Khemet

in: Races

## Introduction

Khemet is home to a people often based within a desert with a large river giving access to the sea. They thrive through trade and commerce, fishing, farming and revere the river that their entire culture survives on as a gift from their Gods. They’re led by a Pharaoh who rules through divine will, often associated with their Sun God, Pra (Solinarium).

## The Basics

* **Other Names:** Khemetan, Khemetian
* **Appearance:** The Khemet people range from lightly tanned, with olive complexions to very tanned and dark skin. It is not uncommon to see people in Khemet without hair, as often they shave their heads and elect to wear custom wigs. Kohl used around the eyes and heavy pastels on the lips is a common practice to accentuate their appearances. Hair colors typically fall in the black, brown or other darker shades of color.
* **Lifespan**: 75 Years
* **Height:** 170 cm (5'7") - 190 cm (6'3")
* **Regions Found:** Khemet and outlying regions surrounding it, Jaziran regions, White Thorns, Salvador and Nocturnum, usually as a result of trade and commerce.
* **Culture:** Khemet has a heavy influence derived from Ancient Egypt. They’re a people with an emphasis on divinity, cleanliness, commerce and trade. They revere the land around them, especially the river, as it serves as the main point of sustenance for Khemet and is believed to be a gift from the gods.
* **Common Character Roles:** Priests, Commoner, Trader, Cultist
* **Common Allies:** They are known to be friendly to any civilized faction barring active enemy factions. Arai are held in among the highest regards by those who follow Bast.
* **Common Enemies:** Orudei, Lóng-Qīn, Nihon, Centari are their primary foes with barbaric deemed races being secondary enemies.
* **Architecture:** Khemet’s people often live in a mixture of simple structures of painted stone as well as towering palaces. In ages past, pyramids have been constructed in varying sizes though most have been lost to time. They use the environment around them, primarily large stones and import wood from other regions as needed.
* **Religion:** Khemet is currently in a time of strife when it comes to their religious practices. The people of Khemet are polytheistic and worship a pantheon, with the Sun God, Pra (Solanarium), and Bast at the forefront. Bast is also held in very high and equal regard because it is believed both she and Pra are entwined in an unbreakable partnership. Pra stands tall, and Bast beside him as a Guardian to the Sun God. Men look to Pra as a warrior God and a symbol of strength and prowess, while the women seek to emulate Bast through cunning, beauty and grace.
* **Views on Magic:** Magic that is not of a dark nature is held in a form of reverence by the populace of Khemet. Its practice is expected of royalty and the priesthood, but not by the general population. Though the people of the common caste can and do practice magic, it is done so in secret. It is a fear among the everyday citizens of Khemet that the practice of magic by those outside of the priesthood and the royal court brings swift and violent retribution on the families and friends of those who wield it. The reasoning is simple -- the Priesthood specifically have been known to regard the use of magic by the common man as a direct challenge to their own influence and authority which usually leads to a sudden disappearance of an entire family and practitioner.
* **Quirks:** The people of Khemet have plenty of disdain towards others. To note, they absolutely detest barbaric behaviors. While it sounds simple in concept, it can be anything they attribute as not aligning with their own beliefs to be a ‘savage’ or ‘barbaric’ ordeal. Additionally, as they are a very clean people, filth and everything that can fall under such a label is a surefire way to earn the ire of a Khemetian. Pride is something Khemet has in surplus and those who have come from foreign kingdoms with aspirations of subjugating the Khemetian people are quickly run off if not killed. If a person of Khemet turns their back on their people, their beliefs or goes abroad, they are regarded as lost souls doomed to never knowing eternity.

## Appearance

The Khemet people range from lightly tanned, with olive complexions to very tanned and dark skin. It is not uncommon to see people in Khemet without hair, as often they shave their heads and elect to wear custom wigs. Kohl used around the eyes and heavy pastels on the lips is a common practice to accentuate their appearances. Hair colors typically fall in the black, brown or other darker shades of color. A fair haired Khemetian is always presumed to be an impersonator or of mixed lineage. The colors of their eyes have been known to range from black to browns with some lighter variations. On rare occasions, their eyes could even be green or perceived gold.

Of all the various eye colors in the world, the people of Khemet perceive those rare few with gold eyes to be either a sign of a pure bloodline or someone touched or blessed by Bast.

