Open Invite - Age of Azar

[Arcanist]

Basically the events of the First Turn (So a 70-100 year or so period) and maybe a century or two after. After the Sothic Turn is officially done, and Mummies are dying and rising as per what will become the norm, then the Aridification Event pops up. I would say that it's tied to the vast battle between the Arisen and the Lifeless that caused it, with the release of Apep making things a whole lot worse, but that battle was near the end or after the end of Unas' reign and not towards the end of the Sixth Dynasty when the Event would have actually occurred.

That being said, the Turns can be more or less the entire 1,461 year period between the start of a Mass Arising event, so it's a lot of ground.

[Tambov]

I read the Mystery Cults, found a lack of Anapa

Can't think of anything to give him Nebthet doesn't get, either.

[Deionscribe]

I read the Mystery Cults, found a lack of Anapa

Can't think of anything to give him Nebthet doesn't get, either.

If you do get some ideas, feel free to post them here
Regarding Anpu, I think Arcanist or LostLight mentioned tying in a Sin-Eater conspiracy to him. Of course, there also also is the Anubi Bloodline of Gangrel (or Habiru, in this setting, if they already exist) to consider.

[LostLight]

it wasn't me- I was the one to suggest the werejackals who shepherd the dead as his progeny. So I assume it was Arcanist?

[Deionscribe]

it wasn't me- I was the one to suggest the werejackals who shepherd the dead as his progeny. So I assume it was Arcanist?

Yeah. Probably was.

[Arcanist]

By all means, if you don't want to wait for a Anpu priesthood Merit, write one up. This isn't just our project anymore, but an open community project.

[Tambov]

it wasn't me- I was the one to suggest the werejackals who shepherd the dead as his progeny. So I assume it was Arcanist?

Funny this - Canis lupaster is not a large jackal, but a small wolf. So, IMHO, Bone Shadows got you covered.

[atamajakki]

I /may/ have to scrap together someting about the original shape of the Faithful of Shulpae.

[LostLight]

Funny this - Canis lupaster is not a large jackal, but a small wolf. So, IMHO, Bone Shadows got you covered.

actually, I was talking about develop the jackals from War Against the Pure- you know, the blind ones who live underground and scare the hell out of an old spirit? yeah, those creepy guys.

I /may/ have to scrap together someting about the original shape of the Faithful of Shulpae.

we actually thought about that, but since that Unas was hinted to be the "founder" of the group, we assumed they won't have any presence before his death and "rebirth". If you have a cool idea how to add them to the setting with that assumption, we'll be more than happy to see it!

[Deionscribe]

Added LostLight's Nibiru write-up in the GDoc for Hunters.

[Deionscribe]

Added in the Endowments of the Cult of Sutek, written by LostLight himself.

Note: We may tweak some of the mechanics a bit, though, for the next few days or so.

[Arcanist]

For your viewing pleasure, and constructive criticism, a little something I threw together to make Lifewebs, Relics, Tombs, and Vestiges a little more important than they already were in the eyes of one of the Deathless. The rules are a bit dense, but I'm currently trying to pare them down a bit- make it easier to read.

*****

Lifewebs: A Mummy's Tomb is not where they live, it is where they are buried, and it is where they are most closely aligned with the forces of Duat and the structure of their five-fold soul. The sacred geometry of the Tomb drains the heka from the surrounding environment, the power of the ever-shifting hyper-dynamic, three dimensional schema that is the Lifeweb giving a sense of awe to the Mummy's cultists, and when tempered by the Sekhem contained in a Central Relic, enables the Mummy to harness the blessings of Sekhem bent to their artisan's expertise. Usually, the Arisen are expected to carry Relics to Duat with them, discharging their Sekhem for mysterious purposes, but there are exceptions to that rule.

