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Long ago, when people believed that the world was flat and that the universe had sprung from a cosmic egg, ancient Egypt was ruled by Osiris and his beautiful wife, Isis, who were descendants of the gods. According to the priests, the pharaoh was the eldest son of Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. That was why he had the honor of succeeding his father and becoming the fifth ruler of Egypt.
The gods could be distinguished from the people by their height and physical strength, as well as their knowledge of science, astrology, and the supernatural. Over the ages these children of the gods reverently preserved the established order. Osiris ruled these lands for several centuries and had succeeded in winning the respect of the Egyptians.
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It was a festive occasion. Many guests came to honor the return of the Egyptian ruler, including his younger brother, Set. Set had distinguished himself at a young age, and Osiris named him the leader of Upper Egypt. Osiris gave him near-complete authority in the region as a mark of respect. But despite the breadth of his power, Set nonetheless had to submit to the pharaoh. The desolate lands of Upper Egypt were far smaller than the those of the river delta, which Osiris ruled. Set, a skilled warrior, was in many respects superior to his brother. In the depths of his heart, he was dissatisfied with the way things were. He was a harsh ruler in his lands, and this provoked continual unrest among his subjects.
Even as children, the differences in their personalities were obvious. The older one was gentle, and the younger one was severe. Their parents encouraged the boys to be friends, for they knew that a rivalry would bring nothing but misfortune to the Egyptian people and destroy the kingdom. To prevent the excesses of unchecked power, from long ago the Egyptian supreme ruler was joined by yet another mysterious authority whose remit was to care for the world and promote balance, well-being, and prosperity. This was the Council of Nine. Its main goal was to ensure the balance of power in Egypt, to oppose injustice, and to prevent war. The identities of its members were subject to much conjecture. Because no one knew the names of these nine sages, whose decisions formed the basis of the pharaoh’s every decree, the people called them the Nine Unknown, or simply the Nine. Some said that they represented the major regions of Egypt, while others supposed that the Council was made up of high priests who held enormous influence in the kingdom.
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