Hedjtep Kanut

Hedjtep Kanut, aka Hemakakotep, is a character played by Ryan Neenan. An Aasimar with a troubled past and undying faith in Selune, he was the religious voice of the Jade Lion Mercenary Group in The Chronicles of Amn campaign, and part of the insanity of the Shrouded Wings.

Description
A tall and good looking Aasimar, Hedjtep had golden eyes giving away his celestial blood. Through his adventures with the Jade Lion Mercenary Group, he voluntarily gave up his sight to set one of Mordeth's captors free. Selune rewarded him with single points of light in his empty eye sockets, which now serve to give him sight. His hair is dark blond, and he has a large birthmark on his left inside forearm in the shape of a crescent moon, showing that he is a descendant of a celestial minion of the goddess Selune. His face wears the lines of a man twice his age, and his voice has been described as both frightening and soothing at the same time.

Personality
Hedjtep is quiet and unassuming. While his faith drives his life and personality, he has a very open mind and enjoys meeting new people and discussing new ideas. He cannot help, however, to feel a bit of pity for those that value material things over the unending power of faith. Mindful of his new leadership role in Amn, he has become more confident and outspoken, helping to strengthen the church of Selune. He despises the undead, and works at every turn to destoy them when he can.

Family & Relationships
Hedjtep is an only child. While his parents are both still alive, and still live in Skuld, they have come to finally accept the fact that their child might be truly dead.

Hedjtep resided with the Freedom Fighting Group in Unther for some time. Headed by Ningal, a fellow Selunite, Hedjtep worked closely with Ningal's right hand, and another cleric of Selune, Jeardra along with Kawosret, his former associate. With the death of Kawosret at the hands an evil cult, and the temporary peace in Unther, Hedjtep's main goal is to see that the peace lasts.



Early Years
A noble by birth, the Aasimar named Hemakakotep had a rather uneventful childhood. As it was ordained with the appearance of a crescent moon birthmark at his birth on the Feast of the Moon in 1348, he entered the church of Selune at the age of 16 to become a cleric. Hemakakotep had no question to this decision - the path of religion was his future. At the completion of his training, his parent's influence helped him join the pretigious personal attachment to Pharoah Horustep III.

Hemakakotep did not care for the pharoah, as his liberal policies and his stance on the occupied territory of Unther was short sighted in the Aasimar's opinion. In addition, the followers of the God of War Anhur were gaining far too much pull in the Pharoah's court, and Hemakakotep did not like the path Mulhorand was being led down. Despite this, he served his coutry and leader well. However, he was not happy quelling slave revolts and the other menial tasks he was assigned to, and was close to resigning his position, when he was called back to Skuld to meet with the leaders of Mulhorand.

Hemakakotep and an air genasi paladin named Kawosret were being assigned to infiltrate the Unther resistance - led by a very powerful air genasi named Ningal. The pharoah claimed that the information that the pair could bring to Mulhorand would quicken the conquest of Unther and lessen the bloodshed. Hemakakotep reluctantly agreed to the assignment, trusting his Goddess to show him his path.

Unther, Ningal, and the Death of Hemakakotep
Posing as escaped slaves, the two eventually made contact with a very important member of Ningal's resistance - a moon elf cleric of Selune named Jeardra. Beautiful, spiritually enlightened, and extremely intelligent, Hemakakotep fell for his fellow Selunite, and found it extremly difficult to hide his true faith. Eventually, the two earned enough trust to make it into the inner circle of the resistance. This trust was not earned easily - the death of hundreds of Mulhorandi troops was the price. While Hemakakotep focused on his healing powers during battle, it became quickly apparent that Kawosret was an extremely powerful warrior, slaughtering his fellow countrymen with ease. Eventually, the pair met Ningal, and the words of the wise and powerful genasi spoke to the heart of Hemakakotep. Ningal was widely believed to become a chosen of Selune - to Hemakakotep, her words were nothing but gospel.

Three days of praying did not clear the mixed emotions in the Aasimar's heart. On the third day, Hemakakotep had a very intense dream. When he woke, the image of Selune, standing in between Ningal and Jeardra stuck in his head. It was then he made his decision - he could no longer help the murdurous Pharoah - the occupation of Unther was wrong, and it must be made right.

