Kemet
Structure
On some level, Kemet is both a monarchy and a theocracy, ruled by both nobility and priests. Where both halves of the Kemetan government meet lies the pharaoh. This person is considered the living incarnation of the sun god Ra, and is considered the divine ruler of all Kemet. The pharaoh is traditionally the son of the previous one.
On the secular side of Kemetan society, communities are ruled by noble houses. Power is passed down based on bloodlines, traditionally to a male heir, but this is not required. These houses have a strict hierarchy among themselves to denote their status based on one another.
The temple rules the other side of life in Kemet. They are made up of numerous smaller cults dedicated to the various gods. The Cult of Ra is the dominant one, but the cults of Bastet, Hathor, Isis, Osiris, Anubis, Thoth, and Nepthys are also very influential. Curiously, many priests serve more than one by combining them into one, such as Amun-Ra.
Culture
Kemetan culture very heavily values law and order. This is reflected by their belief in Ma'at, both a natural order to humanoid existence and the goddess that personifies it. They believe that sins against Ma'at weigh down one's heart, eventually leading it to be potentially devoured by the monstrous Ammut if it is found to be heavier than Ma'at's feather.
Because of this, they take crime and punishment very seriously. This isn't to say that crime doesn't still happen, of course, just that it is considered to be very serious business. Kemetan criminals are a lot more likely to consider their actions than those of other lands.
Kemetans have a deep reverence for the cats they live alongside. They are seen as living symbols of the guardian goddess Bastet. In addition to their role in hunting pests, they are valued heavily for their companionship. The Kemetans are masterful breeders of cats, even creating larger breeds used as companions for hunting larger game.
Very famously, the Kemetans have a great deal of respect for the dead. They believe that on some level their dead ancestors are still around to guide them, and take great pains to ensure that they are well cared for. Grave robbery is considered one of the worst crimes in Kemetan society for this very reason.
Kemetan priests of Anubis perform elaborate rituals to ensure the remains of the dead endure for as long as possible, and families ensure the deceased is buried in as lavish a tomb as they can afford, with kings often buried in massive pyramids. Sometimes, for pharaohs and powerful priests and mages, magic is used to ensure the dead can rise as mummies to protect their burial sites.
Kemetans also value knowledge, the pursuit of which is sacred the the god Thoth. This also means that the study of wizardly magic is also considered to be a holy purpose. Mages often dedicate their magic to Thoth, Isis, or both. Many even travel abroad, especially to Polisia or Sakkal to further advance their studies.
However, despite their respect for magical research, the Kemetans despise necromancy more than all else. To work magic on the dead is seen as sacrilege of the highest order and taken with the utmost seriousness. The greatest acts of desecration are sometimes even punished by the likes of the gods: Nepthys, Osiris, Isis, and especially Anubis.
History
Kemetan legend states that when Covenant was created, the god Ptah took a more active role in creation than the others. It is said he shaped the land, itself to reflect the land the gods once ruled over, and that the god Hapi created the River Sebt to bring life to the land, itself and to the people that would one day call it home.
The story goes that the first people the gods brought to the land fell under the power of Sekhmet, and fought against one another. The gods were able to make Sekhmet sleep, but the people kept on fighting. Fearing they would all die, Ra put part of his power into one mortal man, Hatemmaten I-- in some ways, an incarnation of Ra on Covenant.
With his divine authority, he was able to unite the warring factions of ancient Kemet and was crowned the first pharaoh. Little by little, he created Kemetan civilization as it is has always been. The organization of the nobility and temples were set up in their current form by Hatemmaten, and he created a dynasty that lasted for centuries.
Minor conflicts came and went, some internal power struggles and others were the rare conflicts between the Kemetans and those of other lands. Dynasties rose and fell, but overall life in among the Kemetan sands remained mostly static for quite some time.
This changed when another invasion came to Kemet-- an invasion that was quite unlike any they had ever faced, heralded by the Wild Hunt. These creatures appeared in none of their legends and from nowhere they knew of. They enslaved the minds of those who opposed them. Armies that marched against them ended up under the thrall of these foul creatures.
These monsters, later called mind flayers, swept across the land taking one community after another. The battle seemed hopeless, but the youngest son of the pharaoh, Amaunotep, a mage-priest of Anubis marked as a hero had a plan. Because the mind flayers couldn't control the dead, they would fight for Kemet.