• They are permitted a Central Relic for the use of maintaining the Lifeweb
• They are permitted one Relic of Lost Irem, a Relic made by the Shan'iatu themselves
• They are permitted any Relic they made with their own hands, or a Relic that held great significance to them in life

And even then, there are exceptions to the exceptions. Beyond the expertly sculpted might of Relics, there are Vestiges, vessels imprinted with a Pillar and are 'fettered' to the Virtue and Vice of those who loved these objects best in life. If a Vestige resonates with the Mummy's soul (it is probably worth recording what the Virtue and Vice were in their living days) they may keep it and fetter it to the Central Relic. These Vestiges serve to enhance and empower either Relic or Geometry within the Lifeweb, and thus the more Vestiges tied to the Lifeweb, the greater its power. A Mummy may only tether a number of Vesitges equal to the Central Relic's dots (one to five) + the higher of their Guild Status or Memory.

Reconfiguring the Lifeweb
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Crafts or Occult)
Action: Instant (Special- it's only one action, but in-game it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours)
Target Number: Dot rating of the vessel being added, removed, or replaced (Whichever is higher)

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The Mummy has horribly miscalculated how to reconfigure their Lifeweb, and now the vessels are in grave danger. The character suffers a Descent check (and perhaps a Memory Breaking Point depending on the nature of the vessels involved) and the vessel they were handling may lose a dot. However, if they wish to preserve the vessels they may- at a cost. Saving a Relic from diminishment costs a dot of Sekhem, which does not circumvent the Descent check, and saving a Vestiges costs a Pillar point from a suitable Pillar.
• Failure: They manage to configure the Lifeweb, but only barely, and there's something tainted about it. The Lifeweb gains the Fragile or Volatile Condition (From the CofD Equipment rules), which means that once those consequences have come to pass the Mummy will likely need to rebuild their Lifeweb from scratch.
• Success: The vessel is attached to the Lifeweb as expected. When attaching a vessel, the player may choose whether to anchor it to the Central Relic, or the Geometry of the Tomb. Every five dots of Vestiges adds an effective dot to the Relic or Geometry, but does not increase its actual rating. A one-dot Relic may be magnified by tethered Vestiges, but its power is still that of a one-dot Relic. When replacing the Central Relic, use its effective dot rating instead of the actual dot rating when calculating the Target Number unless you have detached all associated Vestiges first.
• Exceptional Success: The reconfigured Lifeweb is exceptionally pleasing to the Mummy's five-fold soul. They replenish a point of their Decree Pillar and earn a Descent Reset.

Judging the Effect of the Lifeweb: There are two primary factors that go into calculating the effect of the Lifeweb on the surrounding area; the strength of the Central Relic, and the Geometry of the Tomb. This is among the reasons Mummies are so enraged by the theft of the Central Relic, for not only is it blasphemous before the Judges, it collapses a system they have been carefully harbouring and growing for untold centuries. Stealing any Relic is sure to arouse the ire of the Arisen, but most will not respond as swiftly or as violently as when their Lifeweb has been compromised. The Geometry of the Tomb is what twists the Sekhem of the Relic, and occasionally the heka in the surrounding environment, into a functional Lifeweb, while it is the power of the Relic that stabilizes the draining effect a potent Tomb can have on the area around it. When they are in harmony, they grant the Mummy benefits, but when one overpowers the other, it can have dire consequences for the region around the Tomb.

