PLOT || The Sentencing of Set

INTRODUCTION & COMMENTARY

As the story of DEITIES is meant to take place several centuries after The Contendings, I’ve been developing details regarding the aftermath. These details would be particularly important for Set’s character — who in DEITIES verse, was inarguably defeated by the end of his struggles against Horus.

The following notes pertain to Set in the aftermath of The Contendings, and as it relates to the backstory of DEITIES verse. While there are several versions of the mythology regarding the results of The Contendings, I’m primarily choosing the version that leads to Set’s exile, and adapting it to suit what I have in mind for the project. For this reason, the following information is relevant to the fictional canon and backstory of DEITIES, rather than the canon from the myths.

THE SENTENCING OF SET

Following the results of The Contendings, and Lord Set’s final defeat, the gods within the Council of Ma’at were faced with deciding the fate of the fallen chaos god. Many agreed that the various crimes Set had committed against the pantheon, and the damage caused from the last years of his reign, deserved some form of retribution. Furthermore, the council grew concerned with Set’s control over chaos energy, which had earned more negative stigma during the years of conflict (see notes on Chaos Energy & Chaos Magic).

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Eventually, the council agreed upon three terms for Set’s full and indefinite sentence, which they believed would not only serve as a fitting punishment, but might also prevent Set from repeating the same level of destruction and unrest within the pantheon.

TERM I — EXILE FROM EGYPT

The first part of Set’s sentencing was his exile from the territories of Egypt, as well as from the underworld of Duat.

During his exile, Set would only be permitted to roam the red lands of the desert, which remained a part of his domain as a God of the Desert. However, he would remain banished from the fertile black lands of Egypt, and would also be unable to cross realms to return to the land of the gods. His exile would also strip Set of the status he had once held among the pantheon, along with the privileges that came with this status.

At the start of the main story of DEITIES, Set still remains in his exile, and has had very limited contact with any gods from the pantheon. Little has been confirmed about his current condition and whereabouts, except the general idea that Set resides somewhere in the desert lands beyond the territories of Egypt.

TERM II — SEIZING OF THE WAS SCEPTER

The second part of Set’s sentencing was severing the link between Set and his divine weapon, the Was Scepter (see notes for Divine Weapons and The Was Scepter). The scepter would be then seized from his possession and hidden away within Egypt, so that Set would be unable to search for it, per the first term of his exile.

With Set’s connection with his weapon severed, he would no longer be able to summon his scepter, nor would he be able to sense its presence. As the Was Scepter had been a symbol of Set’s power, and a vital instrument that allowed him to best channel his control over Chaos Magic, having it hidden away would further impede his ability to wield that energy.

At the start of the story, Set remains unaware of where the Was Scepter has been hidden.

TERM III — THE CHAOS SEAL

While the first two terms of Set’s sentence were already dire, the council remained unconvinced that these measures would be enough to prevent Set from potentially abusing his power over Chaos again — and many held good reason to suspect he might attempt to do so. It became a reason for the council to add a third addition to his sentencing, which they believed would be a solution to prevent Set from abusing his power once more.

The solution, and the third part of Set’s sentencing, was a form of divine intervention by means of an ancient spell — one that would physically restrict Set’s ability to wield the Chaos magic he had once mastered above all others. The spell was known as the Chaos Seal.

At the start of the main story, Set remains burdened with bearing the mark of the Chaos Seal. Details about this seal and its relation to Set are expanded in the notes on The Chaos Seal.

INDEX || SETTING & PLOT NOTES