Rehema

The Early Years

Rehema was born in Illpret on the coast of the Ruby Sea. Her father was a local Waeb of the town. Her mother was a Westerner travelling south from the Sea of Baal. Rehema enjoyed being on the beach, collecting seashells as her father fished and her mother played the lute. Picnics like this were a common practice to get away from the village for a time. And in the evenings as her mother cooked or smoked the fish, her father told her stories of the constellations and of the gods. Sometimes her mother would chime in on stories of constellations just below the horizon. While they enjoyed their life in Illpret, the villagers had questioned why he married her and practice some of her western traditions. Khemit was already a mixed pot of Hyborian and Southern Lybnios ethnicities and cultures. Slavery was abolished well over three hundred years ago after the Hyborian occupation, yet still any one different had subconscious negative connotations of stranger and enemy. Rehema's rare green eyes made her a target in a sea of brown. Her mother's garden and occasional food dishes didn't earn her any boons either in a small town of Empirical fish and chips.

Who plants such strange weeds in their garden? And the smells

— Gossiping Comments

By age 16, she followed her father into the religious practice as a Hem-netjer and was a good musician with the Lute. Her mother tried to teach Rehema some songs, but she refused to play them outside in public, not wanting to alienate the few friends she found through the temple. Two years later, she showed talent (good Ka energy) and became a Waeb and her father was promoted to Lector Waeb of Illpret. Even with all the good fortune, there was talk from the village elders. Rehema gained respect of the dozen hem-netjer at Illpret, but the elders thought she would influence them with her mother's ideals. It was such an odd notion that Rehema's father worried for her growth, if even the elders talk like this. He decided to send Rehema to Baqi; a much larger town and her "uniqueness" would blend in with the rest of the city. with papers in hand and a traveller pack filled with dishes cooked by her mother, she set off to Baqi.

Intermediate Years

by Midjourney

When she arrived in Baqi, she encountered Pip Ahmed while registering herself and offering her father's recommendation to the Elders of Baqi. Pip was there looking for help in identifying some herbal scrolls. As fate would have it, she not only could identify the plant, but could read how it was to be prepared. Pip then showed her where to find the Ceresepeion of Baqi to deliver her letter to the First Prophet. At the gates of the temple, the Katapesh didn't give Rehema a second glance as she entered, but did watch Pip closely. This was a refereshing turn of events that she wasn't the focus. In the office of the First Prophet, she met First Prophet Merce and Lector Abdelraham. While Merce only glanced over the letter and accepted Rehema as just another waeb from a small town. Lector however did take an interest. He saw her lute and asked her to play. He noted her talent, Prophet Merce feinted enjoyment and accepted her at the temple, cutting the interview short. As she left, Pip was waiting for her. He congratulated her on her acceptance and invited her to the fish market for lunch and meet his brother Ali Ahmed. Pip and Ali's unusual home was a converted market warehouse with a small study. There Ali sat with a stack of apothecary scrolls that Pip collected and attempted to translate. Rehema noted that some of them should be in the Temple of Ceres as they have a watermark or stamp of Ceres.

You are correct of course Rehema. I have found these within the black market or sold by the elders in villages too small for a whole temple. I do request that we make copies of them before returning them to the Ceresepeion and avoid mentioning myself or Ali. None of the First Prophets like our curiosity in the antiquities

— Ali Ahmed

After helping translate them, Ali graciously handed them over to Rehema to donate to the Ceresepeion, thus beginning a long frendship with the Ahmed brothers. In her return, she found Lector Abdelraham's office and present him the stack of scrolls. He was suprised by the donation and couldn't help but ask questions on where she obtained them. At the mention of Ali, he recognized the name, telling her that the Ahmed brothers have been an annoyance to all the First Prophets over the years, but they mean well.

He then shows her around the Ceresepion. While the Ceresepeion in Illpret is nice and functional, the Ceresepeion of Baqi is grander, with a much larger herbal garden; one of the largest in Khemit. It also has one of the few buildings where the waeb could perform surgery. In the garden Lector requested Rehema to play again, though this time he asked for a different song; one that her mother taught her. She played the song beuatifully within the garden. He then told her, that her father also sent him a letter and that here, she should not be afraid of being herself. She then began her new life as a waeb of Baqi.
Under the Tutelage of Lector Abdelraham of The Ceresepeion of Baqi, she found a vast amount of material to learn. Abdelraham found that Rehema had a knack for study and allowed her access to the Old scripture held within the temple itself.

The Ceres temple of Baqi is one of the oldest temples. Here in the twilight Library are Ceres' oldest scripture and rituals. See how much the Demotic script differs from the Coptic script?

— Lector Abdelraham

Rehema was very astute in her observations. Much of the written works related to Ceres has been damaged. What has been pieced together are scrolls related to prayers and rituals. What pieces exist to be translated sound fairly close to current practices. Nothing else remains prior to the Hyborian Occupation. And this is the whole issue when studying any works that are more than three thousand years old. The biggest omision has been that there isn't anything outside the religious scripture; no temple life, no financials, not even who the lector waebs were back then. Lector Abdelraham got reprimanded for allowing a novice waeb access to the Twilight library, but continued to bring books to her to read.
One evening Lector had a discussion on the holy symbol of Ceres and what it represents. He then opened a box and showed her another holy symbol. it looks like Ceres, but much heavier and with a blue gemstone for the eye.

What you hold in your hand is the oldest holy symbol in Ceres' collection.

— Lector Abdelraham

It's more than that isn't it? I can feel there is Magic within, not just the divine blessings on our own

— Rehema

Later in the month, Rehema was at the fish market with Pip, when she noticed the Lector out in an unusual trip outside of the temple being accosted by ruffians. They were able to defend Abdelraham. After some other incidents and discussions with the First Prophet, Lector Abdelraham retired as Lector in Baqi. Before leaving, he passed on an amulet of the Erudic Eye, the holy symbol of Ceres to Rehema.

Take extra care of this relic. Show it to no one of the Order of Ceres. Trust even fewer to it's existence.

— Lector Abdelraham

The celebration at the temple was tearful with almost half a century practicing and teaching at the Baqi temple of Ceres. There was one more surprise in store however. instead of a Wa'eb being promoted to Lector at Baqi, First Prophet sent a Gaffe to oversee the worship and pilgrimage to Baqi. This put an end to any access Rehema had of the Twilight Library and enforced duties of waeb by the First Prophet, that kept her very busy.

Species

Human

Date of Birth

10 Tybi, 3012

Year of Birth

3012 20 Years old

Sex

Female

Eyes

green

Hair

long dark brown hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

pale

Belief/Deity

Ceres