Prologue
When the Kingdom of Egypt was still new, a wise old prophet dreamt of the gods granting man items of great power. They gave man eight items that, when united, could control all the powers of the Shadow Realm. The items were wondrous and dangerous for they could also bring about the destruction of Egypt.
The prophet found himself standing out in the middle of a vast desert. As he looked around him all he saw was sand and dunes. The night was dark and the stars shone brightly in the sky. Eight stars shown brighter than the others. The longer the prophet gazed upon the stars he noticed they seemed to be moving closer to him. Their movement was slow at first than quickened until the stars were so close the prophet had to shield his eyes for fear of blindness.
"Open your eyes." A voice commanded him.
The prophet opened his eyes to see eight figures standing before him. He fell to his knees as the realization washed over him, the great gods and goddess had appeared to him. They stood bathed in golden light, the great sun god Ra standing above them all.
Ra steeped forward holding a pyramid figure in his hands. "Our land faces a great danger. Darkness threatens to overwhelm the race of men. We have chosen to grant man the power to defend themselves from this darkness by bestowing our powers onto eight chosen.
The control of great power requires the leadership of a great ruler. Only a great ruler shall be granted my power. You shall know this ruler for his wisdom will solve my puzzle." With those words the pyramid crumbled to pieces scattering themselves into the night.
The goddess Nekhbet, protector of kings, walked forward. "Next to all great pharaohs are great queens whose love, kindness, and strength hold all together. You will know this queen by the pharaoh's love for her and her love for her pharaoh and people. She will be of common birth." Nekhbet held out a Bracelet with seven small charms that dissolved in small lights flying off into the night.
The great goddess of magic Isis was the next to come forward her hands framing the chocker that adorned her neck, "I give my gift of magic. The one whom wields my powers will be known as one of my daughters. She will have the gift of magic and foresight to aid the pharaoh and the queen." The Necklace dissolved into small orbs shooting off into the night.
The god Set, god of chaos, stepped forward holding a staff in his hand, "The world needs chaos in order to be balanced, the one who controls this Rod will be faithful to the pharaoh. His powers will allow for controlling of the minds of others thus bringing chaos. You will know him by his intelligence, cleverness, and love for the goddess's daughter." The Rod in Set's hand followed the Necklace, Bracelet, and Puzzle into the night.
The god Osiris, keeper of the underworld and judge of the dead, was the next to come forward a Key held in his outstretched hands. "Knowledge unlocks power. The one who bares my power will be able to unlock the heart of humans thus finding knowledge and truth. He will be known for his quiet demeanor and strong presence. He shall keep the records of the pharaoh." The Key too dissolved.
The goddess of truth and law Ma'at walked forward holding a pair of Scales in her hands. "Justice is necessary to balance power and keep truth. You shall know my barer of justice by her kindness. Though she may seem meek she will have the strength of will, weigh the souls of the accused fairly." Ma'at held the Scales up as they dissolved into the night.
The god of wisdom Thoth came forward a small ball in his hand. "A great pharaoh needs a good advisor, one who will always know the minds of others so he can assist his ruler in choosing the correct path, and block those who wish to lie. The one who has my powers shall see into the minds of other. You shall know him for his standing among the court. He shall be the father of the goddess's daughter. Be warned with this power can come betrayal." Thoth gracefully allowed the Eye to roll from his hands and dissipate into the night.
Darkness fell as the goddess Ammut, devourer of souls, stepped out of the shadows. "The one who possess my power shall have the power to draw out the darkness of the souls of men and ability to take their souls. He will be born of innocents but descend into darkness. He will have the power to find the item holders and to bring destruction upon the pharaoh's kingdom." A Ring rose from her hands shattering into millions of pieces before disappearing into the shadows of the night.
As the shadows receded the gods and goddesses faded until only Ra. "Love, friendship, and loyalty will prevail. Four will love and their love will transcend time. While these are necessary gifts we give to save man, they come at a price. These blessed items grant control of the Shadow Realm when the evil, born from the darkness, threatens to tear the world apart; however this power requires sacrifice. One blood sacrifice of man, whether willing or unwilling, to be born, and one sacrifice of souls to contain the evil. Know the signs, heed my warning, and trust the pharaoh."
Once the prophet woke from his dreams he spent several days locked away writing all that the gods had shown him. Ra had showed him how to bring the Items into existence using a horrific yet necessary blood sacrifice. He was told how to contain the evil of the Shadow Realm by sacrificing the holders of the Items and locking their souls away until they are called upon once more. The prophet wept for the lives that would be lost and smiled for those who would live.
When his work was complete the prophet delivered the tomb to the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh locked himself in his privet chambers until he had read the entirety of the prophecy. Emerging from his chambers the Pharaoh called upon his council and the royal architects. The Pharaoh commanded that a temple be built to the god Ra with an underground chamber. The underground chamber was to house a statue dedicated to each of the gods and goddesses who were part of the prophecy. The priests of this temple would be the highest honored in the kingdom.
The Pharaoh further proclaimed that the priests of the temple of Ra would be the keepers of the prophecy passing the word of the gods from generation to generation. He declared that the knowledge of the prophecy would be known to the council of the pharaohs so all their close advisors would be ready.
So it was that pharaohs, advisors, and priest passed down the prophecy from one generation to the next. As the years passed and the throne passed from one pharaoh to another, many lost belief in the prophecy. The danger that was foretold turned to a whisper and the saviors to a long ago dream. Until one man, Priest Akhenaden, brother of Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, discovered how create the legendary items and sought to use them to drive out Egypt's enemies and gain control over the land of Egypt.