of the risen Ventori fought this movement. They got to work building and mastering trades. Fresh meat was served and eaten while rotting meat and bones were used to create undead lackies; creatures who possessed no soul of their own, and were sustained through their master’s magic. Many of the Ventori were sent to travel the world, bottling the souls and schlepping the bodies of any sentient beings who had suffered an untimely death.

By the year 650, Nuhimm had grown just shy of 20,000 citizens, and they’d begun to attract attention from other nations. 20,000 undead creatures under the reign of a single lich of course does not bode well for most rulers. As Nuhimm established itself, they were the target of a great number of attacks. Their cities, towns, and villages were leveled to the grounds, their minions were obliterated, and it seemed that every time they were making progress, another attack would set them back yet again. A few years (year 653) after these attacks on Nuhimm began, Skyaard’s president at the time, a Human named Wilson Brant, ventured West to find out what all the fuss was about, escorted by a group of elite battle magi. Brant was met with some hostility upon entering Nuhimm but the diplomatic, well-spoken president was able to persuade his aggressors that he meant no harm. He had traveled a great distance, he explained, to meet in person with the leader of the undead nation. Tentatively, the Nuhimmians obliged and led Brant and his men to the crypt of the Allknower. Brant was visibly taken back upon realizing he was dealing with a lich, but assured the Allknower that he came only to talk. As a peace offering, Brant dismissed his men. The Allknower told his men to take a walk around the block, well aware that at a moment’s notice he could summon every undead being within a several mile radius. The Allknower beckoned Brant into his crypt, and the two sat and talked alone.

The Allknower recounted his tale and the struggles he had met. He explained that his dream was to give his citizens the peace of mind they deserved after suffering through the incomprehensible torment that is death. He explained that for each of Nuhimm’s 20,000 citizens, he had undergone each of their experiences in the realm of the dead via Kira’Zhin’s magic. Brant was moved by the Allknower’s pre- and post-death sacrifices and grew vehement to learn that Nuhimm’s dreams of tranquility were squandered repeatedly by the onslaughts of ignorant armies who assumed Nuhimm was out to cause destruction, chaos, and evil.

Brant regained his composure with a deep breath and informed the Allknower that Skyaard would provide military support and see to it that Nuhimm could build and expand. With Skyaard’s help, the assaults on Nuhimm became heavily one sided, and the attacks decreased dramatically in frequency. This sparked a friendship between Skyaard and Nuhimm which is alive and well to this day. Skyaardians also trained the Nuhimmians in magic, alchemy, and enchanting, which in turn, allowed Nuhimm to defend itself without Skyaardians posted around their every city and town.

Through their friendship, Nuhimm also came to trust Bretonia. Nuhimm’s alliance with Bretonia pales in comparison to their alliance with Skyaard, but to earn Nuhimm’s trust at all is nothing to scoff at. Nuhimm has not forgotten the great service Bretoina’s Captain Rosewood did for Krumla, either.

In the year 778, the throne and title of Allknower was passed from Krumla to a woman named Lennshoo, an undead Dark Elf. Krumla passed away shortly after the Allknower’s Awakening was completed. Lennshoo, now known as the Allknower, claimed she could feel Krumla’s soul as it was collected by Kira’Zhin. The Allknower is heavily influenced by Krumla and all the selfless sacrifices he’s made for the sake of his people over the years.

In recent years, Nuhimm has lived relatively peacefully. Bands of misguided, self-proclaimed “righteous” soldiers are sure to sail to Nuhimm some number of times a year in an attempt to thwart the undead, but these attacks have become so predictable that they are nothing more than a minor nuisance to the Nuhimmians. Most of Nuhimm’s real troubles are internal. Necromancy is notorious for driving people mad, and when the skill is put into the hands of one who has suffered through untimely death, the chances and consequences of going mad are amplified immensely. With some help from their allies, Nuhimm had always been able to keep these internal threats under control.

That is until the Timothy Reiseman, a once-human lich, arose claiming that Lennshoo’s title as Allknower was a fluke, and that he was the rightful next leader. Reiseman has been gaining followers in a mostly peaceful fashion for several years, but the Allknower suspects revolt when Reiseman has gained enough support.

