On the creation of the Caliphate of Azathan, known outsider its borders as the Necromancer Empire.

On the creation of the Caliphate of Azathan, known outsider its borders as the Necromancer Empire.

The Ancient Great One, the Prophet Azathan, was the first Necromancer. The Prophet created the first lifeless, and created the Faith. Starting from his village of Accam, the Prophets armies took defeated rival warlords, and gained strength. With each victory, the prophets armies grew stronger.

From ten lifeless to a hundred to a thousand, the Prophets armies grew. The greatest warriors he faced became the greatest of his lifeless. As war progressed, the Prophet added commands to his armies. To Attack and March, the Prophet added Defend. As the campaign progressed, the Prophet added Carry.

The Prophet saw that a lifeless should never dominate a living being, for that way leads madness. So was the First Commandment. The prophet saw that a lifeless should never replace the full breadth of a human ability. So was the second commandment. The Prophet saw that the lifeless were not their own masters, but belonged to The Faith. So was the third commandment.

Lifeless cannot rule the living, lifeless cannot posses both a mind and a body, and the lifeless belong to the Faith. These were the greatest of the Caliph's commandments.

The Prophet drew upon the wisdom of his closest advisers. He learned of discontent among his people; the armies conquered vast distances, but did not improve the lives of his people. They feared him, but had no cause to love him.

The Prophet's heart beat with concern for his people, and he marched one in ten of his lifeless back to his Cities. Not as guards, and not to attack. Instead, to carry. To heft the burdens of his people, and to make their lives easier. So became the fourth commandment: the lifeless serve the faithful.

As their burdens were reduced, the people of the Cities no longer needed to carry water or wheat. Some spent their time in relaxing, drinking and frolicking. Others read. Many prayed to the Prophet, who did not know what to do with their worship. Population increased.

The Prophet could not be everywhere at once; he began to train others in the lifeless arts. These he bound to his service, granting them positions of power and influence. The Prophets powers grew with the worship of the Faithful.

After a time, The Prophet perished, as warrior-wizards do, from an infection he could not cure. Neither he nor his priests nor his wizards could cure the Prophet. His lifeless were no help as his life ended.

As he lay on his death bed, the Prophet wished he could continue to guide his burgeoning empire. His wishes along with the worship of his people imbued his skull with the wisdom of the Prophet. The prophet would be with the faithful, always.

The Nobles bickered, but did not shatter. The will of the prophet was unity. That the people's worship came to the Prophet on his death bed was .. remarkable. Word spread.

The nobles bickered; they each had authority. They were bound together, and for a time, the House of Lords ruled the Faithful.

While the nobles ruled, the Empire sagged. With no great central power, the Empire lost land it once considered its own. Panic arose. The faithful prayed harder, hoping their prayers would be answered.

And, they were. The simple prayers of the Faithful imbued their priests with a small measure of the power of the Prophet. At first, this was just enough to maintain the Lifeless. Priests tried different worship, and their power grew as services become more potent. The Priests found that worship from happy and healthy parishioners granted greater power; they began to pay their followers.

The priests gained more power from the worship of their followers; they learned what sacraments were most efficient. They gamed the system. As they did, the power of the priests increased, and so did the power of the Empire.

The power of the Nobles was vast, but the Priests had the Faithful on their side. They joined together, deciding between themselves who would represent them to the Lords. This became the House of Priests, the lower house of the Empire. Those who joined the House of Priests took the title of Bishop. The Bishops elected a council to act in a leadership position within the House.

Over time, as the Empire grew, the House of Priests grew in power as well. The power of the House of Lords reduced, though the Nobles fought their loss of temporal authority. As this progressed, Nobles sought to align themselves closer with the church, taking on priests as advisers. Over time, the role of the priest in governance grew and that of the Nobles reduced.

Even the Nobles could not argue with results: lifeless in every town, armies to reclaim the Prophets lands and then some. Sufficient food for every person, and wealth spread among the nobles. The priests started a school to teach their ways; others were to follow.

The leader of the House of Priests took the title of Caliph. The Caliph was elected by the Bishops, and was a member of the Council.

As per usual, thoughts and questions welcome. There may be changes if something is shown to be ridiculous.