Nefret Campaign Setting

Nefret (Nefret Niut; “the Beautiful Land”) is a small continent dominated by a river of the same name (Nefret Iteru; “the Beautiful River”). Though primarily desert, the land also includes mountains, savannas, jungle, swamp, and numerous outlying islands.  The land is home to a dozen races that have co-existed for millennia--but the past is being steadily swallowed by the sands, swamps, and jungle.  Even the gods have changed.

Nations of Nefret


Three Kingdoms (Upper, Middle, & Lower Nefret; aka "The Empire")

The Three Kingdoms of Nefret have been united for thousands of years.  Together, they are an ancient and powerful nation under the rule of a elven Pharaoh.  After the unification of the kingdoms during the First Dynasty, the Empire expanded to include the entire continent during the Second Dynasty and Third Dynasties.  The Cattlefolk Rebellion at the end of the Third Dynasty marked the transition to the Fourth Dynasty--which would see other nations break away.
         In the past, Pharaoh was worshiped as a living god-king, one of the pantheon of Netjeru serving the people; since the reforms of Atenhotep I, however, the Pharaoh has become a priest-king dedicated to the monotheistic Aten--serving as the Aten's only mouthpiece.

Upper Nefret [F & G]

Upper Nefret includes the mountain aeries of the tengu and the prarie communes of the vanara.  It is synonymous with the Golden Nefret Rivery Valley, ending where that river merges with the Black Nefret to form the Great Nefret.  The region includes all northern and eastern coasts of the Empire.  Once included Hatun Hallpa and the  jungles of Cuahman as vassal states.

Middle Nefret [H, I, & J]

Middle Nefret is home to the three, elven tribes that come come to dominate Nefretic politics. This region includes the lower Black Nefret and the upper Great Nefret--extending from the boudary of the Cuahman jungles to the cataracts near Peraten.  It includes the deserts south of Tem-Akh and Peraten, and a small coastal regions beyond that.  Once included Egu and Tamisha as vassal states.

Lower Nefret [L & M]

Lower Nefret includes the coastal desert of the dogfolk, and the delta swamps of the lizardfolk (though a portion of lizardfolk call Cuahman home).  This region extends from the cataracts near Peraten to the Gret Nefret delta, and includes all western and most of the southern coasts of the Empire.  Once included the Myriapoli and the swamps of Cuahman as vassal states.

Myriapoli [C]

The human homeland is not a  nation, but a series of city-states in a fluctuating state of independence and unification.  Once extending to the coast of Outer Nefret, these cities were conquered long ago by the dogfolk--and their inhabitants taken as slaves for a time.

Tamisha [E]

Catfolk homeland.

Egu [D]

The cattlefolk homeland was once a part of the Empire (as a vassal state of Middle Nefret), but it won its victory during a rebellion at the close of the Third Dynasty.

Hatun Hallpa [K]

Dwarf homeland.

Cuahman [A & B]

A unified kingdom consisting of the grippli's coastal swamp and the nagaji's highland jungle.  Many lizardfolk along the border region with Lower Nefret prefer to call Cuahman their home.

Dynastic Timeline

A dynasty is a succession of rulers from the same family, stock, or grouping; it is also the rule of sequence; as well as the time period of that rule.  In Nefret, time is measured in dynasties, with the years of each dynasty numbered independently from the next--in some cases, even overlapping.  Dynasties typically last between 60 and 200 years each.

Mythic Dynasty

In the time of myth, the brothers Ra, Osiris, and Set were the first pharaohs of the Three Kingdoms--each the ruler of his own people.  Set would later overthrow Osiris, becoming pharaoh of two lands.  Osiris's son, Horus, would later attempt to reclaim his father's throne--and would succeed in ousting Set with the help of his mother Isis.  As a tengu, Horus was also heir to Ra, so he would become the first pharaoh to rule over all three kingdoms.
       Independent of Nefret, and claiming much of the same territory [C, D, E, G, H, I, J, L, M], was a Sphinx Empire.  Rivaling them was a nation ruled by nagas [A, B, F(?), K].

First Dynasty

Despite having four sons of his own (a dogfolk, an elf, a tengu, and a vanara), Horus did not pass the crowns to any of them.  Instead, he chose a mortal high elf to to rule as Pharaoh of the Three Kingdoms--but only if that mortal could unite all the tribes of the land under his banner.  While one mortal could not succeed at this task, an entire dynasty did.  This secured elven control of the Three Kingdoms

Second Dynasty

Not content with merely three kingdoms, the pharaohs of the Second Dynasty spread their influence throughout the continent, winning the fealty or servitude of all races.

Third Dynasty

The Third Dynasty is known for being both the time of the height of the Empire, as well as the time of its downfall.  This dynasty ended with the Cattlefolk Rebellion--which resulted in the independence of Egu from the Empire.  The loss of this territory caused the Pharaoh to lose favor, and he was soon overthrown by a distant relative.

Fourth Dynasty

The Fourth Dynasty opens with the reign of Queen Sekhtet and the walling in of the city of Wati.  It continues with the further decay of the Empire as outlying nations regain their independence.  At the close of this dynasty, the Myriapoli were granted independence before another revolution could threaten the safety of the Nefreti people.

...

Seventh Dynasty

The last historical reference to the city of Wati was in the Seventh Dynasty, on a list of lost cities whose location was no longer known.

...

Eighteenth Dynasty

Amonhotep II, against tradition, married his human concubine in order to recognize her children as his heirs. This decision would earn him a place as the last pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

Nineteenth (or Half-Elven) Dynasty

Amonhotep III (the son of Amonhotep II and his human concubine) would return to tradition and marry his sisters—ensuring that their half-elf traits would be preserved in Amonhotep IV.  Amonhotep IV later founded the Aten movement and changed his name to Atenhotep I.  Atenhotep I co-ruled with his wife Moshet until his death. Moshet ruled the nation on her own for two decades more until her own demise. The crown was then passed to their son, Atenhotep II, who continues the religious reforms of his parents.  While the people continue to worship the old ways, the nobility strictly adheres to Atenism.  Atenhotep II rules from Peraten, the city built by his father as the center of the new faith, and new capital of the Three Kingdoms.
       Four years ago, a sandstorm uncovered a portion of the walled-in city of Wati less than a day's journey from Peraten.

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