Trade
Although not known for their trading, Nuhimm’s trade goods are highly valued. Undead lackies provide free labor, and only a small handful of Necromancers need be present as foremen to oversee the laborers. Lackie labor has a couple implications. Firstly, the leaders and overseers responsible split the profit with nearly no overhead, making their net gain exceptionally high. Secondly, undead lackies need no rest, and minimal food and water, so their production rate is extraordinarily high. Despite Nuhimm’s clear economic advantages, trade is relatively uncommon, and most citizens make little or no effort to seize the opportunities in their homeland. Natives of other lands who can stomach the abundance of death have begun to travel to Nuhimm to harvest its resources.

Nuhimm is home to thick forests with tall trees. Many of the trees near the cities and towns are dying, but trees in the middle of the forests are healthy and can be chopped for lumber. The majority of this lumber stays within Nuhimm to be used in various ways. However, Nuhimm’s allies are willing to pay top dollar for the dense, sturdy wood that comes from the forests of the undead nation. Nuhimm also hosts some good mining territory, which is dealt with in a similar fashion to their lumbering.

Nuhimm is home to hundreds of exotic plants. The excess of necromancy has infused with the herbs to imbue them with especially potent properties. This has made Nuhimm one of the alchemy capitals of the world, and allowed them to create elixirs, potions, and poisons of unparalleled strength. Nuhimm sells and trades these ingredients, as well as recipes and concoctions. An already stringent trade nation, Nuhimm is especially careful about sharing their alchemy products and knowledge. They don’t wish to see any of their powerful elixirs in the wrong hands.

Many residents of Nuhimm do not work. They have seen death first hand and most have found that wealth is irrelevant, so most Nuhimmians dedicate their time to the pursuit of passions and hobbies. Magic is a favorite pastime for Nuhimm’s citizens, thus they have become experts in several fields of the arcane arts. Their strongest field of study of course is Necromancy, but they are well-versed in all branches of magic, particularly Water, Earth, Dark, and Acid/Poison. Nuhimmian spell books are illustriously well-written, yet intelligible and straightforward. Scholarly wizards of Nuhimm rarely write spell books with the intention of making money. Most are simply interested in sharing their knowledge. These spell books generally stay within Nuhimm and/or Skyaard, as Bretonia has little interest in magic, Wixicroft exercises different methods for magic, and the Siyokoy often prefer hands-on learning over reading. All the same, spell books have brought the Nuhimmians some trade, and particularly groundbreaking authors have stumbled across small fortunes through their literature.

Nuhimmian art has grown more popular in modern times. The Undead certainly have a great deal of woe to express, and the result is often beautiful and unsettling. Painters, poets, authors, sculptors, and other artists pour their souls into their pieces. Many nations find these pieces too dark for their taste, but others, even those who have no alliance with Nuhimm, find their art extraordinary. Nuhimmian art has begun to gain popularity in Skyaard, Sivverlynn, Bretonia, Halign Mak’kai, Blute, Hauntos, Coalhearth, and Sprillan. Life as an artist does not often mean an excess of money, but their art is quickly taking the world by storm.

Ventori armor and weaponry maintains their undead theme. They often use black metals and skull designs for their gear. Because the Nuhimmians come in all different shapes and sizes, their armor is often made to order. Most blacksmiths won’t waste their resources creating gear that’s made ready, but most will keep their shops readied with display pieces to show off their trade. Some blacksmiths, on the other hand, specialize in lackie gear, knowing that most skeletons and ghouls are generally the same size and don’t need tight-fitting gear. Ventori blacksmithing goods are sold almost exclusively within Nuhimm.

Farms in Nuhimm are usually run by lackies, giving the nation efficient and extremely inexpensive products. Nuhimmian farms produce cotton, wool, a small variety of crops, meat, and blood. Ventori don’t generally eat vegetables or fruit, but the farms do produce some crops for the sake of the living folks in Nuhimm. Most Ventori eat raw meat, and the blood from slaughterhouses is saved and sold or given to the nation’s vampires.

Most of Nuhimm’s imports come from Skyaard. They trade spell books, chemistry recipes, and scrolls. Skyaardian citizens will often sell their blood to Nuhimm as well. Skyaardians can also sign up to donate their bodies to Nuhimm upon death. Because Ventori cannot reproduce sexually like other races, these donated bodies are used as new host bodies for lost souls and lackies.

