Deathless and Nameless (Mummy: the Curse Quest)

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A mummy quest! I don't really know much about mummy, but I've always sorta lumped it in with Promethean in the group of "does cool shit, but in a way that makes it really hard to actually get a group to play it." It'll be fun to learn all the lore as the quest unfolds instead of knowing all that stuff from the outset.

[X] Arisen
[X] Silver-Tongued
[X] Genius

I like characters that have to get by on something other than just brute force and combat prowess.
 
Don Alverzo said:
A mummy quest! I don't really know much about mummy, but I've always sorta lumped it in with Promethean in the group of "does cool shit, but in a way that makes it really hard to actually get a group to play it." It'll be fun to learn all the lore as the quest unfolds instead of knowing all that stuff from the outset.

[X] Arisen
[X] Silver-Tongued
[X] Genius

I like characters that have to get by on something other than just brute force and combat prowess.
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My feeling is that we honestly have a lot of World of Darkness Quests where the main character is a genius. Call it SV's own biases.

(And yeah, I'm part of the problem there. :V)
 
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@Don Alverzo , rather than some big brutey warrior, what I'm imagining is a friendly laborer, strong but not necessarily (originally) martially inclined. Someone you can have a beer with after a hard day's work building a Pyramid. :V
 
The Laurent said:
@Don Alverzo , rather than some big brutey warrior, what I'm imagining is a friendly laborer, strong but not necessarily (originally) martially inclined. Someone you can have a beer with after a hard day's work building a Pyramid. :V
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Amusingly, that's basically the modus operandi of the Maa-Kep guild. Their original thing was being labourers, workers and organizers, who also happened to function as a spy network, helped along by being generally affable, friendly and the kind of person you'd talk to.
 
Okay, yeah, that actually sounds pretty fun. As long as we try and avoid making an intentionally combat focused character I'd be down. I'll change my vote.

[x] Arisen
[x] Mighty
[x] Silver-Tongued
 
Don Alverzo said:
I don't really know much about mummy, but I've always sorta lumped it in with Promethean in the group of "does cool shit, but in a way that makes it really hard to actually get a group to play it."
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Kinda like Wraith was, IIRC.
The Laurent said:
My feeling is that we honestly have a lot of World of Darkness Quests where the main character is a genius. Call it SV's own biases.
(And yeah, I'm part of the problem there. :V)
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Largely because being Intelligent is just better than being Strong if the setting is even mildly realistic.
 
Guilds, Decrees and Temakh
  • Informational
    • So, as Mummy isn't super well-known, I thought I'd do a quick summary of the various splats you'll get a chance to choose to be part of with the next update.

    Guilds
    In Irem, those who would become mummies were organized into six great Guilds; groups of workers, artists and people needed for the functioning of a state, each one under seven of the Shan'iatu. Each Guild has a form of Vessel they're associated with, and which they can use without being subject to the Vessel's curse.
    Akhem-Urtu
    The 'Restless Stars', the Guild of artists, soothsayers and ritualists often claimed to be the greatest of the Guilds, because they worked not with materials but with pure magic itself. Through their art, the workings of Fate and the universe were revealed. By their mastery they caught the secret stars of Fate - the immaterial relics known as seba - and bound them to their souls as sacred names and appellations. During the Rite of Return, however, their Shan'iatu masters betrayed or were betrayed by their fellows, and were all-but destroyed. The screaming remnants of their spirits anchored themselves to their immortal servants, and thus the Deceived were created. Presumed lost and destroyed by most Arisen, the Deceived still remain, serving their masters and carrying out their millennial vendetta against the Arisen.

    Maa-Kep
    Officially the Guild of amulet-makers and overseers, the Maa-Kep - the 'shadows of pillars' - were and remain humble by the standards of Irem. They were helpers, organizers, overseers, the people who make things work, who get everywhere, who have to be told everything to make sure they can do their job - and so they made ideal spies. They were in some sense Irem's secret police, keeping an eye on everyone to ensure they were following the will of the Shan'iatu. Their Relics were amulets; relatively subtle creations which imparted protective power to their users, or absorbed magic, power and skill from those around them. They remain the subtlest of the Guilds, and are truly excellent at helping others reach their ends - but it's difficult to know what their ends are in turn.