Hemakakotep began sending back false information. When confronted by Kawosret, it was quickly realized that the Paladin of Sune felt much the same, and indeed had been sending back false information for weeks. Eventually, it was decided that to truly "defect," Mulhorand must believe them to be dead. After reporting that Kawosret was killed in a battle, Hemakakotep asked to be brought back to Skuld. He tried for months to change the attitude of the Pharoah and the other leaders of Mulhorand, but the clergy of Anhur held too much sway. Seeing that he could no longer stay in Skuld, and fearing that his defection to Unther may bring even more of the Pharoah's wrath on Ningal and Jeardra, Hemakakotep planted an Untheric explosive device in his house, and fled north, darting around Thay and sailing across the Sea of Fallen Stars. The government of Mulhorand proclaimed the great cleric Hemakakotep dead, a victim of Untheric cowardly terrorism. Stepping on land near Procampur, Hedjtep Kanut was born. His new name, meaning chosen soul of the bright moon, helped to bring forth his new mission - to serve his Goddess in any way she needed him.

Over the next few years, Hedjtep traveled west, following wherever the moon seemed to lead him. He rarely stayed in any one place for more than a few days. Eventually, he reached the border of the nation of Amn, and something told him this was the place he should remain for awhile.

Amn and the Jade Lion Inn
Serving as a mercenary in Amn was the end to a very long journey for Hedjtep. He enjoyed his work, and made a positive reputation for his prowless in battle. It was a year into this work that Hedj was hired for a rather interesting job - he was to travel north of Amn to the house of Juran Maelistair, a Amnish nobel and the only known member of the Council of Six.

Hedj was grouped with 5 other adventurers - Asmodian, Sejanus, Melfaren, Cyrilla, and Laharl - and this mission was the start of one of the most adventurous times in the young cleric's life. Through a chaotic set of events, The Jade Lion Mercenary Group, as it was eventually called, managed to uncover and foil a plot by the usurper god Mordeth.

Mordeth, who gained his power during the Battle of the Citadel of the Raven, had set up six power receptacles around Faerun. Eventually, Hedj and his companions learned of these receptacles and departed on a quest to destroy them before Mordeth became a deity and went ahead with his plans to destroy the known universe.

In the process of this quest, the group was split-up by the teleportation power of a thrown of Mordeth, and Hedjtep was thrown across Faerun to the Moonsea, along with Melfaren. Through a few misadventures, the two mages discovered the broken body of Talis, and discovered much about Mordeth's past. In the same jail, they came across a woman by the name of Loralei, and discovered that she was the "lost" member of the Wandering Guardians.

A journey into the Blood Marshes - which was what was left of the Battle of the Citadel of the Raven - found the original tower Mordeth was in when he attained his power. At the bottom of the tower, they found their intended target - a receptacle, holding a young girl named Harriet. At that point, all three compatriots were taken aback, as the huge and angelic form of Nassim entered the tower, telling Hedjtep and Melfaren that in order to open the prison, the "light of the world" must be given up. Hedjtep hesitated only to ask for guidance. Minutes later, a dagger went to both eyes.

What occured next was quite amazing - inside the hallow eyesockets appeared two thin dots of light, granting Hedjtep almost normal vision, and the ability to free Harriet and power down the prison. The "Eyes of the Moon Maiden" as he know refers to them, are still with him.

After the Destruction of Mordeth
With the destruction of all the powercells, the atonement of the fallen Paladin Laharl, and the further help of Nassim, Mordeth was vanquished, the Jade Lion Mercenary Group split up in late 1375. Hedjtep found himself the last one left in Amn, but with the autority of the Church of Selune given to him. He stayed for awhile, helping the church recover in war torn Murann, but often found himself still thinking of Amn as his adopted home.

Wishing for a change of pace, he decided that an important wrong must be made right. He traveled northeast to the former home of the town of West Weng. Originally founded by Hedjtep and his group, fellow member Laharl had razed the town in a ploy to please his evil father Dharamon. The going was slow, but Hedj managed to rebuild the town, complete with statue dedicated to his group, and another dedicated to the original fallen townspeople. He built the temple to Selune, the grandest in Amn, in the middle of the town, on a slight hill, facing east and the rising moon. The town grew quickly, as Hedj's fame was wide spread in the country. Within a year, it had regained all that it had lost.

In early 1376, Hedjtep left West Weng rather abruptly. His personal assistants tell of a visit by a young girl, a follower of Ilmater. The Bishop of Selune talked to the young girl for a brief minute, and she left with what appeared to be a copy of Hedj's journal. The next morning, Hedjtep was gone, leaving only a note that he would be watching the progress of the town, and that its safety was left in his assistant's hands. He ended the note with a promise to return "soon."