Amaunotep used his power to raise the dead under his command. He marched on the territory held by the mind flayers, and managed to win the first battles against them. Over time, his army only grew from the bodies of the slain thralls. In the end, all land taken by the beasts were reclaimed, and the creatures themselves were gone.
Victorious, Amaunotep returned his legion to death. In the end, though, his victory was tainted in the eyes of his people. He may have saved his people, but he had defiled the sacred dead to do it. This was the utmost sacrilege against Anubis, the god he served. In response, he cursed Amaunotep to become something neither alive nor dead-- to exist for all eternity.
Kemet had never faced a threat quite like the mind flayers again. The people of Kemet rebuilt their lives, never forgetting the evils of the invaders or of the Forsaken Prince that defeated them. Stories are told of the horrors of both, meant to scare children into obedience.
Demography and Population
For the most part, the followers of the gods of Covenant are human. As such, most of the population of Covenant are also human. Kemet is no exception to this. However, there is also a high population of the cat-like tabaxi here. They were said to have been brought by the feline guardian goddess Bastet and are often treated with great respect.
Of the Nahrican nations, far more travelers come here than its c
counterpart Sakkal. Many of these are adventurers looking for lost treasure, scholars looking to study with Kemetans, or merchants trying to make a deal. The non-humans among these are mostly minotaurs from Sakkal and Polisia or the rare Polisian half-nymph.
Territories
Military
Due the Kemet's generally peaceful nature, its people place less emphasis on martial might than in other places. It does, however, have a professional military. This force, meant for the protection of the Kemetan people, is actually an arm of the temple of Bastet. Plenty of warriors in the Kemetan army worship the brutal Sekhmet instead, however.
Like the military of Sakkal, the warriors of Kemet are often lightly armored due to the incredible heat of their desert home. They prefer to wield spears with light shields, as well as strange curved blades known as kopesh. They are trained to fight in concert, but not to the extent that the Polisian hoplites are.
These forces are often supplemented with divine magic, almost all from priests of Bastet, although occasionally from priests of Sekhmet. Military applications for arcane magic are rare, as the Kemetans see mages as scholars as opposed to weapons of war, such as in places like Aresene.
Foreign Relations
Overall, the Kemetans are mostly a peaceful people, as such they almost never start wars with anyone. Due to their location in the deep desert, few are willing to fight them, either. They have fought wars with Sakkal, but these are both few and quite short.
Overall, they have close diplomatic ties with both Polisia and Sakkal. This is occasionally made more complicated by their wars with one another. Still, the Kemetans don't get involved in these conflicts, even despite the occasional requests from both sides.
Agriculture & Industry
The regular flooding of the River Sebt has left the soil of the riverbank incredibly rich, making agriculture especially profitable. Grains are most common, and serve as a staple of the Kemetan diet, used for bread and beer. Some places are also suitable for the growing of grapes, both for eating and wine-making. Herding is less common here due to a lack of land for pastures.
Metal is mostly uncommon here due to the terrain, thus, the raw materials here come from elsewhere and metalwork is generally of lower quality than many other places. The river does provide the Kemetans with gold and gems, which they use to make ornamental pieces, such as gold and jewelry, including elaborate crowns for the kingdom's nobility.
Trade & Transport
In a lot of ways, Kemet lives on trade-- a source for things they can't get in their desert home. Their main trading partners are also their closest diplomatic partners, Sakkal and Polisia. They also occasionally trade with the people of Acitern, Jiayuan, and the far-ranging traders from Bjornland.
Most of what they export are gold and gems, but they also occasionally ship grain, beer, and spices elsewhere, as well. They mostly import necessary raw materials such as metal and wood, as well as some luxuries like Jiayuanese silk and spices or Bjornlander ivory.
Infrastructure
The Sebt is in many ways the lifeblood of Kemet. The gentle current of the river flows one way, and the prevailing winds go the other. This makes it easy to travel both ways up and down the river, connecting Kemet with itself and with the rest of the world through the ocean.
The communities by the river range in size from huge cities like Samaphis to small farming villages. These are normally created of a sandstone-like plaster. Larger, more important structures like palaces and temples are made directly of sandstone. The most famous of these structures are the vast pyramids that serve as the tombs of the pharaohs.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
