The more I think of it, the clearer it becomes. Every line of thought leads to the same conclusion. The one who understood was doomed to be ostracized. The one with the foresight was spurned. He understood and chose to sacrifice, so other may reap the benefits. Now I understand. Now I will bear his mantle. -- The Stranger
The Stranger is Egypt's adversary, whose challenge for Egypt to master the Seven Disciplines forms the basis of the game. The forty-nine Tests are his handiwork (although eight of them are technically the design of our ancestors). The present Stranger is the third such individual to fill the role.