Amen Heqet

Amen Heqet is a man of grand ambitions, superior military cunning, and unfathomable cruelty. Amen has been described as a being who will do anything to accomplish his goals, no matter what the cost has to be, or who needs to be sacrificed. Originally a mere king of the spat-upon-kingdom of Khemriq, a desert nation with little justification for its existence, long since having lost the glory that they once held. At a young age, during his priest training, Amen received a vision from the gods, a vision which said that he would come to rule all of the known world. Shortly after having revealed this destiny to those closest to him, his father dictated that, against tradition, that he would receive the crown upon his passing, making Amen the king instead of making his second-born daughter the queen. The populace was angered, little to Ra's concern as he was going to crown the king which will rule a world.
Fate seemed inclined to test his resolve and strength, however. It was not long before Amen was struck with a sickness of an unknown origin, threatening his life. Slowly losing his grip upon his mortal coil, Amen feared that he would never get to fulfill his purpose. In an act of desperation to save his son, Ra brought his most powerful and wisest priests in an effort to save him. A ritual was conceived to sacrifice the life of Amen's sister in order to bestow her life-force into Amen. It worked, and he was cured of his disease but left unaware of the fate of his beloved little sister. Then upon an ordinary evening, he discovered himself in the body of someone else: his sister. Confused and afraid, he went out to seek his family in hope of an explanation. When he found them he also found the withered corpse of his young sister. Angered and disgusted by the reveal of her fate, he struck down his father in vengeance and assumed the throne, much to the appeasement of his people. Now he rules with a strong yet occasionally compassionate hand of iron, and few have dared to question his rule, much less oppose him.
== Appearance ==
== Personality ==
== History ==
Ever since birth, Amen Heqet has been marked for greatness. Born on the eve of the passing of the "Tail of Magna", a comet of great religious importance to the people of Khemriq, it was told that he had been blessed by Magna, the patron god of the nation. His family saw this as a sign that he should be the king to come, but with the protests of the people and the priesthood, they decided against it. Inevitably, Amen would be trained for the role of Lich Priest, the continentally adored and accepted church of priests who tended to the gods' temples and saw to the ceremonial burials of the regents and richest of nobles, and far humbler burials for the common people. An honor to be sure, but Amen always had the feeling that it was not his place to be here. All the same, he would obey tradition and adhere to the gods' law and fulfill his tasks as a priest, something which he excelled at.
One day as he tended to the altar of Ptah, he ended up in a trance-like state. During this time he became unreachable, no matter the stimulation they instilled upon him, they could not snap him out of it. On that day he witnessed something he would carry with him for the rest of his days. He saw himself wandering a wheat field of the purest gold, a field which grew around his realm of Khemriq. The image of him then took strides across the plains, and where he walked, wheat grew in his footsteps, spreading out like wildfire. He journeyed across mountains and valleys, traveling from Khemriq to Subaine, Lo-Sabere, Kopalesh and even the far distant island nation Suersha, and as he traveled these lands, his form slowly turned into that of a Phoenix, a mythical and regal creature which stands as a symbol of unparalleled majesty. He believed that it was over. The Gods could be cryptic, but his training of interpreting the gods' words allowed him to, as far as he and the other priests know, comprehend their message. He was going to bring prosperity to the continent of Hetep. But how would he do it? There is only so much one can do as a priest. As if sensing his doubt, the gods continued the vision. He saw how every banner across the continent was lowered and raised up a new on it their place: Khemriq's banner. Every man, woman, and child were wearing the Black and golden colors of Khemriq, and once it was so, the Phoenix rose in size, growing larger and larger until the span of its wings cast a shadow across the entirety of Hetep. Despite the Phoenix holding all of Hetep caught in its shade, it did not cease its growth. Before long, the majestic avian had grown so much that it would embrace the world in the confines of its wingspan. At that moment, he knew what plans the gods had for him.
By the time he woke up, the sun had passed them by ten times. Sharing this revelation with his family, his father and mother were ecstatic, quickly proclaiming to the kingdom that the gods had chosen a new heir to the throne, much to their dismay as they felt that it betrayed tradition. Blinded by aspirations and hopes for the future, a fire stoked by the family, Amen began to push aside his younger sister unintentionally in an attempt to dedicate himself further to his studies of warfare, combat and how to overall govern a land. It was not until he walked upon the bulwark of his family fortress that he noticed the folly of his ways. Upon the edge of the wall stood his sister, eyes closed and hands clutched while in deep prayer. Confused at first, Amen sneaked closer to get a clearer hear. The sound horrified him. It was the Psalm of Passing Souls, a funeral prayer where one ask for the forgiveness of one's sins and actions. Darting up from behind his cover, he grabbed hold of his baby sister and hurled her back against the stone floor, keeping her safe from the steep fall. Dismayed, he shouted his shock and bewilderment at the sight of her actions. Descending into a fit of sobs, Serqet revealed her reasoning, that the distance Amen put between him and her with all his work was the cause. Not simply the distance they suddenly had because of his vision, but that she would now take his place as a lich priest. Fearful of what was to come and without parents or brother to help her, she deemed it better to venture into the afterlife. This revelation staggered Amen, disgusted with himself for having pushed her away. He then swore that he would always be there for her and that he would guide her through her trials and tribulations. With a warm and loving embrace, they returned to their quarters and would face the morrow together. However, little did they realize that Uriah, the god of the world beyond the sea and above the mountain, had been scorned, for by stopping Serqet from jumping after having finished her prayer, Amen had robbed him of a soul. And he would have his due.
