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Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109

Table of Contents Scribe 25 Career Choices 16 Trader 27 Introduction 4 Money 16 Prestige Classes 28 Part 1: History of Wages 16 Avatar 28 the Empire 5 Sick Leave and Vacation 16 Godslayer 29 A Brief History of Early Egypt 5 Funerary Cost 17 30 Pre-dynastic Period 5 Workers’ Rights 17 Alignment 32 Archaic Period 5 Agriculture 17 New Skills 32 Old Kingdom 6 Inundation and Fertilization 17 New Feat 34 First Intermediate Period 7 Reservoirs and Irrigation 17 Equipment 35 Middle Kingdom 7 Planting and Harvesting 17 Money 35 Second Intermediate Period 8 Gardens 17 New Kingdom 8 Lumber and Other Crops 18 Part 4: The Great Ennead 36 Mythic History 8 Controlling Agriculture 18 The Creator Gods 36 The Jealousy of 8 Livestock 18 Atum 37 The Death of Osiris 8 Cattle 18 Shu 37 Isis’s Search 9 Sheep, Goats, and Pigs 19 Tefnut 37 The Queen of Byblos 9 Poultry and 19 Nut 37 The Rebirth of Osiris 10 Exotic Animals 19 Geb 37 The Revenge of Set 10 Transportation 19 Apophis 37 The God of Death 10 Taxation 19 The Ennead of the Nile 38 The Exile of Set 10 Architecture 19 Amun-Re 38 Current State of the Empire 11 Building Materials 19 Osiris 38 Worker Housing 19 Isis 40 Part 2: Life and Culture in Egypt 12 Furnishings 20 Horus 40 Hieroglyphs and Writing 12 Royal Palace 20 Anubis 41 The Beginnings of Language 12 Lifestyles 20 Hathor 41 The Makeup of Hieroglyphs 12 Food Staples 20 Thoth 41 Pyramid Shorthand 12 Delicacies 20 Bastet 42 Egyptian Grammar 12 Hygiene 20 The Ennead of the Desert 42 Writing Utensils 12 Clothing 21 Set 42 Learning Hieroglyphs 14 Family Units 21 Nepthys 43 Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts 14 Religion 21 Sokar 44 Royalty 14 The Cosmos 21 Khonsu 44 Divine Rule 14 Religious Festivals 22 Ptah 45 Commander-in-Chief 14 Death, Mummification, Sobek 45 Trappings of Office 14 and Burial 22 Bes 45 The Vizier 15 Death 22 Government 15 Mummification 23 Part 5: War in Heliopolis 46 Egyptian Socialism 15 Burial 23 Running Heliopolitan Adventures 46 The Justice System 15 Forces of Isfet 46 The Military 16 Part 3: Characters 23 The Gods of Evil 46 Military Regiments 16 Race 23 Avatars and Godslayers 47 Military Advancements 16 Gender 23 Monsters 47 Military Transport 16 Standard Character Classes 23 Undead 50 Egyptian Economics 16 New Character Classes 23 Foreign Invaders 51 Nomad 23 3 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109 Part 1: History of the Nile Empire The actual origin of the great state of Egypt is lost in the sands of the desert. What little is known has been gathered by piecing together various archaeological findings. All agree glyphs into Egypt, and for the beginnings of a definite split that the Kingdom of Egypt was formed when the states between the upper class and the rest of the Egyptian people. of Upper and merged for the first time, but The First Dynasty would last about 175 years and be led beyond that things get a little hazy. by the (after ) Atoti (Athotis I), , Wadji, A Brief History of Early Egypt Dewen, Adjib, , and Qaa. The Second Dynasty began with the rule of the pharaoh, Although the myth of Egypt is that it was an empire that Hetepsekhemui, and lasted about 150 years. Although there lasted for thousands of years, the truth is a little different. is little information about this dynasty, what is known suggests Egyptian culture was split up into several widely diverse a time of unrest and possible splitting of the state. periods (often referred to as kingdoms). This section chronicles the rise of Egypt from its earliest origins to the The troubles seem to have begun when Hetepsekhemui and beginning of the New Kingdom where the adventure WAR IN the two succeeding pharaohs built their royal mastabas not HELIOPOLIS is set. in the necropolis of Abydos, but in Saqqara. While space was probably a great consideration, there was a sense of lost Pre-dynastic Period (3182-3032 BC) respect for tradition. Two of the later pharaohs, Peribsen According to archaeological findings, the first known king and Khasekhemui would return to Abydos for their tombs, appears to have been named . In the one record of but by then the damage seems to have been done. his kingship, he is shown wearing a Red Crown in one place Moving the pharaoh’s tomb from Abydos to Saqqara located and a White Crown in another. Both depictions, however, both the capital (Memphis) and the royal tomb in Lower show him holding dominion over his