History Characters / MummyTheCurse

The Lion-Headed Decree, associated with Heart. Sometimes nicknamed "sphinxes", they are known to be spiteful, instinctive and passionate. They believe people are defined by their passions, making them the most human of the Arisen - though others frequently see them as too emotional and unreasoning.

The Serpent-headed Decree, associated with Name. Sometimes nicknamed "Whisperers", they are studious, prying and disciplined, and focus primarily on the identity - the idea there's a truth to and within everything, and that this truth makes each thing itself.

* NobleDemon: The reason they were still respected despite everyone hating them; for all their flaws, they recruited their members on merit rather than bloodlines, meaning they would gladly recruit slaves in their rank if said slave proved skilled with alchemy. Ironically, this also means they tend to be more forgiving toward relic thieves who manage to escape them - after all, if the thief is good enough to keep it, then obviously he deserves it more than them.

* PostModernMagik: Unlike most mummies, they take the mysteries of modern technology as a challenge rather than an obstacle, and are fascinated by the current world rather than frightened. Because of this, they tend to adapt fast to modern technology - but less so to modern ''culture''.

The Akhem-Urtu, to use their proper name, were once the purest artisans of Irem; whereas all other Guilds focused on mostly practical pursuits (including the Su-Menet, who focused mostly on the direct intervention of mystical powers), the Restless Stars were patrons and purveyors of the arts and philosophy. [[UnreliableNarrator If you ask the temakh, the remnants of the Shan'iatu guildmasters' psyches]], they were by far the most important, being in effect the soul of Irem - and the source of many of its problems, since it was they who came up with the idea to [[KillTheGod kill Azar]] and resurrect him as their pawn. As the Shan'iatu began preparations for the Rite of Return, however, the Akhem-Urtu started to grow suspicious of their fellows' intent, particularly given how it seemed the other guilds did not consult them for assistance in the sacrifices needed to power it. Eventually, one interrogated Anpu, God of the Dead, and realized the truth; because it was the Restless Stars who had named Azar King when the Shan'iatu reincarnated him, so did they have the most mystical sway over that title. Just as the Rite would presumably allow the Shan'iatu to replace the Judges of Duat, said Rite would presumably also give the Akhem-Urtu [[GodOfGods authority to make themselves Judges of both Duat and the living world.]] So, they decided to hijack the Rite, and become the first among equals once again.

Rather than make them the mightiest of the ascended guildmasters, the hijacking was itself hijacked (at least, they think it was hijacked) and shattered the SemiDivine bodies of the future Deceived guildmasters, binding pieces to them to the mortal members of the guild who had successfully become Arisen and blending them into inchoate masses of both personalities. As they regained their bearings, the temakh slowly realized what had happened and slowly turned wroth with rage, realizing they had been denied their chance at godhood and now were mere shadows imprisoned in the minds of their own lieutenants - and worst of all, they had lost their artistic capacity, unable to use their shared brains to grasp the Nomenclature of TrueName magic and art so transcendent it calls down the stars themselves. But their lieutenants, however, were just as powerful as the other Arisen - if not more so, thanks to the sentient spark of divinity within each of them. In dreams and portents, the temakh gave their Guild new orders; find new art to replace what they had lost, collect the ''seba'', the semi-physical spells that serve as the Lost Guild's relics, and above all else, ''punish the Shan'iatu.''

* CompleteImmortality: The Arisen are immortal, but finite - if they're forgotten, they won't come back. The Deceived are ''eternal'' - if their body is destroyed and they have no cult, Fate will summon them into an intact corpse at the next Sothic Turn. If no intact corpse is available, then a fragment will be used instead. If all trace of humanity is scoured from existence, they'll ''still'' come back.
* MadArtist: The temakh are ''inventors'' of the concept of art, and none of them are precisely sane - something that is passed down to their hosts.

* NighInvulnerability: No "Nigh" about it - the Deceived are flat-out ''invulnerable''.

* AnimalisticAbomination: Being {{Mix And Match Critter}}s of various species, they have some similarities to normal animals, but they also are creatures that should not be, distort reality by their mere existence, and cause a BrownNote to any mortal who looks at them. Oh, and the biggest ones are quite literally created by ''patching various animal bodyparts together''.

** MorphicResonance: Their new bodies always develop elements of their original appearance and features to suggest what originally killed them.

* EvilCounterpart: Like the Arisen, they were created by the Shan'iatu through a ritual and offered to the service of a Judge. However, said Judge is even more unstable than the other ones, and she uses them as minions to try to devour life itself. Arisen who fail the ritual of reincarnation typically become Shuankhsen. The Deceived, however, do ''not'' - their nature prevents it.

* PunchClockVillain: When it comes to serving the Devourer - they don't actually ''like'' Ammut, but keeping her fed is the only way to stay alive and avoid being feasted on by her again. Averted when it comes to the Arisen, however; they have several millennia worth of grudges to work out with the Deathless.

* TragicVillain / WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Slaves in their first life, sacrificed for favored slaves for their first death, and now slaves eternal, their very souls chew toys for an EldritchAbomination personifying entropy and the desire of the universe to return to PrimordialChaos. Is it any wonder why the Shuankshen are so angry and bitter?

* PetTheDog: One of the products created by LDI can be used to cure HIV if applied fast enough, and is currently sold back in Africa. The book makes it perfectly clear there is no sinister motive behind this - the Three Gentlemen are genuinely appalled by the AIDS situation.

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