Nohebi: Ska, Vek, and the Sands
The sandy deserts of Nohebi are rife with dangerous beasts and mystic arts. For centuries, the sand-dwellers have lived in the violent heat and have built a prosperous capitol for their citizens. This was not always the way for the people of the red stone kingdom. For many years, they were entered into a state of turmoil and strife with the environment that they had selected for their rule. Where the harshest heats claim lives in a matter of hours, provided the monsters in the sand do not manage to first, it was thought to be wildly ambitious and mad to attempt.
The journey to settle within Nohebi carries its own story. Many years have caused the history of this land to warp, changing drastically depending on the individual recounting the tale. Though, none of the residents of that fiery land will deny the impact that the great deities had on its settlement. This is the telling of how Ska and Vek were discovered by the people and how those gods have shaped the lifestyle of the Nohebi people for centuries.
Once, when the first few had arrived in the sand-swept rubble of what once was a powerful city, they thought that life could be brought back to that world. For months, they had fled from the persecution they had received from their neighboring kingdom. Across some of the harshest environments, the wayfarers sought only a place to rebuild their homes and bring new generations to thrive. The tumbling sands had been alluring and word had traveled that there had once been a city in the heart of the desert. Stories claimed that the city had sunk into the sands and only fragments of it could be seen. Others stated that the beasts who dwelled within the sandy hills had been the reason for the downfall. No matter what had caused the civilization to crumble, there was a chance for new life to exist there. So, the first group of six called the lands Nohebi and they began to rebuild the city from scratch.
A young man had made himself prominent among his people. He had claimed to see visions of great beasts – Gods – that had promised him riches and power beyond comprehension. This man took on a new name when he followed the travelers through the desert. Once they had landed in the old city, he was known only by his true name: Abe.
After a decade of growth and rebuilding, the Nohebi people had found a groove in which they believed they could thrive. In this time, Abe had become a powerful presence to these people. Many looked up to his abilities, claiming that he would be the reason they had returned to a great glory. Abe spoke of many spirits and powers that ruled the sands. He did what he could to lead his people with rationality and strict order. They followed him for his level head and his cool demeanor. Some time after having constructed their city, Abe claimed that the spirits wished for him to travel into the sands so that they could speak with him. He told the people of Nohebi that he would have to listen, or else he may never speak to these spirits again. The gravity of his vision had been enough to sway the opinions of the people, and so Abe disappeared from Nohebi for five years.
In that time, a traveler appeared on the edges of the kingdom. The man was mysterious, but pleasant. He conversed with many of the citizens of Nohebi, and after a few months had become something of a foundation for the residents. The man was called Ito, and he claimed that he had been granted the gift of life. Countless times, he used his abilities as a healer to spare the lives of children, elderly, and those who had been injured. The Nohebi people believed that he had been sent to replace Abe – that the gods had deemed him a willing sacrifice and had elected a new leader to take his place. For some time, Ito lived with the people. He cared for them and taught them what he could. After a short while, he began to claim that he had received dreams from the great beings and that they were instructing him to venture into the desert to receive guidance. The people were fearful that they would lose yet another leader, but their fear of the spirits was far too great for them to dissuade him. After living among the Nohebi people, Ito disappeared into the desert sands and was not seen for three long years.
Ten years after the disappearance of Abe, the city sunk into the sands. More than fifty lives were claimed in this disaster. All of their progress had been lost and the people were thrown into a state of disarray and anger. Nohebi called a meeting of their people and decided that they would leave the sunken cities and search for a new home beyond the desert. They then began their work to gather the remainders of their belongings and people to prepare for their journey.
On the day of their departure, a miracle happened.
From the vast wasteland, a lone figure appeared on the outskirts of the claim. He was clad in white and gold and spoke in a tongue that was unfamiliar to the people of the sand. They ushered him in to their hold. That same night, another figure appeared on the opposing side of the city ruins. This figure wore green and black garb and shawls that covered his face. The Nohebi people brought him to their camp. It was here that the truth was shared. The figure in white disrobed, throwing his shawls into the flame. The fire turned a dramatic shade of white. The smoke that rose from the flame twisted and glided through the air before taking the shape of a snake. The man in white leaned into the faces of the people who had forgotten him, and he rejoiced in the truths that he had learned. The man in white had once lived among the people and had ventured into the rolling sands to seek the truth from the spirits. He spoke to them all as if he knew them. Before long, the people began to recognize this man. He was familiar and his words reminded them of the traveler who had graced their lands with order and logic: Abe. When they asked the man in white what his true name was, he did not speak the familiar moniker. Instead, the man looked to the heavens and hissed the name of the great Ska.
From across the flame, the man in black watched with mirth. When the voice of Ska had risen and stated his true calling, the man in black rose too and stepped toward the fire. Ska was silenced for only a moment as the dark figure threw his robes into the flame and watched as the light turned to a burning shade of inky black. The people gasped, shielding their eyes from the figure standing before them. Ito’s body seemed not to have changed at all in the time that he had been away. The shocking shade of green that had entered his vision suggested otherwise. When Ska regarded the man, he requested his name. The man formerly known as Ito stepped into the fire and extended a hand to the figure of Ska. He claimed that his true name would never be known by the people, but when he spoke in their tongue, he told them that they could call him Vek, the bringer of life.
