You are making me want to play CK2. Now if only it wasn't so stupidly expensive...
Blood of the Gods: A Fantasy CKII Quest
- Thread starter Cavalier
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Location
- Austria
Wait for the sale. Paradox games have them quite often.
Also, as I've said previously, I am more of EU4 and Vic2 player. So take my CK2 experience with the grain of salt.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Alright, looks like Ptahshepses wins easily. Will begin next update then.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
I just use Charinfo and Kill [Problematic Character].
But seriously, before I discovered console the best way was to push the character into negative relations (Court Jester yo), scheme and then wait for them to do something stupid, imprison, then banish or kill. If the imprisonment fails, just squash their revolt and do the above anyway.
Works better for the incompetents.I just use Charinfo and Kill [Problematic Character].
But seriously, before I discovered console the best way was to push the character into negative relations (Court Jester yo), scheme and then wait for them to do something stupid, imprison, then banish or kill. If the imprisonment fails, just squash their revolt and do the above anyway.
Its another matter when they are capable of causing chain reaction authority collapse during the struggle
- Location
- Austria
As long as it's not our authority collapsing. Blame regent for it all and hang her, take rightful throne. Or blame mother and her sorcerous ways, also distancing yourself from her in eyes of others, but she is loyal and useful.
Point is, as long as we benefit from authority collapse and can spin it, it's fine.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
This.
And more than that, if we are the one left standing after any such struggle we can rebuild. After all, the other dude won't be there for long once we properly conspire and defame him and execute him on charges true and false.
Plus, Ptahshepses probably gets us Intrigue ~20, which is going to be very useful for exactly this kind of stuff.
Unlike CK2, when people launch a coup they generally either think they can win, or are already cornered.
You could very well straight out lose a quarter of the country/armed forces which spurs everyone else to trigger their own breakaway efforts.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
Not really? Just kill the leaders and grant clemency with fines and black marks on their record to the rest. No need to exterminate everyone.
And our plots can be preemptive actions before they have a chance to gather resources for a coup.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Authority collapse hurts the nation a lot, though.
If we're the only one left standing after the struggle we'll probably be facing an external attack soonish, since we're obviously facing a moment of internal weakness.
One way to maintain stability is the appearance of power and magnanimity - Convincing people subtly that they don't want to do a coup, because it is some combination of difficult, unneeded and undesirable. People that love us (it need not be reciprocated), for example, would almost certainly not plot or coup us, exception unusually extreme situations where we've lost already and are in fact plotting our escape.
Our plots can well backfire with poor rolls (even with Intrigue 20 or so). They aren't to be taken and used lightly. A failed plot may well spur people to act against us, if only for their own safety. Especially so if we misjudge the target of our plot.
- Location
- Austria
Yes, sure, not every problem is a nail, and Hathor-Sekhmet isn't really into it. Still, it is very useful tool and not using it when applicable is not cool.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
There will be times when it is applicable, but in which we may not want to do so anyway, and attempt a different method to solving the matter - A good diplomacy should in any case offer answers that intrigue cannot. A stat that while good, could hopefully be improved still further.
I mean, with Khui as an example, if we dipomance the hypothetical eunuch he's in love with to be devoted and loyal to us, and make that fact plainly obvious to Khui (though obviously not through ourselves), then a coup attempt against us becomes a heartbreaking affair he might not want to go through.
For example.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
You know, even this kind of stuff can backfire.
And we don't even have a 20 in Diplomacy to autosucceed all Trivial tasks!
In CK2 terms, that Tyranny modifier only works if you're actually in a dominant position, military or intrigue wise.
Because if they were that easy to kill they were never really threats to you to begin with.
Except we're not dominant. We're in a severely disadvantaged position, except currently our continued existence would be most convenient to at least three of the major factions we can see at the moment, and our achievement of pain-free popularity through miracles of Hathor bought us time, even as our rooting out corruption undermined at least one opposing force in a publicly beloved manner.
While we're still a child they are unlikely to kick things off directly, since the others would unite against them.
But once we reach our majority, with the expectation of marriage...THAT is going to set the granary on fire, because while we remain unmarried, they have a chance of simply scheming into our bed and grabbing power legitimately(Eunuch and female plotters excepted) via our children.
If we marry someone powerful, we'd be struggling against our own spouse for dominance, as due to tradition, it's all too easy for a strong husband to take over the royal duties over time, even as the other factions move before the one we marry can cement their power.
If we marry someone too weak, then we are secure from being rendered directly irrelevant, but ALL the factions are going to start moving as they watch the chance of complete victory slip away.
And finally, due to legitimacy issues, we probably want to marry a royal cousin of some form, and definitely not a foreigner.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I'm betting that @Cavalier is not going to use CK2 genetics for our children, other than maybe a few small, obvious cases? At the least, it doesn't actually make sense if you think about it for five seconds.
- Location
- Austria
If it is CK2 system of inheritance, there will be a divide between those who play it as a CK2 game and those with a shred of humanity left.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Cavalier rolled genetics when our character was born.
Also, one of the issues in Egypt was the intermarriage thing, which, unless your genetics was 100% pure, perfect and unchanging (which isn't the case), problems are bound to crop up.
Yep. Legitimacy depends on how strong your link to divinity is, and traditionally that means sibling marriage so that both sides are as divine as possible. It actually worked out for longer than you'd suspect from the aggressive inbreeding, considering the ritual requirements for Pharoahs, anyone visibly deformed or infertile simply cannot BE Pharoah, and gets selected out.
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Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
It's doable, I think, actually, but you need a fairly big family.
And some luck so that you don't get wiped out by diseases.
YR Meritamum 2 Results
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Results for YR Meritamun 2
Costs: 14,300 s. deben, 12 talents
Gold purchased: 12 talents
End of Year Granary Stores: 14,800 s. deben
End of Year Treasury Reserves: 18 talents
Raucous New Year
1D100+14+5 => 50
This year the rituals pass by without too much ado. You're prepared for the evening offerings in the chamber of the goddess and the challenge of the idol is met with confidence. It's the midnight blessings which present a problem, as you partake of the sacred beer a little too freely. Your head is swimming as you meet with the women seeking a blessing of their wombs. You giggle as you press your hand against stomach after stomach, especially with one rotund woman you suggest already looks pregnant. You dance freely with the sacred musicians afterward and the eunuch attendants feel the need to hustle you out of the temple as the fertility rituals of the celebration become less symbolic and more practical. If the goddess is displeased she shows no sign of it, but neither did she favor you with a special sign of approval like she did last year.
