User:Izzypare13/sandbox

= The Ancient Egyptian City of Astrid = This is a work of fiction for my college class, Critical Worldbuilding. While some information may have historical backing, the city of Astrid is completely fictional.

Founder and Queen, Nefertiti
From a young age, Nefertiti was obsessed with the Egyptian sun god Aten. When she married Akhenaten IV and became queen, Aten was heavily emphasized throughout Egypts culture. The people of Egypt loved her and so did her husband. Her name meant “A Beautiful Woman Has Come”. She had a feminine body shape that was always lined in fine garments. The people considered her a living fertility goddess. She was so beguiling that when she would say ideas, people would take action. She sat alongside her husband on the throne rather than at his feet. It was a partnership that cared only about the future of their people.

The Fall and Exile of Nefertiti
One year, the gods decided to punish them for their power. Nefertiti’s husband fell deathly ill with a plague that had never been seen before. With no medical knowledge of this new disease, he passed along with 4 of her daughters. With grief that weighed a thousand suns, Nefertiti refused to leave the throne as she wished to finish her husband’s wishes to see a new, flourishing Egypt. While some of her closest friends and servants stayed by her side, she was eventually usurped and exiled to the desert by Tutankhamun and his council. With only a few hundred following her through the desert, Nefertiti was shaken by the event the god’s had bestowed on her after all of the work she put into worshiping them.

A Woman's Best Friend
One hot afternoon, in the middle of the dunes, after she could stand no longer, Nefertiti dropped to her knees denouncing the Gods she once worshiped and asked forgiveness of the ancient gods. She promised to never turn her eyes away from them again. With this prayer, a dark creature started lurking towards her. As it got closer, it was a black, Abyssinian cat with two different colored eyes. Nefertiti saw this as a sign from Ra (the ancient Egyptian sun god) welcoming her back to Egypt with open arms as the cat was said to have the Eye of Ra. She fittingly named her Bastet and they quickly became inseparable. She and her followers were led by Bastet through the desert. Everyday, they would travel miles with no end in sight. At night, while her followers slept, Nefertiti would spend the night talking to Bastet and the stars, hoping her family and the gods could hear. No one is quite sure what they discussed; however, it is speculated that she was planning her first foundations for a new city. After a few days and nights, Nefertiti saw what seemed to be a mirage appear before her. As they traveled closer, she saw ruins of an old city with not a person in sight. Here is where she decided she would found the city of Astrid.

The Pharaoh Queen That Came
The government wasn’t hard to establish as the people who followed Nefertiti through the desert to Astrid, were already committed to her by leaving their old lives behind. They immediately named Nefertiti her "The Pharaoh Queen That Came" and went back to worshiping the ancient Egyptian gods.

Hathor and Nefertiti's United Council
Nefertiti made a small council of 15 women that cycles throughout the years. These women were said to be chosen for their wisdom, strength, beauty, and fertility. The Egyptians were known for having advanced medical knowledge which also showed that this council of 15 women were in perfect health. These women are the only women allowed to become pregnant in the city of Astrid as there are no men over the age of 16 besides the ones that get the honor to come home from protecting Astrid to help increase the city’s population with the United Council. No one gets to see these men other than Hathor and Nefertiti's United Council, Bastet, and Nefertiti. Their main purpose is to be the fertility maidens of the land, but also serve as some of Nefertiti's closest confidants. It was found that the women within Astrid felt as if their daily life in the old Egyptian ways were only centered around childbirth and families which never allowed them to pursue education or work.

Bastet
Some historians say that the cat that led Nefertiti and her followers through the desert held a position of power. It was said that the cat was the physical reincarnation of the Egyptian Goddess, Bastet, to help guide them to paradise. She served as the queen's right hand and was said to be the feline goddess of protection, pleasure, and bringer of good health. Other names for her included Lady of the East, Goddess of the Rising Sun, the Sacred and All Seeing Eye, Goddess of the Moon, and Astrid's Feline Guide. When not with Nefertiti, she was said to spend her time wandering, picking up women who have been exiled or trapped in the inescapable desert. Due to her power and position in the community, Abyssinian cats were worshiped and seen in many households.

