Editing Khelt

[[File:Khelt cityscape by mg.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Khelt cityscape by [[Fanworks/Demonic Criminal|Demonic Criminal]]]]
[[File:Chandrar_Detail_Map.png|thumb|200px|Detail Map of northeastern Chandrar (Artistic rendition), Khelt to the west of Reim]]
'''Khelt,''' also known as the '''Necrocracy of Khelt''', is a kingdom of northwestern [[Chandrar]]. It's symbol is a skeletal hand holding a golden coin.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/11/28/9-68/ Chapter 9.68]</ref>

== Overview ==
Considered to be one of the few utopias in the world, Khelt is famous for its heavy use of [[Necromancers|Necromancy]], relying on undead as for labor and military. Housing and food is free for the common citizen, and there are no laws requiring them to work.<ref name=":Revenant and the Naga" /> The capital is [[Edojaf]].

It lies to the west of [[Reim]] in a distance that can be covered easily in two days.<!--Flos has a skill that doubles his traveling speed, and needed 1 day to Khelt's borders--><ref name=":5">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/11/02/6-54-k/ Chapter 6.54 K]</ref> In its east, there is only the Zeikhal Desert and beyond that the [[Empire of Sands]].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/05/07/6-14-k/ Chapter 6.14 K]</ref>

Water is the most important resource of Khelt. It is either produced with Oasis Tears, delivered by magic such as hydromancy, or imported from other countries. The 'spent' water is stored for another use in large caverns.<ref name="6.55K">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/11/05/6-55-k/ Chapter 6.55 K]</ref>

== History ==
The nation of Khelt was founded by [[Khelta]] twenty-one thousand years ago.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/02/23/8-66/ Chapter 8.66]</ref> She settled it bordering the Great Zeikhal Desert so that other nations would not covet the land.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/06/07/9-01/ Chapter 9.01]</ref> As an extremely accomplished [Necromancer], Khelta created the pact that provides Khelt's undead legions and workforce.

The third [King] of Khelt was Thekheldan, in whose reign Khelt nearly fell from the apathy and excesses which were customary among the living citizens of Khelt. This necessitated reforms, which proved successful.

Khelt has suffered the attacks of [[Vampires]] when those ruled the world and briefly held Chandrar. Khelt fought back along with the Shield Kingdoms of the era and every other nation of Chandrar, and the continent was the first to drive out Vampires. This period in history may have happened during the reign of Khelt's fifth ruler, Serept, as he had forged weapons and armor to combat Vampires.<ref name=":2">[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/09/13/7-46-k/ Chapter 7.46 K]</ref>

Khelt's seventh ruler, King Dolenm, solved the nation's water problem and ended the risk of thirst. During that time period, Khelt pursued the arts, and Dolenm stole artworks from other nations so his citizens could copy them.

During the rule of its ninth ruler, His-Xe, and the reign of Queen Akhta, Khelt waged wars of expansion, annexing neighbouring nations and invading other continents. Annexed nations were offered anything they could want except freedom. The [[Isles of Minos]] <ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/10/27/8-49-m-revised/ Chapter 8.49 M]</ref>and the [[Circle of Thorns]] fought back against Khelt in those periods.

During the Creler Wars, Khelt used the Rites of the Revenant, opening three of its tombs to fight back against the [[Crelers]]. Other nations also let them create Razzimir's Arrows.

There have been periods where Khelt bowed to outside [Rulers] and lost its sovereignty, though they would eventually regain their independence. The latest of these took place recently when [[Flos Reimarch]] became the King of Destruction and Fetohep was forced to pay him tribute in food, coin and allowed a thousand citizens to join Flos' armies. Khelt became independent again when Flos's supreme reign over Chandrar ended.<ref name="6.55K"/> Fetohep resolved to never allow Flos that influence again.

== Chronology ==
Khelt sent armies into Reim after Flos awoke. The [[Quarass]] and [[Trey Atwood]] was sent to help negotiate an end to hostilities.<ref name=":5" />

The Blighted Kingdom's ritual on the Summer Solstice took three unborn children in Khelt.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/06/10/9-46-s/ Chapter 9.46 S]</ref>

To fight back against the invasion of her nation, Queen [[Jecaina Leysars|Jecaina]] of [[Jecrass]] sold over a fourth of her lands to Khelt, including several rivers. Khelt declared war on [[Medain]] to secure its new territory and aid its ally, demanding the release of King [[Raelt Leysars|Raelt]].<ref name=":8.08 J" />

Fetohep personally went to defeat Medain, but was opposed by a knight crusade from [[Terandria]], the [[Claiven Earth]]'s army, and Medain's Named Adventurers. This would be the first time Khelt's ruler was seen slain in battle, though it was just a body double puppeteered by Fetohep.