Result:
Trivial Bonus on Annual Flood Roll
The Annual Flood
Roll: ???
That said the flood came in as predicted and with greater gentleness than usual. And was that not a sign of the approval of the goddess, certainly more so than some sacred birds or a bunch of pregnant fellahin? There were few deaths and the black earth deposited behind proved to be exceptionally fertile, even if it wasn't quite as productive as last year. The peasants rejoiced at their continued fortune and Kemet enjoyed the domestic peace and tranquility that only a widespread plenty could provide.
Result:
Bountiful Harvest for income calculations next year
Learning from the Chief Eunuch
1D100 => 29
While it isn't quite clear when the Regency might end, the Council was treating your attempts at assertion with tolerance rather than encouragement. Your aunt was indulgent, but placed you under pressure to buckle down and begin learning the practical realities of governance. Since the palace was itself a large estate it seemed reasonable to you to demand a share of its administration so you could learn by example. The Chief Eunuch Ptahshepses seemed pleased by your interest in management and volunteered to the Council to oversee your progress. The Queen Dowager readily approved of the arrangement when no objections were raised among the other councilors; tradition usually had the Crown Prince serving in the Army and managing a small estate, but in the absence of such a guide the palace was seen as suitable for you to learn from.
There was just a minor problem. Even after your reconciliation, you still didn't really like Ptahshepses.
"Divine Majesty, we will need to begin shortly." He was waiting for you outside your chambers the morning afterward. "I must say, your Majesty must rise earlier than this. You will find there is much to attend to, and never enough time in the day for it."
You blinked in annoyance. Ma'atneferure giggled from over in your chambers, where she had finished preparing your hair and clothes. "The barque of Ra has risen from the Underworld. Isn't that early enough?"
"No, I am afraid not. I will detail a eunuch to attend to your waking, Divine Majesty, shortly before the dawn. There is much productive work we could have done even before the morning breakfast."
You could already tell you were not going to care much for this.
He set you to work soon negotiating with a party of merchants from Babel-Ur for a supply of lapis lazuli for use by the palace. Once you had secured decent terms from the foreigners you had to follow up to see that they were properly paid, and that the lapis lazuli arrived as agreed. He then had you handle the boring details of storing the material and setting up quotas for the palace craftsmen. It was a tedious exercise, but he approved of your work and you did learn a few things about how the palace was actually run.
Much of your training was dedicated to similar tasks. Ptahshepses had you dealing with foreigners a lot because, as he put it, you couldn't just order them to do something. Allocating and tracking resources was practice that would come in handy, as you thought back to the empty granaries before the Great Flood. You would bear with this for a while, but you were beginning to wish you had focused on something else instead.
Results:
+1 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship
No Trait Gain
Learning with the Bow
1D100+17 => 67
Despite the best efforts of Ptahshepses to bore you to death you were able to insist upon putting aside time in the afternoon to learn the bow. Your encounter with the soldiers of the Division of Set remained a touchstone of your thoughts, and you were eager to get started. Ramessu remained your primary instructor from the Guards. You appreciated his cultured deference and respect relative to Ptahshepses' half-mocking politesse, but he was as thorough and careful as the eunuch. And it soon became apparent that you needed a smaller, weaker bow fit only for an absolute beginner due to your lack of upper body strength. Fortunately he weathered your seething embarrassment in good spirits.
You were motivated enough to keep practicing day after day for months. Gradually you could pull out the training bow to its full power, and slowly your aim improved. At first you were lucky to hit a target at all from 50 feet, but by the end of the year you could reliably hit a man-sized target at 200 feet. The standard for the Army was 500 feet, while on the back of a chariot at full speed, but as Ramessu patiently explained that was the result of many years of training and practice. He saw signs that you were actually a talented beginner, and you grinned happily when he assured you for that. For now there was nothing to be done but to continue training and getting better until you could combine your skill with a bow and familiarity with the chariot to become a true noble archer.
Results:
Status gained "Novice Archer"
A Happy Goddess
1D100+14+5 => 103, 1D100 => 46 (149)
Of course not all your time was taken up with the bow or with Ptahshepses' tasks. You had spent a lot of time mulling over the Hathor-Cow and finally resolved to consult with the High Priestess of Hathor's temple. Esemkebhe was a graceful older matron, with a voice you knew as that of Hathor's idol; but then the point of the priesthood was to conduct the rituals and as such to speak for the gods, after all. She encouraged you to consider the cow's birthmark as a sign from the goddess and noted that Hathor had been worshipped as a heifer from the earliest ages of Kemet. She had never been given the attention that the Apis Bull granted to Ptah, or the Mnevis Bull granted to Ra, but there was no reason that needed to remain the case.
Convincing the Royal Council took more effort. Atumnemhat was especially outspoken, arguing that there was no precedent for establishing a new temple and that depriving the Apis Bull of its mate would anger Ptah. Ipy on the other hand simply opposed on the grounds of cost and lack of obvious benefit, as there was no need to placate Hathor at the moment. You replied that Hathor had greatly favored Kemet following the terrible flood and that failing to honor her special bounty would inevitably see it withdrawn. As for the Apis Bull, it had been honored with a harem of heifers by tradition and not by any single mate standing in for Hathor. That the sacred cows had rutted and produced calves was a good omen for the fertility of the land and a sign of the amity between Ptah and Hathor, nothing more. You also cheekily added that if the Apis Bull could have a harem of heifers, why couldn't Hathor's heifer have a harem of bulls?
Your aunt gave in after further debate, allowing you to make preparations for the sacred cow of Hathor to be housed in a temple equal to that of the Apis Bull. The lessons you were getting from Ptahshepses came in handy to see the smooth completion of the temple. You arranged for the transport of alabaster from Lower Kemet to Temes, provided the mural-painters with lavish supplies of lapis lazuli, saw to the decoration of the temple interior with gold, and commissioned silver cult items for the goddess. The priests and priestesses of Hathor met with you to discuss the rituals of the new temple, some of which were adopted from the older cow goddess of the Delta, Bes, and others of which were taken from the Apis and Mnevis Bulls.
