The Lands of the River - A Bronze Souls Quest

[MissBegot]

[x] Investigate the dire omens that befell the Temple of Satat-Mehet, your only local lead on the fate of the waters.​

When you set out for the temple, leaving the granaries in the hands of a cowed and penitent Hepu and his scribes, the river is busy with boats taking on grain. The funerary barque is nowhere to be seen in all the bustle, so you catch a lift on a simple reed boat that will pass the temple island on its way to bring food to a distant village. The boatman regards you with a sort of reverent awe that makes conversation impossible, so you give yourself over to contemplation as you proceed upstream by sail, and then down with the current when the river forks.

[x] Introspection: What could have happened to Rekhet, to exile her so from the land?​

You think about Rekhet. Why can she not set foot on land? For that matter, what is she, is she god or mortal or neither?

Not mortal, surely. But that's not saying much; you don't count as mortal any longer. Is she Dead like you? It's hard to tell; she doesn't seem to bear any physical signs, but then nor do you when your resolve is strong. She is paler even than the nomadic Outlanders, but you're not sure if you saw her blush during your last conversation, so it may not be a deathly pallor? That might just have been a trick of the light though. Does she need to breathe? You hadn't noticed; you've not seen her exerting herself, and the Dead must breathe to speak, and she wears too much clothing to discern more subtle motions of breathing at rest. (You try not to become distracted by imagining the alternative.)

{Scholarship: Partial; +1 XP}​

Assume that she is; she crosses the sea, something only the dead can do. But she also returns, which the dead do not. Perhaps that is the root of it; perhaps those who have crossed the sea can never truly return?

Is she also divine? There you have no basis for comparison; you have never beheld a god incarnate, nor spoken with one. She is a servant of Truth, that much is evidenced by the feather she gave you. Beyond the sea, they say the Ib of the dead is weighed against such a feather, and the gods of the afterlife pass judgement upon them. She must serve that court, but does she sit upon it?

Can gods die? Who are the gods of the afterlife, and were they once of this world? These are mysteries you were not initiated into; you never studied for a mortuary priest.

Perhaps you should ask her, when next you meet. But it is hard to think of Rekhet as a god, when she has sat beside you as a person, and discussed philosophy while the sun rose.

You have run aground on the limits of your knowledge.
[ ] Introspection: Where did that armoury on the barque come from? A bow like the one you picked up was at your side when you woke, but the chest held many more things you did not take.
[ ] Introspection: How did the Fall of the Old Kingdom play out? What lessons might you take from the ending of that world, if you can discern them through the mists of time?
[ ] Introspection: As you delve into the affairs of gods, perhaps you should take more careful stock of the powers in play, their interests, and who else you might look to for aid?
[ ] Introspection: The Tax Collector was grand, monstrous, inhuman, with limbs stretched to grasp the heavens with the strength of ten men. Could you do the same? Could you change your visage to be grander? Could you get more arms? You deserve more arms. (Insufficient Sah & Ba)
[ ] Introspection: Write in.​

"Ye sure ye wish to land here, Wise One? 'Tis accursed, so 'tis." You snap out of your reverie. The temple island is alongside, a paved path leading from the landing stage onto the low rock outcrop on which the temple stands, the only place in the delta that can support grand architecture. There is no sign of life; even the plants look sickly, beyond the normal effects of the drought. A large wooden boat is tied up at the jetty though.

"I am sure." You step onto the boards, and the boatman pushes off.

A paved path leads up toward the temple through an open colonnade, the columns carved to resemble papyrus blossoms. Halfway up the columns encircle a withered garden with a large fountain; formerly a resting place for pilgrims, it is now a battlefield; you can see three dead men in the tunics and headdresses of the priesthood of Satat-Mehet, and the carcasses of six crocodiles pierced by spears and javelins. But for the flies and the trickle of the fountain, the air is still. You can tell at a glance that the bloodshed was recent; no more than a few hours ago.

No; not entirely still. Masked by a column is the seated form of a third priest, one who still breathes. Cautiously you approach; she seems to have fallen asleep, propped up against the pillar, but while her tunic bears the marks of a severe bite across her midriff, the flesh beneath is unblemished. She must have healed herself with an invocation before collapsing from exhaustion.

