Khabal Ghoul

Throughout much of Rabiah, alchemy which disturbs the dead is strictly forbidden, and those who practice it are dealt with mercilessly. For most, the reasons behind this would seem to be religious in nature, with much of Rabiah subscribing to the idea that the soul of any body disturbed before it's fully decomposed can't find rest in the afterlife. However, the true rationale behind this decision lies shrouded in one of Rabiah's once thousand and one forbidden tales.   Dark and Hidden History In an effort to obscure references to alchemy which might be dangerous or threatening for Rabian society at large, the civilizations of Forbidden Tales. This collection of roughly a thousand stories includes some which stretch back to the creation of Rabiah, and all are forbidden to speak of and study them, except a select group of historical researchers and alchemists, whose examinations of the stories search for lessons and solutions to future problems that be learned from them. The fear of those stories is so great that even writing them on paper is seen as inviting a curse, and the scholars chosen to research them must instead memorize them from previous scholars.   The Grip of the Khabal Of the Thousand and One Forbidden Tales, one of the most recent tells the story of how Rabiah almost fell to an endless wave of the undead. A ring of necromancers calling themselves the Khabal, believing that unending lichdom, crafted powerful and dangerous undead, and set them upon the world. They came close to their goal threatening every major civilization in Rabiah, and ending more than a few. Only the heroic actions of a small group, uniting the remaining survivors in an attack on the Khabal, was able to end the threat. These knowledge of these terrifyingly true events were deemed too dangerous to the peace of mind of Rabiah's people. And so in the greatest act and their near-victory over life itself was wiped from the minds of everyone but a trusted few, and locked away as another of the Thousand and One Forbidden Tales.   Lingering Shadows Though the Khabal was destroyed centuries ago, several members evaded capture, taking large numbers of undead, and the secrets of their creation, with them. Since then, a few rare undead, wearing the faded symbol of the Khabal, have been spotted wandering Rabiah's deserts. Most believe these foul creatures are remnants of the Khabal's centuries-old story, one of a dwindling number of ghouls left behind. But those who know the Khabal's tale worry that the members who escaped may have won their undead immortality in other ways, and now bide their time, rebuilding their lost armies in secret.