Lahmia (city)
Lahmia is a ruined city in Nehekhara.
It is located on the eastern side of the Worlds Edge Mountains and in the northern region of that area.[1a]
The women of ancient Lahmia were famed for their seductive beauty with daughters of the king bearing the likeness of the city's patron goddess Asaph. So great was this beauty that these daughters wore golden masks when dealing with others and were normally confined to the Queens Apartments in the palace. [3d]
Lahmia became known as Cursed Lahmia after it was discovered that vampires resided there.
History
Settra took as his queen, Hatsushepra, daughter of the royal court of Lahmia and in order to preserve the Covenant with the Gods, the king of Khemri continued the tradition of a bride from the city. [2a]
It is mentioned as being conquered by King Rakhash and then Rakaph II. It was again re-conquered by Khetep along with the rest of Nehekhara. [1x]
King Lamasheptra negotiated a deal with the Celestial Empire of Cathay shortly after Nagash siezed the throne of Khemri in -1959 IC. Lahmia was required to supply ten tons of gold each year, for the next three hundred years with the sovereignty of the city itself as security. In exchange they would receive arms and armour that equipped the legions of Cathay including dragon powder and dragon-staves. The delivery took place over the next century. [3c]
In -1950 IC following the sack of Zandri by Nagash, King Lamasheptra travelled to Khemri to visit his aunt Neferem and her son Sukhet. He brought a young boy priest of Ptra, Nebunefer as a gift to her to wait upon her and see to her spiritual needs. Lamasheptra was shocked by how she had aged beyond her years but sank to his knees in reverence, much to the anger of Nagash. [2b]
Lahmia was the first of the great cities to withdraw its ambassadors and stop its monthly tithe to Khemri as the Nagash emptied his cities coffers to build the Black Pyramid and they judged, correctly, that he no longer had the money to raise and maintain armies to enforce it. [2c]
In -1741 IC, Lamasheptra died and his son Lamashizzar became king of Lahmia. In -1740 IC he travelled to Mahrak which was being besieged by Nagash offering his aid in exchange for the secret of eternal life. However, when he was rebuffed, [2d] and shortly after Neferem was destroyed and the Covenant with the Gods was shattered, he met with Amn-nasir and Arkhan instead. [2e] Finally the Dragon-men countered the horde of the dead that Nagash had raised in Mahrak and even seemed to have destroyed the Usurper himself! [2f]
Lamashizzar hosted a Council of Kings in -1650 IC in the Hall of Rebirth, hoping to use the meeting to rebuild the cities treasury. [3b] In -1600 IC, Prince Xian Ha Feng arrived in Lahmia and informed Neferata that the Celestial Empire was creating huge new gold mines. This, the queen knew meant they would be unable to pay back the vast sum still owed to Cathay for the Dragon-men. [3c]
After perfecting the Elixir of Life with Arkhan, Neferata took control from her brother in -1599 IC but he remained as a puppet to rule through. [3e] Trade began to flourish once more with the other cities of Nehekhara. [3f] Lamashizzar's Grand Vizier poisoned Neferata with the Venom of the Sphinx [1d] and in revenge Arkhan slew the king. [3i]
However as night fell, Neferata awoke and fell upon her women in a frenzy, killing and draining them of their blood - Shortly after, she appeared before the gathered nobles and priests, pale and terrible in her beauty and beside her Ubaid called for all to Rejoice at the coming of the Queen. [3j] Neferata took the throne openly and invited her royal cousins from the other cities to meet with her and over the next six months they travelled to Lahmia. Prince Xian returned to claim the last payment of gold due to Cathay, but Neferata offered him eternal life instead. [3k]
She then offered vast sums of money to help rebuild Khemri and Mahrak using the funds no longer required to be sent to Cathay. [3k] Neferata was by now the first vampire and hid her Lahmian Court where she created more vampires but also claimed to be a manifestation of Asaph's will, giving Lahmia a degree of divine authority that the other cities now lacked. [3l]
In -1340 IC six watch-forts are created along the eastern edge of the Golden Plain to combat increasing banditry and are initally highly successful. [4d]
After Alcadizzar fled from the city, a savage flesh-eating spirit is said to have rampaged through the city. Immigrants from the Great Desert were blamed which led to three days of rioting during which the slums are burnt. Lord Ankhat eventually takes control of the city restoring some degree of control. [4b] By -1265 IC, the city was becoming ever more dark and oppressive, citizens disappearing in the night, even from their own homes. Fewer and fewer caravans made their way to Lahmia and a departure tax was implemented on all citizens leaving the city. [4c]
