Post by venger on Jun 2, 2014 13:40:47 GMT -5
The Archpriest of Aegypt, Shemsi Neteru-f, a devotee of Thoth, is concerned. He has magically ascertained that something is afoot, for such dweomers as cloak the facts must rouse the suspicion of the one unable to penetrate the dark mists. The Dragon-Pharaoh Tuthmosis, however, is indifferent to such matters, as are most of the Grand Council with the exception of the Sebk worshipping Marshal Ahau-ahtibek, who has always sought to thwart the Archpriest's political designs.
As foreigners, the party will be violating no ethical or moral tenets, as reliable minions of Aegyptian nationality would fear to do, by entering the proscribed Gorge and destroying whatever evil lurks there. Travel up river will be arranged, the party going as explorers come to view the mighty stretches of the Triple Kingdom. Nearer to your destination there will be horses and all necessary gear provided. He will furnish you with all necessary papers but until you succeed to such as extent as is possible and return to him, you will otherwise be on your own. If there is trouble, the Temple will deny all knowledge or connection.
Rest assured, upon completion of this mission, the Dragon-Pharaoh will regard all your acts as deeds he approves. Not only will you be allowed to retain such prize wealth as you might take in the process, but the Royal Tuthmosis IX will grant you honors as well. At worst you will be made not only citizens of Aegypt but Chiefs of Pharaohs... and you might even be granted positions as Warriors of Pharaoh or even scribes. Being made a Chief is something similar to knighthood bestowed by sovereigns in other kingdoms, while the ranks of Warrior and Scribe are more prestigious still and bear grants of land.
In addition to the Temple services already provided, you will additionally each be paid 3000GP for your personal service.
"Among the most esoteric forms of transcendental necromancy are the Dead Patterns, which only those who have thrown off life may cast..." this book contains the spell and rituals by which the Undead might rise to Unmortality.
Pneusset's soul is inextricably bound to nine evil artifacts of dark potency, which this vile creature, a thing somewhere between an Undead and a Quasi-deity, must possess to become Unmortal, a demi-god.
The Bloodied Moon
The Serpent Ankh
The Cleaver of Set
The Book of Eternity
The Scepter of Unlife
The Blackened Sun
The Crown of Souls
The Seal of Shadow
The Cursed Star
In this form, Pneusset will then raise the forces of Evil, attack Aegypt, slay its ruler, and seat himself upon the throne as Pharaoh. Set will be the chief deity, Evil will hold sway, and after a period or reorganization and arming, Pneusset will send forth armies to begin conquest of the world.
Scroll 1 is Astral Spell and Gate. The Temple of Thoth isn't sure what the Gate will summon, considering the spell is written to Set.
Scroll 2 is the magical starchart tracking the Eye of the Serpent. Surely the dark star of Set returning to the heavens is an ill omen, portending great evil but beyond that they do not know. Perhaps a learned astrologer would know more about these coming cosmological events.
Scroll 3 is a very old tribesman's account of a hidden valley of tombs and what he discovered therein - it seems to be a more indirect plot hook to probably the same place, like if you hadn't gone to Aegypt...
“It was sad, for most of the places we found and entered had already been plundered. Mud-dwellers steal from the sacred burial places of their own. They have no shame! Besides, there are heavy curses placed upon such tombs - mostly against their own kind.” The great ones of this land must have thought that real men would never come to where their dead bodies were placed. We showed them differently. After taking the small forts one by one, we shared out the silver and gold and other valuable stuff, too. We killed all prisoners, of course, as we now had too few warriors to guard slaves. My cousin, Jhunna, had discovered a long, narrow path that he thought led back out of the ravine and into the We wanted such a trail of course, for now it was nearing the time to take our plunder and return to the clean sands of our homeland to the west. However, along the narrow way were tombs not yet touched! This was indeed work for warriors.
Because there was yet room for precious cargo, all of us sought out and broke into the buria1 caves here. We looked into all of the small ravines around, too, and found many, many more tombs. Too bad! It was as I have already said. Those jackals rob their own! The filthy thieves had left nothing for us. So all we managed to loot were a few miserable little tombs, taking care to bum the withered corpses we found, for that is a great insult and harm to the mud-dwellers. We feared no magic, for the puny stuff of these gutless folk have no effect on the brave. We also knew such acts pleased the Lord of Warriors.