enemies and feature Egypt. Prior to this change, the tomb in (at prominently the symbol for Horus, the falcon. His reign Abydos) served both as a reminder of the unified kingdom falls into relative prehistory and is usually referred to as the and as a way to ensure it remained that way. Pre-dynastic Period. From what records exist, it seems as if Upper Egypt grew Archaic Period (3032-2707 BC) increasingly disconsolate with this turn of events and its The Archaic Period marks the rise of the first pharaohs and loss of political power. Eventually these disputes led to open the first two dynasties in Egypt. The period lasted a little over warfare. During the reign of Khasekhemui, Upper Egypt 300 years, during which Memphis became Egypt’s capital. defeated Lower Egypt and re-unified the kingdom. The first recorded pharaoh was Horus-Aha, also referred to The reign of the pharaohs of the Second Dynasty as Menes. He appears to have been the son of Narmer and from Hetepsekhemui to Nebre, Ninetjer, the first pharaoh to inherit his position. He headed what is Wenegnebti, Sekhemib, , Neferkasokar, known as the First Dynasty. This period was marked by the Hudjefa, Peribsen, and Khasekhemui and the dis- use of mastabas, or raised tombs, for burial in solution and reunification of the unified kingdom the necropolis of Abydos, would lead Egypt into its most memorable period. for the introduction Old Kingdom (2707-2170 BC) of hiero- With the end of the Second Dynasty, Egypt moved into what is called the Old Kingdom — a period encompass- ing the Third through Eighth Dynasties. The great- The Pyramids of Giza still inspire awe in visitors 4,500 years later.

4 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109 est achievements of the Old Kingdom are still visible nearly 5,000 years later: the pyra- mids. However, the existence of these monumental structures is dwarfed by the sheer scope of the economy, government, and popular will needed to create them. The first pharaoh of the Old Kingdom, , begins the Third Dynasty. However, his predecessor, , the builder of the first pyramid, overshadowed his reign. Djoser, the son or son-in-law of Khasekhemui, worked with his trusted assis- tant and architect, Imhotep, to create a monument worthy of the pharaoh in the afterlife. They built upon the idea of the mastabas used by previous pharaohs in Saqqara. Their novel idea was to take the mastaba, which looked like a raised building with a flat top, and build a smaller mastaba on top of the first, and so on, until they created a series of mastabas that reached to the heavens themselves. Thus was born the first, or the step, pyramid. After Djoser, the remaining pharaohs in the Third Dynasty, Djoserti, , Mesokhris, and , attempted but failed to build their own step pyramids. Most of their tombs have yet to be found. The Fourth Dynasty marks the period of Egypt’s greatest achievement in the art of pyramid building. The dynasty began with the lengthy reign of the pharaoh, Snefru. This was a time of peace and great prosperity for Egypt. Without the need to fight their enemies, resources could be allocated to the works of wonder so intimately linked with Egyptian culture. Snefru’s son, Cheops, is probably the most recognized of the pharaohs for his construction of the Great Pyramid, but under Snefru’s guidance the kingdom flourished. Snefru godless pagans and used it to build their palaces in Cairo. oversaw the building of not one but three different pyramids during his reign. Snefru was also famed for his raids into Snefru’s son, Cheops, used these advances to create the Libya that captured immense herds of livestock and for his amazing Great Pyramid. However, outside of the Great overall friendliness to his subjects. Pyramid, there is little record of Cheops as pharaoh. There are some claims that he was cruel and abusive, but there is Snefru’s first two pyramids were step pyramids like Djoser’s. little evidence to support this. What is known about Cheops His final pyramid began as a step pyramid, but later was finished is that, during his 30-year reign, he mobilized the entire off in true pyramid form. This was the first of its kind, state to create a wonder so magnificent that, not only does it although not without problems. As the pyramid neared com- stand to this day, parts of its construction are still mysteries. pletion, the ground underneath it gave way, and it collapsed Also, recent studies have begun to point to Cheops as the upon itself. This resulted in the now-famous