Where Hedjtep went was clear to his closest confidants: he could not forget Unther, and word of the continual violence there was more than he could handle

A Return to Unther
He returned to Unther, where through Kawosret he eventually made contact with the Freedom Fighting Group. He delved into the work with a zeal he had not felt since his days in the Jade Lion Inn. Eventually, Jeardra and Hedjtep established a church to Selune in the capital of free Unther, hoping to eventually establish enough trust in the Northern Wizards to form an alliance. He excelled in hit and run attacks on Mulhorandi troops, and aided Kawosret in numerous battles. Efforts were slowed when an unknown group started causing trouble throughout the country side in mid 1376. This group, a cult whose only know ties were to the god of fire Kossuth, attacked both sides posing as the enemy, only serving to unbalance a very delicate situation. Hoping to gain a foothold in the chaos, Ningal agreed with Hedjtep's plan to attack the Mulhorandi-occupied port of Shussel. It was during the planning of this attack, that Hedjtep was visited by a most unlikely group - The Circle of the Tome. Having met Anly back in West Weng, he saw this as a sign from his Goddess. The Circle informed him that a peace treaty was scheduled in Shussel the very day of the supposed attack. Worse, the Kossuthian cult was also bent on disrupting the talks.

Through the help of the Circle, the Peace Talks went off as planned, with one minor hitch - an explosive device set up by the cult went off. Kawosret noticed the bomb a few moments too late, and fell on the explosion to protect the leader of the Mulhorandi army. The Circle, who had saught the Paladin for their own quest, managed to get what they needed shortly before the strange effects of the explosive took over and killed the Paladin of Sune.

With the Circle gone, Hedjtep returned his attention back to matters at hand. The unsteady peace between Unther and Mulhorand was still at an early stage, and he did all he could to make sure it continued and created a rebirth of Unther. He and Jeardra remained close, and talked about expanding their church into Unthalass should Mulhorand ever leave the city. During the next few months, Hedjtep traveled back and forth to West Weng and Amn as well, keeping up appearances and steering the goals of his church. Jeardra kept mostly to Messemprar and the new church there.

Changing Course
It was well into 1377 when change came again to Hedjtep's life. Although the peace still remained between Unther and Mulhorand, the talks were at a standstill. At a meeting on Midsummer 1377, Ningal informed Hedjtep and Jeardra of several things which had begun to worry her: the trouble in Impiltur, the rumors of violence in the Blood Marshes, and most of all the rise of Tchazzar in Chessenta. Looking for assistance, Ningal had communed with Selune, and had decided that Hedjtep was needed in the north. Accepting the judgement of his leader and fellow Selunite, Hedjtep took the vague assignment and readied to leave. Parting ways, Ningal asked him but one thing: "The north is filled with darkness and shadows. See what is hidden, my friend.  See the truth from the lies, and stop at nothing to vanquish all those who oppose what is good."

Hedjtep started north, and left Unther on a ship bound for Raven's Bluff. He arrived in The Fading of 1377 and spent some time learning of the Sembian situation, and found it disturbing, yet beyond anything he could do. It was here that he started to hear confirmed reports of violence in the Blood Marshes: that the church of Kelemvor, along with Triad help, had beaten away the followers of Velsharoon. By the end of 1377, he joined a ship filled with Triad pilgrims bound for the Blood Marshes. News of a Temple of Triad had leaked, and Hedjtep had decided to follow this development north. Wanting to avoid Phlan for the time being, he teleported off the ship to just outside the Blood Marshes, entering the immediate area in Deepwinter 1378.

There Hedjtep found a scene much different from his previous visit to the area. He spent a few weeks amongst the pilgrims here, and attempted to learn as much as he could about the temple being constructed. He eventually pieced together a story about a man named Arteus who had purified the area where the great Nassim was killed: the island and tower that Hedjtep himself had been in and met the angelic figure of Nassim. Intrigued by this development, Hedjtep was interrupted by a disturbing message from Ningal: Tchazzar and Chessenta had attacked Threskal. Worried about the stability of Unther, Ningal assured him that he was needed in the North. Hedjtep again accepted the decision of his leader, and stayed. Tired of life in the camps, Hedjtep decided that he needed to go back to a city where he owed a great penance: Phlan. Although still mostly blaming Melfaren for the troubling incident, Hedjtep thought he would go there and do what good he could for the small city.

The Pains of the Past, The Troubles of the Present, The Fear of the Future
See Also: Shrouded Wings

Hedjtep traveled the distance on foot to the city, arriving in the Claw of Winter to a city busting at its seems with pilgrims. With no Temple to Selune in the city, he booked a room at the The Laughing Goblin Inn. He was only in Phlan for a few days, before he realized that his past deeds were indeed much worse than he had thought. Realizing he had little choice, he chose to see if justice could be carried out fairly. Luckily, the people of Phlan saw that his actions were accidental, and he stayed in the city to work off his debt.

It was during this time that he met several other adventurers, and an informal group was formed. Immediately, Hedjtep was wary of many of his companions. Several seemed to revel in deceit, and eventually Hedjtep began to think several were indeed enemies of that which was good.

