Mummy: The Curse is currently Kickstarting a second edition and I’m really excited about it. One of the best parts of this new version is the inclusion of mortal sorcerers and Immortals baked into the game itself. These seem like a natural extension of the core game experience and it reminded me of the Mummy campaign that I ran for which I created a ton of background info to pull in gamelines from across the World of Darkness. Today I’m bringing you the first of those creations!
The Reapers or Asekh-sen of Egypt were servants of the Arisen in this mixed setting. During the Old Kingdom of Egypt they had many different servants and the dark masters of the night were able castellans. As their masters slept in henet the vampires kept the scorpion cults going. Some of them lost faith and started to scheme for their own purposes but many remained loyal and waited for the return of the Deathless mummies as the mortals drifted farther and farther from the dream of Irem.
Vampirism and the Five-Fold Soul
The vampires of Egypt have a different view of their condition than others of their kind. During the Nehast-anh, a vampire’s ka, his essence-soul, is destroyed. The vampire is no longer alive, it is something else between living and dead, a condition they call Benru-Pekharit (“Outside the Cycle of Life”). In this state, the ka is replaced with the Utchat-Sa, the Water of Life, and the other portions of the soul are divided.
A vampire has two different selves, the Rekeh-Auru (“Human Heart”) and the Rekeh-Nehm (“Roaring Heart”), each of which possesses two parts of the vampire’s soul. The human side is made up of the ba, the spirit-soul and the identity of the person they were, and the ren, the name-soul and the sum of the vampire’s accomplishments on Earth. The bestial side is made of the ab, the heart-soul and the source of emotion, and the sheut, the shadow-soul and the dark self of the vampire.
Mehrau: The Clans
There were ten mehrau (clans) of ancient Egypt, formed during the times of the Arisen and then organized under the Great Conclave after their slumber. Outsiders consider each mehra to be a bloodline within the worldwide clans of vampires, but the Asekh-sen see them as pure clans and, indeed, an Egyptian vampire can join another bloodline as readily as any Daeva or Mekhet.
Clans of Power
- Bak-Ra: The Servants of Ra were the uniting force behind the vampires of Egypt and survived longer than many of the other Egyptian clans after Alexander’s invasion. They were almost entirely wiped out by the Julii, however, and are rare sights tonight.Parent Clan: Mekhet. Source: Ancient Bloodlines, p. 167-171
- Naxent-Iset: The Children of Isis are illusionists and subtle controllers. They were the viziers of the Bak-Ra in the old world and most if not all perished in the Roman purges. Parent Clan: Mekhet. Source: Mythology adapted from the the Bayt Mujrim of the Ashirra.
- Usiri: The Cult of Osiris was dedicated to assisting those who knew that the brother of sleep, otherwise called torpor, was soon to come. Parent Clan: Nosferatu. Source: Ancient Bloodlines, p. 161-166
The Clans of Many
- Anubi: Followers of Anubis took it upon themselves to judge mortals and kill those found wanting. They were judges and priests, but the joy they took in their bloodlust and animal instincts disturb even the other Asekh-sen. Parent Clan: Gangrel. Source: VtR, p. 107 (mention only).
- Hmat-Sobek: The Slaves of the Crocodile are patient hunters who revel in the darkness and wait long periods in torpor. They enjoy pushing apart the rich and poor to drive society into cleansing violence, which pushed things over the edge in many communities at the fall of the New Kingdom. They have not been seen in some time but if any Asekh-sen are hiding somewhere in Egypt it is the children of patient Sobek. Parent Clan: Nosferatu. Source: Mythology adapted from Abd’al-Sobek.
- Khaibit: The assassins and spies of the Cult of Set, wrapped in darkness and honed to a deadly edge. Source: Bloodlines: The Hidden, p. 58-67.
- Mesektet: These mysterious vampires practiced some sort of blood magic and were ever on the outskirts of the Asekh-sen courts. Little is known about them, even by other Egyptian clans, and no one knows if any have survived to this day. Parent Clan: Unknown.Source: Mythology partially adapted from House of Eclipse.
