Heliohapt

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To call it one nation in its current state is a lie, but to call it two would also be so. After the loss of their capital due to the creation of Tartarus they have become a broken land. Split in the middle, this nation is ruled in the east by a  council composed of the surviving nobles who wish to protect their lands and preserve their culture against the west and Tartarus farther to the east. In the west of Heliohapt groups of slaves freed themselves and took over cities with the aid of the lower classes. Having fortified in their new capital a city they named Heliopolis, they do not wish to take over all of Helio but wish to make a nation for themselves, where they can build a nation on their culture of half-helio and mixed parts of multiple nations due to most of them being descendants of foreign slaves. They are led by Bakh Abhudir, a slave who freed himself and declared himself Sultan and liberated the largest city in the west which has now become their capital, Tethis, a port city that had the second-highest population of slaves outside the capital itself.


Egyptian-themed Heliohaptian culture is more than just an imitation and while clothing and architecture are similar along with their people generally ranging from dark-skinned to tanned in this nation they are also unique in quite a few ways. Snakes and serpents are important to Heliohaptian culture with the right of wearing one around one's neck seen as a high honor usually reserved for those of noble blood or the Pharaoh themselves. When it comes to “religion” rather than a dedicated pantheon, the people of Heliohapt take worship more personal and somewhat privately respecting mythical and historical figures that are important to them. Known as Cults they are social groups that are usually formed around common interests and/or beliefs with the oldest formed around the mythical figures that saved the pharaoh of what people consider Heliohapt. Outside of the Cult that worships the pharaoh directly, there are three other major cults formed around mythical figures from the country's founding. The most popular is the Cult of The Sun, who works as both seers and doctors for the nation, The Cult of Rituals, whose jobs consist of taking care of the dead and managing their affairs and where the nations love for snakes and serpents originate from, and finally the largest cult of them all. The Cult of The Sphinx has existed since the first dynasty of pharaohs as an underground cult that came to light a hundred years ago and since has grown massive. Their cult is centered around the worship of a giant man-faced lion that was said to roam the desert, and while they are only heard of in rumors nowadays they worship cats as the avatar of their god. While seemingly focused on taking care of animals they also work with protecting the people with guards who offer their services to the people. Though some people say they also have a secret service that keeps their hands in the underworld of the country.

In the poorer classes of Helio the slaves of multiple races and nations, the most numerous being Balbadd (Middle eastern/Arabic), Reim (Roman), and Magnostadt (Jewish), have started to blend over the years. Due to poor slaves staying in poverty and a sense of kinship this has created a culture that is mainly Heliohaptian with blends of the main three and in other cities some others. Besides being mixed race a common feature among these mixed culture Heliohaptians due to the main three influences is that it has become a tradition for families to make robes or cloaks which they wear over Heliohaptian clothing. They are given a simple design on their first robe/cloak and on their birthday they are given a new one with a more complex design, this is done every year until they turn nineteen when they are considered an adult. This final design usually consists of symbols, words, or sometimes both make an image that represents the child and signifies their transition to adulthood where they give themselves a second first name. This second first name is usually one belonging to one of their ancestor cultures in addition to their Heliohaptian name that might've been given to them by a parent, slaver, or in some cases both. Another big part of their culture is in direct opposition to the nobles, there exists a snake in the Desert known as The Apophi snake with incredibly durable scales and deadly acidic venom, with hunting parties they hunt down these snakes in a symbolic act of defiance against the nobles who wear serpents around their necks.



The land of Heliohapt is an ancient one around six-hundred years, with new customs becoming old and new being born like fresh seeds around an oasis. At this time there was the first Dynasty of Talezahra which lasted for seventy years before they were overthrown by the first Pharaoh of the second dynasty, Ramses Massri. The Talezahra Dynasty ruled over a single city around an oasis in the desert of forgotten souls, when Ramses the leader of a large tribe sought to settle in the city the pharaoh and his men were afraid of his strength and charisma, so they sought to remove him from their lands. In the middle of the night, he was poisoned with a cobra’s venom and left in the middle of the desert with no food or water, where they hoped he would die.

