Dawning of the Desert Sun

[Boknice275 1588]

 

 

BROKEN. FAILURE. ABANDONED.

 

These words streamed through the mind of Pharaoh Atemu-Ta, who once presided over the revival of Rahmun civilization in the modern world. The Pharaoh considered himself to be the anointed of the Gods, and for a moment, the budding resurgence of the Rah’mun peoples caused him to believe it. Rahtuma went from a lost civilization that had fallen to the ravages of Isfet, to a growing, formidable force within the orcish lands of Krugmar, to its own semi-independent vassalage city beneath the banners of first the dark elves and then the Oyashiamen. In the name of the divine order of Ka’tau, Atemu knew that he waged war against Isfet on many occasions, often to the glorification of Rah’tuma’s name and to the empowerment of the Gods. He brought the influence of Hesthor, the goddess of purity, to bear against the feared ambassador of Azdromoth himself within the mortal world, the An-Gho, and the now-felled Gashaudokoro. He cleansed their lands, waged war against their agents, and contended with them when others who proclaimed the virtue of the spiritualists shirked in fear or indifference.

He cleansed afflictions from across the nations with the waters of Hesthor, brought in the lost and treated them as his own people, and built Rah’tuma as a citadel of order in a corrupt world. He drove back marauders and undead alike with the might of the Gods in his hands. He even came close to convincing a Haenseti noblewoman, who eventually became its Queen, to secretly follow the Rah’mun faith in the form of worshiping Hesthor after demonstrating her healing might over an impure affliction. Surely these were signs of a new dawn not just for the Rah’mun people, but also for the world.

 

Or so he thought. . .

 

‘Was it all for naught?’ Atemu considered. At what cost did these great feats happen? His sister, Meret-Pa, died at the hands of the Orcs during his attempted escape from the brutalities of Krugmar. His people were kidnapped and killed on multiple occasions by Orcish raiding parties who sought to exact vengeance upon Atemu for his refusal to follow their ways. His people lost everything twice, and now for a third time, with no clear path to rejuvenation. He could not even protect the shrines of the Rah’mun faith from persistent vandalization and destruction at the hands of those who sought to destroy his project. And most devastatingly, the Pharaoh considers..

 

His own people, whom he considered the protectors of order within this world, refused to respect him. With very few exceptions, Atemu was not seen as someone worthy of respect, but as a pretender mimicking an aesthetic of spiritualism that was idiosyncratic at best; at worse, a petty tyrant, a cult leader, who was leading a herd of followers to slaughter along with him due to his perceived recklessness.

 

“What contradictions do I carry?” Atemu asked himself as he wandered the vast wildernesses of Azuras, a Pharaoh no more. “Blessed by the Gods, and yet cursed to the misfortune of a vagrant nomad?” He reflected.

 

And it was true, shortly before the downfall of Rah’tuma’s second and last city in Almaris, the last remnants of resistance preserving Kemet-Taw, the Rah’mun homeland, from ruins had themselves failed in their mission. There was now truly no place to go for Atemu or his people if their new settlements did not work out. And as fate would have it, they did not. The promise of the Gods to Atemu that he would lead a second Rah’mun Golden Age rang hollow. Isfet consumed the world with the emergence of more foul entities and the shrinking of those who fight for good and truth in the world. Nations of all sorts, formerly mighty, collapsed beneath the weight of a Canonist empire, one with little care of the Gods, Ka’tau, or the mandates of either.

 

The weight of these revelations continued to bear down upon the Pharaoh as he wandered… And wandered… And wandered…

 

At some point in his journey he came upon a tree, one fashioned from Sycamore, reminiscent of the gifts of Hesthor to the natural world within Rah’mun mythos and widely praised as a holy tree by his people. With a heave and sigh, Atemu fell to his knees, gripping the Ankh cross around his neck and closing his eyes. He forcibly snatched the Ankh from his neck and threw it at the bottom of the tree, speaking solemnly, yet with conviction.

 

 

“I do not know why the Gods have abandoned the world for the ravages of chaos. I do not know why victory was snatched from the grasp of my people, and why prosperity was denied to us. Ra’s smile never dawned upon us for but a moment; Ka’tau’s favor left us, Te’uth’s wisdom eluded us, Hesthor’s purity has forsaken us.” He paused, allowing the silence to hang over the moment like a veil over a maiden’s face. “What I do know, however, is that order persists, whether chaos reigns or slumbers. And so long as there is just one who acknowledges the light of truth and refuses to give way to Isfet, the world has hope yet.” Atemu then turned his back to the tree, leaning on it as he gazed towards the heavens.

 

“I was not the one to carry the will of Ka’tau into fruition, I know that. And perhaps even the Rah’mun peoples were not the ones. But someone, somewhere, must take the torch and use it to blaze a path anew, for a world where order reigns, darkness is snuffed out, purity is prominent, and lawfulness is expected. If I have any final prayer as I forsake the mantle of Pharaoh,” He said, staring in the direction of the sun, which is believed to be the embodiment of Ra’tuhmet, “May it be this: Do not let the dream of an orderly world die with my people.”