You attended the dedication of the temple as an officiating Queen. You wore a dress dyed in scarlet, the color of Sekhmet, and carried a was-scepter of gold decorated with the horns and sun-disk of Hathor. A diadem with the royal uraeus of Nekhbet and Wadjet crowned your brow, and a gold menat necklace inlaid with silver and precious gems rested on your breast. You were a vision of splendor like unto the goddess, or so you were reassured by Ma'atneferure as she had attired you for the ceremony. You had preened a bit and took the awe of the crowds at the temple as a proof of the rightness of the claim.
The cow enjoyed a large corral just outside the temple. It was led forth up the steps of the portico entrance by an entourage of beautiful young priests and priestesses to where you watched and waited to crown it with a garland of lotus blossoms. The crowd roared with delight when the cow laid down before you, which was repeated throughout Kemet along with rumors of your beauty as a sign of your special connection to Hathor. The cow mooed gently as you placed the garland around its neck and then led it into the temple where the High Priestess of Hathor bade you take the cow into its chambers. Priests later presented it with a ceremonial meal of blessed grain and holy water and would conduct further rites to insure the comfort of the cow.
Results:
Cult of Hathor gains prominence
Queen Meritamun associated with the goddess
+5 Royal Authority
An Unhappy Cow
Atumnemhat's Roll ???
The Bull of Apis, on the other hand, was clearly disgruntled with his accommodations. The priesthood at the temple was appalled when the sacred animal bit a handler and refused to cooperate with the rites. Atumnemhat blamed the removal of Hathor's heifer, though the bull readily mounted the rest of his harem. It was also rumored that some ritual gold ornaments had been stolen from the god, and a thief was later duly produced and executed. The source of the bull's anger remains a mystery as the gold was replaced readily enough and you have no intention of admitting that your actions regarding the Hathor heifer were wrong. Until you find a way to appease the incarnate god it is likely that the Apis Bull will generate discontent rather than reassurance.
Results:
Minor loss of political stability (for now)
Priesthood of Ptah unhappy
Unfinished Business
Ptahshepses's roll ???
Tutoring you in your efforts at administration was not remotely the sole focus of Ptahshepses' efforts over the year. He had also been appointed to oversee the final construction of the tomb of your father, whose mummy was being held in a chamber in the palace for safe-keeping. Your father had decided upon a pyramidal mortuary temple early in his reign, with a shape hearkening back to the oldest days of Kemet but maintaining the format of a temple and its associated priesthood to minister to his immortal being. Construction had only started when he died, and progress had been sporadic over the past 15 years due to various emergencies; most recently construction had stopped completely and the foundations of the temple had been damaged by the Great Flood. Your mentor had his work cut out for him getting construction of the tomb back on track.
He reported to the Royal Council at the end of the laboring season that the damage inflicted by the flood had been overstated. The foundations were still sound and only cosmetic repairs were required to the structure of the tomb. Significant progress had been made in finishing the exterior of the tomb, including the final capping of the pyramid structure built over the colonnaded temple entrance. The pyramid would need to be covered over in limestone and finished with goldwork around the base, and fittings within the temple were still at a rudimentary state. He estimated that work could be completed within three years, though the Queen's Chamber would still require furnishings after the late Pharaoh was interred.
The Dowager Queen was exceptionally pleased with the work and pressed him to move faster, offering additional resources. Ptahshepses declined, as he had sufficient laborers for the necessary work and adding more would just get in the way. He noted the real bottleneck was in the availability of skilled artisans, who were also needed for temple work. Atumnemhat concurred, and complained about how difficult it was to obtain quality work when competing with multiple other projects. Discussion petered out amid the dissatisfaction with the availability of artisans, though you kept that complaint in mind as something that might need addressing later on. Especially if you planned to build a true legacy all over Kemet like the Great Ancestor did.
That night your mother told you that interring a predecessor was a traditional assertion of Royal Authority. "You would be wise to insure it is you, my dearest, and not Neferet who oversees the funeral of your father. It would be a shame to let such an opportunity go to waste."
"Why would she do such a thing, if it is my right as Queen?"
"This country pretends it has no precedent for ruling Queens," she says, laughing softly. "It has been ruled by women as often as any other but it prefers to believe otherwise. So it is not established as your right; you must seize it and make it so. As for your aunt, she loved your father as her husband and as her brother. She failed her duty to him as a wife. To inter him is to do something right as his sister, and her time in this world is uncertain. But you should not grant her that mercy."
Result:
Tomb to be completed in three years.
Staffing Solutions
Sennefer's Roll ???
Sennefer reported to the council that he had completed staffing the majority of positions opened up by the late purge with a new and less corrupt cadre of officials. Wenamun furiously interjected that the Inspector had bypassed the usual procedures, recruiting directly from private schools rather than going through his department. As such Wenamun could not vouch for the training or suitability of the Overseers. Sennefer in turn blamed Wenamun for not producing sufficient numbers of scribes and defended his own practices as necessary. Furthermore he offered that he had consulted local priests and required letters of introduction attesting to the good character of candidates from respected members of their communities. He finally added that such measures could hardly be less effective than those put in place by his predecessor, who after all had presided over an incredible reign of corruption.
Result:
Granaries administration now rebuilt
Their Misfortune, Our Gain
Ipy's Roll ???
With the abundant harvest promised for the coming year it was decided to sell off a portion of the stored grain to cover the demand for silver, bronze, incense, ivory, and other exotic goods required for temple construction. Ipy reported to the council that the Mynosians were paying exceptional rates for grain; a rate of 1 talent for 500 s. deben, which was close to twice as much as he had previously ever seen them pay. Investigation with the merchants confirmed a disastrous locust swarm over the harvest of Wattusi and Mittari, which had spread to the Mynosian client-state of Amarit. The sea-farers were scouring the Great Sea for grain to feed their proxies and to profit from the great demand for grain across the region. Ipy had turned 6000 s. deben of grain into 12 gold talents worth of luxuries, much of it high quality merchandise from east of Hugiya. The temples would be pleased with the availability of material, and the Royal Treasury handily offset planned expenditures to retain a tidy surplus.
Results:
Gain 12 talents
Water is Life
Herenamenpenaef's Roll ???
Herenamenpenaef reported the completion of repairs to the irrigation system as previously promised last year. Extensive work had restored the canals and levees to top condition after the gentle flood of the new year. Naturally it would require constant maintenance to keep the canals free of silt, but on an average year that could be handled by local authorities making use of corvee labor. He would be free to oversee the challenges of expanding arable land or settling villages or other construction efforts in the coming year.
The Might of Ptah
Khui's Roll ???
