Apep (Aapep, Apepi or Apophis) is the ancient Egyptian spirit of evil, darkness and destruction. As the arch enemy of the sun god, Ra, he is a malevolent force who could never be entirely be vanquished.
Apep is reviled, not revered, in the temples of the Pharaonic pantheon. Officially — according to other Pharonic deities and priests — Apep has no worshipers, no temples, and no creed but destruction and evil. The followers of Apep do not strive for a world dominated by evil; they strive for the end of the world.
Apep's human clerics do not carry holy symbols that might identify them, nor do they shave their heads or wear vestments as other Pharaonic clerics do. To all appearances, they are ordinary members of society. They only meet with other cultists in secret to plot destruction.
Rituals
Apep's rituals are unknown and undocumentated, however, clerics of other Pharaonic deities practiced a number of rituals and superstitions that were thought to ward off Apep, and aid Ra in continuing his journey across the sky. In an annual rite called the Banishing of Chaos, priests (unaffiliated with Apep) would build an effigy of Apep that was thought to contain all of the evil and darkness in Egypt, and burn it to protect everyone from Apep's evil for another year. While Apep's followers didn't feel this rite had any power over Apep, in large cities his followers would often try to stop these ceremonies. Usually his followers actions would do so subtly, without revealing their identity, often stealing the effigy or causing chaos throughout the city, hoping the ceremony would be cancelled or even delayed.
In addition, as Apep was thought to live in the underworld, Egyptians believed the dead also needed protection from Apep, so they were sometimes buried with spells that could destroy Apep. Followers of Apep would try to thwart this practice, even going so far as desecrating graves and tombs.
Destruction and devastation. We do not seek to conquer, we do not wish to rule. We do not want a world dominated by evil, or good. What we seek in complete and utter annihilation. And end to all things
Apep appears as a giant serpent, at least 100 feet long. He is served by hordes of demons, most of them sharing serpentine and fiery qualities.
The few descriptions of Apep's origin in myth usually demonstrate that he was born after Ra, usually from his umbilical cord. This suggests that Apep was not a primordial force in Egyptian theology, but a consequence of Ra's birth. This suggests that evil in Egyptian theology is the consequence of an individual's own struggles against non-existence, or a balance against the force of Ra.
