Jeremy Thomas Fuller
The Metalwood Saga / Reference Guide

Full-series spoilers

Nekhrumet

Nekhrumet

Nekhrumet (often referred to as the metropolis in the sands) is a vast, ancient desert city located deep within the Thesserin Desert on the planet Valaralda. Founded by Orym (under his original identity as Aten) shortly after the Great Awakening, the city serves as a jewel of desert commerce, the historic seat of the Eglaria, and the center of a dark, millennia-spanning conspiracy.

Geography and Environment

Despite its location in the sweltering, inhospitable desert, Nekhrumet is a sprawling and thriving metropolis. The city is bisected by the glittering blue waters of the Iteranu River, its banks lined with lush green eucalyptus and cork oak trees that provide a stark contrast to the surrounding sands.

The architecture of Nekhrumet is reminiscent of ancient Morocco on Earth. It features tan mudbrick buildings, towering minarets, horseshoe arches, polished plaster, and temples topped with pointed gold domes. The city center is dominated by bustling souqs (covered markets) where thousands of citizens haggle over colorful ceramics, bronze statues, and dried figs. The streets are a riot of sound and smell, filled with wandering camels, monkeys perched on lampposts, and the heavy scents of incense, oil, and smoking kif.

Culture and Factions

Nekhrumet operates somewhat independently from the rest of Valaralda, harboring unique cultures and strict religious factions:

  • The Eglaria: Originally founded by Aten as a religious organization studying the Seven Aspects of the soul, the Eglaria evolved over one hundred thousand years into the city's de facto government and law enforcement. Led in the modern era by the shadowpriest Faranel, they act as the keepers of the peace in the desert.
  • The Devout: A massive, deeply religious sect that worships the Twins. While traditionally extreme pacifists, the Devout of Nekhrumet eventually become violent, militant protectors of the sacred tombs outside the city, believing that ancient figures like Akhenaten were Ascended Souls who must not be defiled.

Notable Landmarks

  • Eglaria Headquarters: A large, reddish-brown mudbrick building featuring a central tower and a gold dome. Its arched courtyard is filled with gardens, and the patio features thousands of tiny tiles arranged in pyramid patterns. Above its main door rests the golden symbol of the Eglaria: a circle divided into six wedges with a central circle, representing the Seven Aspects. Inside, the dark, candlelit halls are decorated with paintings of the Eglarian True Spirits (creatures native to Eryn, such as the cavek and rylak).
  • Aten's Palace: A towering palatial structure offering panoramic views of the city. High up on its balconies, Aten used to lounge on tan cushions with his cheetah and his mistress. The palace houses a hidden, highly advanced technological chamber containing a rotating dimensional gate.
  • The Pyramids: Located in the deep desert outside the city limits, these massive sandstone structures (including the famed Tomb of Akhenaten) were ostensibly built as burial monuments. In secret, they were constructed by Aten to act as giant soul-gathering receptacles for the Pyramid Offensive System.

Key Events

The Reign of Akhenaten

Following the Great Awakening (around 100,000 years ago), Aten founded Nekhrumet and ruled it for centuries alongside his blind mistress, Cariel (operating under the alias Selenia). Utilizing the Eglaria as his secret police, Aten quietly abducted citizens from the streets, sacrificing them in arcane rituals to capture their souls inside his newly constructed pyramids. After Aten orchestrated his own temporary death and emerged from Ambarhal two hundred years later, the citizens of Nekhrumet elevated him to a god, worshipping him under the new name Akhenaten.

The Ambush of the Devout

In the modern era, the scholar Trey (the reincarnated Tarathiel) travels to Nekhrumet with Arra, Lashel, and the guide Shorn to secure excavation permits from the Eglaria. While walking through the city's market, the group is suddenly ambushed by a massive, heavily armed mob of the Devout. Riled up by the impending arrival of Guruthos (the Fall) and desperate to protect Akhenaten's Tomb from defilement, the formerly peaceful zealots corner the expedition in a bloody street skirmish before the group is mysteriously saved by an eruption of blinding magical light.

The Destruction of Nekhrumet

During the climax of the series, Orym returns to the roof of his ancient palace in Nekhrumet to finally activate the Pyramid Offensive System. However, he realizes that the massive, invisible Soul Tree he created over the city during his suicide millennia ago is blocking the System's magical network.

To clear the interference, Orym unleashes a devastating torrent of red Destroyer Aspect magic into the Soul Tree. The massive, ghostly tree shatters into thousands of glowing red fragments that rain down upon the city below. The fiery strips of magic pass effortlessly through physical barriers to strike the souls of the living, instantly slaughtering the citizens in the streets, markets, and homes. In mere minutes, Orym's actions completely annihilate the population of Nekhrumet, leaving his once-beloved desert jewel a silent graveyard.

See Also