Pharaoh Hakotep I; also known as the "Sky-Pharaoh," was one of the most famous rulers of the Ancient Empire of Shorafa.
Considered one of the greatest Shorafi rulers, Pharaoh Hakotep I reigned on the Scarab Throne for more than forty years.
As a member of the Kheferu Dynasty, he was the eldest son of Pharaoh An-Kho, and upon the death of his father, ascended the Shorafi Throne in the year 1633 of the Third Age.
In the early years of his reign, the young Pharaoh became a devoted priest of the Sun-God Marzok, and used his strong religious convictions to maintain order over the Shorafi population.
As Pharaoh, Hakotep was both intelligent and confident, but at times, could also be quite a harsh ruler. Hakotep’s reign continued to be stable and prosperous until he chose a woman named Neferuset as his royal wife.
Neferuset was a nineteen-year-old, dark-eyed beauty of noble blood, who had already earned a dangerous reputation as a powerful, but dangerous sorceress who used dark magic. Out of a sense of fear and caution, all of Hakotep’s closest and most-trusted advisers spoke out against the match.
The Pharaoh refused to listen, and despite the objections from the Shorafi Royal Court, wed his young bride in a grand ceremony.
As testament to his love for her, Hakotep never took another wife during his entire reign. But despite their close bond, Hakotep's advisors continued to distrust the Queen, and soon after the marriage, they began to fear her as well.
Those fears seem to have been well-founded, for within a few years, many of Hakoteps closest advisers suffered mysterious deaths from disease, strange accidents, or even outright assassinations.
Worse still, the later years of Hakotep's reign were tainted by his growing obsession with the neighboring city-states of the Tekritian League.
Hakotep was convinced that the leaders of the League were plotting against him. Soon after, the Pharaoh ordered a series of invasions of League territory.
These needless conflicts gained no strategic advantage, cost thousands of lives, and nearly bankrupted Shorafa.
Hakotep’s obsession with the Tekritian League may have been fueled by Neferuset, for it was common knowledge that she harbored a deep animosity for the League.
At this same time, the Queen herself was becoming increasingly unstable, shown by her own dark obsession with the “Dark Tapestry” between the stars in the night sky and the magical, alien creatures she believed dwelt there.
The increasing erratic behavior of both Hakotep and Neferuset led to much instability and political chaos at the royal court in Tanif.
In his final years, Hakotep became afflicted with a recurring disease of astonishing virulence and died in the year 1677/3.
Upon his death, the Pharaoh’s’ beloved wife took her own life by drinking serpent venom and was laid to rest in the massive pyramid which had been built for them.
Legend has it; shortly after the Pharaoh and his Queen were entombed within their magnificent tomb, the great pyramid suddenly vanished from the desert sands forever, after his loyal servants launched it into magical oblivion.
With no surviving children, Hakotep was succeeded by his nephew; Djederet II, who managed to bring stability back to Shorafa.
Legacy
Pharaoh Hakotep's most important legacy was a series of massive construction projects.
The largest and most well-known of these public projects was the, so-called, “Sky-Pyramid,” a grand tomb for the Pharaoh which was said to have the magical capability of “flying” (plane-shifting).
This magnificent pyramid was completed shortly before Hakotep’s death and remains his most enduring accomplishment. Although, shortly after Hakotep was entombed within his pyramid, it vanished forever.
A second, major project ordered by Hakotep was the infamous Khepsutanem, also known as the "Slave Trenches."
In addition to his own pyramid and the Slave Trenches, Hakotep also ordered construction of sixteen smaller pyramids for his most trusted generals, high-priests, and his senior architect, all of whom followed their Pharaoh into the after-life.
Shorafi legends tell of monuments built to house the remains of several important members of the Pharaoh's Royal Court: Akhentepi, Chisisek, and Myrashna.