However, whether it be a miracle or pure determination Ramses survived for three days and three nights before finally his body succumbed to his wounds and dehydration, and found himself bathing in the harsh sun that was slowly killing him. Death would not come for the man despite his wishes from the pain he felt, instead he found himself granted a reprieve when two mysterious figures appeared before him their forms obscured by the light of the desert and the pain in his body. All he can remember is one of them using a serpent to make something, an antivenom which was fed to him, while the other brought him to an Oasis where he drank and rested for three more days and nights.

When he finally awoke he found himself alone but reinvigorated he returned home to his people where they raised their weapons and overthrew the Talezahra whose name would be lost like the sand in the wind. In the aftermath, Ramses' story was told and the people viewed not only his saviors as gods but Ramses himself as well. This worship would become the foundation for the cults that persist to this day.

After the first three hundred years of Massri rule, the Heliohaptians sought land beyond the desert and in a great war conquered part of what was known as the Parthevian peninsula. These lands inhabited by a culture already were not destroyed, but Heliohaptian influence reigned as they used these new lands to gather slaves from Reim, Balbadd, and Magnostadt which were sent back to the mainland where they would be used to colonize some of the harsher desert regions.

This would last for years keeping a status quo until one day Pharaoh Ramses Massri VII would die suddenly, his eldest son a product of his love for an Imuchakk woman he met while out on diplomacy, disappeared. When he reappeared he was joined by a man named Gilbert who said was his advisor, little did people know the young pharaoh had been replaced with an imposter.

With their grip of the nation being damaged due to criminal influences the capital was eventually taken out by a mysterious attack which now leaves the country split wondering without capital, without a pharaoh, where will they go from here?

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The government split into two based on the two major factions that are fighting for control of Helio’s lands, and both of them have a unique form and own structure based on the goals and values of their side.

In the Eastern lands closer to the original capital the surviving nobles have coalesced into a provisional government, with their Pharaoh missing they have formed a council to help decide what to do with their future. With a wish to retain old culture and eventually pick a new Pharaoh the nobles hold all power with each controlling their territory like a nation with a nation, but this uneasy alliance stays banded why all hope to promote their own agenda the one thing they share is for a Pharaoh to rule over Helio once again. This Oligarchic government has no formal institutions supporting them besides the council meaning that for any choices to be made the majority of Nobles must agree. However, there are three noble house heads that hold the most sway and hold specific positions in the interim government.

The Big Three:

In the Western lands, the noble families have been driven out or executed as these lands heavily populated with slaves and low-class people have taken the land through force. Another Interim government consists of two entities, The Slave Army, and Their Sultan. With no other institutions in place, The Slave Army of Helio works as both police and administration over the cities and villages they occupy. At the head of this Army and in control of the largest garrison of troops is Sultan Bakh Abhudir, with only an advisor he makes the majority of decisions for their forces and their land. Unlike the belief in a God-King the sole claim to the Sultan’s Authority is his skill, people follow and trust him because he is capable and it is the belief of him and his army that the Sultan should be the Paragon of their people who strives for his people and their freedom.

Sultan Bakh Abhudir:

Vizier Ibrahim Wali:

The Cult Of the Sun (Ra)- A cult built around the worship of the sun itself which they believe to be a golden bird known as Ra that blesses the pharaoh with its light and approval. Due to their presence in aiding the people out of charity, they have become filled with doctors and seers who are majorly magicians. These doctors heal the citizens of each nation without worry, but they will turn into known slaves if healing is sought within the noble’s territory. The seers provide their service to anyone who brings offerings, they use their clairvoyance magic to answer questions that people come to their temple because they could find an answer nowhere else.

