Mummy Lexicon

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A'aru, Fields of

A realm in Duat purported to be the Egyptian equivalent of heaven. After the destruction of Amenti, many surviving Egyptian souls moved here. Anubis guides spirits who have been judged worthy of attaining paradise to this place of rest.

Amenti

The former stronghold of the Egyptian dead, destroyed by the Dja-akh. Also called the Dark Kingdom of Sand. Recently, it has become the collective name of the mummies created by spirits from that place.

• On '+sheet', Amenti refers to major sub-types of mummies. See the chargen cheat sheet for details.

Amkhat

"Corpse eater." One of a cult of mortals who eat the flesh of humans and mummies to gain their strength and power.

Apophis

The Great Serpent, enemy of Ma'at and Osiris, that seeks to devour the sun. A terrible, corrupting influence on all living things. Also called the Corrupter.

• Silent Striders use "Apophis" to refer to the corrupted Wyrm and "Apep" to refer to the original Wyrm of Balance.

Apepnu

Another term for Children of Apophis.

Asekh-sen

"The reapers." Lesser Bane mummies with a limited number of resurrections, created as agents of Apophis and enemies of the Reborn.

ba

In ancient Egyptian culture, the portion of the soul that journeys deep into the underworld.

• As a Background, this determines minimum time between death and resurrection, among other things.

Bane mummies

See Children of Apophis.

Cabiri (singular Cabirus)

Mummies from Europe and Asia Minor who were created with a variant of the old Spell of Life.

Children of Apophis

Servants of the corrupting force known as Apophis, these creatures include those Bane mummies created by Set as well as other minions like the Asekh-sen. Also called Apepnu.

Code of Horus

The laws that guided Egyptian mummies throughout the millennia.

Dja-akh

"Ghost storm." Dja-akh is the latest great cataclysm to tear through the Shadowlands, the uppermost portion of the Lands of the Dead. It destroyed Amenti, and it still poses a danger for travelers to Duat.

• More broadly known as the Sixth Great Maelstrom.

Duat

The underworld, realms of spirit where ghosts reside and mummies go during their death cycles. Also called the Lands of the Dead. See also Neter-khertet.

First Death

The ending of the First Life.

First Life

The time that the mummy's tem-akh spirit spent on Earth in ancient Egypt.

Followers of Set

Vampires descended from Set, masters of sin, temptation and degradation. Also known as Setites.

hamartia

Tragic flaw. The mortal's greatest failure, lost opportunity or weakness during his Second Life. The hamartia is often the key to knowing which tem-akh offers him the chance for resurrection.

Hekau

Egyptian magical arts, now practiced solely by mummies.

Horus

Son of Osiris and Isis, one of the first mummies.

Imkhu

Literally "revered". Refers to Horus and the local Shemsu-heru who committed ritual suicide and were resurrected by the Children of Osiris using the new Spell of Life.

isfret

Chaos, darkness or disorder. That which exists in the absence of Ma'at.

Ishmaelites

Renegade Egyptian mummies who have abandoned the Code of Horus.

Isis

Wife of Osiris and powerful sorceress. One of the originators of the Spell of Life.

joining, the

The combining of a tem-akh spirit and a recently deceased mortal host.

ka

The portion of the soul that remains in the vicinity of the tomb to guard the body.

• As a Background, this gives resistance/soak dice if your body is attacked while you're in the underworld.

khaibit

The shadow portion of the soul responsible for drive, desire and aggression, closely related to the ka.

khat

The physical body, which is left behind when the spirit enters the underworld.

Khem

"The Black Land." Ancient Egypt, specifically Lower Egypt, near the Nile Delta.

Kher-minu

"Tomb Watcher." The name given to mummies with strong ka spirits.

Khri-habi

"Scroll-bearer." The title for mummies who have strong ba spirits.

khu

The "shining". A psychic covering that surrounds the mummy's body and spirit.

Lands of the Dead

See Duat.

Lands of Faith

All the lands within the boundaries of the Web of Faith.

Lands of the Living

The physical world, inhabited by living beings.

Ma'at

Cosmic order, justice and balance. Mummies believe that Ma'at has been overturned, and they seek to restore it. The concept of Ma'at is embodied in a goddess of the same name, who judges the souls of mummies in the underworld.

Mesektet

"Night Sun." The label applied to those mummies with strong sahu spirits.

mummy

A human for whom death is only temporary; after a period in the underworld, a mummy returns to the Lands of the Living. Plural, mummies.

nehem-sen

"Saved one." The term given to the mortal approached by the tem-akh upon his death and offered the resurrection.

Neter-khertet

Egyptian name for the uppermost layer of the underworld that echoes the living world. Also referred to as the Shadowlands. The region most grievously affected by the Dja-akh.

Osiris

Egyptian ruler of the underworld. The first mummy and originator of the Spell of Life. Osiris' spirit now resides within the Web of Faith.

Reborn, the

Another name for mummies.

ren

The true name-- a vital part of a person's existence and soul.

Resurrected, the

Another name for mummies.

sahu

The spiritual body, an everlasting and eternal soul.

Sakhmu

"Spirit Scepter." The name given to those mummies with strong khu spirits.

Sebayet

"Teachings." A body of literature that describes the origins and goals of the Shemsu-heru.

Second Death

The ending of the Second Life.

Second Life

The life of a modern mortal host before the joining. Also known as the life of the khat.

Sefekhi

"Unbandaged One." The term for mummies with powerful khaibits.

Sekhem

Power or life-force, similar in many ways to the Chinese concept of chi.

semektet

The weakened state of a mummy with no Sekhem remaining.

Set

Brother of Osiris and slave of Apophis. Set has been the enemy of the Reborn since the time of Horus.

Setites

See Followers of Set.

Shanu-atiu

The inner circle of ghostly priests who watched over Osiris in the underworld city of Amenti. These holy spirits taught the god's ancient commandments and interpreted the words he spoke in his rare moments of lucidity.

Shemsu-heru

The Followers of Horus. Egyptian mummies who follow the leadership of Horus and abide by his code.

Shroud, the

The barrier separating the Lands of the Living from the Lands of the Dead.

Spell of Life, the

The magical formula that creates mummies and gives them eternal life. Also known as the Great Rite and the Spell (or Ritual) of Rebirth.

tem-akh

"Completing spirit." The incomplete spirits of Amenti rescued from the Dja-akh by Osiris and sent to join with willing mortals to create mummies.

Third Life

A mummy's eternal life that begins after the Great Rite.

Thoth

Egyptian god of knowledge and learning. Believed to have taught magic to Isis.

true name

See ren.

Udja-sen

"Judged One." The terms for mummies who lost a portion of their soul in judgment by the Judges of Ma'at.

Undying, the

Another name for mummies.

Vessel

An object capable of storing Sekhem for later use.

vizier

Administrator of the Shemsu-heru.

Web of Faith

A network of holy sites and Sekhem (mystical energy) found throughout the Middle East. The Web of Faith serves to house and sustain the spirit of Osiris.

(Reference: MtR 14-15. For non-Egyptian mummies, see MPG chapter 3.)