Oracles
Judgment was still required in the city of Astrid as there were still laws to be broken. Any highly criminal cases were overseen by Hathor and Nefertiti's United Council or by Nefertiti herself. Any lower punishment crimes were overseen by The Oracles. The Oracles consisted of four states, two on the left and two on the right side of a platform. On the platform, the city's judge would oversee the case. Each side would present their written argument to the statues that aligned with their side. Whichever side the Oracles were said to be leaning towards won the case.

The statues consisted of Hathor, Isis, Bastet, and Nekhbet with a statue of Ma'at in the middle to symbolize and bestow justice. Bastet and Nekhbet were on the left side of the platform with Hathor and Isis on the right.

Jobs
Any male citizen below the age of 16 was being educated and trained to protect the city limits. For this reason, it was common knowledge among the people of Astrid that only women could fulfill the work that needed to be done.

Anyone working to build and take care of the city of Astrid as well as feed the people within were considered essential which is why the farmers and laborers of Astrid reaped the most benefits. A woman could also decide to get a job in the arts or religion by contributing to the culture of the city. While few could become priestesses, many were still able to become entertainers and work with the arts whether it be performing or creating. Other women may decide they have a talent in creating items for the people so they decide to become carpenters or street merchants. Successful street merchants may even decide to travel the trade route connected to the city. Other jobs may include becoming a teacher, a servant within the palace walls, or a distributor of grain to the people.

Medical Knowledge
It has been found that the people of Egypt, in general, had a significant amount of medical knowledge compared to the rest of the world. When the city of Astrid was found, the community seemed to have more knowledge than the average Egyptian city. It was even speculated that they were the most advanced city at the time when it came to medical knowledge. Dentistry and gynecology were just two of the medical services offered in the city as well as options of surgery, medicine, and even forms of hydrotherapy. The people of Astrid had extensive medical writings of the anatomy of both the male and female body that had never been seen across the lands.

Education
Education is a privilege for all the women and men living within Astrid's city limits. Women send their daughters or sons at the age of 3 and continue their education to the age of 16. It was told to the people that Astrid’s defense units consist of the male population. It is taught early on, that women are able to work whatever job their education allows them to while the men will be sent away at 16. This is not societally seen as a negative thing.

Food
Bread and beer were two of the main types of food eaten in ancient Egypt. Many may not have heard of beer as a food, but it was not the same as the type of beer we drink now. Beer was more of a mash consistency that was consumed daily and was essential to the people.

Beef was a luxury meat in Egypt, but could be found at most festivals and celebrations. Birds were plentiful in the lands of Egypt which made them a wise dinner option. Cranes, geese, doves, flamingoes, and pelicans are just a few of the options they ate. An even more plentiful resource of protein was fish. Living by a small lake and close to the Nile resulted in the people of Astrid enjoying an even more plentiful source of protein, fish. Some fish ovaries were even considered an aphrodisiac and would be present during the Festival of Hathor. Fruits and vegetables were also consumed by the people of Astrid.

Clothing & Jewelry
With men somewhat gone, the body and sexuality were revered. Their clothes were made of see-through linen for the hot days in the desert. Many even choose to dress in minimal clothing.

Lapis and turquoise were gemstones that were commonly used when they were high in the trade. Purple amethyst was one of the most wanted gemstones to wear as it was seen as elite along with glass. Gold was a common yet precious material that was used to craft beautiful pieces of jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, waist chains, and even piercings were all made of these materials. Common symbols in jewelry included ankhs, scarabs, and the tyet.

Religion
While Nefertiti spent most of her childhood worshiping the new Egyptian Sun God, Aten, she denounced the new faith in the desert after she had lost her family and throne. She made a promise to continue the worship of the old gods and promised to never stray again. She and many others felt that Bastet finding them was an answer of approval from the gods. With this, ancient gods and goddesses were worshiped within the city of Astrid. While goddesses were more prominent within the community such as Hathor, Isis, and Bastet; there still a heavy emphasis on the sun god and an entire temple was dedicated to Ra. The Temple of Ra is a place of worship but was also considered Astrid's "bank". Since currency was not a system in place within the lands of Egypt, individuals were paid in grain. So the Temple of Ra also served as Astrid's grainery.