It was I who found a rich-looking tomb, sealed, hidden on a ledge high above. It was at the end of a long ravine that had two Why this one had been left unmolested for so long I cannot say. It was not very well hidden. The mud-dwellers are stupid, so their robbers must be 1ikewise. That is my guess. Warriors can climb as well as they ride, and none ride so well as the brave. I shouted, and others came to join me there on a ledge before the sealed entrance. This was a Great Tomb, for it had the full picture-writing18 of the mud-chiefs all around it. Then the dung-gods of the land interfered. As we began breaking the big stone door beyond the two pillars hewn from the rock face, a great shadow arose and took the shape of a vulture with the face of a man. Our spears were useless against the accursed thing and it killed many of us before we could flee.
Although we paused for a moment of mourning for the many brave warriors lost, we who survived were rich indeed, so we moved fast. Enemies and poisonous creatures took their toll as we went, and on the return journey we lost half of our brothers. I was uneasy, for it was dung-god curses, not bad luck that caused that!
Now I am returning to the desert with Jhunna. He and I are the only ones left of the warrior braves who returned from the east. The fortunes we each carry will make our families wealthy and the tribe famous. I will certainly be the Great Shake and my cousin will be a chief man, too. Jhunna will have almost as many horses, camels, carpets, wives, asses, goats, and slaves as do I then!"
Shemsi Neteru-f identifies this man-headed vulture shadow as the Khu, or spirit, of Pneusset freed from his tomb...
The history books are very old...
Many centuries ago there lived a man called Sethu Neterankh. He was a Priest and Mage, a devotee of evil, and a worshipper of Set from his youth. By his early 30’s Sethu Neterankh was a Chief Priest, a force in the ranks of those who served the ass-headed god of evil. Through scheming and treachery, he did away with those above him and became the Grand High Priest of Set, taking the name Pneusset. Skilled and unscrupulous, he used his abilities to become a Vizier of Lower Aegypt soon thereafter. His ambition was unsatisfied, of course, and he had certain dark Vows to fulfill. Sethu Neterankh, now Pneusset, planned to make the malign deity Set the principal god of the whole of the kingdom. This plotting included more than that, for to assure the matter, he meant to assassinate the Dragon-Pharaoh and take the crown for himself. Fortunately for the ruler and all the people, this machination was discovered before Pneusset had his apparatus in place. The disloyal military were beaten in a pitched battle, their leaders executed, and the followers of Set throughout Aegypt proscribed. All temples of the dark deity were destroyed, and no mention of his name was permitted. Yet Pneusset and a small band of his faithful servants and followers escaped, and his power was such that not even the mighty magic wielded by the wizards and ecclesiastics of Aegypt could bring them to bay. Finally, the Uchatu, the Dragon-Pharaoh’s secret police, managed to do so - however, through the employment of several who, like Pneusset, were Mage-Priests, the kheri-heb. Although they managed to locate and immobilize their foe, the kheri-heb were unable actually to destroy Pneusset and those his great magic protected. He was contained, unable to strike back, yet his power prevented his enemies from physically taking and slaying the traitors. For weeks a magical struggle ensued, the kheri-heb pressing in, the malign servant of Set resisting. Yet no single mortal, even with such power as he possessed, could last for long against the combined forces arrayed against him. Pneusset sought guidance from his master, gathered his energies, built an “eternal house,” and then shut himself and his followers into that tomb. Before the kheri-heb assailants could bring death to those within, they took their own lives.
Yet this was by no means the conclusion of the matter. All concerned knew that the act was one of defiance. The hand of Set was there to protect the tomb from violation. Pneusset would be kept therein for a long time, but in the distant future he would have a second chance. Nothing that his opponents could do would prevent this. The burial place that Pneusset selected was in a Necropolis, so that place was abandoned as a site for new internment and immediately a special Temple of Osiris, the greatest opponent of Set, was erected at the mouth of the gorge in which the tome lay. The temple’s ecclesiastics would guard the area, use their magic to keep the vile Pneusset bound in his prison, and thus there would be no opportunity for him to come forth again.
Time was on the side of Evil, of course. Memory is short. Over the years the urgency faded. Century followed slow century. The stars wheeled round again, and Set’s dark powers flamed with renewed strength. Wild tribesmen and grave robbers from the desert slipped into the place now called the Gorge of Osiris, and Shemsi Neteru-f fears even the Temple of Osiris has fallen into evil hands, leaving Pneusset unwatched as he worked a plot to escape the tomb.
It is possible the historical details of Pneusset's treason, his plans to rule the kingdom, and his foretold certain opportunity to return were all recorded somewhere. So too the location of the tomb, the need to guard the area, and so forth. Memory is short, and filing systems notoriously inadequate. And also there's the unfortunately short-sighted tradition of expunging the names and deeds of traitors from the histories as punishment..
