Katara Menrit
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Katara Menrit
Katara was raised to be a priestess from birth, handed over by her parents as a gift to Anuket. She is of the Menra, the children of Anuket. She so desired the presence of her most beloved worshippers that they became over time like fish, walking and breathing on the silted floors of the Nile. There she enjoyed their presence, while periodically allowing them to leave her presence and learn from those that dwelled on its banks.
Katara was born in 100 BC and because of her beauty and quick wit, became most loved by Anuket. She was valiant in battle, fearless, and wise. Devout to her goddess she served her without attention to her own desires, choosing to take the Veil of Enoe so that her lips may never touch another. Her patroness bestowed many gifts upon her through other gods, imploring Isis to bestow her with eternal youth. So selfish was Anuket’s love for Katara that she cut her off entirely from Amaunet, leaving her barren so that she may never love another. When the Romans invaded Egypt she took flight to the surface, to defend her people and their knowledge to the end. So many of the Menra joined the battle for their survival that the battle nearly wiped them out entirely. What was not wiped out with the initial skirmish was quickly dealt away with by the Romans, bringing an end to their species. Indeed, she too met her end in the battle of Actium, falling to a Roman sword. So entranced by her mysterious beauty, her murderer could not bear to damage her body any further, instead throwing her back to the waters from whence she came.
The banks of the Nile dried as she withdrew from her people in sorrow, heartbroken by the loss of her most beloved. She wrapped her lovingly at the Nile’s floor, preserving her body in her grasp. The people prayed for mercy, who had come to be known by her Greek name Anukis. Many offerings were brought to the banks even as her people died, but she could not be drawn from her beloved. The people implored Osiris and Anubis to intervene on their behalf as they mourned the deaths of so many. In their infinite wisdom, they sought out Katara’s heart so that it could be weighed against Ma’at’s feather. Once her heart was deemed to be pure, they called Anuket to them so that they may bring life back to her most beloved. With the help of amulets bound to her wrists, Katara once again began to breathe. But the city she knew, the life she had led, was gone. The people had changed, not even speaking the same language anymore. Once again one would speak her name and give thanks to her, but it was not meant to be in this time. Amun-Ra lifted her to the heavens, to a place named Ouab Yi, the house where time stood still, where she was placed into a deep and peaceful sleep. “One day”, Anuket told herself, “my beloved will once again speak my name and perform my bidding.” So the gods granted her rest in immortality until one day she would walk among people like her once more.
Her magic faded through time, her once dark purple skin faded to a fuchsia hue, but her beauty remained timeless. She slept in the gates of time, what would come to be known as Ouroboros, under the watchful eyes of the gods. Then one day, an ancient magic, one not used since her own time, sought a beloved around her. The arcane beacon had awoken her to a time where she could once again be useful and do her gods’ bidding.
Soon after, she was led to the Empire of Atlantis, to be with a people much like her own. After a difficult battle, she was able to successfully renounce her attachment to Anuket and become the High Priestess of Isis. She was injured in battle soon afterward, and has lost much of her memory as a consequence. Still she continues to serve the Gods while she fights to regain her memory.