Though most Khemetians are of a strong, lean build, there are exceptions with the outliers often enjoying the finer things in life to excess, with little work of their own to keep themselves in shape. Overall, they are proud, enduring and intelligent people, gifted in both mind and body.

The women are lithe and graceful. Appearances matter and they, more so than most, ensure they look their best at all times so as to not bring embarrassment upon themselves or those they associate with. Clothing in Khemet is minimalistic in design, though heavily differs from one caste to the next.

It is a consistent sight to witness many of lower castes to simply wear a loincloth and little else, or sheer clothing and ornate jewelry around the forms of one of higher standing. Jewelry and other elaborate accessories are often worn to denote status and to stand out from one another.

Most tend to perform their tasks in the nude unless the need to cover up is prevalent.

## History & Culture

### Culture

#### *Hygiene*

If there is one thing that all people of Khemet agree on, it is that hygiene is a non-negotiable expectation. There is a great sense of shame and embarrassment for a Khemetian who is unclean. This can be, but not limited to, signs of dirt and grime, an unshaven presentation of self, smeared kohl or other make up and even a faint stench of body odor.

#### *Marriage*

Marriage in Khemet is a tradition that has survived the test of time and continues, to this day, for a myriad of reasons. Some are done for gain, others desire. It is a traditional affair often finalized aboard a custom boat on the sacred river that maintains the Khemetian people’s livelihoods. It is a symbolic affair and taken very seriously. As such, with this in mind, a couple bound for marriage are sent before the various temples in Khemet to obtain the blessings of the High Priests, their Gods and Goddesses and to seek protection during the ceremony. The river is a dangerous place at times and any mishaps on the river during a wedding ceremony are often reasoned as divine intervention.

#### *Sense of Identity*

Another unique behavior of Khemet is the people’s jealous, fanatical approach to safeguard their true names and prevent the discovery of them. It is a practice done by all Khemetians to employ the use of a nickname throughout their entire lives. They believe that knowledge of one’s true name gives others mystical powers over the individual, and the use of a false name protects them from magical manipulation. This is not a practice exclusive to the masses as even the Pharaoh takes a new name upon their ascension to the throne.

#### *Preservation of Khemet*

Khemet lives and dies by life on the river. Trade and commerce, farming, fishing are all prominent and vital roles for the people of Khemet to survive. They believe the river is a gift from Pra and maintained by Bast. There is a practice of building within a day's walk of the river but to build on the river itself is to risk the ire of Bast.

## Government

In a traditional setting, Khemet was led by a King, later dubbed a Pharaoh. They’re considered to rule by divine will, and have often associated their ‘ascension’ to the Sun God, Pra (Solanarium). The periods of Khemet’s past are shrouded in mystery and hearsay, often hinting towards periods of internal strife before a new dynasty took over. Khemet’s laws have always been enforced through the presence of a strong military force, often nicknamed the Pharaoh's Royal Guard. Though this army is not one to seek conquest beyond its own immediate neighbors in times past, it has often been regarded as a formidable force in its own right -- especially so when challenged in the defense of their homeland and their Pharaoh. Currently, Khemet follows a theocratic style of government with the direct descendant of Anippe, the first female Pharaoh, sitting at the top. Despite being a woman, she, like past Pharaohs, was believed by the masses to be a divine figure, and the living embodiment of their Sun God. But life in Khemet is hardly so simple, even for a Pharaoh. In her stead, generations later, sits Sekhet, the current reigning Pharaoh and the Queen of Khemet.

While they live in one city, Khaa, they are rivaled in power and influence by the Priests of Pra and by extension, the secret Priests of Sopeth, often dubbed a cult in trusted company, who reside in Nubait. It’s a tenuous time of leadership in Khemet and the masses are split in their loyalties. While the Pharaoh represents the perfect embodiment of what is to be a citizen of Khemet, the Cult of Sopeth quietly offers compelling arguments through manipulation, intrigue, and other dark acts through a network of spies and agents.

## Religion

Khemet is currently in a time of strife when it comes to their religious practices.

The people of Khemet are polytheistic and worship a pantheon, with the Sun God, Pra (Solanarium), and Bast at the forefront. Bast is also held in very high and equal regard because it is believed both she and Pra are entwined in an unbreakable partnership. Pra stands tall, and Bast beside him as a Guardian to the Sun God. Men look to Pra as a warrior God and a symbol of strength and prowess, while the women seek to emulate Bast through cunning, beauty and grace.

