From the introduction: Tales of the Black Pharaoh abound in several lands, stories of the ruler of an ancient empire unrivaled in his power and depravity. Nefer Ankh Ahmen was once the terror of the world, sometimes even worshipped as a god on earth. A score of heroes gathered from many nations ended his reign and freed his people, but their civilization never recovered from his depredations and soon after fell into ruin. Now, hundreds of years later, only the stories remain... or is that all?