Samaphis
Demographics
Unsurprisingly, most of the population of Samaphis is human, much like Covenant overall. In line with the rest of Kemet, tabaxi make up the next highest population. Indeed, the city has the highest population of tabaxi in Covenant. Only the city of Teotlticlan in Cipactli has a similarly high proportion of cat-folk citizens.
Most travelers found here are merchants, mostly from Sakkal and Polisia. While these tend to be human, some are also minotaurs. Other merchants occasionally come from Jiayuan or Bjornland, but these are quite rare. Adventurers often flock to Samaphis in search of lost treasure, but tend to be disliked due to local taboos against grave robbing.
Government
As the Kemetan capital, Samaphis is home to the pharaoh and is technically under his rule. While his word is divine law, most of the actual work of ruling the city is done by the heads of a pair of noble houses. One of these nobles rules the city on the west side of the river, and the other rules the east side.
Religion also plays a large role in the day-to-day ruling of the city. The church of Ra has the most political influence. However, the church of the goddess Ma'at plays a more direct part in the lives of the people of Samaphis, as the guardsmen that enforce the laws answer to them.
Defences
All in all, Samaphis is poorly defended for a city of its size. It entirely lacks walls, or even watchtowers. Its main defense is its location. Any army that meant to attack would have to march through some of the harshest terrain in all of Covenant. They are more vulnerable to attack by the Sebt, but the river-- while wide-- is still narrow for a full-scale naval invasion.
A large portion of the Kemetan army is garrisoned here, but it lacks the numbers and experience of many other military forces due to the Kemetans' mostly peaceful culture. Samaphis's greatest defenses are magical. The most powerful mages and priests in Kemet make their homes in the city and are capable of defending it.
Industry & Trade
Trade, from within Kemet and without, is mostly how Samaphis stays afloat. They usually receive raw materials, like grain and gold from other places along the Sebt. These are then traded to places like Sakkal and Polisia as finished goods, usually for the likes of metal or wood.
These finished goods made in Samaphis are primarily beer and jewelry. Indeed, Kemetan jewelry is in demand in many places across Covenant due to the talents of their goldsmiths. Brewers can also make a fine living due to their beer, which is considered an exotic flavor in many other lands.
Infrastructure
Like so many communities in Kemet, Samaphis is utterly dominated by the Sebt. Between the gentle currents and prevailing winds, it is easy for boats to go up and down the river. Unlike most such communities, Samaphis is built on both sides of the river. Unfortunately, the river is too wide for a bridge to cross, so anyone crossing from one side to another needs to take a ferry.
Near both sides of the river are waterfronts and markets. Noble neighborhoods are also closer to the waterfront than they are in some other cities, owing to the greenery closer to the river. Further away, closer to the desert is home to more religious structures, such as temples or tombs.
Among the greatest buildings in Samaphis, the royal palace is on a peninsula on the northwest part of the city. An impressive temple of Ra is attached to the palace, making this one of the most important buildings in the city. On the other side of the river lies the tomb of Hatemmaten I, the largest pyramid in all of Kemet that can be seen from anywhere in the city.
History
Samaphis was among the first communities founded after humans came to Kemet. Legend has it that it was the creator god Ptah that laid the first stones, but this is simply folklore. Even the church of Ptah doesn't spread this story as a part of its doctrine.
After its founding, Samaphis grew very organically, quickly establishing itself as a powerful force in Kemet. During this period in the nation's history, warring factions under the influence of the goddess Sekhmet tried to conquer all of Kemet, and they knew full well that they would need to take Samaphis to do it.
The conflict ended when a man chosen by Ra, himself met with the people and convinced them to unite. This man was crowned the first pharaoh, Hatemmaten I. He was worshipped as a god, and used this divine authority to build the organizations that make Kemet what it is.
Dynasties rose and fell, and the influence of many pharaohs were ultimately fleeting. The most important figure born of the pharaohs was the youngest son of the pharaoh Atensenaten IV, the hero Amaunotep. Far from inheriting the throne, he instead became a mage-priest in the service of Anubis.
During this time, smaller communities across Kemet were under attack by otherworldly creatures known as mind flayers. They enslaved the minds of the Kemetan people, and everyone knew they were gathering their forces. It was only a matter of time before they marched their thralls on Samaphis.
Amaunotep had a plan that he knew could stop the mind flayers before they reached the city. He raised the dead in the tombs outside the city and commanded them to march against these thralls. He did succeed in protecting Samaphis, but he was exiled from the city for his sacrilege, and later cursed by Anubis.
Architecture
The building materials used in Samaphis are very similar to those used in Sakkalan cities, like Enkidd. Buildings are primarily made of sandstone or a plaster that is very similar to it. Most buildings are similar in structure as well, typically simple structures with flat roofs.
More upper-class structures such as mansions and temples tend to use a lot of columns, and open-air courtyards, giving them an almost Polisian look. The city is decorated by numerous statues, as well as obelisks showing religious scenes and bearing poetic inscriptions. While many associate Kemet with pyramids, only the tomb of Hatemmaten I is in Samaphis, while the rest are built away from civilization.
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