Barkhûshim

The Barkhûshim, often called the Cult of the All-seeing, are a militant religious cult devoted to Barkhûsh, He-Who-Sees-All. They emerged as a powerful force in the Ikorbân Valley and throughout during the later Third Age, where they became both a religious movement and a political power aligned with the southern empire of Ordâkh. Their rise transformed the spiritual life of Shagâna and led to a long period of conflict with the native traditions of the Ikorbâni people.

The Barkhûshim preach the supremacy of Barkhûsh and reject the older religious practices of the valley, especially the worship of Írmu Who Weeps, a deity whose cult had long been tied to the rivers, marshes, and communal identity of the Ikorbâni. Their influence was spread through missionaries, merchants, and political allies from Ordâkh, gradually gaining followers even before Shagâna fell under imperial domination. Over time the Barkhûshim came to present themselves as defenders of order and unity amid the political fragmentation that followed the Madâr and the decline of the Shârate of Hamât.

Their ascendancy culminated during the period remembered as the Time of Pyres, when the Barkhûshim and their allies suppressed the cult of Írmu and other local traditions. Shrines were destroyed, sacred groves were burned, and priests and followers were publicly executed. These persecutions, often carried out with the sanction of Ordâkhai governors, aimed to eradicate the older faiths and establish the worship of Barkhûsh as the dominant religion of the valley. The campaign left a lasting mark on Ikorbâni memory and reshaped the religious landscape of Shagâna for generations.

Even after the fall of Sauron, the Barkhûshim remain an organized and militant order. They maintain fortified positions and strongholds across the region, including the fortress of Dûl Zidur in Imhûlar, which serves as a rallying point for their followers in the Valley of Ikorbân. From such bases they conduct raids, gather relics associated with their fallen lord, and attempt to destroy historical records and artifacts that preserve the memory of earlier traditions. Their leadership includes priests, sorcerers, champions, and high-guards who enforce the will of the cult and command its forces in battle.

The Barkhûshim are also involved in repeated conflicts with the defenders of Renewed Hamât. They occupy and fortify cities such as Kûr Anzar, construct siege engines to attack rival settlements like Urmâkh, and attempt to reclaim territories lost to their enemies. Leaders within the cult, including figures such as Rokóbu, Usóhi, and Katrakhi Mâta, command their forces in these struggles. Their followers are encountered as warriors and spellcasters, champions, skirmishers, priests, and sorcerers, who fight in the name of Barkhûsh and the All-seeing order.

Despite their power, the Barkhûshim face increasing resistance from the people of Renewed Hamât and the Ikorbân Valley. Efforts to recover stolen artifacts, sabotage their war engines, and retake occupied cities mark the gradual pushback against their influence. The conflict between the Barkhûshim and the defenders of the valley becomes one of the defining struggles of the region, entwining religious ideology and political ambition.