    Mesen-Nebu
    As if to contrast the subtlety of the Maa-Kep, the Mesen-Nebu named themselves 'born of gold'. They are and were alchemists, ferreting out the secrets of bronze, gold and jewels for the glory of Irem. More than mere physical alchemy, however, the Mesen-Nebu consider themselves students of a concept they call dedwen; meaning roughly 'value' or 'worthiness', the Alchemists consider their art to be simply the manipulation of dedwen through the most obvious means. They think of the universe as a 'subtle bazaar' in which all are engaged; it is an alchemical act both to turn lead into gold through mystic power, and to turn the labour of a man into gold wrenched from the ground. Their Relics took advantage of this principle, manipulating dedwen to transform one thing into another; usually to perfect them, such as a furnace which burns away mortality, but sometimes degrading them instead.

    Sesha-Hebsu
    The Sesha-Hebsu, the 'testimony of ages', are a Guild of scribes, which in practical terms means magistrates and administrators. In Irem they used their mastery of the written word to ensure the smooth functioning of both justice and the state more generally, and beyond this mastered magical secrets in the shape of ink on papyrus. They often find themselves as de facto if not de jure leaders among the Arisen for their ability to coordinate and bring others together. Their Relics are Texts; magic imbued into the written word, often creating distinct phenomena in the environment when read - perhaps creating an area blessed for the purposes of Sekhem-based magic, or conjuring a storm, or transporting the user and those nearby across the world.

    Su-Menent
    The Su-Menent were the priests of the chamber, the priests of the mortal shell, and the Guild most closely involved with the Rite of Return itself. They were undertakers, necromancers and experts in mummification, tombs and the preservation and treatment of the dead. In the modern day, they have come to serve as priests of a sort to the Arisen as a whole, often taking on a role as moral guides and interpreters of the Judges' will. Their Vessels are Uter, created from the remains of the dead. Their powers are generally involved in preserving something of the dead and either using it directly, or imparting such a quality to the user. An Uter created from a lion's jaw might be a fearsome weapon and give the user a shadow of the beast's hunting ability, for example.

    Tef-Aabhi
    The so-called 'father of idols', the Tef-Aabhi were engineers, architects and municipal planners in the days of Irem. It was according to their designs and by their labour that the temples and pillars of the Nameless City were raised. More than just empty monuments, however, these were built to channel and shape heka, a term the Tef-Aabhi use to refer to a particular manifestation of Sekhem associated with the energy and purpose of a place, imparted by its history and the activities of those living within it. A city's streets run with heka like a river with water, created and put in motion by the dynamic lives of those within. By manipulating heka, a mummy can shape the tendencies of a space - and this is taken to its logical conclusion in the Vessels of the Tef-Aabhi, Effigies, which use representational magic to control their subjects.

    Decrees
    Arisen mummies each made a Decree in the course of the Rite of Return, as their souls were broken down bit by bit until only one Pillar remained.
    Ashem
    These mummies claimed their sheut, their shadow, as the core of their very being. Jackal-headed in the symbolism of Irem, their Decree gives them the will to endure all suffering without flinching, to carry a torch into the darkest of days and reveal the truth of the world.

    Deshret
    These mummies declared their ba, their spirit, to be the core of their selves. Associated with the falcon, their unbreakable will drives them to set themselves against and triumph over all adversity, gaining strength even from suffering.

    Kheru
    These mummies have declared their ab, their heart and their emotions, to be the core of their soul. Lion-headed in the symbolism of Irem, the Kheru seek novelty and sensation, confronting the unsettling depths of eternity with passion and unquenchable desire for life.

    Nesrem
    These mummies declared their ka, their animating essence to be their most core aspect. Represented by the symbol of the bull, they are utterly tireless and almost painfully direct; their nature is to reduce a problem to the base essence of itself, and then solve it.

    Usheb
    These mummies declared their ren, their name and their place in the cosmos, to be the center of their soul. Cunning and resourceful, their tongues live up to their symbolism of the serpent - but they are not only manipulators. Their minds excel in solving puzzles and conundrums of all kinds.

    Temakh
    Where the Arisen made a Decree of the core of their soul, the Deceived were denied that chance. As their Shan'iatu were broken and shattered, their remains fettered themselves to the immortal souls of their servants in life, and re-made them without the trials of Duat. Instead of a Decree, Deceived choose which of the Temakh they followed in life, and serve in death.
    Am-Henuset, the Musician
    Called the First Wave and the Dream-Eater, Am-Henuset is the first musician, who first coaxed music and the magic of Nomenclature from dead matter. They are arrogant, and wear like a cloak the fact that they - alone of their brothers - attempted to dissuade the course of action which led to the great betrayal. They have a fatherly affection for those who accept them as muse, but a hatred of those who reject them - and little love for the Philosopher or their minions. They teach the secrets of mystical music, and their students can wring symphonies from poured sand, and break minds with a rattle.