Her eyes suddenly open as your shadow falls across her, focusing and assessing you with a hawklike intensity. Her gaze flickers to your staff, the dagger at your hip, the armoured robes, the feather in your hair, and then to the earring in your left ear. "Sister. Are you come to pronounce the judgement of the dead upon us?"

"...I am sent to seek justice, and restore the Waters." Her insight is startling; no-one, Living or Dead, has seen you quite so clearly at first meeting. Most people see, to some extent, what they expect to see.

"Then we are in accord. My name is Semat. We came to reclaim the temple from Tjanefer's heresy and reopen it to the people, but… as you see." She gestures at the bloodshed.

"I am called Benerib. What is this heresy you speak of?"

"When the drought came, and the sacred hippopotamus died, Tjanefer declared that the Doom of Kings was come again, and that all the lands would be consumed in dust and bloodshed until Satat-Mehet blessed the victors with the return of the Waters. He preached that the season of Life is ended, and the season of War is upon us. It would be a return to barbarity, a rejection of our duties as priests of the inundation. Those of us who spoke against him were driven out, but those who followed him have since left to fight in the south, and we thought to retake the holy spaces. But he has corrupted the sacred animals of the island, and we were taken by surprise."

Could this be a lead on the cause of the drought? But these events followed it, they cannot have precipitated it. You consider Semat; it would be good to have an ally, but should you really bring the Living into your battles?

It is as if she read your thoughts in your eyes. "If you intend to go on, I will follow. I will not sit by while you walk into danger in my own temple." She grasps the two-pronged spear of her office that leans beside her, and pushes herself to her feet.

There is clearly no arguing with that, so while she gathers herself you check the other fallen priests, laying them out decently. They were armed, as Semat is, with their sacred spears, light shields, and javelins.

• Spoiler: Antelope Spear

  • The traditional bident-staff of the priests of Satat-Mehet, topped with two bronze prongs styled after the horns of a white antelope.
  • Thrusting Weapon & Invocation Implement.
  • Inflicts 2/4/4 Piercing damage.
  • Reach, Balanced (damage modifiers included).
  • Agile (+10 to Defence Rolls when you attack with this weapon)
  • Burden 1
• Spoiler: Small Shield

  • A small wickerwork shield, favoured by skirmishers who must travel light.
  • Allows you to Block using Might/Endurance.
  • Burden: 2
• Spoiler: Javelins

  • A bundle of short lightweight javelins with narrow bronze heads.
  • Missile Weapon.
  • Inflicts 0/4/4 Piercing damage at up to Short range (Medium with Might 60+).
  • Balanced (damage modifiers included).
  • Burden: 2

{Discovery: Success!}​

One was wearing a curious amulet, and as you touch it, you feel the magic within.

• Spoiler: Ram's Horn Amulet

  • A small dark bronze amulet shaped like the head of a Horizon Lands Ibex. One of those forged to bestow the surefootedness of the ibex upon the personal guard of King Iahmesu, founder of the Upper Kingdom, during the Wars of the New River.
  • +5 Poise (reduces Stagger penalties)
  • +5 to Block & Parry

Should you take anything? You doubt they will grudge it; the Dead, as you are learning, cannot truly be parted from the things they value. And you will be finishing their work.
[ ] Write in by plan.
Also, is there anything you want to discuss with Semat on the way to the temple?
[ ] Write in suggestions.​

Spoiler: Author Notes

If I keep collecting writer's blocks at this rate I'll be able to build a pyramid with them.
Semat is your first non-summoned ally; she is a skirmisher with Invocations of Satat-Mehet. As noted, she is one of the Living, and thus cannot survive the kinds of things you can, though she does have some healing magic.
Please comment and discuss, it helps keep me going and your ideas or theories can help further your investigations!

 

[MissBegot]

[x] Plan: Travelling Light (Take a shield and the amulet. See above post for context on this result.)​

After an interminable hesitation, you pick up one of the shields. The light wicker crescent is no heavier than the bow case you're wearing, and you can always shed some weight later if it slows you down.

Semat also carries a shield, and a bundle of javelins. As you ascend to the temple, you fall to discussing tactics.

