Capital: Ishkandra
Ruler: Pharaoh Khafre II and Queen Neferet
Domains: The fertile riverlands of the Nile, the Red Land deserts, the southern Nubian marches, and the coasts of the Great Green (Mediterranean).
Symbols: The Sun Disk, the Falcon of Horus, the Lotus and Papyrus entwined, and the Black Bull of Montu.
Pantheon: Ra, Isis, Osiris, Horus, Montu, Sekhmet, Sobek, Anubis, and countless regional gods tied to nomes (provinces).
Kemet, “the Black Land,” is the beating heart of the southern world, its empire as old as the first sunrise. For millennia the Nile has granted fertile soil, binding the people of Kemet to their gods, their rulers, and their destiny. To the Greeks and Trojans, Kemet is a land of wealth, magic, and mystery. To the Canaanites, it is both rival and overlord. To the Nubians, it is an eternal neighbor — both oppressor and partner.
The empire is ruled by Pharaoh Khafre II, “the Falcon of Horus,” said to descend from the gods themselves. He rules alongside his queen, Neferet the Wise, whose beauty and cunning are praised from Ashkelon to Itala Minoris. The Pharaoh is the living god on earth — the ka of Ra made flesh — while Neferet is called “the Hand of Isis,” tempering her husband’s might with wisdom.
Ishkandra, the Capital: A vast city of limestone temples, lotus-filled canals, and obelisks piercing the sky. The Pharaoh’s palace rises above the city, its walls adorned with golden reliefs depicting divine victories. Ishkandra is both a center of ritual magic and trade — its markets overflow with lapis, ebony, ivory, and incense from Nubia and Punt.
The Nile: Called “Hapi’s Gift,” the river is the soul of Kemet. Priests read the floods as omens from the gods, while peasants rely on the inundation for life itself. Sacred crocodiles bask on its banks, and barges ferry grain and stone alike.
The Red Land: Deserts that protect Kemet from invaders but hide tombs, cursed ruins, and ancient secrets beneath the sand. Bandits, spirits, and forgotten gods wander here.
The Southern Marches: Borderlands where Kemet presses against Nubia, rich in gold and archers. Many of Pharaoh’s greatest warriors and mercenaries hail from these lands.
The Pharaoh: Embodiment of divine rule, unquestioned lord of all. His word is law, his body is sacred, his victories are the victories of gods.
The Queen: While Pharaoh embodies Horus, the Queen is the earthly Isis. Neferet holds court in Ishkandra, advising her husband and keeping the priesthood and nobles balanced.
Priesthoods: Powerful orders devoted to Ra, Osiris, Anubis, Montu, and countless other gods. Priests wield not only ritual authority but political influence, and their temples often act as banks, schools, and granaries.
Military: Kemetian warriors are disciplined and proud. Core troops wield khopesh swords, long spears, and bronze shields, supported by deadly Nubian archers and chariots drawn by swift desert-bred horses.
Magic & Religion: Magic is considered divine science. Oracles, scribes, and sorcerer-priests read the stars, summon spirits, and inscribe protective spells. Necromancy, though dangerous, is whispered in secret chambers of Anubis’s cult.
Ra — Sun god, lord of light. Pharaoh is his son upon earth.
Montu — Bull of War, god of battle rage. His priests train berserkers who fight as avatars of his wrath.
Isis & Osiris — The divine couple of life, death, and resurrection. Their cult is strong among the common folk.
Anubis — Lord of mummification, guardian of the dead. Feared and revered in equal measure.
Sekhmet — Lioness of plague and war, unleashed in times of wrath.
Sobek — Crocodile god of the Nile, worshipped in river towns.
Thoth — God of wisdom and magic, patron of scribes.
The Pharaoh is seen as the mediator between gods and mortals, but local cults to animal-headed deities are strong in every province.
The Rise of Khafre II: Having seized the throne only a decade ago, Pharaoh Khafre II seeks to expand Kemet’s influence across the Great Green. Embassies have been sent to Troy, Ashkelon, and even the Achaean kings.
The Nubian Question: While Nubian archers serve loyally, unrest stirs along the southern frontier. Rumors whisper of a Panther Pharaoh rising in Nubia, threatening Kemet’s dominance.
The Curse of the Red Land: Expeditions to the desert tombs have vanished. Priests claim forgotten gods stir beneath the sand.
The Trojan War: Kemet officially remains neutral, but Neferet quietly favors Troy, sending gold and supplies in secret. Some whisper that Memnon, King of the Dawn, is being called north to aid Priam.
Pharaoh Khafre II — Warrior-king, young and ambitious, seeks glory and divine recognition through conquest.
Queen Neferet — Politician, priestess, and tactician, said to whisper like Isis into her husband’s ear.
High Priest of Montu, Nakht-Montu — Oversees the warrior cult; trains the divine berserkers who channel the bull god’s rage.
Vizier Khaemwaset — Keeper of records and tombs, rumored to study forbidden necromancy.
Admiral Sebekhotep — Commander of the Nile fleet, eyeing expansion into Itala Minoris.