The Commander of the Royal Army returned to Temes during the Season of Harvest, to report on his efforts at Inbu-Hedj. After his success restoring the Division of Ra to trim it was expected that he would report great success. Alas, he informed the Regent that his efforts reforming the Division of Ptah have been less than availing. The division has not reached the standards set by the Division of Ra and requires his personal attention for longer. He cites the division's long ties to Inbu-Hedj, as the garrison of the great fortress of the Delta; they have become corrupt and complacent, aided by the local nobility. There are also lingering rumors that their patron deity is displeased lately, and Khui seeks leave to conduct a ritual to appease the god by presenting the unit with a new standard.
Khui is detained in Temes by the business of the Regency Council through the end of the year, as it considers his proposal.
Friends
1D100 => 2
See Event.
Investigate Meryawy (Ma'atneferure)
Ma'atneferure's Roll ???
"You are interested in the priest, Divine Majesty?" Ma'atneferure raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then a smug grin came over her. She shifted on the divan behind you and adjusted your wig a bit. "Ah, it is time then. Remember what I talked to you about, Majesty. There are many ways to avoid pregnancy, though it is still safer to seek pleasure with another woman. A Eunuch may also suffice, if women do not appeal to you. Some of them who were made such later can still…"
"No!" You shook, and your cursedly pale skin darkened in obvious mortification. "That's not it at all! I just wanted to know if I could… trust him. Later. As an official."
Ma'atneferure laughed gently at your expense. "He does not speak readily of himself. Yes, I think you may trust him. He has been your tutor for many years now, and I think you are astute enough to judge. He is a gentle and thorough man, one who takes his role seriously. Much more seriously than most of his station do."
"What do you mean?"
"Meryawy is the son of an important priest of Ra, and his position has been passed down now for seven generations. His step-mother saw that the temple would go to a half-brother, but he took the decision gracefully. Otherwise it would have been a messy struggle. Nefer… the Queen Dowager rewarded him by making him your personal tutor. I think he considered access to the Royal Archives the better part of the reward."
"Hmm." So Meryawy was from a noble family, even if he didn't get along with them at the moment. That might make him a viable appointment for some post or other. "Does he have no flaws?"
"Plenty, Majesty. His kindness may be exploited. Too many times he has given too much to beggers who approach him, even when he should know better. He lacks assertiveness and spends too much time with his nose in a scroll. He has also refused remarriage after losing his wife; he is too caught up in her memory and it is not good for your little friend Tayuheret."
"He has?" You hadn't heard about that from Tayuheret or from him.
"He is handsome enough, and many women would be attracted to his good nature. I even proposed marriage to him." Ma'atneferure shook her head in exasperation. "He turned me down. Alas, a spinster I remain."
That was a bit much to take in. You ask her to tell you more, but you can piece together a picture of the man from what you already know. She confirms your initial impressions and adds some details you lacked.
Results:
Trust in Meryawy reinforced
Suspected traits: Diligent, Chaste, Humble
Suspected talents: Diplomatic
Known talents: Piety
Investigate Khui (Satysis)
Mother's Roll ???
"Why is there a goat in your workshop?"
Your mother sidled over towards you in response as the brown goat looked on impassively from the middle of the room. It wasn't chained or otherwise restrained, nor was it making a sound. But it didn't appear to be asleep. It just stood there, beside a brass basin and an array of circles and triangles formed out on the floor of salt. That was probably enough salt for an entirely family for some time, you realized from having to apportion out the material from palace stores.
The torches in the workshop dimmed as your Mother passed them by.
"It is necessary," she said. She was wearing her hooped skirt and white apron, with her wine-colored hair festooned with flowers. You were beginning to understand it was a powerful ritual attire. She bore a double-headed bronze axe in her hand, though it seemed too small to be of use as a weapon. "You wanted to know about Khui. Some answers require special efforts."
This was magic, of course. "I didn't expect all of this."
"Of course not. But you should learn what can be done. You know Khui is ambitious. He is also brilliant, in the limited sense of a military man. But what are the secrets of his heart? Those he guards very well. No whores, no excessive drinking, no corruption, no sloth or greed to taint him like most men. He is driven. So we must find out what drives him."
You follow her over toward the goat, feeling a bit of a chill in the room as you do. "And how will this help?"
"Khui was a handsome and talented guardsman, and yet he never indulged himself with the palace maids. He had no friends, no one close to him. It was rumored he consorted with a eunuch, though Ptahshepses knew nothing of the sort. But he did know that Khui comes from a village in the nome of Sabastis, and there was one eunuch in the service of the palace who arrived from the same village a couple of years before Khui. Harkhebi was young, barely sixteen years of age, a peasant. It was known they knew each other, but Harkhebi has been dead for these eight past years. Ptahshepses had no further line of inquiry."
"You do?"
"Yes, daughter." She paced over to the goat and patted it on the head. She ran her hand over the goat's muzzle, and seized it underneath the jaw. The goat moved pliantly, bowing its head before your mother. She slid the brass basin underneath the goat's throat and used the labrys to open up its artery. The animal bled out without making a sound or any sort of protest, and its life's blood flowed into the ritual bowl.
"There is power in blood," Kirke commented calmly as she waited for the beast to finish exsanguination. "It is the vehicle for the fire of the soul. Even an animal has a certain amount of… vitality, let us call it. Sacrifice is not just a metaphor. You sacrifice of yourself when you perform magic. A true human sacrifice, like those performed in Kemet two thousand years ago, can fuel awesome magics. And the most powerful of sacrifices is that of the willing."
You watched, rapt and disturbed, as the torches flicker with a strange green flame and dim. The shadows reached out and almost enveloped you. They surrounded you, your mother, and the ritual space. Kirke took the basin and positioned it directly in the center of the seal of salt. She pulled forth a small broach from a pocket and tossed it into the circle alongside the basin, and chanted in an unfamiliar language. It sounded somewhat like the language of the Mynosian and Mykene merchants you had met, but not. You couldn't understand it but it was clipped and guttural and flowed slowly compared to the language of Kemet.
As she made a dramatic declaration she slit her hand with the labrys and poured the blood out into the basin. The room chilled and the torches flickered again. You blinked, and as your eyes opened a translucent shade stood within the circle. Kirke spoke the unfamiliar language in clear tone of command; the shade did not speak, but you felt its instinctive resistance. It was over quickly. The shade bowed to your mother and she nodded, and it knelt down to drink from the basin of blood.
