West Karnak

The Dominion of West Karnak
Subdivision type:	Region of Karnak
Capital:	Imarru-Anum
Population:
Largest Cities:	Waset-Kapha (far west); Mukalissar (north); Tarnossus (interior)
Local Leadership Title:	Pschent
Local Government:	Semi-Federal Monarchy
Current leader:	Shoshenq IV
Local language:	Karnak, Umraic, Common Tongue
Local Religion:	Umraism; Maatism; folk religions

West Karnak is a region of Karnak, being a part of The Hexarchy since 1725 AN and under intermittent suzerainty of Karnak for much of its history, this being only the most recent of such times. Geologically, culturally, and politically distinct from its more populated neighbor, West Karnak is ruled by a locally elected government from Imarru-Anum, its capital city and named after a local god (lit. "light of Anum"). The region's native name of Anum derives from an old shared god of Maatism (also known as Re-Mun in Karnak), although worship practices and the god's very name now differ after centuries of cultural drift. The city was annexed by Karnak in 1725 AN after a long period of intermittent suzerainty. The region came under the Hexarchy's full control in the aftermath of the Dark Berry Islands Civil War, during which bandit groups used the region's rugged interior as bases to launch raids into nearby Karnak. A military occupation followed, after which the government from Imarru-Anum was given local autonomy.

While there has always been a close cultural exchange between West Karnak and its recent suzerain for centuries, the region's long independence has produced a culture unique to itself. The region nearly separated from Karnak during the reign of Praetor Naram-Sin due to political stagnation, but military aid from Çakaristan kept order during the temporary period of weakness during the 1730's and 1740's AN. In the early 1750's, Karnak experienced a resurgence in power and influence, and was able to recover its full sovereignty over the region by 1755 AN. West Karnak remains a strategically vital area for both Karnak and The Hexarchy. Not only is the area profoundly rich in mineral wealth (much of which was discovered near 1750 AN, but its coastline ensures direct control of the southern Keltia coast and its interior anchors control over the Great Sandy Desert.

Location & Geography

West Karnak is located west of Karnak proper, south of the Great Sandy Desert, and bounded to the south and west by coastline. Northwest lies Amaland, a realm of Hurmu.

West Karnak's terrain widely varies, ranging from savanna plains, scrublands, rugged hill country, and isolated mountain valleys. Both the coastal area near Imarru-Anum and certain interior valleys are some of the most fertile areas on Micras, supporting a rapidly increasing population. Despite its varied and hospitable terrain, most of the region is sparsely populated, forming a contrast from the densely urbanized eastern heartlands of the nearby Abyd'os region of Karnak. The northern highlands and mountains serve as a natural barrier keeping the Great Sandy Desert in check, forming a hard boundary for the desert and shaping nearby caravan routes connecting Karnak to the distant settlements of the deep continental desert. While the coastal region quickly modernized, the inland areas to the north and west resist the winds of time. These regions consist of numerous fortress-style settlements, caravan towns, isolated temple-oriented communities, and a few newer urban settlements that grew in response to the region's considerable mineral wealth.

People & Culture

Although strongly influenced by Karnaki civilization and Maatist religious traditions for much of its history, the various petty kingdoms, chiefdoms, and nomadic tribes of West Karnak remained independent for most of its collective history. Although the two religions essentially share the same pantheon, it is known by different names due to cultural drift, and religious practices vary far more widely in West Karnak due to a lack of national unity (with very few historical exceptions). Some cultural re-assimilation has taken place, as West Karnak was fully annexed into Karnak approximately forty years ago, with a period of political consolidation and frontier expansion culminating in formal annexation in 1725 AN. Further integration followed during the regime of Sozer V of Karnak (r. 1720 AN - 1755 AN).

While Karnak always remained the center of religious influence, its political reach has always varied widely with the times. This resulted in a lack of political unity in West Karnak. This produced a highly decentralized region of loosely aligned local kingdoms, fortified trade polities, nomadic pastoral territories, and independent organized religious traditions that maintained varying degrees of contact and relations with the Pschents of Karnak since ancient times. This paradoxical degree of contact and separatism persisted into modern times. After the recent integration of so-called "West Karnak" into the wider Realm of Karnak, significant regional distinctions remain in language, architecture, military traditions, and religious practice.

This paradox also holds true in the continued prominence of localized temple cults and frontier interpretations of Maatism. While characteristics of maintaining Maat are still centered on vigilance, endurance, and active stewardship, the concept of unity is largely absent from temple teachings in much of the west. Unified effort as a concept of maintaining social and spiritual justice in the world faces a degree of soft resistance, especially as it means far greater deference to a faraway central authority for temple authorities in the far interior. Umraist religious practices, however, have seen far less change, and are still directly influenced by the Hedjet in the major Karnaki city of Taten'os. The Umraist communities, therefore, saw little issue in integration into Karnak.

In relation to Karnak's ancient leadership, West Karnak was long regarded as a frontier region, and essentially the gradual border between its political and religious influence over the primordial wilderness. The fact of West Karnak's abrupt border with the Great Sandy Desert beyond the mountains served to reinforce this belief for centuries after the region's discovery by past Pschentic forces on expedition into the wild in search of new places to expand the ancient realm (to mixed success). The regions in the harshest areas of West Karnak were characterized by rapidly shifting climactic boundaries, political fragmentation, and widely varied cultural traditions. This made the region impossible for most Pschents to directly hold outside of either the coastal areas or modern Imarru-Anum, itself the long-time cultural and economic center of the region. Indirect influence, however, was conducted more successfully in concert with local temple cults, allowing West Karnak to act as an effective buffer between Karnak and hostile groups originating from beyond that region.

In the harsher regions to the north and west, West Karnak saw the development of more austere religious cults, and somewhat more militant regionalized identities than that traditionally associated with eastern Karnak. In the south and east among Maatist centers, the worship of the god Heru-Er (still known there simply as Heru) is particularly strong alongside the cult of Re-Mun (Anum in the west). Heru-Er's association with kingship, vigilance, and defense of Maat is more prominent there, while in contrast the worship of Re-Mun (Anum) stresses the conquest of good over evil, or light over dark, rather than maintaining a cosmic balance of spiritual austerity and contentment. The west forms greater contrasts, where cults preach more active forms of justice and balance than the east, contributing to intermittent problems in politics, especially post-integration.

The varied climate and political environment of West Karnak have given rise to far more scattered centers of influence from ancient times that are no longer present. While the climate has been growing far less harsh in the past several decades to due increased rainfall, much of the region still consists of rugged terrain far from any central authority. Ancient ruins from forgotten petty kingdoms, ancient temple complexes from forgotten local gods, abandoned caravan centers, and isolated communities scattered throughout the region continue to contribute to the West Karnak's wider reputation for mystery and mysticism. The study of the region's widely varying peoples and traditions remains a subject of increasing interest in both the local and wider regions of the Hexarchy.