Nuhimm imports ore, lumber, and technology from Bretonia. Bretonian firearms are world renowned for their power and precision. A skeleton lackey wielding a Bretonian pistol or rifle can attack targets with ease. Bows require strength to pull the string and dexterity to aim and fire, but firearms are as simple as pointing and pulling a trigger. For this reason, many Necromancers like to buy Bretonian guns to arm their lackies. Because Nuhimmians do not enjoy wasting their second shot at life farming and mining, they import lumber and ore for the sake of simplicity.

Nuhimm does not trust many other nations and import very irregularly from any countries excluding Skyaard and Bretonia. Because of this, and impart due to their overall lack of interest in gold, Nuhimm is a relatively poor nation. Their lack of wealth hasn’t had much of an impact on their quality of life. Ventori have plenty of meat to eat, Vampires have an abundance of blood, and so long as Nuhimmians eat regularly they can survive. They tend not to worry much about the luxuries other nations put so much emphasis on. Furthermore, Nuhimmians’ proficiency in the arcane arts allows them to combat any discomfort with magic.

While most vendors will accept gold, it is not the favored currency in Nuhimm. Most Ventori vendors will offer their goods for trades of roughly equal value or a favor. Many will give their goods away to other Ventori or Vampires for free when they see fit. People looking to spend gold in Nuhimm can visit the Living Districts in major cities, where vendors of varying races sell their goods, generally exclusively for gold pieces.

Science
Nuhimm’s major contribution to science is alchemy. They create some of the most potent toxins, elixirs, potions, and plagues in the world. Chemistry experts will often take on apprentices to pass on their recipes, but other than that, they tend to be very secretive with their advances. The most skilled alchemists are employed by the Counts of their district to produce elixirs for the military. The recipes used for defense of the nation are seldom shared with the outside world. Less powerful concoctions can be used for trade, but only with their most trusted allies.

As a whole, the Ventori don’t tend to practice mechanical science. Robots and vehicles are replaced by undead lackies. A small quantity of Ventori take an interest in mechanics, and do a number of things with this form of science. Some Nuhimmians augment Bretonian firearms to fire capsules or flasks of plagues and toxins. Many living immigrants who find their way to Nuhimm practice mechanics.

Despite Nuhimm’s secretive nature, science is still very easy to get into. Simple recipes are in abundance, and nearly every city and town houses one or more apothecary shops. Ingredients are plentiful both in shops and in nature. Any Nuhimmian with the determination can find his or her way into alchemy.

Magic
Needless to say, the most popular form of magic in Nuhimm is necromancy. Nuhimmians are the undisputed experts of necrotic magic. Their understanding and exposure to death allows them to understand necromancy with ease. Nuhimm is not entirely committed to necromancy, however. The undead nation practice any and all forms of magic, but their favored school is dark magic. Many citizens of Nuhimm, particularly vampires, study hemomancy. With the nation’s dark, looming clouds and tall trees, shadow magic has become a favorite for the wizards of Nuhimm because they can manipulate and utilize the shadows all around them. Disease magic is used in the military, because it can severely hinder living armies but will have little or no effect against the undead.

Alchemists who also choose to take up magic will often study spells from the poison and acid school, as it allows them to control and alter their creations. They may also study fire and/or water magic. These schools of magic allow alchemists to create elixirs without an alchemy workstation.

Necromancers often couple their necrotic magic with water magic. Water/ice magic can be used to slow down an enemy. This means that slow melee lackies can pursue enemies with easy, and inaccurate ranged lackies can hit more regularly. Water magic can also be used to heal lackies, whose undead origin makes radiant magic-based healing ineffective.

Radiant magic is the only school of magic that is rarely practiced in Nuhimm. Most undead can’t wield radiant magic without harming themselves, and it’s seen as generally unpleasant throughout the nation. Even those who know radiant magic don’t regularly practice it in public. It’s more likely that one will carry a torch in the dark of night than use a radiant magic spell for light. Many of the living folks in Nuhimm study radiant magic as a form of self-defense. Ventori are known to grow mad. When they do, they’re most likely to take out their lunasy on the living. Radiant magic is a fine way to keep lackies and Ventori at a respectable distance.

