Bekahshesh

The ancient town of Bekahshesh was the capital of Kefu until its collapse in 812SS. At its height, the city hosted a population of over 1 million, and the largest collection of relics and treasures ever amassed by a human majority civilisation.

History of Bekahshesh
Bekahshesh was founded by Thotep the Elder in 25SS. A refugee from Ere'tsaa's invasion, Thotep and his family discovered The Desbehdet River, now dried up. Settling one-hundred miles upstream on the banks of the river, the family got to work starting a town.

Shortly after, many more joined them. Discovering the extremely fertile soil and large cedar forests, they named the settlement Bekahshesh, meaning 'Lifegiver'.

Thotep the Elder was proclaimed God-King by his followers, and the settlement grew into a mighty city. Once gold deposits were found, the city grew into a mighty empire which came to be known as Kefu, meaning 'Strong'.

Kefu was the first major human civilisation, and the first major civilisation outside of Erde to be politically relevant. They traded in gold, dyes, and silks, and The Desbehdet River flooded seasonally, allowing many crops to be grown without expensive tools.

The Serpent Queen
Around 70SS a child born with curious green scales and a forked tongue was recorded in the Grand Magister's office, and many locals paraded it as a sign from local dragonborn mythology. This child was to become The Serpent Queen, and by 90SS she was extremely proficient in the arcane arts.

In 105SS the woman, now named S'thah by a group of followers named the Yuan-Ti began rioting on the streets of Bekahshesh, threatening to burn down the local forests. The revolt was put down swiftly, and the Yuan-Ti along with S'thah were exiled to the jungles of Kikuyi.

Collapse
After the death of King Antokh in 812SS, The Desbehdet River stopped flowing, it is claimed almost overnight. The civilians of the city crowded the Temple of Thotep to pray to their founder, crushing thousands in the stampede. Almost all of the one-million civilians died within six months, and the remainders left the cities to live in the wilderness, as the cedar forests began to dry up. Many of the tribes of North-Kopeni can trace their ancestry to Kefu, with Suuz being the only remaining Kefuian city to survive collapse, becoming a city state.

The Ruins of Bekahshesh are now mostly forgotten by the inhabitants of the desert, and the few people who are interested know to stay away fearing whatever curse was inflicted on Kefu to lead to its collapse.