Primidia Holy City

"The Golden City was as a trove of light in the middle of a blinding desert. The townsfolk kept to their business, mostly ignoring my attempts at asking them for directions to the Great Observatory. When I finally found the place, I was halted by stoic sphinxes that stood as guards. They towered above me, their sentences were jumbled as if everything they spoke was a question."



It is the ancient world renovated by astral technology. It is the blurred line between the mortal realm and the afterlife. It is the time of the pharaoh met with the ambition of astronomy. In the midst of the scorching sands, the city shines as a bastion of refuge. Those who are permitted to enter within the walls of the Holy City witness floating towers and magnificent pyramids. Those who speak with the citizens notice their deep religious convictions. Those who tarry long enough are met with the presence of "gods" who walk among them.

Unlike Scorlanthe, the Primidian pharaohs had been overthrown long before the Treaty of Thronehold. At some point, stern and majestic sphinxes had taken over the government. The great "Prime" sphinxes are in control, that is, the elders of the race who assert their dominion over the land. There is no doubt that the residing common sphinxes are the favored species; the serf human class is even commanded to worship the elders.



The enlightened spend most of their time here analyzing the stars. Primidians are obsessed with astronomy and religion--such a marriage between the two has led to the developments of "Stargates" that allow planar creatures to enter this realm. Consequently, many religions have been established in the city. The Elder Sphinxes encourage the following of any religion as it self-serves their purposes of furthering space analyzation. They like it when the church summons angelic messengers as it furthers their development of astral technology--the science that enables levitation and teleportation. The sphinxes are anxious to discuss astral theories with visiting immortals.



When weaponized, astral technology takes the form of radiant energy which is often expelled from the staves of zealous Priests. These are men or women so dedicated to serving the Sphinx Hegemony that they are endowed with special astral augmentations. They are easy to spot as they don headdresses that resemble a corresponding animal-headed deity from the ancient times.

The High Priests wear the headdress of Ra, a falcon, and they are the highest rank a mortal can achieve. Others don the mask of Anubis, the jackal, or Ammit, the alligator. When going into battle, they will wear the headdress of Sekhmet, the lion, which is their ancient god of destruction.



While generally peaceful natured, the Sphinx Hegemony still requires great sacrifice at the cost of its people. The Holy City is beautiful, but such astral majesty often comes at the price of lives. The sphinxes are neutral to any infernal or abyssal entities that might wander through an unattended Stargate. To them, evil intruders are just more experts with different perspectives on astral technology.