Many unique planes exist across the lore of Magic: The Gathering. One of these is the remarkable plane of Amonkhet. This is a place of endless, dunes, pyramids, armored gods and mummies. It's also full of secrets.
The Planewalkers of the Gatewatch visit this plane after their victory over Tezzeret and the Consulate on Kaladesh, and they find themselves in a sun-baked, oppressive world obsessed with trials of strength and the afterlife. Something seems very wrong about this plane, but the natives don't seem to have any issue with it.
The Great City
Curiously, only a sliver of this desert plane is actually inhabited. Unlike the sprawling metropolis of Ravnica or the many prosperous nations of Dominaria, Amonlkhet has just one place to live: the city-state of Naktamun. This city is enveloped in the powerful Hekma barrier, which blocks out the monsters and harsh winds of the lands beyond. The city of Naktamun is supported by the great Luxa River, a natural landmark heavily steeped in blue and green mana, and the source of all life in the city. If that weren't enough, Naktamun has plenty of mummy servants who can attend to the people's needs, usually manual labor or working as domestic servants. These mummies are tireless and never disobey or complain.
But this city isn't all fun and games. The people focus on the trials of the gods, and entire groups of children are raised to fight in the great trials when they reach adulthood. These groups, or "crops," will fight together, and each warrior will either succeed in the trials or meet an early death. The failures are mummified, while those who are successful are endowed with five cartouches and accepted into the afterlife for eternal bliss. Or at least that is what they are told. In any case, the winners of the trials are never seen again.
Five great monuments exist across Naktamun, each of them dedicated to the five main gods: Oketra, Ifnir, Bontu, Hazoret and Ronas. These gods actually walk among the people as 30 foot tall giants who are revered anywhere they go. Finally, the landscape is dominated by a gigantic set of horns in the lands beyond the city, a tribute to the mysterious god-pharaoh who has promised to return someday. The people of Naktamun believe that when Amonkhet's sun finally takes its proper position between the horns, final salvation will come.
Creatures, Magic and the Wastes
Many creatures can be found on Amonkhet, though not all of them reside in Naktamun. Humans are the dominant race here, as they are on most planes, and they have tanned skin and dark hair, plus a tolerance for this plane's intense sun. Most humans are warriors, viziers or battle mages, and they often wear headdresses, tough sandals and light armor that allows for easy movement. Aven are common here as well, taking the form of people with bird heads and wings on their backs, as opposed to the more animal-like aven of the battle-scarred Tarkir or the sunlit kingdoms of Bant.
Amonkhet is home to many zombies as well in two main forms. The more familiar type of zombie is the mummy, an embalmed deceased person who performs hard manual labor for the good of society. The other type is the cursed type of zombie, which wanders the deadly wastes outside Naktamun's borders. With any luck, the typical Naktamun citizen will never encounter one. This plane is also home to angels, winged women (and some men) who enforce the god-pharaoh's will. Nagas are the scaly snake-people of Amonkhet, bipeds who have potent venom and incredible strength. Jackals are agile and acrobatic humanoids who take part in the combat trials alongside their naga and human peers.
As for the lands beyond Naktamun, they are a horrific place. The endless wastes have no rivers or forests or cities, instead comprising of shifting dunes, many skeletons, dried up riverbeds, crumbling (and mysterious) ruins, strange tombs and more. Failures and rejects from Naktamun are banished to this place, doomed to wander until they either die of exposure or (more likely) are attacked by the local zombies or monsters. It's not just cursed zombies that live here; the wastes are also home to giant beetles, massive sand wurms, vicious bats and horrors of all shapes and sizes. The threat of being exiled to such a place is enough to keep the people of Amonkhet obedient, toeing the line under the sweltering sun.