outline known creator of the mysterious Sphinx, another of Egypt’s wonders. as the Bent Pyramid. This failure, however, taught later pyra- These studies point to the lack of a beard on the Sphinx mid builders to use a less steep gradient. Advancements in (the royal beard was a concept that came later in Egypt’s construction design and pyramid location also contributed to culture) and the style of the architecture as proof that it more stable edifices. At the time of their construction and was created during Cheops’ rule. His successor and son, for almost 2,500 years afterwards, the pyramids sported a , attempted to build his own temple but failed due sheath of polished white marble. Reflections of the rising and to an untimely death. setting sun could be seen for dozens of miles in all directions. When Arabs conquered Egypt in the 7th Century AD, they The next pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty was Djedefre’s younger stripped the marble from what they saw as the work of brother, Chephren. Chephren was in his mid-20’s when he

5 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109 assumed the throne and began work on his pyramid in the hopes This designation refers mainly to the Ninth and Tenth of making it as monumental as his father’s. Chephren’s pyramid Dynasties wherein conflict between Lower and Upper Egypt falls nearly 10 feet short of the Great Pyramid. Chephren’s resumed. Only Lower Egypt recognized the pharaoh. The reign also marks the decline of the great pyramid-building era. rulers of Thebes openly opposed these pretenders, and they Although later pyramids were built, none rival those created eventually rallied under Mentuhotep II to conquer Memphis by Cheops and Chephren. The Fourth Dynasty ended qui- with the aid of Nubian mercenaries and reunify the kingdom. etly under the reign of the pharaohs Bikheris (who followed Middle Kingdom (2119-1793 BC) Chephren), Mycerinus, and , who returned to the Although he is the first recognized ruler of unified Egypt in creation of a mastaba for his tomb. the Middle Kingdom, Mentuhotep II was not the first ruler The Fifth Dynasty, ruled over by the pharaohs , , of Thebes. and Antef I, II, and III all ruled as , , , Niuserre, Menkauhor, Theban pharaohs before Mentuhotep II conquered Memphis. Djedkare, and is relatively unremarkable. Of note is While Mentuhotep united the kingdom, the regional governors the reduction in scale of monument building and the rise of did not want to give up the power that they had gained during mortuary temples in place of pyramids as the burial place the reigns of the previous pharaohs. To gain their acceptance, for the pharaohs. Mentuhotep allowed them to retain much of this control. The Sixth Dynasty was as peaceful as the last, but marked a This decentralized structure remained through the next two decline in the Old Kingdom. While mortuary temples were pharaohs, Mentuhotep III and Mentuhotep IV, until a new used extensively during the Fifth Dynasty, the first pharaoh power challenged the throne. overthrew the of this period, , returned to the pyramid as a tomb. Theban pharaohs, starting the Twelfth Dynasty. This change However, his pyramid, while technically sound, remained did not sit well with the regional gover- on a much smaller scale than those of the Fourth Dynasty, nors. Amenemhat maintained keeping roughly the same size as the mortuary temples of power by quashing any the Fifth. The decline continued through the peaceful challenges to the reigns of the first four pharaohs of this time. , throne and adopt- Pepi I (who also built a pyramid), and Nemtiemsaf I ing Theban followed Teti. methods. The reign of the next pharaoh, Pepi II, seems to His have been the point where the Old Kingdom truly began to fall apart. Pepi II ruled peace- fully for 60 years, an immense length of time for a pharaoh. While he completed his pyramid, society fell into idle- ness and stagnation. Pepi allowed his control of the government to slip, and regional governors realized that they no longer needed the Empire. They could control their own small- er state fine by themselves and not have to worry about the pharaoh looking over their shoulders. After Pepi II left the throne, Nemtiemsaf II and Nitocris each reigned for two or fewer years and eventually a succes- sion of nameless rulers took over as the kingdom slipped into its first Intermediate Period. First Intermediate Period (2170-2020 BC)

The age of the Sphinx, and the identity of the builder, are a riddle today.

