Plagues of Egypt

Plagues of Egypt
After the fall of the cult, the great horror below remained still for millennia, until being roused by the recent earthquake and the rejuvenated spirit of the cult. Now, plagues - as dictated in ancient texts - have returned to Egypt, portending a far worse outcome this time than last.

The people of ancient Egypt would never know that the anomalies in the climate and the series of disastrous events were consequences of a dormant evil entombed deep beneath the sand and rock. The Atenist cult was in great part responsible for stimulating its corruptive powers through their fierce and terrible adoration.

The next season, life returned to normal. Crops were bountiful and there were no outbreaks of crippling disease. Celebrations and festivals were arranged all over the kingdom, worshipping the power of the Aten, who could turn misery into abundance.

Akhenaten raged and punished all dissenters harshly. He executed first-born sons and transmitted unspoken threats towards the remaining family. This effectively ended the opposition before it could garner a proper foothold, and many years would pass until the people found the courage to rebel against the mad king and his cult.

People were convinced they were being punished by the old gods for abandoning them to the benefit of the new, supreme god - the Aten. Some had the courage to speak up - especially former priests of Amun - agitating the suffering people to renounce the new god and return to the old ways.

The insects spread diseases causing debilitating pandemics to break out. Both livestock and people fell ill, coughing blood, their skin covered with pus-filled boils. Countless succumbed to fever and infection. Then, extreme and unusual weather destroyed many crops while insects swarmed around the few food sources that were left. Finally, the broken people of Egypt endured several days of sandstorms that darkened the skies and covered villages with dust.

Whatever the truth, there were incidents in Egypt during Akhenaten's reign that likely inspired the records of the ten plagues in the Bible. During his ironclad rule, Egypt was struck by a series of catastrophes that crippled the nation. An outbreak of algae tinted parts of the Nile rusty red and rendered the water toxic. As a consequence, amphibians left their natural habitats, leading to an explosive rise in the insect population.

The plagues of Egypt are described in the Bible as disasters God unleashed upon Egypt to convince the Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves. Scholars and theologians argue the historical accuracy of these events - evaluating everything from myth and fiction to historical records and natural explanations.