Hedjtep's time in Phlan in 1378 was indeed the worst of his life, as his own words claim in his journal. Between the chaos in his homeland, the disappearance of both Jeardra and Ningal, and the acts of Corrin, his allies, Dhal Grishamel, and several demons, he fought through it all with little compassion from his so-called allies. It was clear by the end that Hedjtep had to make a disturbing choice. But he saw the five others that were supposed to be on his side and came to the frightening revelation that he could really trust none of them. The result was a decision to go against his group and ally with the only avenue left for Faerun's salvation: Corrin. If not for a chance Dispel Magic, his goals may have come to fruition. Instead, all he could hope for was out of his reach.

His Selune colleagues were still missing. Millions of Mulhurondi were still dying. His allies had deserted him - some had died, some had simply surrendered. Phlan now had a massive keep and soon-to-be overlord. Tiamat's chosen were still alive. It was almost more than he could bear.

Picking up the Pieces, and Then Doing it Again
After a successful defense of the city of Sundabar, Hedjtep turned to the south, vowing to free his fellow Selunites. Though he attemped to avoid it, he eventualy worked with Confectus and the Theodike brothers to help attack Tchazzar's forces and find Jeardra and Ningal. With Tchazzar being attacked on multiple fronts, and what was left of Mulhorand safe for the time being, Hedjtep traveled back to West Weng in early 1379 to rest.

Over the next 5 years, Hedjtep did what he could to stop Tchazzar and save Mulhorand from total destruction. Things were going well - and Unther had begun to rebuild - when the Year of Blue Flame came in 1385.

In a matter of hours, all he knew, and most of what he cared about was gone. Jeardra and Ningal, and all of Unther, were gone. Skuld, one of the oldest cities in Faerun, was destroyed. Two new empires had taken their place.

Hedjtep wept when he learned of what had happened, and did not leave his church for nearly 6 years. This is the only gap in the Journal of Hedjtep. Those that knew him believe he spent the entire time in prayer, or perhaps in Selune's realm. Others speculate he traveled somehow to his former homeland in hopes of helping those that needed it.

Hedjtep became more public in 1391, and took an active role again in West Weng. Over the next 30 years, he stayed mostly in Amn, watching West Weng grow to become a small city, and preaching Selune's dogma across the land. His lone journey out of Amn was believed to be to Silverymoon in 1404 when he heard of Mozariq's death.

Death: 1424 - An Old Nemesis, A Purpose, and an End
It was in 1424 when a young cleric of Amaunator entered Hedjtep's temple in West Weng. Now a venerable 76, Hedjtep's still keen eyes sensed a power of good in the man's presence. The man introduced himself as Valen Retoran, and simply asked Hedjtep if he wanted to help him save the world.

Valen explained that Szass Tam was undertaking a vast effort to remake the world with him as its central God. Hedjtep almost laughed out loud, as thoughts of Mordeth floated through his mind. Still, Hedjtep gladly accepted Valen's offer to join him in attacking Tam: Hedjtep had never forgiven himself for not doing anything to the lich much earlier in his life.

Valen, Hedjtep, and other assorted clerics of good deities assaulted Thaymount on Shieldmeet of 1424. Hedjtep was also surprised to see several former Zulkirs join them, obviously out for revenge. What they met shook Hedjtep to the very core. The group assaulted Tam's massive Dread Ring fortresses, destroying one after another and taking away Tam's power base. Eventually, they had done enough damage to cease the ritual.

As such things must go, Hedjtep's allies were all slain by the end. Only Valen stood by Hedjtep as the twisted and furious figure of Szass Tam attacked. Valen, near death, knew that Tam could not succeed in the ritual, and would try again if he was not stopped. In a blinding force of light, Valen's body exploded outward, showering the countryside. Tam screamed in agony, clutching his chest. At once Hedjtep knew what had happened: Valen knew where Tam's phylactery was, and had sacrificed his life to destroy it.

Hedjtep, meanwhile, tried all he could to destroy the lich, at the same time keeping him from retreating. Tam, however, was more than a match for the aging Aasimar. Hedjtep fell, for the last time, at the Lich's feet, his holy symbol broken in his hand. As a injured Tam bent down, ready to add one more undead to his army, Hedjtep's body disappeared.

Hedjtep was given a heroes burial in West Weng the following day, at moonrise. Selune herself, it has been claimed, felt the loss of one of her greatest followers: the sun did not rise over West Weng for seven days, and for seven days the full moon shone on Hedjtep's Temple, The House of the Full Moon. Today, clerics in residence there insist that the spirit of Hedjtep is infused within the temple's walls.

The three volumes of The Journal of the Eveninglord Hemakakotep are read by all clerics at the temple, and are also housed in the historical stacks in Candlekeep.