Semat is versed in three Invocations for battle; the Serpent's Kiss, which inflicts a powerful poison on a nearby foe; the Gift of Strength, a blessing of Might that lasts a few minutes; and the healing Waters of Life, though the drought seems to have diminished its power considerably. She is, as her wargear suggests, a skirmisher, preferring to stay at Short range.​

She divined you were Dead on first sight, but as you are learning, it's a more complex state than many know, so better to lay some things out now. "If I fall, I will return; the only life at stake is yours, please don't take undue risks with it."

Again, the seeking look. "I know it takes great strength of will, or a consuming need, for the Dead to return. I have been called upon to put the Parched Dead to rest before. What drives you, Benerib? How swiftly can you return, and at what spiritual cost?"

"Justice." You hesitate. "…and devotion. As for time… a few hours? When I fell during the night, I returned with the dawn. Should I perish, retreat to the jetty, and expect me there."

She nods slowly. "It sounds like you have Banut's favour. But you bear a token of the powers beyond the sea, and wear the trappings of the moon. You are an enigma, Benerib, but perhaps that is to be expected of a priest of the Hidden One."

[x] Introspection: As you delve into the affairs of gods, perhaps you should take more careful stock of the powers in play, their interests, and who else you might look to for aid?​

{Culture: Partial, +1XP}​

You consider the gods and their favour as you climb the processional. There are many small gods, with minor domains and limited power, but only a handful have dedicated clergy and universal influence:

Banut, God of the Sun, is patron of light, fire, forging and craftsmanship. He is portrayed as a heron, carrying the sun across the sky. It is said that it was Banut, in ancient days, who taught Man to work bronze. Every day he dies in the West with the sun, and is carried on the river of the underworld into the East, where he is reborn in the peaks of the Firemounts to forge a new sun and begin the cycle anew. In some regions, he is also worshipped as the God of Rebirth, invoked to carry the souls of the dead into the sky until they are reborn to a new life in this world, rather than passing on to the next.

Satat-Mehet, God of the Waters of Life, the River and War, is the patron of agriculture, hunting, rulership, the southern mountains, healing, new birth and violent death. She is portrayed as a woman crowned with antelope horns, or in her war aspect as half-woman, half-lion. From her sacred mountains all life flows. Preeminent god in her favoured Lands of the River, and propitiated by Outlanders lest her wrath make oases run dry.

Suteshet, God of the Desert Winds, is patron of outcasts, nomads, the wastelands, scavengers, vengeance and chaos. She is portrayed as either a vulture, or as half-jackal, half-woman. Propitiated in the Lands of the River, and preeminent in the Unwatered Lands, she is said to be the oldest of the gods. It is said that once there was no River, and all the lands were her domain; ever since Satat-Mehet brought the River into being and laid claim to its lands, Suteshet has born her a deep and fierce enmity.

Imunhekau, God of the Moon, is patron of secrets, curiosity, prophecy, change, the night, and the lost. They are portrayed as an androgynous figure crowned with a half moon, or occasionally as more feminine or masculine and crowned with a new or full moon respectively. Most people make offerings to them at times of change and uncertainty in their lives, and they are petitioned by those seeking knowledge or to bring about change, and propitiated by those craving stability. Their priesthood is small, but influential, and attracts many who do not fit society's expectations of gender.

Neferbet, God of Love, is patron of family, community, textiles, beauty, art and music. Portrayed as a beautiful man crowned with water-lilies, or a handsome woman with the horns of a cow. He is considered to be both male and female simultaneously, and worshippers address and portray her according to their own gender; men and women tend to keep separate shrines accordingly. Honoured by all, he is nevertheless often overlooked, her priesthood having little political or overt magical power.

The gods of the afterworld are mostly known only to initiates of the mysteries of the insular mortuary priests, and exert little influence on the living world, but all know of the court of Ma'at, God of Justice, who presides over the judgement of souls in the hereafter. There the ib is weighed against her Feather of Truth, a token of which you now wear.