6 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109 rule, however, would not have as much impact on Egypt as New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) would his death. The New Kingdom under the rule of is where Amenemhat I was removed from power not by a political WAR IN HELIOPOLIS is set. The empire enjoyed great rival but by a conspiracy contrived within his own harem. territorial expansion and Egypt rose to dominance as a While the pharaoh slept, the concubines slipped into his great world power. Before this could happen, matters had chambers and murdered him. to be settled at home. The new pharaoh had to reinstate the This event shocked the kingdom. The new pharaoh, Sesostris I, central government and repel attacks from the Nubians and Amenemhat’s son, scrambled to maintain power while grieving Libyans. The current year is 1547 BC — just as the period for his father and dispensing swift justice to the traitorous is beginning — and the Empire is at a crossroads. harem. Sesostris realigned the regions of the kingdom and brought the governors under direct control of the pharaoh. Mythic History This process continued through the succeeding pharaohs, Egypt is the land of the gods, and the land’s fate is tied to Amenemhat II, Sesostris II, and Sesostris III who centralized that of its patrons. The war in Heliopolis impacts the welfare the government even more by creating two officials known of mortals. Here is how it began. as viziers. These men oversaw Upper and Lower Egypt and The Jealousy of Set reported directly to the pharaoh. In times past when the gods walked the face of the land, This did not sit well with the regional governors, who steadily Osiris, the son of Geb, the God of the Earth, and Nut, lost their power base. The last pharaohs of the Twelfth the Goddess of Dynasty, Amenemhat III, Amenemhat IV, and Nefrusobek, the Heavens, was spent their reigns fighting violently with these lordlings. chosen above all This infighting fragmented the Empire and allowed it to be others to lead the taken over by the . Great Ennead in Second Intermediate Period Heliopolis and bring peace and The term, “Hyksos,” is misleading. There weren’t hordes of prosperity to the invading Hyksos that swept across the kingdom. Hyksos is lands of human- a Greek word that comes from the Egyptian term, “Heka-kha- ity. Set, Osiris’ sut,” which translated means “Rulers of the Foreign Lands.” evil brother, railed At the end of the Middle Kingdom, while the Empire fought against the gods’ amongst itself, Nehesi (Egyptian for “the Nubian”) a ruler choice of his from a local region, gained control of a small territory near brother when he the Nile delta. This area would flourish under the Fourteenth was clearly the Dynasty. greater of the two. From this region came a ruler, Salites, who conquered However, he bided Memphis and declared himself pharaoh. He and his succes- his time until he sors, Beon, Apakhnas, Khaian, Apophis, , and others could properly dis- Murderous concubines shattered the image form the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Dynasties. pose of his sibling of a divine pharoah. and take his proper The last true rulers of Memphis fled to Thebes, where place on the throne. they maintained their rule as the Seventeenth Dynasty. The Thebans secretly armed themselves and eventually attacked One day, Osiris left the lands of the Nile to travel the great the Hyksos. disk that was the Earth, leaving his wife, Isis, as Queen of the Gods in his stead. Set saw his opportunity. While his They were moderately successful, but their leader, Seqenenre, brother traveled, Set allied himself with the enemies of died in battle. His son made it as far as the forti- Egypt. There were 72 of these dread foes, the greatest of fied citadel of Avaris, near Memphis, where he too perished. which was the Queen of Ethiopia, Aso. While Isis ruled, Set The Hyksos, however, were in trouble. They attempted to plotted, and, together with his conspirators, he concocted a ask the Nubians to attack the Thebans from behind, but the plan to rid himself of his brother forever. Thebans captured the messenger. Ahmose, Kamose’s brother then took command. Fueled The Death of Osiris with thoughts of revenge, Ahmose led the Theban troops When Osiris returned from his travels, Set slipped into his into Memphis. He then wiped the Hyksos from Avaris and chambers one night, and surreptitiously measured him as reclaimed the throne for Egypt. Once again unified, the if he were a tailor. He then commissioned the creation of a Empire was restored and the New Kingdom began. magnificent sarcophagus to those exact measurements.

