"I am no coward. Nor am I a liar. But, I have lived with those around me, and know you to be a hypocrite. You are nothing but an oppressive dictator. You abandon your people at the mercy of these wild lands. You have built us schools and universities, yes. Yet you extort such vast donations and fees from us in the name of research and tuition. All this when you live your life in luxury with riches beyond what we dream of. And yet, you claim to be a friend. I could not but laugh at it. Stop oppressing us with your rule. Laissez faire!" -- The Stranger, to Pharaoh
The Stranger is the antagonist. Where Pharaoh stands for unity and cooperation, the Stranger stands for dissent and independence.
The forty-nine tests are the Stranger's challenge to Pharaoh and Egypt.
The Stranger is not a passive force; while he has never been seen in person, his agents have been known to sow dissent. The University of Progress is the work of the Stranger.
The Stranger has also scattered strange rocks all across Egypt. Their purpose is unknown.