Following the reveal that Fetohep was alive and well, he unleashed Khelt's greater armies. Khelt claimed two Named [[adventurers|Aventurers]] and a Named-rank team. The Rites of the Revenant were used again, opening first three tombs, and later the remaining two.<ref name=":1" />

Following the Days of Return, three [[Gnolls|Gnoll]] tribes were offered citizenship and settled in Khelt. These are the [[Decles tribe]], Satest Fletching tribe, and Gembows tribe.<ref name=":4">[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/11/29/9-26-f/ Chapter 9.26 F]</ref> However, Khelt also lost its vast army due to the souls disappearing, but must keep up the illusion of strength and prosperity lest it be attacked in its moment of weakness. The nation is subtly preparing for shortages and hard times.<ref name=":4" />

== Layout ==

=== Cities: ===

* [[Edojaf]] - Capital City
*Koirezune - Also Capital City (?)

=== Areas: ===

* Forest of Nemask<ref name=":Revenant and the Naga">[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/01/24/interlude-the-revenant-and-the-naga/ The Revenant and the Naga]</ref>

== Government ==
Khelt has a monarchy government where the ruler becomes a [[Revenants|Revenant]] [Undying King/Queen] in succession. It is traditional for rulers of Khelt to abandon their surnames as they serve their nations with no personal bias.<ref name=":8.08 J">[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/02/17/8-08-j/ Chapter 8.08 J]</ref> Ordinarily, the close companions of a ruler would also be turned into Revenants to keep them company through the centuries.<ref name=":Revenant and the Naga" /> 

==== Known By Order: ====

* Queen [[Khelta]] - 1st Ruler
*Queen [[Heris]] - 2nd Ruler
* King [[Thekheldan]] - 3rd Ruler
* King / Suzerain [[Serept]] - 5th Ruler
* King [[Dolenm]] - 7th Ruler
*Queen [[Emrist]] - 8th Ruler
* King [[His-Xe]] - 9th Ruler
*King [[Tkayl]] - 13th Ruler
*Queen [[Zushe-Greso]] - 14th Ruler (Ruled for 1,900 years)
* King [[Razzimir]] - 15th Ruler (Ruled during the Creler Wars era) 
*Queen [[Akhta]] - 16th Ruler 
* King [[Izimire]] - 17th Ruler
* Queen [[Xierca]] - 18th Ruler
* King [[Fetohep]] - 19th Ruler

==== Unknown Order: ====

*Queen ? - Garuda
*?
*?
*?
*?

== Military ==

=== Former Strength ===
Khelt's ruler has absolute command over the undead workforce and armies. The armies consist of, according to several assessments, endless numbers of undead who can be raised from the ground at the will of the Khelt's ruler. The numbers of undead are so vast that 40,000 skeleton warriors are considered a message.<ref name="6.55K" />

Within Khelt’s land the Undead warriors are stronger, faster, ''deadlier,'' and imbued with the knowledge of combat. But elsewhere they become mindless and weaker, as Khelt's ruler’s power extended across their domain and weakened with every mile. Khelt's ruler could still send them to attack their enemies, but they would most probably get lost to the desert, turned into an undead horde that might well attack someone else or simply be lost. As such Khelt's ruler has to rely on politics and gold abroad, like [Assassins] to kill their enemies outside the kingdom. But within, even the King of Destruction would be wary invading Khelt.<ref name=":Revenant and the Naga" />

Only when Khelt's ruler personally leads the army out of its borders do the Undead warriors retain their strength and control.<ref name=":8.08 J" />

There are living people within Khelt's armies, referred to as Scourge Forerunners. They are citizens that have been granted the right to lead undead.<ref name=":3" />

Khelt has also retained much of its relics of the past, unlike many other nations. Armaments to slay Vampires, gemstone weapons forged by Serept,<ref name=":2" /> and powerful potions and alchemical treasures stored within the Apothricarium.<ref name=":Revenant and the Naga" /> Bone giants,<ref name=":8.08 J" /> the corpses of Half-Giants, and the corpses of great beasts are among the greater undead it can bring to bear. Furthermore, Khelt's undead soldiers can be sacrificed to create other greater undead, such as Abominations of Bone.<ref name=":3" />

Some of the Revenant champions of previous rulers were entombed in order to aid Khelt in the future, should an emergency arise. Those revenants were the [Vizier] [[Hecrelunn|Hecreluum]], the [Champion of War] [[Salui]], the Honor Guard of Serept comprised of 20 Half-Giant warriors, 60 Scourgeriders with one unchained [[Djinni]], and the Kheltian flagship ''[[Sand at Sea]]'' and its crew.

