Khom'ye

Khom’ye

(Underworld)

Pronounced “xom je”

“Light is a luxury. Shadow is a promise. In the depths of Khom’ye, we learn what it means to be Va’nu’ian.”
— Ancient saying

Introduction

Khom’ye is the name Va’nu’ians give to their immense subterranean world, a realm carved through stone and shaped by darkness, bioluminescence, and centuries of skill. Hidden far beneath Pirje, the surface world, Khom’ye is the heart of Va’nu’ian civilization. Here they live, build, fight, and thrive, concealed from outsiders and protected by the planet itself.

Architecture and Construction

The earliest cities of Khom’ye were built into the very bones of the caverns. Homes tower within stalactites, cling to cavern walls, and spiral upward from massive stalagmites. These original structures remain occupied and respected, often passed down through clans or maintained as ancestral sites.

Newer cities rise beside them, constructed from dubwa, a dark and resilient metal unique to Va’nu. These buildings surround the older structures, forming layers of eras merged into one living city.
• Medical facilities occupy the newest dubwa complexes.
• Military compounds also use these newer structures, though older caverns still serve as secondary bases, barracks, storage, and administrative spaces.

The blends of metal, stone, and living cavern create cities that feel organic and engineered at once.

Cavern Networks and Travel

A vast network of caves and tunnels connects all cities of the Khom’ye. Some passages were created naturally by geological processes. Others were carved by Va’nu’ian engineers using centuries of accumulated skill.

Traveling through these routes can take hours or days, depending on the length, height, and danger level. Guard stations, checkpoints, and resting alcoves appear in longer tunnels, though even these do not eliminate the hazards.

Sustenance and Survival

Va’nu’ians designed their subterranean life to be completely self-sufficient. The cities and caverns contain:
• Large-scale farms adapted for subterranean environments
• Biomes and greenhouses
• Engineered light sources that support both plants and animals

Everything required for long-term survival is grown, raised, or produced within the Khom’ye. Surface resources are considered supplemental, not essential.

Wildlife and Environment

Beyond the borders of each city, the caverns shift into raw wilderness. Massive mushrooms rise as tall as trees. Flora and fauna glow in shades of blue, violet, green, and gold through phosphorescence or bioluminescence. Moss, algae, and lichen blanket stone where moisture gathers.

Pools, streams, and underground lakes support even more diverse life. As on Pirje, many species are dangerous. Venom, toxins, acidic secretions, and ambush predators are common. Some creatures see perfectly in darkness, while others navigate by sound or thermal sensitivity.

The tunnels between cities are infamous for being perilous. Travelers are always armed, always alert.

Secrecy and Protection

Few outsiders are permitted to enter the Khom’ye. Va’nu’ians consider their underground world sacred and central to their cultural identity. The depths also allow them to conceal their true numbers and military might.

To reveal the layout or scale of Khom’ye to another species would be considered a betrayal of the ancestors themselves.