"The shade of Harkhebi has answered the summons. The brooch was his in life, and I could use it to call him here. The blood gives him power of speech, and my blood commands him. The salt-circle restrains him. Now ask your questions, my daughter."
You almost bit your tongue as you shivered in the chilled room, but you summoned up your courage and resolve. You raised your head and looked at the poor soul as a Queen before one of her peasants. "You, Harkhebi, knew the general Khui in life. Does he seek my throne?"
"I know not his thoughts now," the shade responded. This time it spoke, though you did not think it made any sound. "When we laid on the banks of the Nile in the age of our bloom, he spoke of restoring his family. He spoke of glory and restoring Maat to Kemet. He spoke of many things, as did I."
"You were his friend, then?"
"I was his beloved, as he was mine. In the bloom of youth we consummated our love and made plans for our future."
You glanced over to your mother, but she seemed utterly unsurprised. You weren't unacquainted with the idea thanks to Ma'atneferure. But what Harkhebi described was something different. Something stronger than a dalliance or affair.
Your mother looked back and him and narrowed her eyes. "How did you come to be a eunuch then, shade?"
"We were beloved. We were inseparable. His family planned for him to marry the daughter of the cousin of the nomarch. A petty match to advance a fallen clan a mere foot. He rejected it. But his family has plenty of power left over the village. They seized me and emasculated me. I was condemned as a thief and enslaved."
"You came to the palace staff afterward?" Many slave eunuchs were purchased by the palace, you knew full well after looking over the accounts.
"I did. He followed me as he could. But I could not love him as I once did. He was distant and bitter. I was in despair."
"And then," Kirke interjected, "you threw yourself into the Nile to be torn apart by the sacred crocodiles of Sobek, did you not?"
"I did. My death was not an accident."
"Not an accident. A suicide." Your mother sounded smugly pleased with her work. "And did this suicide have any purpose, save to relieve you of your life?"
"I proclaimed myself a sacrifice. I offered my body and soul to Sobek. If I could not have my dream, then I offered all that I had to the god."
"To what end?"
"That my beloved should have his dream."
The lights flared up again, turning red-orange as your Mother shouted a command in her foreign tongue and tossed salt into the shade. With a flash, Harkhebi was gone. The shadows disappeared and you could see all around the workshop. You looked at your Mother and saw her face lined with concern.
"Remember what I told you, my dearest. There is power in sacrifice. Harkhebi willingly sacrificed himself for Khui. In doing so he bestowed a powerful blessing on the man. He is more dangerous than even I imagined, and dealing with him will take effort."
Your mother dismissed you to your room to rest, but as you left you heard a hacking cough. You turned and saw her spit up blood into the ritual basin. Her eyes met yours, and you turned and fled from the room.
Results:
Concern about Khui reinforced
Suspected Traits: Ambitious, Temperate
Known Talents: Martial
Known Status: Blessed by Sobek
Costs: 14,300 s. deben, 12 talents
Gold purchased: 12 talents
End of Year Granary Stores: 14,800 s. deben
End of Year Treasury Reserves: 18 talents
Raucous New Year
1D100+14+5 => 50
This year the rituals pass by without too much ado. You're prepared for the evening offerings in the chamber of the goddess and the challenge of the idol is met with confidence. It's the midnight blessings which present a problem, as you partake of the sacred beer a little too freely. Your head is swimming as you meet with the women seeking a blessing of their wombs. You giggle as you press your hand against stomach after stomach, especially with one rotund woman you suggest already looks pregnant. You dance freely with the sacred musicians afterward and the eunuch attendants feel the need to hustle you out of the temple as the fertility rituals of the celebration become less symbolic and more practical. If the goddess is displeased she shows no sign of it, but neither did she favor you with a special sign of approval like she did last year.
Result:
Trivial Bonus on Annual Flood Roll
The Annual Flood
Roll: ???
That said the flood came in as predicted and with greater gentleness than usual. And was that not a sign of the approval of the goddess, certainly more so than some sacred birds or a bunch of pregnant fellahin? There were few deaths and the black earth deposited behind proved to be exceptionally fertile, even if it wasn't quite as productive as last year. The peasants rejoiced at their continued fortune and Kemet enjoyed the domestic peace and tranquility that only a widespread plenty could provide.
Result:
Bountiful Harvest for income calculations next year
Learning from the Chief Eunuch
1D100 => 29
While it isn't quite clear when the Regency might end, the Council was treating your attempts at assertion with tolerance rather than encouragement. Your aunt was indulgent, but placed you under pressure to buckle down and begin learning the practical realities of governance. Since the palace was itself a large estate it seemed reasonable to you to demand a share of its administration so you could learn by example. The Chief Eunuch Ptahshepses seemed pleased by your interest in management and volunteered to the Council to oversee your progress. The Queen Dowager readily approved of the arrangement when no objections were raised among the other councilors; tradition usually had the Crown Prince serving in the Army and managing a small estate, but in the absence of such a guide the palace was seen as suitable for you to learn from.
There was just a minor problem. Even after your reconciliation, you still didn't really like Ptahshepses.
"Divine Majesty, we will need to begin shortly." He was waiting for you outside your chambers the morning afterward. "I must say, your Majesty must rise earlier than this. You will find there is much to attend to, and never enough time in the day for it."
You blinked in annoyance. Ma'atneferure giggled from over in your chambers, where she had finished preparing your hair and clothes. "The barque of Ra has risen from the Underworld. Isn't that early enough?"
"No, I am afraid not. I will detail a eunuch to attend to your waking, Divine Majesty, shortly before the dawn. There is much productive work we could have done even before the morning breakfast."
You could already tell you were not going to care much for this.
He set you to work soon negotiating with a party of merchants from Babel-Ur for a supply of lapis lazuli for use by the palace. Once you had secured decent terms from the foreigners you had to follow up to see that they were properly paid, and that the lapis lazuli arrived as agreed. He then had you handle the boring details of storing the material and setting up quotas for the palace craftsmen. It was a tedious exercise, but he approved of your work and you did learn a few things about how the palace was actually run.
Much of your training was dedicated to similar tasks. Ptahshepses had you dealing with foreigners a lot because, as he put it, you couldn't just order them to do something. Allocating and tracking resources was practice that would come in handy, as you thought back to the empty granaries before the Great Flood. You would bear with this for a while, but you were beginning to wish you had focused on something else instead.
