Ancient Egypt

*“Great King of Night, Seker…” the fiery image of a falcon god appeared within her invisible grasp of the sun, “Hear Egypt’s pleading cry, and might you take Egypt’s enemies and drown them now and forevermore…” ―Selina Osiris, The Osiris Contract - Chapter 4*

Ancient Egypt plays a key role throughout the Shrouded Piety series, especially in The Osiris Contract, where its protagonist, Selina Osiris, hails from. Seldom does ancient Egypt appear in present form, rather it is typically presented through flashback, dream, or more simply dialogue between characters. Famously ruled by pharaohs of Egypt, much of early history revolves around the Nile River and is the place Selina had lived and served for thousands of years.

## History

### Predynastic Egypt

Considered pre-pharaonic Egypt, this era of Egyptian history is characterized by the rise of tribes and cultures, alongside the earliest pieces of religious practices. While not known for certain, it is proposed by Selina herself that this was the period she was born into. This suggestion is raised merely from the idea that Selina could not have achieved immortality without swearing eternal servitude to the pharaohs, but also that no pharaoh ever went without her by their side. This leads to a belief that she was born by the will of the gods just in time for the rise of the pharaohs.

### Dynastic Egypt

Following the unification of Egypt into a single entity, the land would be ruled over a king--Pharaoh--who had political and religious authority over their subjects. Over these thousands of years, Egypt would advance technologically, civically, religiously, and economically, becoming known for its hard agricultural labor, massive monuments, and gold.

During the days of pharaoh, Selina Osiris (then known as SAt-Wsjr) swore absolute loyalty to every pharaoh of Egypt, citing the text found in the Hall of Godcrafts that reads, 'Forever serve the King of Kings.' The exact role Selina played in every dynasty varied between king, with some merely having her around as a common servant, some assigning her as a ritualist, while others would go so far as to grant her command of soldiers. The pharaohs unanimously agreed over history that Selina would be the top magician of the land due to her proven Godcraft abilities, a role that earned her great prestige in the court.

### Biblical Intermission

*“A people cared for directly by some god should have no problem making bricks without any straw… in addition to the double work.” ―Selina Osiris, The Osiris Contract - Chapter 9*

Sometime during the days of pharaoh, great chaos was brought upon Egypt due to tension between Pharaoh and an uninvited guest from the desert. Demanding the release of his people--enslaved by Pharaoh--and threatened by the wrath of a foreign monotheistic god, Selina was called forth to end the feud. Despite Selina being the greatest magician in all of Egypt, even her Godcraft abilities were unable to match the unprecedented power of the visiting man, of which he credited to a single god. The mutual reluctance of Selina and her liege to bow to the man's demand for freed slaves would result in Egypt plunging into darkness, disease, and unspeakable destruction.

Selina, while ultimately remaining loyal to both the pharaohs and her native religion, would never again hold the same confidence in the pharaoh's role to keep Egypt stable and prosperous.

### Decline

At some point in time, Selina, while participating in the funerary ritual for a fallen pharaoh, would suddenly find herself betrayed by his succeeding son, who decided that Selina was to remain in the tomb of his father and ensure his safe passage forward beyond death. Consequentially, Selina's physical service to the pharaohs would end at once, as would her time outside of this tomb.

Pharaonic Egypt would ultimately fall going forward due to the superior numbers of foreign threats, leading directly into the Hellenization of Egypt, followed by the Christianizing of it, and finally, the Islamization of it. The last pharaoh of Egypt would be Cleopatra VII, who would die in 30 BCE. Selina would never have the chance to witness any of these events, leaving her to catch up on Egyptian events much later in the late 18th century CE.