As foreigners, the party will be violating no ethical or moral tenets, as reliable minions of Aegyptian nationality would fear to do, by entering the proscribed Gorge and destroying whatever evil lurks there. Travel up river will be arranged, the party going as explorers come to view the mighty stretches of the Triple Kingdom. Nearer to your destination there will be horses and all necessary gear provided. He will furnish you with all necessary papers but until you succeed to such as extent as is possible and return to him, you will otherwise be on your own. If there is trouble, the Temple will deny all knowledge or connection.
Rest assured, upon completion of this mission, the Dragon-Pharaoh will regard all your acts as deeds he approves. Not only will you be allowed to retain such prize wealth as you might take in the process, but the Royal Tuthmosis IX will grant you honors as well. At worst you will be made not only citizens of Aegypt but Chiefs of Pharaohs... and you might even be granted positions as Warriors of Pharaoh or even scribes. Being made a Chief is something similar to knighthood bestowed by sovereigns in other kingdoms, while the ranks of Warrior and Scribe are more prestigious still and bear grants of land.
In addition to the Temple services already provided, you will additionally each be paid 3000GP for your personal service.
consult with the Superior Priest of Thoth about the Book of Unmortality to see if it will aid the temple's efforts to locate any of the phylacteries of Pneusset.
"Among the most esoteric forms of transcendental necromancy are the Dead Patterns, which only those who have thrown off life may cast..." this book contains the spell and rituals by which the Undead might rise to Unmortality.
Pneusset's soul is inextricably bound to nine evil artifacts of dark potency, which this vile creature, a thing somewhere between an Undead and a Quasi-deity, must possess to become Unmortal, a demi-god.
The Bloodied Moon
The Serpent Ankh
The Cleaver of Set
The Book of Eternity
The Scepter of Unlife
The Blackened Sun
The Crown of Souls
The Seal of Shadow
The Cursed Star
In this form, Pneusset will then raise the forces of Evil, attack Aegypt, slay its ruler, and seat himself upon the throne as Pharaoh. Set will be the chief deity, Evil will hold sway, and after a period or reorganization and arming, Pneusset will send forth armies to begin conquest of the world.
There are also the lich history books, the lich grimoire 2 and the lich scrolls which we will share with the Temple of Thoth.
Scroll 1 is Astral Spell and Gate. The Temple of Thoth isn't sure what the Gate will summon, considering the spell is written to Set.
Scroll 2 is the magical starchart tracking the Eye of the Serpent. Surely the dark star of Set returning to the heavens is an ill omen, portending great evil but beyond that they do not know. Perhaps a learned astrologer would know more about these coming cosmological events.
Scroll 3 is a very old tribesman's account of a hidden valley of tombs and what he discovered therein - it seems to be a more indirect plot hook to probably the same place, like if you hadn't gone to Aegypt...
“It was sad, for most of the places we found and entered had already been plundered. Mud-dwellers steal from the sacred burial places of their own. They have no shame! Besides, there are heavy curses placed upon such tombs - mostly against their own kind.” The great ones of this land must have thought that real men would never come to where their dead bodies were placed. We showed them differently. After taking the small forts one by one, we shared out the silver and gold and other valuable stuff, too. We killed all prisoners, of course, as we now had too few warriors to guard slaves. My cousin, Jhunna, had discovered a long, narrow path that he thought led back out of the ravine and into the We wanted such a trail of course, for now it was nearing the time to take our plunder and return to the clean sands of our homeland to the west. However, along the narrow way were tombs not yet touched! This was indeed work for warriors.
Because there was yet room for precious cargo, all of us sought out and broke into the buria1 caves here. We looked into all of the small ravines around, too, and found many, many more tombs. Too bad! It was as I have already said. Those jackals rob their own! The filthy thieves had left nothing for us. So all we managed to loot were a few miserable little tombs, taking care to bum the withered corpses we found, for that is a great insult and harm to the mud-dwellers. We feared no magic, for the puny stuff of these gutless folk have no effect on the brave. We also knew such acts pleased the Lord of Warriors.
