From Ashaara, High Priestess of the Aaracokra, you learn…

The Colony of Kir Sabal are descendants of the Queen’s Guard from the ancient city of Omu.
Just over 3,000 years ago, the King and Queen of Omu were powerful spellcasters and their city was the brightest jewel of Kesh. It was the only city where the Nine Gods were worshipped equally, each having a shrine and the factions living in peace. All the other Cities worshipped only 2 or 3 of the gods and the factions and the cities, were always fighting.

The great High Priest – Ras Nsi (pronounced RAZ NEE) built the Temple of the Nine Gods – greatest marvel of architecture in all of Kesh and called representatives of all the gods to a meeting (Peace Talks). Each of the gods placed their spirits into their representatives for the talks and then Ras Nee, revealing himself to be a Yuan-Ti, betrayed them all, killing or imprisoning them in the Temple – since re-named and known as the Tomb of the Nine Gods.

He tried to overthrow the King of Omu with his new-found power but was driven off for a time.

His agents (later also revealed to have been Yuan-Ti infiltrators) uncovered the infidelity of the young and beautiful Queen Zakalore, with the King’s best friend General Thiru-Taya. Even the King’s children were revealed to be Thiru-Taya’s!

The old King was still so besotted with Zakalore that he only exiled her for life to the Hanging Gardens of Nangalore (a lost outpost of beautiful gardens). Presumably binding her there by magic.

However, his anger against Thiru-Taya and his children was terrible! The Queen’s Guard fled with the children but that was 3,000 years ago and they were lost in time. Only the Colony of Kir Sabal remembers their distant ancestors and still hopes that Great Omu will rise once more – they still wear the symbol of Omu on their armour – a circular maze with nine dots scattered through the maze.

The General escaped into the jungle and for many, many years the King’s followers hunted for him while Queen Zakalore waited and waited for her lover to come to her. When she began to see signs that her beauty was fading with age, she foolishly made a pact with some Dark God for eternal youth and beauty. But something must have gone wrong and soon afterwards, Nangalore became a darker and more dangerous place – none who visited there returned.

The General was never found, but perhaps the tale of their reunion was swallowed up by the greater events.

Ras Nsi returned to Omu at the head of a vast army of Undead. The City was sacked and for a brief time Ras Nsi ruled Omu and increased the size of his Undead Horde ready to overthrow the other Cities and declare himself Emperor of Kesh.

Some small group of heroes (names now forgotten) managed to interfere with his plans and the would-be Emperor lost control of his Undead. The Undead destroyed Omu and spread out throughout Kesh, bringing about the Fall of the Cities and Kesh descended into a millenia of Dark Ages.

Ras Nsi was thought to have died, but has returned briefly many times in the subsequent millenia – it is thought that the Serpent-Priests of the Yuan-Ti bring him back from time to time. He is sometimes referred to as “The Immortal One”.

An ancient ritual from Omu sorcerer/priests was able to place people into a death-like trance for centuries at a time. The Aarakocra have been protecting the young children of Queen Zakalore for 3,000 years. They wake for odd days and recently the spells have weakened and they wake mor frequently. The same magic may account for why Ras Nsi seems to have returned many times and why he has become more active recently.

The Princess Mwaxanare is 17. Her brother Prince Na is only 4 and was only 1 when he entered the magical slumber. The princess suspects what has been going on, as each tome she wakes the buildings are more ruined and the Queen’s Guard have changed. The prince is convinced he is really an Aarakocra, and hopes to soon develop his own wings!