7 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109 Soon after his return, Osiris’ brother called him to a grand Continuing her search, Isis learned that the sarcophagus feast to celebrate his successful journey around the world and tossed on the waves of the great sea before coming to rest on safe return. Trusting his brother implicitly, Osiris attended. the shores of the faraway land of Byblos. There it lay among The gods played many games and gave many gifts in the branches of a tamarisk bush. However the magic con- this celebration. At the height of the revelry, Set tained within the sarcophagus caused the bush to brought forth his magnificent sarcophagus grow and grow, wrapping itself around the wooden and offered it as a prize to anyone who could box. Eventually, the bush became a mighty tree fit inside. Many tried and failed. Then Set with a trunk so large that it completely encapsu- called upon his brother to try. Osiris readily lated the box within its confines. laid within the sarcophagus and was over- The people called the King of Byblos to come joyed to find it fit him perfectly! see this tree that had sprung up on the shores However, Set and his conspirators of his kingdom. Enamored with its beauty, pounced upon the sarcophagus, he ordered it cut down and carried to the slamming the cover down upon capital, where its beauty would be dis- Osiris. They sealed it with molten played in the royal palace as a gigantic lead and set it adrift on the Nile, pillar. where it floated down the river and out to the great sea beyond the delta. The Queen of Byblos Set was overjoyed to be rid of his By this time, Isis had journeyed to brother once and for all. Byblos and, wishing to remain anonymous for the time being, appeared before the Isis’s Search queen’s handmaidens as a humble peasant. When Isis received word of her As the handmaidens enjoyed a summer’s husband’s apparent death, she was day sitting around a fountain in the pal- grief-stricken. Set had cleverly left out ace courtyard, Isis offered to braid their the part wherein he was the one who hair for them. Taking the kindly woman had trapped Osiris in the sarcophagus up on her offer, the maidens allowed her before it went into the Nile. to braid their hair and were pleasantly Isis set out to find her husband, know- surprised when Isis used her knowledge of ing that a body without a proper herbs to make a sweet smelling perfume for burial would never be allowed into the them as well. underworld and would walk the earth as Gleefully adorned in their newly braided one of the living dead. She traveled the hair and perfume, the handmaidens returned length of the great disk and consulted to the palace and their duties to the queen, man, woman, and child, but none had who, smelling their wonderful perfume, asked seen or heard anything with respect to where they had acquired it. The handmaidens the whereabouts of her husband or the happily told her of the mysterious peasant floating coffin into which he had been who had helped them while they sat by the placed. fountain. Upon returning to Egypt, Isis saw some The queen had the handmaidens bring Isis to children playing by the Nile. Smiling her and, after speaking to the disguised god- to them, she asked if they had seen her dess, sensed her compassion and goodness. Osiris. The children had not, but they Seeking a proper nanny for her son, the prince, recounted the tale of Set’s feast and how the queen asked Isis to take care of the boy, and a sarcophagus had been placed in the Nile the goddess agreed. near where they were playing. Each night as Isis was left alone to care for the Using this small clue, Isis began her search prince, she suckled him with the tip of her fin- anew. She used the starting point the chil- ger. When she was sure the rest of the palace had dren had given her and her powers as a turned in for the night, she built a roaring blaze goddess to discover that the sarcophagus in one of the fireplaces and placed the child with- had indeed been placed in the Nile and had in the flames. Then she changed herself into the floated down the river, past the delta, and shape of a swallow and sang to the child a sorrow- into the great sea beyond. ful chirping song of her search for