Then there are the minor gods, whose domains and worship are less widespread. Even as a priest, you cannot name them all, but there are some better-known ones:

Khapret, God of the Earth, is the patron of caves, mining, precious metals, and earthquakes. She is portrayed as a diminutive black-skinned woman with silver hair, or as a giant scarab with a silver crown. She is said to steer the barque that carries Banut through the chthonic river of the underworld, and to provide him with the gold to forge the new sun every morning. She is revered in the Upper Kingdom and the East, and by miners and whitesmiths, but most know her only by her association with Banut.

Shasmu, God of Wine, is the patron of freedom, madness, intoxication, perfume, and incense. He is depicted as a man with the head of a baboon. He has no permanent temples, and is worshipped in secret by the consumption or inhalation of intoxicating substances in enthusiastic1​ rites. His cult is frowned upon by civil authorities, but popular with the poor and marginalised.

Urnatet, God of the Harvest, is the patron of provisioning, cooking and logistics. She is portrayed as half-woman, half-cobra. A minor deity whose domain is secondary to Satat-Mehet, she has no priests, but she is worshipped by cooks and civil servants, and occasionally by warriors. There was a small shrine to her in the granary compound.

Shud, God of Luck, is a minor apotropaic deity often featured on amulets. He is portrayed as a young man warding off various dangers, usually unarmed and by unlikely means, or turning threats against each other.

Sarkut, God of Scorpions, is the patron of stealth, subterfuge, poison, and assassination. She is portrayed as half-woman, half scorpion. She has no known priests or temples, but is widely propitiated by those seeking protection from crime or venomous creatures, and secretly worshipped by fugitives, criminals, and politicians.

1​ From the Ancient Greek enthousiasmós; "inspired or possessed by [a] god".​

{Insufficient Akh: You feel vaguely as if there is something important you're missing, but you can't put your finger on it.}​

{Introspection Complete! +1 Invocation for collating your knowledge of the gods.}​

​

Your mind turns fruitlessly.​

[ ] Introspection: Where did that armoury on the barque come from? A bow like the one you picked up was at your side when you woke, but the chest held many more things you did not take.​

[ ] Introspection: How did the Fall of the Old Kingdom play out? What lessons might you take from the ending of that world, if you can discern them through the mists of time?​

[ ] Introspection: The Tax Collector was grand, monstrous, inhuman, with limbs stretched to grasp the heavens with the strength of ten men. Could you do the same? Could you change your visage to be grander? Could you get more arms? You deserve more arms. (Insufficient Sah & Ba)​

[ ] Introspection: Write in.​

Semat walks stoically beside you up the avenue of columns, until you emerge from your contemplations with a question; "Who was Tjanefer, before all this?"

Eyes fixed on the temple ahead, she replies without looking at you; "He was the high inundation priest of the Delta. Theoretically the most prestigious post in the clergy, though with less political influence out here, away from the city. I think he resented that a little."

You have reached the entrance; towering limestone statues of Satat-Mehet, holding the crooks and flails of rulership and crowned with antelope horns, loom over you on either side. Fountains burble fitfully, water brought up from the delta below by unknown mechanisms.

{Discovery: Success!}​

You notice something untoward just before you step past the statues; in the shadows behind them, among the pillars supporting the pediment, are four longer, deeper shadows where more crocodiles lie in wait. A few strides more and you might have walked into an ambush.

What do you do?​

[ ] Write in.​

Spoiler: Comments

Please comment and speculate! I had a lot of fun fleshing out the pantheon and yes, there will be a test later some of this is important to plots.

 

[MissBegot]

[x] Quietly point out the crocodiles to Semat. Get to the medium range of the crocodiles and strike as many as you can with Rain of Stars.​

You hold out your hand to halt and point to the lurking shapes. With gestures and low voices, the two of you withdraw quietly down the steps, confer a moment, and circle right; from the low ground you cannot see the lurking crocodiles, but you mark the space between the statue and the pillar where you saw them, and speak the words of power that will call down the stars upon that point. Beside you, Semat also begins to chant a prayer, but you block out her words to focus on your own.

