Aegyptus
A land of faith and prosperity.
Aegyptus is a country unlike any other in Erdreja, from the fertile black land that surrounds the Nile region to the barren red desert that is deadly to any fool that ventures into that region wit hour being prepared. The whole land is, in itself, vast but only a small proportion of it is inhabited by the Aegyptians - mostly centred around the Nile Valley or the major Aegyptian cities that dot the landscape.
To many cultures outside the Southlands, it could be hard to image a civilisation that has barely changed in over 1800 years of recorded history: a culture that has neither wanted to change nor was even influenced to change by outside elements. While there was some changes over the course of it history, some profound, some short-lived, none were fundamental.
The civilisation of Aegyptus is a lawful society. There are four main classes, Nobility, Merchants, Military, Craftsmen these are overseen by its ruler the Pharaoh.
The Pharaoh decides on all matters of state. He has advisers, including the Voice of the Ancestors (High Incantor of the Aegyptus Ancestors), and he appoints the officials and all government posts. To support him there is a large civil service consisting of many scribes and officials. These are the people who actually run the country. Pharaoh appoints a Governor to run each of the cities of Aegyptus, and a Foreign minister for each foreign power that Aegyptus is in contact with.
Second to the Pharaoh is the Adjutant. This is his most trusted adviser. The Adjutant is appointed whenever the Pharaoh wishes, and holds the position for life. Upon the death of the Pharaoh, the Adjutant must take his own life, and is buried with his master.
Aegyptus is a land dedicated to large pantheon of Ancestors, where faith is a common place within daily life for all inhabitants. While the general population are aware of the Ancestors and pay homage to them, it is those special few who serve one particular Ancestor over the others that can claim to be truly close to the Neter and call upon their patron Ancestor through the skill of Incantation. These Incantors have created a specialist class within the Aegyptian social hierarchy that is totally separate from it. The Incantors of each Ancestor are gathered together in a structured cult, commonly known as a Temple, with the Head Priest of that Ancestor (usually known as the Chosen) governing the actions of all the other legitimate priests of that Temple. Depending on the size of the Temple there can be several High Priests beneath them, each one overseeing the day-to-day running of one (or more) temple complexes dotted across the face of Aegyptus in other cities, and perhaps beyond in other countries too. These Temples collectively have held a strong position of political power within the land for many centuries, as such Aegyptus holds within its lands some of the greatest temples in the southlands and many of the Jackals strongest Incantors and paladins hail from here.