Results:
+1 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship
No Trait Gain
Learning with the Bow
1D100+17 => 67
Despite the best efforts of Ptahshepses to bore you to death you were able to insist upon putting aside time in the afternoon to learn the bow. Your encounter with the soldiers of the Division of Set remained a touchstone of your thoughts, and you were eager to get started. Ramessu remained your primary instructor from the Guards. You appreciated his cultured deference and respect relative to Ptahshepses' half-mocking politesse, but he was as thorough and careful as the eunuch. And it soon became apparent that you needed a smaller, weaker bow fit only for an absolute beginner due to your lack of upper body strength. Fortunately he weathered your seething embarrassment in good spirits.
You were motivated enough to keep practicing day after day for months. Gradually you could pull out the training bow to its full power, and slowly your aim improved. At first you were lucky to hit a target at all from 50 feet, but by the end of the year you could reliably hit a man-sized target at 200 feet. The standard for the Army was 500 feet, while on the back of a chariot at full speed, but as Ramessu patiently explained that was the result of many years of training and practice. He saw signs that you were actually a talented beginner, and you grinned happily when he assured you for that. For now there was nothing to be done but to continue training and getting better until you could combine your skill with a bow and familiarity with the chariot to become a true noble archer.
Results:
Status gained "Novice Archer"
A Happy Goddess
1D100+14+5 => 103, 1D100 => 46 (149)
Of course not all your time was taken up with the bow or with Ptahshepses' tasks. You had spent a lot of time mulling over the Hathor-Cow and finally resolved to consult with the High Priestess of Hathor's temple. Esemkebhe was a graceful older matron, with a voice you knew as that of Hathor's idol; but then the point of the priesthood was to conduct the rituals and as such to speak for the gods, after all. She encouraged you to consider the cow's birthmark as a sign from the goddess and noted that Hathor had been worshipped as a heifer from the earliest ages of Kemet. She had never been given the attention that the Apis Bull granted to Ptah, or the Mnevis Bull granted to Ra, but there was no reason that needed to remain the case.
Convincing the Royal Council took more effort. Atumnemhat was especially outspoken, arguing that there was no precedent for establishing a new temple and that depriving the Apis Bull of its mate would anger Ptah. Ipy on the other hand simply opposed on the grounds of cost and lack of obvious benefit, as there was no need to placate Hathor at the moment. You replied that Hathor had greatly favored Kemet following the terrible flood and that failing to honor her special bounty would inevitably see it withdrawn. As for the Apis Bull, it had been honored with a harem of heifers by tradition and not by any single mate standing in for Hathor. That the sacred cows had rutted and produced calves was a good omen for the fertility of the land and a sign of the amity between Ptah and Hathor, nothing more. You also cheekily added that if the Apis Bull could have a harem of heifers, why couldn't Hathor's heifer have a harem of bulls?
Your aunt gave in after further debate, allowing you to make preparations for the sacred cow of Hathor to be housed in a temple equal to that of the Apis Bull. The lessons you were getting from Ptahshepses came in handy to see the smooth completion of the temple. You arranged for the transport of alabaster from Lower Kemet to Temes, provided the mural-painters with lavish supplies of lapis lazuli, saw to the decoration of the temple interior with gold, and commissioned silver cult items for the goddess. The priests and priestesses of Hathor met with you to discuss the rituals of the new temple, some of which were adopted from the older cow goddess of the Delta, Bes, and others of which were taken from the Apis and Mnevis Bulls.
You attended the dedication of the temple as an officiating Queen. You wore a dress dyed in scarlet, the color of Sekhmet, and carried a was-scepter of gold decorated with the horns and sun-disk of Hathor. A diadem with the royal uraeus of Nekhbet and Wadjet crowned your brow, and a gold menat necklace inlaid with silver and precious gems rested on your breast. You were a vision of splendor like unto the goddess, or so you were reassured by Ma'atneferure as she had attired you for the ceremony. You had preened a bit and took the awe of the crowds at the temple as a proof of the rightness of the claim.
The cow enjoyed a large corral just outside the temple. It was led forth up the steps of the portico entrance by an entourage of beautiful young priests and priestesses to where you watched and waited to crown it with a garland of lotus blossoms. The crowd roared with delight when the cow laid down before you, which was repeated throughout Kemet along with rumors of your beauty as a sign of your special connection to Hathor. The cow mooed gently as you placed the garland around its neck and then led it into the temple where the High Priestess of Hathor bade you take the cow into its chambers. Priests later presented it with a ceremonial meal of blessed grain and holy water and would conduct further rites to insure the comfort of the cow.
Results:
Cult of Hathor gains prominence
Queen Meritamun associated with the goddess
+5 Royal Authority
An Unhappy Cow
Atumnemhat's Roll ???
The Bull of Apis, on the other hand, was clearly disgruntled with his accommodations. The priesthood at the temple was appalled when the sacred animal bit a handler and refused to cooperate with the rites. Atumnemhat blamed the removal of Hathor's heifer, though the bull readily mounted the rest of his harem. It was also rumored that some ritual gold ornaments had been stolen from the god, and a thief was later duly produced and executed. The source of the bull's anger remains a mystery as the gold was replaced readily enough and you have no intention of admitting that your actions regarding the Hathor heifer were wrong. Until you find a way to appease the incarnate god it is likely that the Apis Bull will generate discontent rather than reassurance.
Results:
Minor loss of political stability (for now)
Priesthood of Ptah unhappy
Unfinished Business
Ptahshepses's roll ???
Tutoring you in your efforts at administration was not remotely the sole focus of Ptahshepses' efforts over the year. He had also been appointed to oversee the final construction of the tomb of your father, whose mummy was being held in a chamber in the palace for safe-keeping. Your father had decided upon a pyramidal mortuary temple early in his reign, with a shape hearkening back to the oldest days of Kemet but maintaining the format of a temple and its associated priesthood to minister to his immortal being. Construction had only started when he died, and progress had been sporadic over the past 15 years due to various emergencies; most recently construction had stopped completely and the foundations of the temple had been damaged by the Great Flood. Your mentor had his work cut out for him getting construction of the tomb back on track.
He reported to the Royal Council at the end of the laboring season that the damage inflicted by the flood had been overstated. The foundations were still sound and only cosmetic repairs were required to the structure of the tomb. Significant progress had been made in finishing the exterior of the tomb, including the final capping of the pyramid structure built over the colonnaded temple entrance. The pyramid would need to be covered over in limestone and finished with goldwork around the base, and fittings within the temple were still at a rudimentary state. He estimated that work could be completed within three years, though the Queen's Chamber would still require furnishings after the late Pharaoh was interred.