It was I who found a rich-looking tomb, sealed, hidden on a ledge high above. It was at the end of a long ravine that had two Why this one had been left unmolested for so long I cannot say. It was not very well hidden. The mud-dwellers are stupid, so their robbers must be 1ikewise. That is my guess. Warriors can climb as well as they ride, and none ride so well as the brave. I shouted, and others came to join me there on a ledge before the sealed entrance. This was a Great Tomb, for it had the full picture-writing18 of the mud-chiefs all around it. Then the dung-gods of the land interfered. As we began breaking the big stone door beyond the two pillars hewn from the rock face, a great shadow arose and took the shape of a vulture with the face of a man. Our spears were useless against the accursed thing and it killed many of us before we could flee.
Although we paused for a moment of mourning for the many brave warriors lost, we who survived were rich indeed, so we moved fast. Enemies and poisonous creatures took their toll as we went, and on the return journey we lost half of our brothers. I was uneasy, for it was dung-god curses, not bad luck that caused that!
Now I am returning to the desert with Jhunna. He and I are the only ones left of the warrior braves who returned from the east. The fortunes we each carry will make our families wealthy and the tribe famous. I will certainly be the Great Shake and my cousin will be a chief man, too. Jhunna will have almost as many horses, camels, carpets, wives, asses, goats, and slaves as do I then!"
Shemsi Neteru-f identifies this man-headed vulture shadow as the Khu, or spirit, of Pneusset freed from his tomb...
The history books are very old...
Many centuries ago there lived a man called Sethu Neterankh. He was a Priest and Mage, a devotee of evil, and a worshipper of Set from his youth. By his early 30’s Sethu Neterankh was a Chief Priest, a force in the ranks of those who served the ass-headed god of evil. Through scheming and treachery, he did away with those above him and became the Grand High Priest of Set, taking the name Pneusset. Skilled and unscrupulous, he used his abilities to become a Vizier of Lower Aegypt soon thereafter. His ambition was unsatisfied, of course, and he had certain dark Vows to fulfill. Sethu Neterankh, now Pneusset, planned to make the malign deity Set the principal god of the whole of the kingdom. This plotting included more than that, for to assure the matter, he meant to assassinate the Dragon-Pharaoh and take the crown for himself. Fortunately for the ruler and all the people, this machination was discovered before Pneusset had his apparatus in place. The disloyal military were beaten in a pitched battle, their leaders executed, and the followers of Set throughout Aegypt proscribed. All temples of the dark deity were destroyed, and no mention of his name was permitted. Yet Pneusset and a small band of his faithful servants and followers escaped, and his power was such that not even the mighty magic wielded by the wizards and ecclesiastics of Aegypt could bring them to bay. Finally, the Uchatu, the Dragon-Pharaoh’s secret police, managed to do so - however, through the employment of several who, like Pneusset, were Mage-Priests, the kheri-heb. Although they managed to locate and immobilize their foe, the kheri-heb were unable actually to destroy Pneusset and those his great magic protected. He was contained, unable to strike back, yet his power prevented his enemies from physically taking and slaying the traitors. For weeks a magical struggle ensued, the kheri-heb pressing in, the malign servant of Set resisting. Yet no single mortal, even with such power as he possessed, could last for long against the combined forces arrayed against him. Pneusset sought guidance from his master, gathered his energies, built an “eternal house,” and then shut himself and his followers into that tomb. Before the kheri-heb assailants could bring death to those within, they took their own lives.
Yet this was by no means the conclusion of the matter. All concerned knew that the act was one of defiance. The hand of Set was there to protect the tomb from violation. Pneusset would be kept therein for a long time, but in the distant future he would have a second chance. Nothing that his opponents could do would prevent this. The burial place that Pneusset selected was in a Necropolis, so that place was abandoned as a site for new internment and immediately a special Temple of Osiris, the greatest opponent of Set, was erected at the mouth of the gorge in which the tome lay. The temple’s ecclesiastics would guard the area, use their magic to keep the vile Pneusset bound in his prison, and thus there would be no opportunity for him to come forth again.
Time was on the side of Evil, of course. Memory is short. Over the years the urgency faded. Century followed slow century. The stars wheeled round again, and Set’s dark powers flamed with renewed strength. Wild tribesmen and grave robbers from the desert slipped into the place now called the Gorge of Osiris, and Shemsi Neteru-f fears even the Temple of Osiris has fallen into evil hands, leaving Pneusset unwatched as he worked a plot to escape the tomb.
It is possible the historical details of Pneusset's treason, his plans to rule the kingdom, and his foretold certain opportunity to return were all recorded somewhere. So too the location of the tomb, the need to guard the area, and so forth. Memory is short, and filing systems notoriously inadequate. And also there's the unfortunately short-sighted tradition of expunging the names and deeds of traitors from the histories as punishment..