High Priest of Ra:

The Cult Of Rituals (Anubis)-  In charge of all matters concerning the dead, they handle their burial, embalming with snake venoms, and the funerary procession along with the funeral itself. While the highest honor of burial in the Black Pyramid being reserved for the Pharaohs and their mummies. However, they also handle the burial of nobles and commoners alike, with nobles generally having their own family tombs while commoners are buried in vast basic tombs located near cities. While slaves are generally left to the desert to be picked clean by scavengers. They worship a Jackal known as Anubis who was said to have used a snake to bring the first Pharaoh Ramses back from the dead before giving it to him as a gift, for this reason, statues of Jackals with snakes around their necks can be seen around Heliohapt.

High Priest of Anubis:

The Cult Of the Sphinx (Bast)- An ancient cult that once worshipped an Almighty Sphinx found wandering in the desert and now worship cats in her stead, just like their supposed god they were a rumor of the nation until one hundred years ago when they came to light and while they most often are seen supporting farmers and animal herders their real purpose comes in the form of the Sphinx guard. Like a form of police Sphinx guards are warriors highly trained in guerilla warfare trained in dual Kopesh fighting, freed slaves often join them to protect the underprivileged communities. However, despite their friendly nature with their love of cats rumors exist that members of their cult secretly indulge in paid killings, but no evidence of this is to be seen.

High Priestess of Bast:

With the country split into two sides vying for full control, or independence the matter of allegiances has become more important than ever. Each side has its own methods and benefits to citizenship, whereupon joining one the other side will see you as an enemy.

In the Noble State of Heliohapt, things have become more intense with citizenship since members of the lower class started defecting towards the other side. With the help of the ancient Cult known as The Cult of Sun the people who choose to align with the Nobles are given a tattoo of the sun and the eye of Ra to prove they are loyal to the people. In order to prove this worthiness though you must either be a born Heliohaptian, or you must complete an official request dictated by the Cult the Nobles. This tends to be a chain of jobs to prove dedication and willingness to follow orders.

However, those who choose to undergo this forced marking and join the nation gain access to the Sun Market, a location that sells both the herbs of the nation along with a slave market with interchanging NPCs that members of Helio can go into the market to get an NPC of any kind that cannot be replaced until the first one has been killed. Members of Heliohapt who reach high status (B-tier) may receive a  B-tier serpent/snake pet with a single trait equal to tier to protect them that will follow the players level, if a tamer they may register this as a beast with that trait still not counting towards the beast’s normal trait amount. (It also possible for plot purposes to say you’ve stolen one or were gifted one by a noble rather than simply be apart of nobility)

How the Slave State of Helio handles their citizenship is a bit different due to their origins as members of the underprivileged classes. In their lands, people are considered one of three things a vagabond, a resident, and a citizen. Vagabonds are any person traveling through or staying with family or friends but with no residence of their own. Residents are people who have their own homes or land within the borders but have no official affiliation with the state beyond living within their lands. Citizens are the people who are officially affiliated with the state and receive full benefits granted by the state.  

Still containing the sun-markets of old they also sell the same herbs as the others, but with slavery abolished within their state the slave market has been replaced with a patronage system of sorts where people can take out a contract with skilled people of various fields, only one contract can be taken out at a time and if a contract ends the NPC returns to the market for someone else to take out a contract.  Along with this, the slave army has the capacity to make armor and shields from the scales of the Great Apophi serpents from the desert. At C-tier they get the choice between a shield or some type of armor made from their scales, these scales are resistant to all types of damage, and while they also have shield durability they reduce the effectiveness of attacks by a single-tier making them harder to destroy than any other form of armor. (Upon completion of the omega challenge it can be upgraded to Omega-Tier. The scales also contain high traces of metal and can be used for metal vessels)


Pharaohs Pilgrimage-In order for someone from Heliohapt to advance to Ω-Tier, they would have to spend a week in the Desert of Forgotten Souls, and from there find their way back to Heliohapt. They are blinded and dropped off in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but sand and dangerous creatures around them. To some, the task might seem simple, but it is far from so. The entire point of this task is to emulate the original Pharaoh Ramses' trials.

Elder Apophi Battle-In other parts of Heliohapt was reverence for snakes and the nobles aren't as high some instead go through another task to prove their strength. They must track, find, and kill an Elder Apophi serpent which is supposedly more than three times deadlier than a normal one.