Kemet is an Exekian hunyadi. Over six hundred years old, he is a former imperial soldier who briefly rose to prominence in the later years of the Old Exekian Empire.
Following the collapse of the Empire in the First Exekian War, he went into hiding, living alone in a mountain cave for the next century and a half. During this time, he maintained numerous artifacts from the imperial days, including copies of the holy books written in Old Exekian. These documents formed the basis of Dagda Vormund's new translation, which Kemet aided him in creating.
As the first Exekian Vormundist, Kemet believes humans and Exekians can and should coexist peacefully, even going so far as to marry to an Alucarsian woman, Sophia Richter.
Biography
Early Life
Kemet was born in 458 BYZ in the city of Tyr. Like most Exekians, he never knew who his parents were. As a child he stayed at the house of Haya, a wealthy merchant who served as a matronly figure. Haya's lover, the soldier Skandar, taught Kemet how to fence.
At around the age of ten, he discovered he was a hunyadi. Despite this, he chose to become a soldier rather than a slave overseer, a common career for hunyadi.
While fighting in the Exekian Civil War, he met Matta, with whom he became close friends. Kemet saw Matta as a dutiful but courageous individual.
When Matta first approached Kemet with his plan to incite the slaves to rebellion, Kemet was reluctant. He eventually agreed to use his power, and dreamwalked in the minds of the slaves, inspiring them to fight back. Kemet always portrayed Matta rather than himself in these visions; thus, when they were later caught and interrogated, they all believed Matta was the hunyadi who inspired them.
Kemet's loyalty to the Empire was tested when Rokanan ordered him to hunt down Matta. Out of a sense of duty and a cowardly desire to save his own skin, Kemet killed Matta, an action he would come to regret. Upon his death Kemet came into possession of Matta's estate, Casca Dun, which included his library and a manuscript which Matta had written in hiding.
After ending Matta's Mutiny, Kemet became secluded, rarely appearing in public and preferring to keep to Casca Dun.
Hunted
During the First Exekian War, the world Kemet knew crumbled around him. He lost everything and was forced out of Tyr.
Heading south, Kemet eventually took shelter in a cave burrowed into Arza Kell, a mountain near the city of Bodai. He stayed in hiding, but was occasionally attacked by humans while out foraging for food. He encountered few members of his own kind, and heard rumors of feudal warfare among the Exekians who escaped to the southern wastes. He chose not to follow them in order to avoid becoming a soldier again. Having managed to keep Matta's books intact, he spent a great deal of time studying.
The Cult of Vormund
Kemet and Sophia.
Badly injured during a scuffle with a group of farmers, Kemet was found and nursed back to health by the prophet Vormund and his followers. After learning who they were, he allowed them to stay in his cave. He became close to Sophia Richter and befriended Gavin Zosimus.
Gradually, Kemet was converted to the new religion. He began to develop romantic feelings for Sophia, and they eventually married.
In Hiberia Vormund and Ethan were arrested on trumped-up charges. Ethan was put on trial and hanged for the murder of Mina Palmer. Convicted as an accomplice to the murder, Vormund was sentenced to death, but fell ill and died in prison. Fearing for their lives, the cult disbanded. With the help of Lord Gavin Zosimus and his wife Melissa, Kemet and Sophia escaped to the south.
Kemet living the simple life.
After crossing the river Antoi, the Zosimuses left them and returned to their home in Tyr. They continued on to the border, where they took shelter in an abandoned cottage. The couple rebuilt the dilapidated building, adding extra structures and repairing the house, and made it their permanent home.
Dissolution and Unity
In search of other members of his kind, Kemet frequently traversed the southern wastes, which had become known as the country of Exekia. He swiftly learned of the situation among his people in the south; two rival factions had formed, one led by a self-proclaimed Empress, and the other an alliance between the former hunyadi Zimreon and his lieutenant Nechtan, who called themselves the Clan.
Kemet recognized that the Clan would never seek peace with the humans, but the Empress possibly would. Over the next several years, Kemet traveled to her territory and preached to the people, with varying degrees of success. He once managed to get an audience with the Empress, but failed to convince her that tolerant coexistence with Alucarsia was possible.
Fever
In the year 184, the first Exekian kluuda since the fall of the Empire occurred. While staying in a nearby Exekian settlement, Kemet was vilified for refusing to help propagate his dying species by mating with a member of his own kind, as it would break his marriage vows to Sophia. Despite his convictions, he found it increasingly difficult to resist the aggressive advances of others and the effects of kluuda on his body.
Description
Kemet is described as having delicate, chiseled features, pale skin like marble, golden eyes which glow in the dark, and long white hair. Among his race, he is not considered attractive, but many humans perceive him to be quite beautiful. In all his appearances in the stories, he is depicted wearing a black cloak with a large folded collar.
Quotes
"Vormund carried him in from the forest, where he had been beaten by vengeful villagers. He refused to speak for several days, watching them with sleepless suspicion, but eventually he gave them his name, Kemet, and admitted he had been attacked for stealing food. None of them asked what he was doing in Alucarsia, but it was generally believed that he was in a kind of exile."
—Gavin meets Kemet
"She thought of the paintings she had seen in the houses of lords depicting the heroes of history with the faces of angels—figures that were strong and robust, but also delicate and refined, almost feminine. His voice was too deep for him to be mistaken for a woman, but that long white hair didn’t help. Ah, well—she had always loved the pretty ones."
—Sophia on Kemet's appearance
Trivia
Kemet was what the ancient Egyptians called their country, meaning "black land".
The character's earliest known incarnation was as "Prince Caspar of Thun", and he shared many traits in common with Matta. "Caspar" appeared in a short story called Entropy, which was published on Wattpad as part of the anthology The Old World Lives Anew!
In early drafts, he was named "Apollo".
Works Cited
The Old World Lives Anew!, 2017: "Hatchling"