Khemet

Organization and Daily Life

The population of Khemet is divided between the five Divine Cities and the Nomes (as well as the Desert, but that’s a special case).

Nomes are the various portions of arable land in Khemet (like a small state). Each Nome is led by a Nomarch who governs and distributes resources within that land as they see fit. They also choose their own successor, or a method by which their successor is chosen. Nomarchs are expected to follow the divine laws of Ma'at; those who do not are removed from power by the priesthood. Nomes usually have representatives in the Divine Cities (at least the ones closest to their lands) who negotiate trade and present the Nomes’ petitions to the Gods.

Each Diving City is ruled by a God and the cities’ land is owned by their priesthood. The city contains the main temple to that God and their high priest/ess resides there. The cities are centers of trade and hold festivals for the Nomes that surround them. Each city also has its own unique attractions befitting the God that inhabits it.

Over time the cities have built up a population of people who are neither part of the priesthood nor representatives from a Nome . These people tend to be the children of priests, runaways, and those banished from their Nome. They rent housing from the priesthoods and tend to take care of the city’s non-religious functions (cooking, cleaning, repair, etc.).

Per-Hebit is Aset’s city and the capital of Khemet. All major political decisions and foreign negotiations take place here.

Khnum is Djehuti’s city. Its major attraction is the Great Library.

The twin cities of Men-Nefer and Per-Beset belong to Sekhmet and Bast respectively. The border between the cities can get a bit fuzzy, but if you reach the prison you’re in Per-Beset, and if you’re in the hospital you’re in Men-Nefer.

Utenha Saka is Anapa’s city, though more dead than living reside there. Utenha Saka is notable for its great tombs, which are the only buildings that extend into the Desert.

Sutekh has no city. The Desert is their domain, and only their priesthood is foolish enough to try and reside there.

The people of Khemet do not use last names, and instead use the title of (En) their Divine City/Nome.

Relationship with the Other Nations

The Trilith - The Trilith and Khemet are trading partners and their governments are generally on good terms. On a more personal level, many in Khemet find the values of the Trilith’s people strange. It seems hypocritical to be so devoted to individual achievement while being so dependent on the Stone Judges.

The Grove - Officially, the Grove and Khemet are not at war, though relations are tense and there have been regular skirmishes since Khemet’s founding.  The people of Khemet do not trust the Network or the people that sustain it.  The Network Trees once drove the people of Khemet from their homes, and since then the Grove has shown no interest in restraining the Trees’ growth.

The Gods

Aset -  Aset is the head of the pantheon and ruler (through her high priestess) of Khemet. She values order and the continuation of the nation. Her aspects are magic, trickery, and illusion. She believes in planning and calculation, and that the correct approach to any situation is the one that gives you the upper hand.

Bast - Bast protects the home and those who cannot protect themselves. She values bravery and protection. Her aspects are violence (controlled), and strength. It is said that Bast split from Sekhmet in order to keep her rage in check.

Sekhmet -  Sekhmet is the battlefield and master of its turmoil. She values rage and blood (both in a literal and metaphorical sense). Her aspects are violence (unleashed) and disease. Only Sekhmet, in her eternal battle, has felt and conquered every pain and hurt.

Anapa - Anapa is the guide of the dead. He values peace and acceptance of that which is unknown. His aspects are death and mystery. Anapa alone knows the paths and may navigate the confusion of the underworld.

Sutekh - Sutekh is all that is dangerous and necessary. They value that which is not discussed in polite company. Their aspects are chaos and freedom. Sutekh is the desert: inhospitable, deadly, and all that stands between Khemet and invasion.

Djehuti -  Djehuti is the scribe. He values well-kept records and stories. His aspects are knowledge and writing. Djehuti believes a thing is not really true unless it is written down, so he strives to record everything.

Terminology

Composition of a Person - The people of Khemet believe that each person is made up of five distinct parts. They are:

The Name (Ren) - In this case, The Name is not what people call you but your True Name. The True Name is what identifies you as an individual, and separates you from what is not you. Having the True Name of someone gives you a great deal of power over them; Incarnations of Aset specialize in this type of magic.

The Body (Hau) - This is your physical body. Sekhmet and Bast focus on magics related to repairing and strengthening the body.

The Soul (Ba) - The soul is the essence of what makes you you. If you took away every part of you but your soul (do not do this), you would still be you.

Life Force (Ka) - This is the energy that you produce and that sustains you while you are alive. It is lost when you die. Incarnations of Anapa make offerings at the tombs to sustain the life force of the dead.

The Shadow (Sheut) - The shadow is the unknown and mysterious parts of the self. It is rarely talked about.

Ma'at - Those from the other nations do not understand the code by which Khemet lives. This is to be expected, as even many within Khemet do not fully understand Ma'at. Ma'at is not an archaic set of rules imposed upon the people, as some believe. Ma'at is how people understand the nature of existence. Ma'at is the world in perfection, but it does not mean that everything in the world is perfect.

Neheh - Time is a circle. The sun rises, the sun sets, and the sun rises again. A good sovereign rules, chaos rises to defeat them, and a new sovereign rises to defeat chaos. This is Neheh. Neheh is the repetition of time. It is Ma'at for there to be Neheh.

Djet - Djet is not time. Djet is eternal. Ma'at comes from Djet. The Gods come from Djet. By following Ma'at, the Incarnations enter Djet and become Gods. The Incarnations return to Neheh and in this way the Gods come to Neheh. This is Ma'at.

Incarnations

To be an Incarnation is to give some amount of yourself over to your God’s will. An Incarnation tries to emulate their God and spread their values. The more like your God you behave, the greater the Divine power you are given. However, there is danger in this. To be fully in sync with one’s God is to lose oneself. This is called a Full Incarnation. It does mean the full power of your God will be unleashed into the world for a short period of time, but you will be lost afterwards.

To start the sync and become an Incarnation one must relive one of the God’s myths, playing the role of that God. The myth you will be reliving is the Gods’ exodus from the Grove and the creation of Khemet.