- Setsekhmu: The Daughters of Sekhmet are a fierce cult of doomsayers who saw themselves as the hunters of wayward nobles. They were waiting for the fall of the kingdom and, when it came, slaughtered many unworthy mortals. Parent Clan: Unknown (Ventrue?).Source: Mythology adapted from Sisterhood of Sekhmet.
- Sutekh: The Cult of Set was the fierce rival of the Bak-Ra during the Old Kingdom and off-and-on through the Middle Kingdom. Zealous priests of death and darkness, they refused to join the Great Covenant and were cast out. Parent Clan: Daeva. Source:Vampire Translation Guide, p. 10-11; VtM.
- Taoris: An ecstatic Cult of Taweret, emphasizing debauchery and the fertility of blood. Most of these courtiers perished in the Greek and Roman purges. Parent Clan: Daeva. Source: Mythology adapted from Cult of Taweret.
Auait-Khebu: The Sects
When the Arisen disappeared, the Asekh-sen had to decide how to proceed without them. All (well, most) know that they will return, but how best to plan for their return?
- Serekh-Hor, The Palace of Horus: Work your way into the courts and bend them to your will. When the masters return, they will rely on you to command the herd.
- Pedj-Netjer, The Span of the Gods: The Arisen are living gods so keeping pious offerings and eternal worship for their return will guarantee a warm welcome upon their return. They don’t care to rule, only to glorify.
- Khepesh-Ament, The Sword of the Dead: Strength respects strength and the Arisen have the strength of gods. When they return, they will want an army and they will appreciate those who have been training to serve them.
- Neb-Manwe, The Golden Monument: Gods require temples and when the Arisen return they will be expecting grand constructions as befits their power.
- Ma’a-Iwat, The Path of Truth: Why are we waiting for the Arisen anyways? Shouldn’t we be forging our own destiny? When the mummies come back, if they ever do, we’ll figure it out then.
- Swetaxert, Those Free from Oaths: We follow the directives of the Arisen but why would we take on another directive just because they aren’t here to give us new ones. Just wait and listen. It will come.
Uteth Neb-Amakh: The Most Ancient Ones
When Irem was still strong, there were twelve servants chosen by the priests of the Su-Menent to become vampires. Through blood magics they rose them up, two for each of the Iremite guilds in service to the Shan’iatu, the living gods of the City or Pillars. After the Rite of Return lifted up the nobles of Irem and made them into immortal mummies, the Uteth Neb-Amakh created progeny to serve the mummies. After the Iremite lords fell into the sleep of henet, the Ancient Ones did likewise and left their lieutenants to keep track of the bloodlines. They rest still, a well-kept secret, somewhere in Egypt. Modern vampiric scholars can only find mention of them in the Am-Tuat, the Book of the Underworld, where they are described as blood-drinking serpents of fire.
Twelve divine serpents; which are mounted each on its instrument for weaving, and each pours forth fire from its mouth; their names are:
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Tekait, the Dark Lady, is mother of the Khaibit.
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Khut-Tuat, the She Who is Safe from the Underworld, is the mother of the Bak-Ra.
5. Ter-t Neshen, the Frightening Storm, is mother of the Sutekh.
6. Upi-shet, the Jackal Mother, is mother of the Anubi.
7. Ankhit, She of Time and Life, is mother of the Usiri.
8. Shen-Ten-Amm, the Woman with the Hair like Wheat, is mother of the Hmat-Sobek.
9 . . . . . . . . .
10. Aa-t-aru, the Goddess of the Reeds, is the mother of the Naxent-Iset.
11. Neb-t Uauau, the Lady of Fiery Splendor, is mother of the Taoris.
12. Nebt Rekeh, the Lady of the Heat, is mother of the Setsekhmu.
~ From the Book of the Underworld
Some of the lines have been destroyed, removing the names of the two Uteth Neb-Amakh who served the Lost Guild of Irem. They disappeared when their masters did, either destroyed or sleeping and waiting. The name of the first Mesektet is also lost, or else purposefully destroyed for some betrayal.
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