SERIES GUIDE

For my e-readers and audio book readers! I hope this helps!

SETTING

Khetara: The united kingdom of two lands, High Khetara in the north and Low Khetara in the south. High Khetara consists of the delta region, and Low Khetara the more mountainous, arid region.

The River Iteru: The lifeblood of Khetara that runs south to north in the middle of the kingdom, feeding the crops on either side of its banks and acting as a trade route to other kingdoms.

Thonis: The capital of High Khetara and location of the royal palace.

Bubas: A small village southeast of Thonis, sacred home of the goddess Bast and her temple.

Sakesh: A city in Low Khetara, still crippled by the impact of Unification.

The Red Lands: The western desert outside of the borders of Khetara, where nomadic tribes live.

CHARACTERS (in order of appearance)

From Thonis:

Queen Bintanath: Great Wife to Amunmose, and mother of the triplets Sita, Mery, and Kenna.

Nebet: Attendant to the queen—and later, to the princess.

Princess Sitamun aka “Sita”: Seventeen-year-old daughter of Amunmose and Bintanath, sister to Mery and Kenna.

Femi: A young palace guard.

King Amunmose: Pharaoh of Khetara, husband to Bintanath (among many other Lesser Wives), father of the triplets.

Maet: Six-year-old daughter of one of Amunmose’s lesser wives, and half-sister of the princess.

Prince Meryamun aka “Mery”: Seventeen-year-old son of Amunmose and Bintanath, brother to Sita and Kenna.

Master Montuhotep: High priest of Amun and Hour priest.

The Wabet: Novice priestesses at the Temple of Amun.

Herihor: Head Heka priest at the Temple of Amun.

Prince Bakenamun aka “Kenna”: Seventeen-year-old son of Amunmose and Bintanath, brother to Sita and Mery, and a Sem priest in the House of Amun.

Tadia: Amunmose’s favorite concubine.

King Sematawy (deceased): The Great Uniter—the High Khetaran king who preceded Amunmose. Went to war with Low Khetara during his reign and slaughtered the southern king, King Rahotep, in order to unite the Two Lands under the double crown.

Nehshi: A young novice priest.

From Bubas:

Nefermaat aka “Neff”: A thirteen-year-old common girl.

Ahura: Neff’s mother.

Pepi: Neff’s father, a spell vendor.

Henhen and Istara: Neff’s friends.

Mistress Karo, the high priestess of Bast: Powerful priestess in charge of the Temple of Bast.

From Sakesh:

Raetawy aka “Rae”: Nineteen-year-old farm girl, daughter of Ankhu, and occasional street fighter.

Buto: A street fighter.

Omari: Rae’s best friend, a nineteen-year-old carpenter and part-time rebel.

Tamerit aka “Tam”: A twenty-year-old weaver.

Mamet Mut: Head of the weavers and town gossip.

Ankhu: Rae’s father, ex-scribe and wheat and cattle farmer.

The nomarch: Sakesh’s governor, elected by King Amunmose.

Baki: A local shepherd with a young family.

Asim: Leader of the Horizon rebels.

Menk: Asim’s right-hand man.

King Rahotep (deceased): The last king of Low Khetara before the war of Unification. Slaughtered by King Sematawy along with most of his court.

From the Red Lands:

Karim: A nineteen-year-old tomb robber—one of the group that call themselves the Jackals.

Hager: One of the other Jackals.

Babu: Twenty-one-year-old leader of the Jackals.

Djet: A thirteen-year old boy, the newest member of the Jackals.

Pasenhor aka “Pa”: An old priest of Khnum.

Behkai: Pa’s dog—then Karim’s dog.

Setnakht: An ancient pharaoh whose name was erased from history—only to be rediscovered a thousand years after his death.

GODS

Amun: The blue-skinned, invisible creator god of air and mystery—also known as the Hidden One. Like Khnum, he is sometimes seen with a ram’s head.

Anubis: The jackal-headed god of funerary rites and guide to the underworld.

Bast/Sekhmet: The cat-headed goddess of pleasure and women’s secrets. She can also appear with a lioness head as Sekhmet, goddess of war—to represent her more savage aspect as a defender and protector from evil.

Heqet: The frog-headed goddess of fertility and the final stages of childbirth, and the wife of Khnum.

Horus: The falcon-headed son of Isis and Osiris who avenged his father’s death by defeating Set in battle. The eye of Horus (the wedjat) is considered to be a protective symbol.

Isis: The Great Mother, goddess of magic and kingship, protector of the kingdom. She is sister to Nephthys and wife to Osiris.

Khepra: The scarab-headed god of creation and renewal, as in the progression of the sun across the sky each day.

Khnum: The ram-headed Divine Potter god who is said to have molded man from clay on the Great Wheel. Also considered god of the Iteru river. He can sometimes be represented as a lamb.

Nephthys: Protector goddess of darkness, childbirth, and magic. Sister to Isis, wife of Set.

Osiris: The green-skinned god of the dead, Judge and Lord of the Underworld. Husband to Isis, who resurrected him after he was killed by his brother Set.

Ra: God of the noonday sun, order, and kings, and thought to be Khetara’s first pharaoh. He is portrayed in many different forms, including a falcon, a scarab, a man, and while in the underworld—a ram.

Set: The god of chaos, storms, the desert, and the color red. Portrayed with the head of a strange, canine-like black animal. Seen as a villain among gods but worshipped at times by certain sects.

Sobek: The fierce crocodile-headed god of the river.

TERMINOLOGY

hekat: A Khetaran measurement, as in for crops.

kalasiris: A type of simple, close-fitting dress.

khamasin: A hot, dry, desert wind.

Mamet and Yati: Mama and Papa.

Medjay: The police force in Khetara.

mutu: A spirit who does not move on to the afterlife and is left to wander the earth.

nunu: A very young child or toddler.

schenti: A short, pleated skirt worn by Khetaran men.

sen/sena: Brother/sister.

shedeh: Fermented pomegranate juice.

Shemsu Hor: An event during which the pharaoh travels throughout Khetara to visit the people and assess the kingdom.

sistrum: A rattle-like instrument used for sacred ceremonies and rituals.

wedjat: The protective Eye of Horus.

zebu: Hump-backed Khetaran cattle.

Types of priests:

Hour: Those who interpret dreams and make predictions about the future.

Heka: Those who utilize spells, wands, and rituals for magical purposes.

Sem: Those who conduct funerary rites and embalming for the dead—otherwise known as “Men of Anubis.”

Wab (wabau/wabet): Lower-rank novice priests/priestess, sometimes healers.