Blue-white shards rain down, angled under the pediment, bursting upon the stone in showers of sparks. A moment later, two crocodiles come lumbering into view with all the deceptive speed they display on land. As they reach the steps of the temple platform, Semat raps her spear butt against the ground and lunges at midair; a giant, ghostly asp springs from the haft across the intervening space and sinks phantom fangs into one of the crocodiles as it slides down the steps, before fading away. They keep coming, jaws opening to lunge as they surge forwards.

Focus
╞══════════════════╡16/20
Semat, Inundation Priest
╞════════╡╞════════╡

Sacred Crocodiles
╞════════╡╞════════╡🐍╞════════╡╞════════╡​

Semat braces for the lunge, shield held out ahead, spear raised for an overhand strike. What do you do?
[ ] Write in an Action (cast spell, weapon attack, full defence, sprint, etc.), a Reaction (block, dodge, parry/counterattack), and any movement you want to make.
The temple steps and the first pair of approaching crocodiles are at Short range. Up the steps, below your sightline over the edge of the raised platform, you can hear the second pair lumbering along at Medium range.
There is broken ground at Short Range behind you and to your right, where the flat hilltop gives way to a rocky slope. To your left is the colonnade at Medium range.
Character Sheet

Spoiler: Comments, Status Effects, and an aside on Defence modes

The little snake status effect on the second crocodile indicates it's going to take poison damage again at the end of the next round. Serpent's Kiss does a good amount of AP poison damage, but half of it is delayed a round. Where possible I'll denote ongoing effects with a little icon this way, like the moon I used for Silver Aten; I hope these display properly for everyone, let me know if they're not readable enough!

Semat is also benefiting from some experience here; she's fought these recently and has a good sense for their moves and health. She's rolled well and looks confident of stopping the one she's squaring up for.

Also, some info about defence modes, now that you have more options; different enemy attacks have different full/partial/miss results for different defence reactions. The biggest differences tend to be on the partials; shields are particularly good at stopping projectiles for example, and tend to take less glancing hit damage, but are more likely to take Stagger blocking heavy hits (though high Poise can in turn mitigate this). Parrying is a high-risk, high-reward melee move, which is more likely to take full damage on partials and glancing hits on full success, but may deal counterattack damage.

Basically, I've put a lot of work into designing fights so that sometimes you can benefit from switching up your defensive tactics even if the Skill numbers look like one is strictly-better. You'll have to learn from intuition and experience what works better where, but unless you become a lot more specialised, developing a sense for this will reward you. These sacred crocodiles specifically won't have particularly dramatic differences, but there's still some nuance.

 

[MissBegot]

[x] Release the hounds at the wounded crocodiles, then prepare to block.​

{Invocation: Partial, +1XP}
{Endurance (Block): Success!}​

You invoke the aid of Suteshet on the sacred ground of her ancient foe; the wind picks up, and dust swirls around you, lit within by angry red sparks. A crocodile lunges at you, jaws gaping, but you step past its attack, thrusting your shield into the side of its head to stop it turning to catch you. Semat sets her spear against the charge, ramming her spear into the second crocodile's mouth, but it still manages to bring its upper jaw down on her arm and hurl her aside as it thrashes wildly, before succumbing to blood loss and the poison.

Wreathed in stormlight, the hounds leap from the sudden dust storm at your attacker as the wind dies. Biting into the scaly hide, their teeth crackle with hateful energy, making the crocodile writhe in pain. The other two crocodiles emerge atop the temple steps and bellow at these new interlopers.

Semat scrambles backward from the melee, blood running down her arm, wide eyes watching the hounds as warily as the crocodiles as she fumbles for a javelin.

Focus
╞══════════════════╡6/20
Semat, Inundation Priest
╞════════╡╞════════╡
Stormhounds of Suteshet
╞════╡6/6 ╞════╡6/6​

Sacred Crocodiles
╞════════╡╞════════╡╞════════╡╞════════╡​

What now? The hounds should buy you some breathing room, but you're low on Focus, and Semat has been wounded.
[ ] Write in an Action, Reaction, any movement you want to make, and any orders you give.
The wounded crocodile and the hounds are at Close range. The temple steps and the second pair of crocodiles are at Short range. There is broken ground at Short Range behind you and to your right, where the flat hilltop gives way to a rocky slope; Semat is retreating toward the rocks. To your left is the colonnade at Medium range.​