Court of Jackals

The Court of Jackals is the formal name for the royal court of Cleopatra XXII, the current Ordained Queen of Aegyptus. It is comprised entirely of members who are part of the royal family of Egypt (though many are only distantly related). As members of the royal family, they all possess inborn magical ability to a lesser or greater extent (although many are only capable of the barest arcane manipulations). Many believe that the Court and its Queen have maintained their iron-clad control of Aegyptus under the Roman Empire, not so much because of the Imperial Legions, but because the of the Court's strength with magic. The royal family is large, and consequently, the Court of Jackals has many members. Note: Since Aegyptus was conquered by unknown enemies in AUC 2099, all communication between the Empire and the Court has been cut off. No one knows if the Queen is still alive, nor any members of the Court, nor whether they are in any position of authority at this time.

Structure

The Court of Jackals answers to only one person: the Ordained Queen of Egypt (Regina Aegypti). This Queen traces her line of descent directly from Cleopatra VII, the first Ordained Queen. The Ordained Queen is the eldest daughter of Cleopatra VII's bloodline, and is usually named either Cleopatra or Benerika, although other names are sometimes chosen. The Ordained Queen must marry a relative of the royal family -- usually a cousin. This relative is the Prince Consort of Jackals, and is the highest officer under the Queen in the Court of Jackals. The remaining members of the royal family make up the rest of the Court of Jackals. Rank is determined by nearness of blood relation to the reigning Ordained Queen, with nearer relatives (e.g., siblings) holding higher rank than more distant ones (e.g., third cousins). They are known as Lords and Ladies of Jackals, Knaves of Jackals, and so forth.

Public Agenda

The Court of Jackals serves to advise the Ordained Queen of Egypt in matters of state. Its goal is to further the wishes of the Queen, protect Egypt from external threats, and preserve positive diplomatic relations with the Roman Empire. The Court also seeks the destruction of the shadow organization known as the Court of Scarabs, which seeks to depose the Queen and gain independence Egypt's independence from Rome.

History

The Court of Jackals has existed for many centuries. It traces its origins back to Amenhotep IV, who fell in love with and married a peasant girl named Nefertiti. The new Queen shocked many at court with her brazen displays of magic, which were rare in those days for any, and particularly with the fact that she could summon arcane powers without any apparent training, study, or discipline. Many believed that Nefertiti had used her powers to bewitch Amenhotep, although this was, of course, never proven, and the Pharaoh would hear no word against her. They had six children, all of whom exhibited Nefertiti's innate abilities with magic. Over the years, perhaps due to the Egyptian tradition of incestuous marriages among royals (especially brothers marrying sisters), the power of innate magic spread throughout the ruling dynasty until inborn magical ability and royal blood came to be synonymous. All members of the royal family could perform sorcery to some extent, and all natural-born sorcerers (at least so far as anyone knows) are descendants of the Egyptian royal line. These spell-casting royals became the chief courtesans and advisors to the Kings and Queens of Egypt, and eventually came to be called the Court of Jackals, being named after one of Egypt's most sacred and beloved animals. The Court has varied in size over the years, but the Egyptian family is large, and thus there came to be many members of the court, all with magical abilities. However, in AUC 1030, when Cleopatra VII usurped full authority in Egypt with the help of Julius Caesar, overthrowing her brother-king, the youngest sister of the family, Arsinoe IV, rebelled, and nearly half the royal family joined her. Although the combined might of Cleopatra's army and Caesar's legions defeated her, Arsinoe fled into Carthage, taking with her a sizable retinue of equally powerful sorcerers. This group dubbed itself the Court of Scarabs, and has since sought to oppose the Jackals at every turn. In the years since the schism, the Court of Jackals has remained in its advisory role, serving as a council for the Queen and keeping order in the land. But now, they also have another duty -- hunting down and destroying the Court of Scarabs.