The mightiest undead Khelt could field aside from Revenants are undead Jaws of Zeikhal and the undead corpse of [[Zirconia]] the Ash Giantess.<ref name=":0" />A Jaw of Zeikhal can explode in a wave of death magic, and convert the area two thousand feet around it into deadlands.<ref name=":3">[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/06/06/8-26-fk/ Chapter 8.26 FK]</ref>One of the Jaws is equipped with a shrine of bone containing liquid essence of undeath, which changes the magical aura of surrounding undead, granting them [Invisibility] or [Speed] among other powers.<ref name=":0" /> Khelt possessed seven Jaw of Zeikhal corpses, though previous rulers suggested they could've fielded at least eight, once.<ref name=":1">[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/07/25/8-32/ Chapter 8.32]</ref>

During the [[Crelers|Creler]] Wars, Khelt developed a long range magical artillery weapon called Razzimir’s Arrows. It can launch a Tier 6 spell such as a giant [Arrow of Light] spell<ref name=":0">[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/04/10/8-78-f/ Chapter 8.78 F]</ref> and can strike other continents from Khelt.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/11/02/9-23-ggggggggg/ Chapter 9.23 GGGGGGGGG]</ref> Khelt has other spell scrolls with intercontinental range, including some that can summon living war monsters.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/11/22/9-66/ Chapter 9.66]</ref>

The destruction of an army of Khelt's undead can be used to fuel the creation of a Graven Passage with their combined death magic. The Graven Passage looks like a great dais of bone, and is a portal that only the undead can use. It connects to another Graven Passage in Khelt, allowing them to instantly move their armies across great distances.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/05/03/8-84/ Chapter 8.84]</ref>

=== Current Strength ===
Khelt has been severely weakened by recent events.

Because of the loss of the souls which animated the undead following the Days of Return, Khelt currently has no army. Only some undead that were animated by [Necromancers] are still active, and even then, their reactions are slower.<ref name=":4" /> Khelt lost control of its four remaining Jaws of Zeikhal,<ref name=":6">[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/11/26/9-67-pt-1/ Chapter 9.67 (Pt. 1)]</ref> and the only remaining Revenants are the crew of ''Sand at Sea''.

King Izimire had spent much of the Apothricarium's potions during his reign. Every intercontinental scroll has been spent, effectively de-fanging Khelt overseas.<ref name=":6" />

== Culture ==
All citizens are encouraged to pursue whatever passion and destiny they like, while food and shelter and many services are provided by the undead laborers. Among that is cooking, attending the king and occasional guests. Some even eschew classes to pursue various hobbies. One of the actually necessary jobs in Khelt is [Magistrate], in order to keep the peace and administer laws.<ref name=":4" />

The citizens of Khelt work for four days a week, and much less time than people of other nations. Physical work is not required. However, after their death, their bodies are reanimated to serve for menial labor. For that reason, there are no slaves in Khelt, the owning of which is illegal. After the Days of Return and the weakening of the undead force, citizens are encouraged to do menial labor as Commended Volunteers, with mixed results as some simply leave their task when they get tired of it.

They utilize a barter economy within Khelt, with the occasional fad currency.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/06/04/interlude-trade-and-travel/ Interlude - Trade and Travel]</ref>

=== Citizenship ===
Citizens may leave Khelt if they wish, but this revokes their citizenship and birthrights. They may return to Khelt, but all immigrants (not only former emigrants) are required to bring something worthwhile into the Kingdom.<ref name="6.55K" />

== Notable Citizens ==

* [[Alked Fellbow]] - Named adventurer
* [[Colovt]] - farmer
* [[Frieke]] - Named adventurer
* [[Pewerthe]]  - potter, heir to the throne
* Teveti - [Magistrate]

== Trivia ==

* Khelt is ''technically'' at war with about six Terandrian Kingdoms.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/12/06/interlude-the-innkeepers-knight/ Interlude – The Innkeeper’s Knight]</ref>
* Currently there are 200 half-Elves living in Khelt.<ref name=":Revenant and the Naga" />
*There is a town in Khelt that allows nudity.<ref>[[Chapter 8.78 F|Chapter 8.78]]</ref>

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Kingdoms]]
[[Category:Chandrar]]
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Undead]]
[[Category:Khelt|*]]
[[Category:Utopias]]
[[category:Nations]]