Lining the sacred Seshet River, the glorious Empire of Tayet-Re — named for the sun goddess, Tayet-Re — has existed in a relatively stable form for at least two millennia. Ruled by many Pharaohs, semi-divine kings and queens who wield absolute power, the Empire hopes to achieve and maintain Divine Order, shielding itself and its citizens from the forces of chaos and destruction that lurk outside of its borders. It is the place where the Honored Dead lived their mortal lives, and the place where the occasional unlucky mortal falls through the cracks…
Citizens of the Empire live knowing that, should they be judged worthy, they will be able to enter the afterlife and achieve an eternal existence as one of the Honored Dead. Death is big business, and preparing for it is seen as crucial. Someone who is well-prepared will have a great many charms, talismans, protective spells, and other handy equipment arranged before they breath their last.
The Empire of Tayet-Re is heavily inspired by Ancient Egypt. It is a bronze age fantasy setting where the inhabitants have been given moral guidance in the form of the Divine Order by the Ennead, the god-beings that are worshipped by most of the Empire’s citizens. Priests wield the Sacred Words of the Ennead, a magic that focuses on aiding and supporting warriors in combat with the forces of chaos as well as various helpful enchantments that can be easily given to many people.
Types of Characters
Broadly speaking, there are two character types that originate from the Empire:
The Honored Dead were those who lived and died in the Empire, and then managed to successfully navigate the challenges of the Underworld. When they were judged worthy and stepped into the Hallowed Lands they found themselves in the Garden instead, robbed of what was supposed to be an eternal paradise. The Honored Dead are typically members of the middle and upper classes — merchants, government officials, scribes, priests, and even royal family members — those who can afford the proper preparations to make it through the Underworld intact. Honored Dead are required to have gold or yellow makeup around their eyes. This can be somewhat loosely interpreted, but it must be obvious.
Mortal humans find their way to the Garden too, having fallen through purple-black fissures in reality that pull in anyone who gets too close. Miners, explorers, soldiers, and anyone else who ventures beyond the borders of the Empire are the ones most likely to suffer this fate. Victims wind up “falling through” the Underworld and into the Garden. Most of the time, these people are members of the lower classes, as they are the ones most likely to stumble upon a fissure.
Read the full Empire of Tayet-Re Setting Packet here.
This world currently has a medium number of player characters.