This pantheon was much larger in days past, but years of strife have left many Temples, who's original deities are unknown, in ruins. Spearheading worship is the Priesthood of Pra. Though they give praise to the Sun God, they, too, are riddled with corruption. Within their ranks, a secret sub-sect has brought forth quiet worship of Sopeth, a dark and mysterious serpentine deity, whose face is always depicted as shrouded in shadows.

It is an unspoken rule that Priesthood are the ones who wield true power, for their reach extends beyond their city of Nubait and into every corner of Khemet. Some would call them sorcerers and sorceresses of the vilest nature, but any who have spoken out openly against them are swiftly silenced.

The Priesthood is divided into three sects, one for Pra, a second for Bast and a final, secret one for Sopeth. Each with their own High Priest and Priestess, and a slew of acolytes beneath them to do their bidding. It’s suggested that this split came about as a result of different interpretations of their deity’s importance over the others and their respective wills.

Competition for rank and favor among the acolytes of Sopeth is fierce and cut throat, for the priesthood believes that the path to power must be paved in blood. The acolytes of Pra and Bast show far more compassion and adhere to a pre-established hierarchy within their respective temples.

Practices of sacrifice, bloodletting, deception and displays of cunning are all praised among the Sopeth Priesthood. It’s a direct practice of a twisted belief that only those who survive such plots are meant to live by divine will.

These differing factions within the Priesthood are often perceived as working together towards the same goal by the common folk, yet that could not be further from the truth. While there have been rare instances where the religious leaders have agreed on matters both political and religious, more often than not they are constantly seeking to undermine one another by setting their acolytes against each other and using any means necessary. Some whisper that this struggle for power is a blessing, perhaps even intended by forces unseen, keeping the Priests from joining as one unstoppable force of reckoning.

In more recent times, a new practice has arisen. It is exclusive to followers of Sopeth and includes the sacrifice and killing of Bast's favored children -- the Miut. This is perceived as a direct challenge to the worshipers of Bast, and by extension, Pra, and indeed all of Khemet. The Cult of Sopeth, deemed a heretical influence in the eyes of the Priesthood, believes that there is only the One, and that the worship of the Pantheon must be set aside. Could it be that this is the unseen force lurking in the shadows, attempting to sway and topple the temples and those who profit from them? Or is this the spark that will finally unite all of Khemet in one way or another? Only one thing is certain: The years of peace of prosperity Khemet has blossomed under are now under threat of revolution and dissension from within.

The priesthoods include both men and women without notable difference in their roles and have ranked hierarchies of members within Khemet. Theoretically any member has a chance of rising to the highest and most prestigious positions within the temple hierarchy, but in practice it is nearly always the spare sons and daughters of the nobility which fill out the most prestigious positions. These are usually second, third or later children who would otherwise not stand to inherit much from their parents.

Lowest are the temple novices, who are usually young men or women tasked with the least desirable and most labor intensive upkeep of the temples. They clean the floors, cook the meals, and spend much of their days studying the scrolls of their god and observing more senior priests performing rites.

Next are the fully ordained and acknowledged priests of the order. This is a broad category and encompasses a number of individual positions, and some priests are responsible for only a limited scope of duties within a large temple while others might maintain a small shrine all to themselves. Some duties within a large temple are seen as more prestigious than others, and while those priests may technically be equal in rank, their difference in prestige is noted.

Higher than the priests are the high priests and priestesses, responsible for maintaining large temples or sites of incredible importance to the faith. They not only hold authority over the lower priests but are also responsible for conducting the most important rituals personally, or sometimes for conducting more routine rituals for particularly esteemed temple-goers. They have wealth and power at this point comparable to the lower nobility.

The only members of priesthoods who outrank the high priests are those figures of singular authority or special position, such as the Pharaoh’s personal high priest who may be responsible for conducting rituals which might have an effect on the whole nation or a member of the royal family. Sometimes certain high priests are also seen as regional leaders of the faith, usually those which hold sway over particularly important temples such as those that double as the tombs of legendary pharaohs.

## Cult of Sopeth

Like most deities, Sopeth has his followers. They are known as the Cult of Sopeth, ghosts to those who have famed them for their elusive secret society. Though their practices are ultimately unknown to the masses, word has slipped free recently of their secretive nature and wicked acts making its way to the public ear.