Osiris. However, one night one of the royal servants 8 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109 spied Isis as the goddess cared for the child and ran to the lay Osiris, dead with a look of terror on his face. The god- queen, telling her all that she had seen. The queen dismissed dess wept for her deceased beloved, and her cries caught the the tale as the ramblings of a jealous competitor, and yet attention of her sister, Nepthys, the wife of Set, who joined she could not shake the images from her mind. A few nights her tearful mourning. later the queen hid herself in a closet in the room After some time, Isis remembered her time in Byblos where Isis built the fire each night. She would caring for the queen’s son, and thought of her see for herself whether or not the story the own son, Horus. Having not seen him since she servant had told her was true. went in search of her husband, she stopped her Just as she had done each night before, Isis mourning to go see him. Nepthys went with her. entered the room with the infant prince. Once gone though, their tears had a magical She laid the boy down while she gathered effect on the dead Osiris. They gave him new firewood and placed the logs in the life. He awoke as if from a horrible night- fireplace, creating a roaring blaze. mare. Isis went back to the child and was about to place him within the flames The Revenge of Set again when the queen burst from the While Isis and Nepthys mourned the closet, screaming for Isis to stop. death of Osiris, Set had been hunting by Turning on the queen with venom the light of Khonsu, as was his wont at in her stare, Isis revealed her godly times. Hearing the wailing of the sisters, presence and vehemently chided the Set went to investigate and was horri- now cowering queen. The goddess fied to see them sitting by the side of the explained that she was using her sarcophagus he had set adrift on the Nile power to temper the child for god- so long ago. hood, but the queen’s brashness had Set quietly slipped to the window near ruined the process, and her son would where they sat and watched as their tears now be resigned to mortality. bathed the unmoving form of Osiris. He The queen mustered her courage and watched as the two goddesses ceased their nervously asked the goddess why she mourning and left to seek Horus. had come to Byblos. Isis told her tale Set laughed evilly to himself as he saw his of the untimely death of her husband, deceased brother lying there. The malicious her search across the land for his where- smile slid from his face when he saw his abouts, and her learning of the great tree brother first twitch and then move stiffly and that was now a pillar in the king’s palace. slowly to sit upright. Isis only wished to retrieve her husband Set’s rage knew no end. His brother had and leave in peace. The queen, with her cheated him out of everything he had ever child in her arms once more, acquiesced to desired, and now that same brother would the goddess’s request. cheat even death to spite him. Filled with The Rebirth of Osiris fury, Set leaped through the window and, before his brother could react, tore him into When the king learned of the nature of fourteen pieces. the guest and her request, he called for the pillar in his royal hall to be taken When his anger subsided, he knew that he down and split open so that the sarcopha- must dispose of the traces of his crime. gus could be freed. Isis thanked her hosts, Gathering up the remains of his brother, took the sarcophagus with her husband still Set stole off into the night and scattered the inside, and returned to Egypt. The King pieces in hidden locations across Egypt. Once of Byblos had the pillar resealed and put again secure in his victory over his brother, Set back where it had once stood as a reminder returned home to celebrate anew. of the passing of a goddess through their The God of Death kingdom. When Isis and Nepthys returned, they found Upon her return to Egypt, Isis took Osiris’s body missing and the signs of a violent the sarcophagus to the city of the gods, struggle. Isis’s grief returned at the thought of Heliopolis, and pried open the cover. Inside losing her husband once again. Just then, a night-

9 Gora McGahey (order #19251) 69.136.21.109