Nuhimm’s libraries carry tons of spell books, and magic shops or general traders will often have scrolls or spell books as well. Because of this, any Nuhimmian with the drive to learn magic has the resources easily accessible. Excluding necromancy, magic can be fairly difficult to learn in Nuhimm because wizards willing to train pupils are few and far between, and magic schools are almost unheard of. Most Ventori live upwards of 400 years and don’t have any jobs or obligations during the day, so those who are committed to learning magic have plenty of time to practice. Nuhimmians who cannot seem to learn magic without assistance can enroll in school at Skyaard and spend a few years abroad to study. Skyaard will accept any Nuhimmians who can pass their entrance evaluation.

It seems that sorcery is connected to one’s soul, as sorcerers who become Ventori maintain the use of their inherent magical abilities.

Ventori who study Necromancy can use their magic to sustain themselves. This means two things: First, the Allknower need not use his own arcane energy to keep necromancers alive, and second, necromancers do not need to convert food into energy, and ergo, need not eat. Necromancers who use their own magic to sustain their life still share a spirit bond with the Allknower.

Religion
The gods play a very important role in Nuhimmian society due to the fact that a divine intervention is the reason Nuhimm exists. Kira’Zhin and Syra and the most commonly revered gods in Nuhimm because they were the goddesses who came together to resurrect Krumla. Furthermore, Ventori and Vampires have experienced both life and death firsthand, and have discovered that one cannot be understood clearly unless both are understood. Life and death go hand in hand, and the undead of Nuhimm understand that better than any other nation. Some Nuhimmians will revere either Kira’Zhin or Syra, but most citizens worship both equally.

Nuhimmians who worship Kira’Zhin over Syra often do so because they appreciate the balance of pain and pleasure. Surely pleasure cannot come without work and pain. Priests or worshipers of Kira’Zhin make it their mission to fight for everything they hold dear and work for everything they enjoy.

Ventori who favor Syra over Kira’Zhin may choose this path because the agony of death made them realize what a gift life is. They may also have a deep connection with the concept of beauty, and praise this concept more than other virtues. Before they became undead, Ventori worshipped nature, and this attunement with nature may have stayed with them through death.

While his followers are fewer in number than Kira’Zhin’s and Syra’s, Slyvix has found himself a great deal of support in Nuhimm. Many Ventori can easily relate to the his teachings of darkness, knowledge, and secrecy. Nuhimmians are naturally slow to trust and keep their secrets hidden except with those who’ve earned their faith. They obviously love darkness, as the sun can often damage them. They spend their second-lives learning all they can. It stands to reason that they would follow Slyvix.

A minority of Ventori worship Vorb. Ventori have experienced the chaos that is death, but few come to revere it. Those who do choose to follow Vorb. Many artists will nod toward Vorb, if not worship him outright.

Worshipping Li’ina is very rare in Nuhimm, though not unheard of. Many Ventori feel as though they’ve been served a rather brutal injustice when they were killed before their time. As a result, most Ventori refuse to put their faith in Li’ina. Others, however, have gained faith in Li’ina because their own injustice has come to make them believe that world needs people to preserve what’s right. Very few revere Li’ina for the connection with the sun, as very few Nuhimmians see the sun in their day to day lives. Many living races who migrate to Nuhimm will retain their worship of the sun and Li’ina as an extension of that.

Language
The national language in Nuhimm is Abyssal. Krumla mandated that the Ventori speak Abyssal after his experience with death. Abyssal seems to be an innate language of some sort, as people awake from death already understanding and quickly learning the language. Most Nuhimmians also speak Common, in part because most knew it before their death, and in part because it’s the best language to know for communicating with their allies Skyaard and Bretonia. Citizens will study other languages that peak their interest for one reason or another, but the most common languages by far are Common and Abyssal.

Abyssal is a guttural and emphatic language, which depends heavily on inflection and context. There are few unique sounds in the language, and one sound may have several different meanings based on its emphasis, cadence, and context. Abyssal is considered one of the most difficult languages to learn, particularly because it is tremendously difficult to understand to an untrained ear. It takes several years of study to learn, which exaggerates the intrigue in the fact that new Ventori are able to pick up the language so quickly.