The Dowager Queen was exceptionally pleased with the work and pressed him to move faster, offering additional resources. Ptahshepses declined, as he had sufficient laborers for the necessary work and adding more would just get in the way. He noted the real bottleneck was in the availability of skilled artisans, who were also needed for temple work. Atumnemhat concurred, and complained about how difficult it was to obtain quality work when competing with multiple other projects. Discussion petered out amid the dissatisfaction with the availability of artisans, though you kept that complaint in mind as something that might need addressing later on. Especially if you planned to build a true legacy all over Kemet like the Great Ancestor did.
That night your mother told you that interring a predecessor was a traditional assertion of Royal Authority. "You would be wise to insure it is you, my dearest, and not Neferet who oversees the funeral of your father. It would be a shame to let such an opportunity go to waste."
"Why would she do such a thing, if it is my right as Queen?"
"This country pretends it has no precedent for ruling Queens," she says, laughing softly. "It has been ruled by women as often as any other but it prefers to believe otherwise. So it is not established as your right; you must seize it and make it so. As for your aunt, she loved your father as her husband and as her brother. She failed her duty to him as a wife. To inter him is to do something right as his sister, and her time in this world is uncertain. But you should not grant her that mercy."
Result:
Tomb to be completed in three years.
Staffing Solutions
Sennefer's Roll ???
Sennefer reported to the council that he had completed staffing the majority of positions opened up by the late purge with a new and less corrupt cadre of officials. Wenamun furiously interjected that the Inspector had bypassed the usual procedures, recruiting directly from private schools rather than going through his department. As such Wenamun could not vouch for the training or suitability of the Overseers. Sennefer in turn blamed Wenamun for not producing sufficient numbers of scribes and defended his own practices as necessary. Furthermore he offered that he had consulted local priests and required letters of introduction attesting to the good character of candidates from respected members of their communities. He finally added that such measures could hardly be less effective than those put in place by his predecessor, who after all had presided over an incredible reign of corruption.
Result:
Granaries administration now rebuilt
Their Misfortune, Our Gain
Ipy's Roll ???
With the abundant harvest promised for the coming year it was decided to sell off a portion of the stored grain to cover the demand for silver, bronze, incense, ivory, and other exotic goods required for temple construction. Ipy reported to the council that the Mynosians were paying exceptional rates for grain; a rate of 1 talent for 500 s. deben, which was close to twice as much as he had previously ever seen them pay. Investigation with the merchants confirmed a disastrous locust swarm over the harvest of Wattusi and Mittari, which had spread to the Mynosian client-state of Amarit. The sea-farers were scouring the Great Sea for grain to feed their proxies and to profit from the great demand for grain across the region. Ipy had turned 6000 s. deben of grain into 12 gold talents worth of luxuries, much of it high quality merchandise from east of Hugiya. The temples would be pleased with the availability of material, and the Royal Treasury handily offset planned expenditures to retain a tidy surplus.
Results:
Gain 12 talents
Water is Life
Herenamenpenaef's Roll ???
Herenamenpenaef reported the completion of repairs to the irrigation system as previously promised last year. Extensive work had restored the canals and levees to top condition after the gentle flood of the new year. Naturally it would require constant maintenance to keep the canals free of silt, but on an average year that could be handled by local authorities making use of corvee labor. He would be free to oversee the challenges of expanding arable land or settling villages or other construction efforts in the coming year.
The Might of Ptah
Khui's Roll ???
The Commander of the Royal Army returned to Temes during the Season of Harvest, to report on his efforts at Inbu-Hedj. After his success restoring the Division of Ra to trim it was expected that he would report great success. Alas, he informed the Regent that his efforts reforming the Division of Ptah have been less than availing. The division has not reached the standards set by the Division of Ra and requires his personal attention for longer. He cites the division's long ties to Inbu-Hedj, as the garrison of the great fortress of the Delta; they have become corrupt and complacent, aided by the local nobility. There are also lingering rumors that their patron deity is displeased lately, and Khui seeks leave to conduct a ritual to appease the god by presenting the unit with a new standard.
Khui is detained in Temes by the business of the Regency Council through the end of the year, as it considers his proposal.
Friends
1D100 => 2
See Event.
Investigate Meryawy (Ma'atneferure)
Ma'atneferure's Roll ???
"You are interested in the priest, Divine Majesty?" Ma'atneferure raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then a smug grin came over her. She shifted on the divan behind you and adjusted your wig a bit. "Ah, it is time then. Remember what I talked to you about, Majesty. There are many ways to avoid pregnancy, though it is still safer to seek pleasure with another woman. A Eunuch may also suffice, if women do not appeal to you. Some of them who were made such later can still…"
"No!" You shook, and your cursedly pale skin darkened in obvious mortification. "That's not it at all! I just wanted to know if I could… trust him. Later. As an official."
Ma'atneferure laughed gently at your expense. "He does not speak readily of himself. Yes, I think you may trust him. He has been your tutor for many years now, and I think you are astute enough to judge. He is a gentle and thorough man, one who takes his role seriously. Much more seriously than most of his station do."
"What do you mean?"
"Meryawy is the son of an important priest of Ra, and his position has been passed down now for seven generations. His step-mother saw that the temple would go to a half-brother, but he took the decision gracefully. Otherwise it would have been a messy struggle. Nefer… the Queen Dowager rewarded him by making him your personal tutor. I think he considered access to the Royal Archives the better part of the reward."
"Hmm." So Meryawy was from a noble family, even if he didn't get along with them at the moment. That might make him a viable appointment for some post or other. "Does he have no flaws?"
"Plenty, Majesty. His kindness may be exploited. Too many times he has given too much to beggers who approach him, even when he should know better. He lacks assertiveness and spends too much time with his nose in a scroll. He has also refused remarriage after losing his wife; he is too caught up in her memory and it is not good for your little friend Tayuheret."
"He has?" You hadn't heard about that from Tayuheret or from him.
"He is handsome enough, and many women would be attracted to his good nature. I even proposed marriage to him." Ma'atneferure shook her head in exasperation. "He turned me down. Alas, a spinster I remain."
That was a bit much to take in. You ask her to tell you more, but you can piece together a picture of the man from what you already know. She confirms your initial impressions and adds some details you lacked.