 

Atemu then rose to his feet and walked in the opposite direction of the tree, burdened by his thoughts and the experiences of ages. The Rah’mun were perhaps not destined to rise again, but maybe some people, somewhere, would pick up where they left off and succeed where they could not. Perhaps someone, somewhere, would remember just how important eternal ideas are even amid the fluctuations of ages. Perhaps someone, somewhere, would not forget that courage is the only kind of strength worth having, because without courage defeat is assured. And perhaps someone, somewhere, would be inspired by the memory of Rah’tuma, its triumphs over Isfet, its defeats and mistakes, and the mere exceptional fact of its existence in the first place.

 

Perhaps someone, somewhere…

 

 

OOC SPOILER: 

 

Spoiler

 

This was a very somber post to make, but it was a necessary one. This post marks the official end of the spiritualist subculture themed after Ancient Egypt that I've been building since 2023 called Rahtuma. This project has been nothing short of a labor of love and has produced so many awesome experiences, new friends, and great storylines. I want to thank everyone who played a part in making Rah’tuma work, and who humored me as I tried out this rather niche and novel experiment. There were certainly challenges along the way, and things I wish I had done better, and situations I wish I had handled differently. But I think Rah’tuma is a testament that anyone on LOTC, with enough creativity and wit, can create something that can provide a rich experience to others. That was my goal when I set out to create Rah’tuma, and I believe I succeeded.

 

Thank you to everyone who participated in Rah’tuma and our numerous events and storylines, including people like @Digit___@Tk4522 @BlauRps @TheCaptain, @GrenadierGaming @SteppeNomad, @Aquarius @asoart, @Jentos @Werew0lf @Bird5k @PrinceJose270 @Trekker Falchion @Norgeth @DizzyGrey, @DrunkPapaBear, @femurlord, @wolfersquad2004 @ThatFunkyBunch, @Lumipire @TeaWithFrisket, @minarichankun, @Dramatude, @LoxyTheReindeer @Hopeful, @HeftyDonut, @Mallow, @Ent1ty, @sydni_spelled_strange @M_DA_MIZEand anyone else who I forgot to mention. Thank you all!

OOC: Images of Rah'tuma throughout the years:

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited April 23 by Boknice275

[M_DA_MIZE 5]

This was one of my favorite projects I had the pleasure of being a part of. It's saddening to see it go. I had so much fun roleplaying with you all. 

[Benleft 2590]

HESTHOR #1

[Digit___ 1226]

Deep in meditation, a 'ker Farseer, once the Vizier of Rah'tuma, would feel a strong shift within the Divine Realms; as if something significant happened. Elahern Tal then opened his eyes and rose to his feet then looked across the horizon, the sun's gaze looked back with what almost felt like Ra staring at him with ire. Thus the former Vizier walked opposite of the setting sun and into the shade of the coming eve.

 

Spoiler

This was a great project to be apart of, thank you for the good times and memories!

 

[Trekker Falchion 51]

I can confidently say that I have not roleplayed as Ankh-Ha in a long time, I have no clue what he would say to this anymore. But I know what I would say, and will say. The Rah'mun experience was some of the most fun I have ever had playing minecraft. It didn't feel forced, it didn't feel crowded, it felt like a small family just trying to have fun. Now it wasn't all great, some ooc hatred happened plenty of times, but we all supported eachother and stuck with eachother through thick and thin and thats part of what made this experience such a blast. I was never the type to stick around for long periods of time, the others can vouch for that statement lol but anytime I was on we all had such great fun. Thank you for letting me be a part of this and for letting this be my first interaction with a true roleplay experience. The memories I gained from all of you will stick with me forever, long live Rah'tuma, long live Hesthor, and long live the memories we all made together.

[Bird5k 1083]

@Boknice275Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this project. Rahtuma and its lore still have a special place in my heart, Oti my beloved, I can't say if I'd like to see it return to the server or rather have it end with the memories it has. But the pieces are there for others to pick up if they find them interesting. Until then, the High Priest of Oti shall remain shelved and waiting for a calling.

[Wasteland_Shaman 97]

An orc, garbed in a kaftan astride a camel took in the sights of the empty Hordelands, a soft breeze granted him the clarity he  needed to move on. Recalling how he himself, former enemy turned ally, had witnessed his own people become what Atemu-Ta of Rah'tuma had underwent those long years ago...

The red cliffs and red earth kicked by the wind blew past him, as he recalled when Atemu had took him into the Temple of Hesthor and treated him with respect. Not as a foe but as someone seeking repentance,  the formerly green orc envisioned a future in which Rah'mun and Orc could practice their ways of Spiritualism the 'Heka' as they were called with dignity. It had seemed that the Sun had set on the Rah'muns as it had on the Horde, the orc had died once for his sins against his kinfolk reborn again yet recalling that Atemu was a portent of things to come, and of things to pass for the Urukhim. Meret-Pa's death, and his own at Akaal behest would not be the first or the last, and so he clicked his tongue, steering his Camel North to where their new future awaited...Free from the tyranny of the Akaal and the urukhim blinded by their heresy.

OOC
 

Spoiler

I am going to miss Atemu and Rah'Tuma, even if they were only a small part of my character's journey it was meaningful to his development. Love you all.

 

[JediMaestro 244]

Bronze Band adjacent party mentioned in 2026, we are so back, boys.