Culture
The average Ventori’s dream in life is pretty simple: to make the best of their second shot at life. Naturally everyone reacts to their experience in death and rebirth differently. Some are grateful for another chance at the mortal realm. Some are driven mad by the agony they suffered in death or the life they left behind. Perhaps the defining feature of Nuhimmian culture is the Allknower. The fact that the Allknower is linked to every undead soul in Nuhimm means that he has to give the people enough freedom to make them happy without throwing out the laws that hold up society.

In Nuhimm it is illegal to kill any sentient being, regardless of the reason. In Nuhimm’s history, many a madman have arisen and wreaked havoc upon the humble folk of Nuhimm. Even the most villainous murderers are not killed. Nuhimm’s major cities have dungeons which house lawbreakers. If the crime is severe enough, the perpetrator may be sentenced to life in the dungeon. Nuhimmians view death as synonymous to a hold cell. The greatest difference however, is that in death, a person is doomed to a seemingly eternal solitude, entirely disconnected from the mortal realm. It is said that each second on the mortal realm lasts three years in the realm of the dead.

Excluding the crazies, Nuhimm’s crime rate is exceptionally low. Most Ventori seek peace and passion. They wish to fill their second life with pleasant experiences. Money does not carry much weight in Nuhimmian society. Even Ventori who are flat broke can get by via trading knowledge, favors, or goods for the objects they desire. This limits most instances of theft. Nuhimmians understand that death is the truest form of hell, and most would not kill a sentient being unless in a very dire situation, which prevents homicide and violence in most cases. Overall, the Nuhimmian people do not have much of a reason for crime. The Counts who keep watch over cities and towns in Nuhimm are very efficient at controlling and seizing any situation in which a law is broken.

Nuhimmians are a difficult people to generalize, as they come from many backgrounds. Most of them tend to be pretty affable, especially toward other Ventori. They enjoy small gatherings and small talk. They typically live alone and avoid getting too attached to people however. A good portion of Ventori are somewhat racist toward living races, believing that these races have not seen what Ventori have seen. Most exercise this racism with passive behavior rather than condescending remarks and manners.

Nuhimmians often choose an interest and become neurotic about it. They will spend days, weeks, or even months working on their projects with minimal rest until it is complete. To Nuhimmians, interests quickly become passions, and they will invest themselves tirelessly in these passions, studying, learning, and exacting their art. Because of their obsession with the crafts they take up, Nuhimmians rarely practice more than one hobby at a time.

Nuhimm’s clothing is humble and simple. Many dress in dark, draping robes of black, charcoal, brown, or blood red. Nuhimmians love hooded pieces of clothing. Armor made in Nuhimm will often use designs such as skulls carved into shoulder or chest plates. Wizards will wear wizard caps with large brims that shade their eyes. Many alchemists carry herb satchels to keep their supplies in. Some Nuhimmians wear veils or masks of various types. Vampires generally wear more tightly-fitting clothing woven of rich fabrics. They also enjoy wearing cloaks.

Nuhimmian architecture is very simplistic. They usually use stone or wood for building, and prefer function over form. Their buildings are structurally sound. Most buildings on the coasts are made of stone due to the threat of raiders setting their towns ablaze. Most Nuhimmian buildings tend to be relatively small in radius, and should the building need more space, they’ll build more floors rather than enlarge the floorplan. Towns and cities are fairly spaced out compared to other nations. No two buildings are ever placed very close together. This is especially true of homes. Most houses have large yards and plentiful space between their neighbors.

Nuhimmians are no strangers to unexpected assaults. Any city or town is under constant threat of being attacked, be it by outlander’s armies or local powers. As a result, Nuhimm’s citizens need to take up some form of self defense. Some do this through Necromancy. They keep lackies nearby for protection. Others use traps around their house. Some use acid which can dissolve flesh. Some simply make arrangements to stay with a friend who is more adept at self defense. Most attacks on Nuhimm have only a small number of casualties. Most living races in Nuhimm use radiant magic, as it is effective against living targets and especially potent against undead. Those who are killed in these attacks can be brought back through Necromancy, but Nuhimmians will go to great lengths to avoid entering the realm of the dead again.