The morning that followed, voe and dread had already infested the entirety of the palace, for the young prince had been struck with a disease of an unknown nature and origin. Scholars and doctors arrived within hours, doing everything in their power to mend his deteriorating state. Days passed by, and every attempt at stabilizing him ended in failure or just served to worsen his condition. After having expended all their measures, the men approached the king and said that their best hope was to approach the Priesthood to earn the favor and blessing of the gods, seeing as how he is supposedly prophecised by the gods to govern all of Hetep.
The priests quickly deduced the cause for his ailment and came with a suggestion to save him. Uriah had been denied his due, so the answer was as simple as to return that which had been denied him. The priests offered a chance to sacrifice Amen's sister and bind her life essence to his, effectively fighting of the sickness and mending his slowly withering soul, a technique taken from the Xybron in ages past but ever so more advanced than their primordial method. The father and mother proved more than willing to make this sacrifice. Over the pleading cries of the sister, as she begged to be spared this fate, her entire being was extracted from her and brought in to heal Amen.
It worked, and as he awoke a mere five hours later, he was told a story of how his sister had claimed her own life out of grief and shame, hoping that her sacrifice would appease the gods and save him. They kept him in his quarters, saying that it was meant to keep him safe until they were sure that he was cured. He obeyed, yet as night came, he found himself in an uneasy state of sleep, haunting sounds and images flooding his dormant mind as he desperately sought the embrace of the goddess of dreams. Waking up, infuriated by his unrest he lit the candles and paced the room. In the corner of his eye, he witnessed a familiar sight in the mirror. He ran over and saw the image of his dear sister Serqet, yet, as he moved, so did she. He looked down to see his form now reflecting her own. In a state of panic, he ran out and called for help. With no one around, he searched the entire castle for anything to give him an explanation. From the window of the court, he saw a group of people entering the family pyramid in silence. This struck him as odd, as burials are never a quiet moment of time, but one of open mourning and blatant sorrow. He hurried over there, making sure to keep quiet as to not disturb the ritual. The closer he got, the greater did his anxiety grow. Finally, he came out into the light as he saw his parents tending to the burial. When they tried to usher him out he witnessed what they attempted to keep concealed from him: His sister's withered corpse. Her once beautiful features, the envy of all Hetep was now nothing more than a grey husk. When the priests unveiled her true fate, he was enraged, yet tempered it with common sense and decency. He demanded the ritual to ensue. As soon as it was over and the gathering left the tomb, they were all scorched to death by radiant starfire before anyone had as much as a word uttered. Amen had taken his revenge.
The sudden transition into the crown was not an easy one, the people left enraged over what had transpired at the pyramid, Amen stood before the daunting task of soothing the minds and hearts of his subjects and get through his time of inexperience as a regent. But with the advice given by his newly appointed council as well as the ceaseless guidance of the gods, he managed to get through its early months. He would proceed to spend his next five years of regency to shape up a stable government with a happy populace, as well as start making a family, eventually making a wife of a Xybron outcast by the name of Sairysa, even conceiving a son through their marriage. He accomplished this by constructing a multitude of temples, pyramids, shrines, and statues in the honor of the gods, hoping that this would bestow him the boon and favor of the otherworldly beings. When this did not seem enough to them, he took the step beyond that. In ages past, before the order of the priesthood was conceived, the firstborn of the noble families would be sacrificed to the gods. It became an outdated practice, but not wanting to wait for his son to grow up, he put him to the blade. This action caused their great river to overflow for the first time in hundreds of years, crops to grow aplenty, cattle to swell in numbers, and with such a well standing position of abundance, he could focus so much more of his attention on military expansion. Amen would train alongside his regiments of soldiers, inspiring them and encouraging them to work better and harder. While his wife took off, little to his surprise, he had now raised his kingdom from the dunes into a status of true magnificence. He was now ready to take Hetep for his own.
Truly it was believed by the people that his conquest was one blessed and favored by the gods on high, for no other could have succeeded in his stead. Through superior strategy, numbers, and leadership, the whole of Hetep would soon bow down to his rule, in his eyes, fulfilling his destiny of claiming the world for his own. His banners were raised throughout the continent and his crown and majesty was the only one which mattered. It had taken him a mere ten years to win, a true testament to how he was favored. Yet, the weight of the lives claimed had begun to take their toll on the Pharaoh, feeling shame over the countless lives lost to his crusade, but he still managed to find an amount of peace with the knowledge that the continent was now united, standing together stronger than ever. He worked diligently to improve the lives of his subjects, to make sure that they were content and happy with their lives, as to discourage rebellions and ensure no more would have their lifespans cut short.
Then came the night which shattered the great pharaoh. The gods appeared before him in his dream, praising him for his work and successes, but they made sure to let him know that his task was not completed. Amen was confounded by their words, for Hetep was conquered, what more was there to take. That was when the gods revealed to him that there was more land to be claimed beyond the sea. Ashvattha awaited his arrival. Even if just a glimpse, Amen could well see the inhabitants of the land. Prosperous and happy. Feeling the weight of the war burdening his heart, he turned to the gods with the simple question of why he should do this. His people were happy, they stood strong, perhaps stronger than anyone else. Why risk all of this just for a couple more countries to add to the roster? Their answer proved simple: For it would please us. Amen felt heavy at their words, asking in return if that was all he was here for. To serve them? Their response was a dry one: We put you on this earth for a purpose. We expect you to fulfill it. Amen woke up with tears still stinging his eyes. All he had done and all that which he had accomplished, it was just not enough for them. The burden felt like a mountain upon his back, feeling the regret and shame of his deeds. All he and his family had given up. The life of his beloved sister, his marriage, a hundred thousand lives, his very own son, all put to the torch of the gods' brazier. It is said that he wept for a fortnight after that. How would he ever redeem himself from this?
== Equipment ==
== Magic and Abilities ==
== Trivia ==