After the return of the men Abe and Ito, the Nohebi people rejoiced. For some time, the two men existed in the same setting. They drank from the same cups and offered aid to the same citizens. The two figures existed as leaders for the Nohebi people for several decades and helped them reach a state of economic and societal growth. In turn, the people looked to them for all things and the words that were spoken by the men claiming to be gods was always considered law.
In their fifth decade, the god Ska had grown restless. Many of the people had sought out Vek for his healing gifts and they had turned their back on the god of order. It was during this time that the great beast began his plots to assassinate Vek.
Word of the coo had spread through the people. Before long, Ska and Vek were at war with each other. The city of Nohebi was divided between those who put their faith in order and those who believed in the magic of life. This war lasted for five long years.
Toward the tail end of the fifth year, Ska had proposed a meeting in the sands. He requested that Vek meet him near the sunken temple some many miles from the city. There, he said, they would be able to finally put their disagreements to rest. Vek agreed and the two men ventured into the desert in the dead of night. The Nohebi people waited for the return of the gods for seven days. During this time, they called a truce between the believers of Ska and Vek and entered a state of prayer in hopes of bringing the figures of their gods home. The peace lasted for the entire week. Nohebi held its breath in waiting.
On the seventh day, the ground began to quake.
The people feared that their city would be pulled beneath the sands again. To spare their families and their capitol, the people of Nohebi gathered in the center of their claim and prayed through the entire night. Once morning had come, they discovered that many of the original structures had reemerged from the depths of the desert, as though a miracle had brought them back to the surface. Confused and delighted by this transition, the people waited to see which of the gods would return to share his victory. A year passed without word or sight of Ska or Vek, or the men the gods had used as vessels. The Nohebi people dwelled in peaceful silence for that year. Their kingdom thrived in that time, establishing important relations with other kingdoms in Yasei.
One year after the disappearance of the two men, the ground parted to reveal the figure of a giant serpent. On its head was a jeweled gold crown. It spoke to the people of pride. Nohebi bowed down to this monstrous creature. When one brave soul approached the towering snake, he requested only one thing: to know the name of the beast that had found them. The serpent shuddered at this query before drawing itself up to full height and hissing: Ska!
The next day, the sands on the opposing side of the city parted too. Another serpent appeared. This one slithered from the depths of the sand on dark scales and rose high above the people. They looked to him with awe before bowing. This time, a young woman stepped forward to request the name of the powerful being that had graced them. The shadowy serpent seemed to smile at her before lifting its head high and answering: Vek!
The serpents remained for seven days before they dove back into the sands and disappeared. They shared wisdom and faith with the people of Nohebi. Their magics were imparted on few of the citizens, calling them templars of order and life. Before their departure, both gods asked for devotion. The people cried out with tears and joy, saying that they would believe wholly if the gods would protect their city from the violent nature of the desert. Ska and Vek agreed to these terms, stating that they would return one day when the agreement had been fulfilled. They spoke of a paradise where the citizens of Nohebi could thrive and exist in the afterlife. If they should worship wholeheartedly, they would learn the truth of this realm. If they shunned the belief of the snake gods, they would be swallowed by the sands and all lives would be claimed.
The divide in beliefs had been renewed and had created a split in the people. Those who believed in the power of the god Ska, spent two decades building the Temple of Order in which they could worship the great and powerful snake god. Every action that they took was done so in hopes that they could please the fearsome serpent, hoping to bring him back to the Nohebi kingdom to rule over them as the true spirit of order who would lead them to the mysterious paradise. Those who were faithful to the god Vek created the Shrine of Life; a towering structure that rose out of the sands like a pillar that would reach the heavens. They too sought the return of their god so that they could be led to eternal bliss.
This divide in beliefs has existed for centuries. Those who worship Ska live in the northern half of Nohebi, worshipping in his temple every day. Those who believe in the powers of Vek have made a home in the southern half of Nohebi, taking tokens of great value to the shrine where they would pray for the return of the god of life. Every year, the first week is dedicated to a time of peace. Those who believe in Ska and Vek gather together to share their possessions and goods with each other. They tell great tales of their past in the week known as the Festival of Snakes. This is a sacred time for the Nohebi people. The festival is considered to be one of their most treasured traditions. The Festival of Snakes is regarded as the only real reason that a civil war has been avoided.
In the last decade, there has been word of another being: Skavek the True. It is said that she is the goddess of all things and that she had created Ska and Vek to weed out the weak and to gather all of those who truly deserved paradise. Rumors of Skavek have caused a great deal if unrest among the people of Nohebi. For the Templars of Order and Life, any word of Skavek has been deemed as the spreading of heretic beliefs and is punishable by death.