The Khadaam
The Khadaam will determine who among the citizens of Kh’Axros has the strength, willpower, and faith needed to become Kh'shiq, the ever-watching superpowered personal guard of the God-King and the most elite members of Kh'Axros society.
The Khadaam is a trial of strength, honor, and loyalty among the most dedicated of God-King Khurzi's believers. Those that survive become Kh’shiq and serve at the pleasure of the God-King throughout all eternities.
Contestants give up their previous identities to participate in the Khadaam. After the qualifications in the Thousand Thicket, participants don a tolgomask and commit to hiding their faces for the rest of their lives. This is to purposely make the Khadaam open to all levels of Kh’Axri society: Yakeeri, Anointed, Marshals, and peasants alike. Some prisoners may even seek redemption through the Khadaam, but all participation is completely anonymous from beginning to end, preventing even the barest attempt at record-keeping.
The Khadaam consists of three trials, and may last anywhere from a tenday to half a year.
The Kh’iillkyy
When the contestants reach the end of one of the trials, each fief will host a Kh’iillkyy, a celebration of the Khadaam’s contestants. These energetic festivals last until the next trial begins, which can take up to a tenday. The Kh’iillkyy also host Honor Wagers, where Khadaam contestants challenge each other for the right to earn more Honor over the course of the trials. Ultimately, Kh’iillkyy reach their climax with the Boontap, where the contestants that won the previous trial receive their boons and rewards from their Honor Wagers. These boons are delivered via another driq innovation from Zad: Kh’drohol.Honor Wagers
Central to each Kh’iillky celebration are Honor Wagers. Issued to each other by contestants, these wagers provide an opportunity for one to consume more kh’drohol and display their fitness to become Kh’Shiq. The first Kh’iillky will showcase the traditional dance of the Kh’Axri, the Cloppy Moxi. This complex, multi-step dance is intensely high-energy, increasing in tempo with every verse until all the dancers, or often the musicians, collapse with exhaustion, and usually in a fit of raucous laughter. Contestants will face off literally head-to-head, earning another shot of kh’drohol with each victory. The second Kh’iillky showcases the traditional game of Kh’Axros: kh’andrel. Contestants will form teams and face off against each other in a game of kh’andrel, with each contestant receiving wagers equal to the number of goals they scored minus the number they allowed their opponent to score. The third Kh’iillky is ceremonial for purposes of the Khadaam, but is still highly valued. Each contestant is expected to write and recite a poem glorifying God-King Khurzi on his 489th coronation. A panel of Anointed will judge and award a boon of kh’drohol based upon the quality of the poem. Rewards are delivered during the Boontap, where contestants must consume all their wagered and earned kh’drohol at once.The Gaze
All that is known about the final trial of the Khadaam is that those that make it are subjected to the Gaze. This takes place behind closed doors in the Eternal Palace and is the privilege awarded to winners of the Khadaam. Many believe that the new Kh’Shiq are tested by allowing them to look upon the face of the God-King. Those that survive his divine gaze pass the final test to become Kh’Shiq. Their final reward is having their tolgomasks fused to their faces indefinitely. The coronation ceremony is then allowed to take place, ending the Khadaam and beginning a new era for the Kingdom.Execution
After surviving the brutal qualification ceremonies held in the depths of the Thousand Thicket, contestants will then race through the fiefs of Kh’Axros participating in increasingly difficult challenges and games. The Khadaam ends at the Eternal Palace in the capital, where the winning contestants must pass one final test directly in the eyes of the God-King, called the Gaze.
The Trials
This first trial requires contestants haul a season’s worth of driqstalk from Kh’Nunnik to Kh’Fekhek. Whichever teams complete the march a) the fastest and b) with the least amount of loss will receive a boon for the next trial. The second trial requires contestants to blindly traverse the length of Brokeneye Ridge that spans from Kh’Fekhek to Kh’Bixr. Each contestant will be provided a Himmoxi, but not exactly a tame one. Whichever teams reach Kh’Bixr 1) the fastest, and 2) with the most surviving Himmoxi will receive a boon for the third trial. The third trial requires contestants pilot a driq rider across the open fields and to the capitol. The team that reaches the palace first wins and will face the final challenge of the Khadaam: the Gaze.Components and tools
Kd’drohol has a rich history in Kh’Axrian nobility. This intoxicating substance is only found in the Kingdom and only available to the highest tiers of society. Though its synthesis is rooted in the ancient beginnings of Kh’Axrian culture, its recipe is now kept a closely guarded secret. Rumors claim that the Kingdom once faced a kh’drohol-fueled rebellion where peasants rose up imbued with devastating power and strength (though quite drunk). No official records of this incident exist.
However it was discovered, extended and daily use of kh’drohol may, in certain people, manifest in magical powers, incredible endurance, and great strength. As such, access to the substance was limited to only those that could responsibly wield it: the Kh'shiq, and contestants of the Khadaam.
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