Results:
Trust in Meryawy reinforced
Suspected traits: Diligent, Chaste, Humble
Suspected talents: Diplomatic
Known talents: Piety
Investigate Khui (Satysis)
Mother's Roll ???
"Why is there a goat in your workshop?"
Your mother sidled over towards you in response as the brown goat looked on impassively from the middle of the room. It wasn't chained or otherwise restrained, nor was it making a sound. But it didn't appear to be asleep. It just stood there, beside a brass basin and an array of circles and triangles formed out on the floor of salt. That was probably enough salt for an entirely family for some time, you realized from having to apportion out the material from palace stores.
The torches in the workshop dimmed as your Mother passed them by.
"It is necessary," she said. She was wearing her hooped skirt and white apron, with her wine-colored hair festooned with flowers. You were beginning to understand it was a powerful ritual attire. She bore a double-headed bronze axe in her hand, though it seemed too small to be of use as a weapon. "You wanted to know about Khui. Some answers require special efforts."
This was magic, of course. "I didn't expect all of this."
"Of course not. But you should learn what can be done. You know Khui is ambitious. He is also brilliant, in the limited sense of a military man. But what are the secrets of his heart? Those he guards very well. No whores, no excessive drinking, no corruption, no sloth or greed to taint him like most men. He is driven. So we must find out what drives him."
You follow her over toward the goat, feeling a bit of a chill in the room as you do. "And how will this help?"
"Khui was a handsome and talented guardsman, and yet he never indulged himself with the palace maids. He had no friends, no one close to him. It was rumored he consorted with a eunuch, though Ptahshepses knew nothing of the sort. But he did know that Khui comes from a village in the nome of Sabastis, and there was one eunuch in the service of the palace who arrived from the same village a couple of years before Khui. Harkhebi was young, barely sixteen years of age, a peasant. It was known they knew each other, but Harkhebi has been dead for these eight past years. Ptahshepses had no further line of inquiry."
"You do?"
"Yes, daughter." She paced over to the goat and patted it on the head. She ran her hand over the goat's muzzle, and seized it underneath the jaw. The goat moved pliantly, bowing its head before your mother. She slid the brass basin underneath the goat's throat and used the labrys to open up its artery. The animal bled out without making a sound or any sort of protest, and its life's blood flowed into the ritual bowl.
"There is power in blood," Kirke commented calmly as she waited for the beast to finish exsanguination. "It is the vehicle for the fire of the soul. Even an animal has a certain amount of… vitality, let us call it. Sacrifice is not just a metaphor. You sacrifice of yourself when you perform magic. A true human sacrifice, like those performed in Kemet two thousand years ago, can fuel awesome magics. And the most powerful of sacrifices is that of the willing."
You watched, rapt and disturbed, as the torches flicker with a strange green flame and dim. The shadows reached out and almost enveloped you. They surrounded you, your mother, and the ritual space. Kirke took the basin and positioned it directly in the center of the seal of salt. She pulled forth a small broach from a pocket and tossed it into the circle alongside the basin, and chanted in an unfamiliar language. It sounded somewhat like the language of the Mynosian and Mykene merchants you had met, but not. You couldn't understand it but it was clipped and guttural and flowed slowly compared to the language of Kemet.
As she made a dramatic declaration she slit her hand with the labrys and poured the blood out into the basin. The room chilled and the torches flickered again. You blinked, and as your eyes opened a translucent shade stood within the circle. Kirke spoke the unfamiliar language in clear tone of command; the shade did not speak, but you felt its instinctive resistance. It was over quickly. The shade bowed to your mother and she nodded, and it knelt down to drink from the basin of blood.
"The shade of Harkhebi has answered the summons. The brooch was his in life, and I could use it to call him here. The blood gives him power of speech, and my blood commands him. The salt-circle restrains him. Now ask your questions, my daughter."
You almost bit your tongue as you shivered in the chilled room, but you summoned up your courage and resolve. You raised your head and looked at the poor soul as a Queen before one of her peasants. "You, Harkhebi, knew the general Khui in life. Does he seek my throne?"
"I know not his thoughts now," the shade responded. This time it spoke, though you did not think it made any sound. "When we laid on the banks of the Nile in the age of our bloom, he spoke of restoring his family. He spoke of glory and restoring Maat to Kemet. He spoke of many things, as did I."
"You were his friend, then?"
"I was his beloved, as he was mine. In the bloom of youth we consummated our love and made plans for our future."
You glanced over to your mother, but she seemed utterly unsurprised. You weren't unacquainted with the idea thanks to Ma'atneferure. But what Harkhebi described was something different. Something stronger than a dalliance or affair.
Your mother looked back and him and narrowed her eyes. "How did you come to be a eunuch then, shade?"
"We were beloved. We were inseparable. His family planned for him to marry the daughter of the cousin of the nomarch. A petty match to advance a fallen clan a mere foot. He rejected it. But his family has plenty of power left over the village. They seized me and emasculated me. I was condemned as a thief and enslaved."
"You came to the palace staff afterward?" Many slave eunuchs were purchased by the palace, you knew full well after looking over the accounts.
"I did. He followed me as he could. But I could not love him as I once did. He was distant and bitter. I was in despair."
"And then," Kirke interjected, "you threw yourself into the Nile to be torn apart by the sacred crocodiles of Sobek, did you not?"
"I did. My death was not an accident."
"Not an accident. A suicide." Your mother sounded smugly pleased with her work. "And did this suicide have any purpose, save to relieve you of your life?"
"I proclaimed myself a sacrifice. I offered my body and soul to Sobek. If I could not have my dream, then I offered all that I had to the god."
"To what end?"
"That my beloved should have his dream."
The lights flared up again, turning red-orange as your Mother shouted a command in her foreign tongue and tossed salt into the shade. With a flash, Harkhebi was gone. The shadows disappeared and you could see all around the workshop. You looked at your Mother and saw her face lined with concern.
"Remember what I told you, my dearest. There is power in sacrifice. Harkhebi willingly sacrificed himself for Khui. In doing so he bestowed a powerful blessing on the man. He is more dangerous than even I imagined, and dealing with him will take effort."
Your mother dismissed you to your room to rest, but as you left you heard a hacking cough. You turned and saw her spit up blood into the ritual basin. Her eyes met yours, and you turned and fled from the room.
Results:
Concern about Khui reinforced
Suspected Traits: Ambitious, Temperate
Known Talents: Martial
Known Status: Blessed by Sobek
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