Half of the watch-forts are destroyed by the Bani-al-Hashim in -1240 IC as the city continues to dwindle in power and wealth. The king continues to impose more and restrictions on his people who become increasingly suspicious that the monsters that haunt the night are in league with the royal court. [4e]
In -1200 IC, Alcadizaar united the other cities and marched on the city with a combined army of more than 50,000 warriors. [4f] The resulting Siege of Lahmia was a short but brutal affair but finally the lahmians, living and undead were defeated although Neferata and others escaped. The city was sacked and the surviving population enslaved, the various rulers petitioning Alcadizzar for a share of the city treasury. [4h] The last king, Sothis and Queen Ammanura vanished, although several claimed they had taken poison in the gardens of the Temple of Blood. [4i]
Lahmia was razed to the ground as an infernal place and the city left in ruins.[1c][4i]
Locations
- Asaph's Quay: Sandstone expanse on the edge of the Temple District, north of the city harbour. [3a]
- District of the Golden Lotus: Upper class district. [3a]
- House of Everlasting Life: Where bodies of the royal family are laid to rest. [3h]
- Palace Complex. [3a]
- Hall of Kings: Eight huge basalt statues of the gods (Asaph, Basth, Djaf, Geheb, Phakth, Ptra, Usirian, Tahoth) form a processional to the throne which is made from the same dark wood as the throne in Khemri and looks grown rather than carved. [3k]
- Hall of Rebirth: Created in the Royal Gardens to house the Council of Kings in -1650 IC, it had walls of polished cedar and a yellow silk roof. [3b]
- Women's Palace/Queen's Apartments: Sanctuary and prison for royal Lahmian women, even the King could only enter on holy days of Asaph. There were three Audience Chambers in which the Queen and her daughters could interact with the world. [3a] Later it was converted into a Temple to Asaph and the centre of the Lahmian Cult. [3l]
- Hall of the Sun in its Divine Glory Used to celebrate children being born and weddings, the largest of the three. [3a]
- Hall of Regretful Sorrows: A vault of dark green marble where a dead queen would lie in state. [3a]
- Hall of Reverent Contemplation: Constructed from golden sandstone, the king and nobles could pay homage to the queen here. [3a]
- Red Silk District [3a]
- Temple District: [3a]
Military
Only Lahmia of all the great cities of Nehekhara did not build defensive walls, siege warfare being unheard of before Nagash and when he arose, the Dragon-men were considered enough to keep it safe. [3g] Following the first defeat of Nagash, the army was allowed to wither over the next three hundred years of peace and prosperity, the money being diverted to the City Guard, Navy and to pay for anti-brigand patrols across the Golden Plain. [3l]
By -1200 IC, the city had rebuilt its army, giving them a well equipped but still inexperienced force, the exception was the veterans of the Royal Guard. [4f]
- The Royal Guard: 1000 strong, well armoured, they used sickle-bladed polearms. [4g]
Notable
- Ubaid: Grand Vizier to Lamashizzar. [3a]
Religion
The patron of Lahmia was Asaph, goddess of magic, architect of the Covenant with the Gods. [3k] Queens of the city traditionally held court with two large asps curled around their wrists to show the favour of the goddess. [4a]
| The necropolises of the Tomb Kings. |
| Khemri - Numas - Zandri - Bhagar- Beremas - Quatar - Rasetra - Mahrak - Lybaras - Lahmia |
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Tomb Kings (6th Edition)
- 2: Rise of Nagash (anthology) by Mike Lee : Nagash the Sorcerer
- 2a: Chapter Two: Second Sons, pg. 45
- 2b: Chapter Twenty Four: The Blood of Princes, pg. 275-280
- 2c: Chapter Twenty Seven: The Undying King, pg. 307
- 2d: Chapter Thirty: The End of all Things, pg. 352-353
- 2e: Chapter Thirty: The End of all Things, pg. 362
- 2f: Chapter Thirty: The End of all Things, pg. 366-368
- 3: Rise of Nagash (anthology) by Mike Lee: Nagash the Unbroken
- 3a: Prologue: New Beginnings, pg. 384-386
- 3b: Chapter One: Balance of Power, pg. 405-407
- 3c: Chapter Three: A Silken Betrayal, pg. 429-433
- 3d: Chapter Five: The Word of Kings, pg. 454
- 3e: Chapter Seven: The Right of Queens, pg. 473-475
- 3f: Chapter Nine: Among Thieves, pg. 486
- 3g: Chapter Nine: Among Thieves, pg. 491
- 3h: Chapter Eleven: Necessary Sacrifices, pg. 512-513
- 3i: Chapter Thirteen: Blood for Blood, pg. 538-539
- 3j: Chapter Thirteen: Blood for Blood, pg. 542-543
- 3k: Chapter Fifteen: The Shadow of the Hawk, pg. 555-567
- 3l: Chapter Seventeen: The Deathless Court, pg. 586-592
- 4: Rise of Nagash (anthology) by Mike Lee: Nagash Immortal
- 4a: Chapter Six: Initiation Rites, pg. 707
- 4b: Chapter Ten: The Dispossessed, pg. 756
- 4c: Chapter Ten: Chapter Twelve: Children of a Hungry God, pg. 800
- 4d: Chapter Fourteen: Blood and Sand, pg. 823
- 4e: Chapter Fourteen: Blood and Sand, pg. 830
- 4f: Chapter Twenty: A Storm from the West, pg. 895
- 4g: Chapter Twenty One: Fire in the Night, pg. 905
- 4h: Chapter Twenty Two: Last Stand, pg. 932-933
- 4i: Chapter Twenty Three: The Usurper, pg. 935