    Hakkar-Zoser, the Keeper
    Most primal of the Temakh, Hakkar-Zoser deals in the wordless, primordial sensations evoked by ritual and revelation. They rejected Irem, and many times suggested that the Shan'iatu tear it down and return to the wild, but nevertheless found themselves tethered to it, as a shadow is tethered to the foot. The Hive-Soul is wild, unpredictable and utterly dismissive of civilized niceties, seeking the primal power within the heart. Father Scarab teaches the secrets of ritual, revelation and self-transformation, and his disciples can bridge the divide between men and beasts and tear open the howling heart of humankind to reveal what lairs within.

    Kehetkhat, the Dancer
    Kehetkhat seeks self-annihilation, to live up to their title of the Vessel of Celestial Motion and express the primal power of the cosmos through dance and physical embodiment. They were the physically-strongest of the Temakh, able to shake the earth with their tread and fall like lightning upon mind, body and soul as the Thundering Cage. Their disciples once shared their fervor in full, performing the Nomenclature with their entire bodies, but time has worn away some of that passion. Nevertheless, they remain the masters of certain arts of embodiment and possession, trapping and making use of ghosts and spirits as few others can.

    Neshebsut, the Philosopher
    Called the Thousand Eyes in One and the Void-in-Hand, the Philosopher questions all. Through their rhetorical art, they dissect the universe to find its truest essences, and in so doing deconstruct the very pillars of empire and society. One who listens to the Philosopher will have her faith murdered and her eyes opened to the vast and uncaring cosmos. Their students follow this course as well, destroying structures which stand in the way of the true insights they seek - but the secrets they learn along this path can excise souls and certainty alike.

    Nephir Un-Ankh, the Poet
    Perhaps the most demanding of the Temakh, the Verse That Speaks Itself wishes nothing less than control - of their servants, and of the world. Fortunately, their attention is as fragmented and incoherent as any of the Temakh, but when they can focus, they demand demands obedience. The Tale Without End has mastered the power of the spoken word; the Utterances were its creation, or so it claims. With the power of their words they are born and born again, and can command the very will of others.

    Siranuthis, the Singer
    Close kin to the Musician, the Voice of Forever cares little for subtlety. They can often seem reticent or reserved, preferring not to act until the opportune moment. When they choose to unleash their power, however, it arises from their open maw like a gale, a pillar of flame, the very death-scream of a god. The art of the Howling Stone is song, sigh and scream, regardless of words or musical accompaniment. Their Deceived share in their temperament, often fading into the background until their moment comes, whereupon their arias can shatter souls as much as glass.

    Tutkepertanu, the Painter
    The Painter is also called the Truth-Maker, and for good reason. Their mission is to depict truth, to open the eyes of mortals to the true shape of the world. Often that requires allegory; there are hues mortal eyes cannot perceive, and sights which are not wholesome to the mind. Even cloaked in metaphor, however, truth is truth, and the Image of Primordial Woe depicts it - or transforms reality to conform to its image. Its servants have learnt this power as well, and can wring beauty and horror from mud and gypsum and depict the soul in painting-form.
     
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  • Informational
    • For me, the Shesha-Hebsu and the Kheru seem to fit my character concept the best, although if I were to play them as a Deceived, Am-Hamuset or Kehetkhat would be my patron.
     
    [X] Mighty. Whatever may face you, your body has not failed you, and will not. Immortal, imperishable, and fuelled by the life of centuries, no mortal man can match you in strength.
    [X] Arisen

    Let's fucking go
     
    So, I'm probably going to end voting this evening, in about 8 hours or so. At the moment, it looks likely your character will be an Arisen with a primary social focus, secondary physical focus and tertiary mental focus.

    Eldritch himbo go brrrr
     
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    QafianSage said:
    So, I'm probably going to end voting this evening, in about 8 hours or so. At the moment, it looks likely your character will be an Arisen with a primary social focus, secondary physical focus and tertiary mental focus.

    Eldritch himbo go brrrr
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    Eldritch Himbo, Woop Woop!
     
    [x] Arisen
    [x] Mighty
    [x] Silver-Tongued

    When we speak people should shut up and listen. 😤
     
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