Kingdom of Kesh'mhett
The original people of what is now Kesh'mhett desert lived on these lands stretching back in history to the days of the great lake.
Originally a water faring people they fished the lake and lived on the banks.
These most hardy of people did not abandon the area as the water levels fell, instead following the water and adapting to the ever changing landscape. Some moving towards the coast to trade in culturally familiar commodities, such as:
.shells
.coral
.fish
.salt
.aquatic creatures
Forming strong trading bonds with the near by archipelago, establishing a formidable navy, and honoring their old gods.
Others moved inland and followed the waters they had always known, yet shifting religious focus to new and different gods of fire and courage, as opposed to those of water and intuition.
those who moved in land lived at the oases and traded with the peoples of the coastal desert.
trading mainly in items like:
metals (gold)
gemstones
preserved/dried goods
They became master metal and jewel crafters learning to work with the stones gems and metals the waters left behind.
They build opulent cities featuring the materials of both their new and their old world to create cities unlike any others throughout Esparea
Architecture
The building style in Kesh'mhett is a combination of both sea and sun.
In the capital the buildings are gracefully curved and often gilded in precious metals mined from the surrounding sands.
Gemstones revealed by the receding glaciers have been mined and collected for centuries and are a focal point of embellishment within design.
Windows are often made from varying gems creating artistic and detailed scenes from the history of the Kesh'mhettites.
Shells and corals are also often incorporated with just as much reverence despite their rarity within the desert itself, as they are used as an homage to where they came from and the history of how the lands changed and the people adapted.
In the smaller cities the buildings are flat and brightly colored being coated with clays and dyes. these features help keep these buildings thermo-regulated as temperatures fluctuate so much between day and night in this region. though they lack for the most part the lavishness of the capitol.
Along the coast the largest buildings are imposing pyramids.
These buildings are difficult to assault and resistant to the coastal desert weather and environment.
The decorative design of this region of Kesh'mhett relies most heavily on a water faring life.
Street lamps are made of dried urchins, the streets are lined with shells creating mosaics to their traditional gods.
The metallic facades are forsaken for more durable stone constructions.
These cities are more heavily fortified featuring city walls inlaid with shells and fossils collected from the sea.
Fearsome sea dragon figure heads and gargoyles are particularly popular amongst the wealthy of these cities.
Duality
While Kesh'mhett is only one kingdom it has two very different peoples.
The sun worshippers of Ra-Horahkty;
Passionate and virile, though the live in the harshest area in all of Esparea these people feel a fevered relish at every boon and every new day that rises on them.
Those of the sacred seas whom worship Sobek are shrewd and astute, while lacking some of the revelry of the capitol these people are no less passionate.
These passions are made clear when you look at the artistry of the streets or the technical brilliance that is their navy.
Fun Fact
The Kesh'mhettites have two main religions in the region.
Those of sun and those of sea.
The differences between these two groups have lead to several civil wars throughout its history.
The kingdom is currently under the control of the sun king.
Relations with the servants of sea are currently stable.
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