The Pharaonic Pantheon[]
The true origins of the Egyptian pantheon are dark, its history hidden. Some claim that Ra gave life to the other powers. Others mark Ptah as the high-up, and still more put forth that the mysterious Eight Fathers and Mothers of Light and Life were the true creators. A body can believe what he likes, but the Eight (if they existed) have vanished into the mists of time, and Ptah's been relegated to the position of a minor deity, his heart and tongue silenced (or at least muted).
Perhaps the folks who believed in Ptah lost their faith, or maybe he never really had any power in the first place. Whatever the truth, the histories now call Ra the father of the pantheon, and claim that those who weren't born from his line came from elsewhere — either rejected from other pantheons or formed whole from the fabric of the multiverse. And only eight powers came from Ra. His first act, in fact, was to bring forth his children, Shu and Tefnut, who in turn gave birth to Geb and Nut. This second couple brought forth the couples of Osiris and Isis, and Set and Nephythys.
Ra and his family are known as the Ennead or the Psedjet, and they were among the first to realize the importance of the Rule of Threes. Their pantheon was, after all, initially comprised of nine gods — three threes. And the Ennead began the business of creating and ruling the world. In so doing, they set one of their children above the people of the land, so that the mortals could look to divine guidance in the ruling of their world. This child, the pharaoh, was thus head of both church and state, and he was idolized and worshiped by the faithful.
The dark of the Egyptian religion is that most all of the gods who aren't part of the Ennead are humans — pharaohs, mostly, but also nobles, priests, and commoners — raised to divine status, their remains and talents venerated after their deaths. Either that or they're the spirits of certain powers, symbolized in the forms of animals, that've been raised so they can guide mortals through sacrifice and hard, hard work.
- On Hallowed Ground
The Ennead Family[]
Ra, Pharaoh of the Gods[]
Alignment: Lawful Neutral. Portfolio: Kings, Rulership, the Sun.
Geb, Father Under the Skies and Sands[]
Alignment: Neutral Good. Portfolio: Earth, Mountains.
Isis, Lady of Knowledge[]
Alignment: Lawful Good. Portfolio: Knowledge, Magic, Marriage, Motherhood.
Nephythys, Lady of Sands[]
Alignment: Chaotic Good. Portfolio: The Dead, Wealth.
Nut, Mother Night[]
Alignment: Neutral Good. Portfolio: Romance, Sky, Star-Crossed Lovers.
Osiris, the White Crown[]
Alignment: Lawful Good. Portfolio: The Dead, Plants.
Set, Lord of Evil, Defiler of the Dead[]
Alignment: Lawful Evil. Portfolio: Desert Storms, Drought, Evil.
Shu, the Upholder[]
Alignment: Lawful Good. Portfolio: Air, Atmosphere, Winds.
Tefnut, Storm's Fury[]
Alignment: Neutral Good. Portfolio: Rain, Storms, Water.
Sacred Spirits and the Venerated Dead[]
Anhur, the Falcon of War[]
Alignment: Chaotic Good. Portfolio: War, Wisdom.
Anubis, the Hound of the Dead[]
Alignment: Lawful Good. Portfolio: Dead Gods, Death, Judgment.
Asphai, the Great Mantis[]
Alignment: True Neutral. Portfolio: Insects.
Bast, Mother of Cats[]
Alignment: Chaotic Good. Portfolio: Cats, Pleasure.
Bes, Short Father[]
Alignment: True Neutral. Portfolio: Gambling, Luck.
Horus, the Avenger[]
Alignment: Chaotic Good. Portfolio: Sky, Sun, Vengeance, War.
Ptah, the Opener of the Way[]
Alignment: Lawful Neutral. Portfolio: Artisans, Artists, Craftsmen, Travel.
Seker, Lightbringer[]
Alignment: Neutral Good. Portfolio: Light.
Thoth, the Keeper of Knowledge[]
Alignment: True Neutral. Portfolio: Knowledge.