There was another temple erected called the Temple of Hathor. This temple was dedicated to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of sky, women, fertility, sensuality, and love. This temple is used as a place of worship for Nefertiti, Bastet, and Hathor and Nefertiti's United Council; however, what it was mainly used for was during the Festival of Hathor. The Festival of Hathor was for the women who wished to live the old ways in Egypt and start a family. Every 5 to 7 years, depending on how many women wanted to participate, Nefertiti would hold a grand celebration where the women would feast, drink, and then lay with several of the men that had gone to protect the land. This was a very sacred ceremony as the women would be together during the entire ceremony. At the end of the night, they would lie together blindfolded as the men were presented to them. Blindfolds were said to heighten the senses of the experience and would increase fertility.

Entertainment and Artwork
Sexual acts and activities were seen as something for pleasure and consent was heavily integrated in the community, and were even used as ways to entertain. Early forms of prostitution, tasteful nude shows, and erotic plays were found in Astrid's history. Sexuality and sensuality was something that was celebrated and discussed within the community as they believed it was one of the most sacred powers a woman holds. Historians have found Egyptian art work, pottery, and statues that show how revered being in tuned with the body was. The people of Astrid were also lavish story-tellers as the used artwork such as engravings and wall paintings to depict the founding and daily life of Astrid.

The Fall of Astrid
Years later, the city of Astrid fell to Ramesses II as his militia was greater and his empire was expanding. What the soldiers found was not the city of Astrid that was told about in stories; rather, a much darker place with hidden secrets. While the common people within the city knew Astrid as a free, liberated, and loving land; the United Council, Bastet, and Nefertiti had been hiding the true workings of the city. Astrid was taken incredibly quickly as it was found that there were in fact no men protecting the lands. Not a single man over the age of 16 could be found anywhere within and on the city limits.

Where Are The Men
There were a few women within the city that felt compelled to the old ways of family life, but were not a part of Hathor and Nefertiti's United Council. Wanting her people pleased, Nefertiti created the 'Festival of Hathor' to be celebrated every 5-7 years. The festival was spent honoring the Egyptian fertility goddess, Hathor, by spending the evening feasting, drinking, and then going to the Phallus Chambers. When Ramesses' soldiers entered the chambers, they were finally met with the truth. They saw individuals chained to the walls with overgrown hair, dirt caking their skin, and unexpressive looks on their faces. The only way they were identifiable as males was the organ between their legs as they lacked clothing. Many of them had bruises and cuts all over their bodies, and some even had bones broken or infection. Their only purpose within the city was the impregnate the United Council members and the women during the 'Festival of Hathor'. There were only about 20 men within the chamber which led the guards to wonder where the other men were. It did not take long for them to uncover the truth.

Within the chamber, there was a dungeon with prisoners that looked as if to be having experiments done on them and a wretched smell. The smell was coming from a large hole at the end of the dungeon with bodies decaying. None of the soldiers could stand to be around them long enough to take an official death count, so it was never recorded how many men had died within the city. The prisoners that were alive looked to be having experiments conducted on them. It was revealed that Nefertiti was obsessed with the figuring out how the male species worked and what caused them to cause women such pain.

Other than the 20 men used for conception, every single other male's member was removed from their body. It was said that Nefertiti would remove them as a sacrifice to bring good feminine luck into their community. Some historians believe that some of the members were eaten during the 'Festival of Hathor' as it would increase fertility.

How Did This Happen
It was told to the people that Astrid’s defense units consist of the male population. While boys were able to grow up and receive an education just like women, they were ultimately being trained to be sent away at 16. This was never societally seen as a negative or heartbreaking thing. It was an incredible honor to be sent off to protect the city, so none of the people were truly saddened by never seeing their boys again and no one questioned Nefertiti's way of ruling. It wasn't out of fear that no one acted out against the queen; rather, she made the women's quality of life so unique and pleasant that they never wanted to.

Has It Happened Again
Matriarchal societies, while not common, are a part of today's world. There are societies such as The Mosuo women in China, the Umoja tribe of Kenya, and the Minangkabau people of Indonesia are all examples of societies made mostly of and run by women. None of the cruel acts that happened to the men of Astrid have ever been committed again, and these societies show strong futures for change.

Many wonder why these women have more successful communities than Astrid. It is widely believed that societies that consist solely of women, would make the world a better place. The problem with this notion is that problems in our world do not stem from an issue of biological sex or gender. It stems for societal and individual beliefs. Any individual can experience any human emotion, it's about how these societies go about handling it. Astrid and today's matriarchal societies both consisted mainly of females; yet, Astrid failed due to intense resentment and anger towards other human beings.