• Equality: Tomb and Relic resonate with the soul of the Mummy attuned to the Lifeweb. For every dot of Relic and Geometry that matches up, the Mummy may choose a Benefit to apply to the Lifeweb. This also calculates the maximum range of the Lifeweb, out to a mile for every set of paired dots. A Mummy must be considered 'attuned' to the Lifeweb to benefit, which requires a Memory roll within the Tomb itself after a number of days equal to their dots in their Decree Pillar. Normally, only the Tomb's owner may be attuned, but they may permit other members of their meret to meditate there in order to benefit.
  • The true master of the Tomb may reflexively terminate donated or granted Benefits at any time by spending a point of Willpower.
• Overwhelming Geometry: The sacred geometry of the Tomb stifles and chokes the life out of the Sekhem in the Relic, and mutes the Deathless glory of its inhabitant. Every dot of Geometry that exceeds the dots of the Central Relic acts as a bonus to mortals resisting Sybaris, and increases the effective Sekhem rating of Mummies not attuned to the Tomb for the purposes of judging when they experience a Descent check, within the range of the Lifeweb. Without Vestiges to help balance it out, it could cause a serious drain of heka- or even Sekhem -in the range of the Lifeweb.
  • All attempts to track the Central Relic, or any other vessel stored within the Tomb, suffers a penalty equal to the dots of Geometry that exceed the dots of the Central Relic.
• Overwhelming Relic: The spectacular might of the Central Relic drowns out the constraining power of sacred geometry and announces its presence to the world. Every dot of the Central Relic that exceeds the dots of Geometry acts as a penalty to mortals resisting Sybaris, and reduces the effective Sekhem rating of Mummies attuned to the Tomb for the purposes of judging when they experience a Descent check, within the range of the Lifeweb. Without Vestiges to help balance it out, the Lifeweb could begin to inflict Sybaris on its own to those within range.
  • All attempts to track the Central Relic, or any other vessel stored within the Tomb, gain a bonus equal to the dots of the Central Relic that exceed the dots of Geometry.

Benefits and Drawbacks
Drawbacks: A Tomb with an imbalanced Lifeweb is almost always subject to a Drawback. These Drawbacks may only be selected once, and they may only possess up to three. Taking a Drawback frees up another potential Benefit for use in the Lifeweb.

• Death of Will (Overwhelming Geometry): Within the range of the Lifeweb, everyone- even the Mummy attuned to the Tomb -has difficulty mustering the will to leave. Leaving the range of the Lifeweb requires a Resolve + Composure roll, and every Failure adds a -1 penalty to every subsequent roll. Anyone who suffers a Dramatic Failure must be physically dragged from the range of the Lifeweb, since it has begun draining their vitality and any heka present in their will and in their desires.
• Crumbling Effigies (Overwhelming Geometry): Within the range of the Lifeweb, things become brittle and prone to decay as the heka produced and used by their pleasing architecture is sucked out of them. Count the Durability of objects within the range of the Lifeweb as reduced by the dots by which Geometry exceeds Relic- if this would reduce Durability below zero, it inflicts permanent Structure damage on the object. The Tomb is, of course, immune to this. Object brought into the range of the Lifeweb lose a point of Durability per day until the full penalty has been reached.
• Sapping the Vital Spark (Overwhelming Geometry): Within the range of the Lifeweb, heka is no longer just drained from objects, but from living things as well. All injuries suffered within range of the Lifeweb gain an additional point of damage, all wound penalties increase by -1, and healing times are doubled.
• Sands of Duat (Overwhelming Geometry): The Lifeweb is draining heka in such a way to make perceiving the truth, or much of anything for that matter, be of less and less value. Sybaris no longer possesses quite the same bite, as people become too drained and jaded to even be affected by its waves of despair. It also means that connections no longer go quite as far as they once may have. The Mummy suffers a penalty to their Cult's Reach equal to the dots by which Geometry exceeds Relic. If this would take them below zero, they may apply the modified Enigma Merit (as per Book of the Deceived) to themselves and to their Cultists. The Deceived may take this Disadvantage, but if Reach goes below zero, they do not increase their effective Enigma rating.

• Active Sybaris (Overwhelming Relic): The Tomb may inflict Awe and Terror Sybaris just like the Mummy can. Every day you spend within range of the Lifeweb, roll for Unease Sybaris. More importantly, entering the Tomb no longer inflicts Unease Sybaris, but Terror Sybaris.
• Corrupted Dedwen (Overwhelming Relic): Something has gone terribly wrong in the Subtle Bazaar. Values and efforts are no longer what they were, and excellence is no longer enough. Within the range of the Lifeweb, all actions suffer a +1 increase to their Target Number and lose the 10-again quality. Additionally, as the sense of value and worth inherent to most people is corrupted, the Availability or any given service increases by the dots of Relic that exceed Geometry. Baubles become absurdly precious, favours no longer go as far, contacts become unwilling to help. The economy of the region can effectively break down.
• Lifeless Magnet (Overwhelming Relic): The Sekhem within the Central Relic is powerful, free, and unguarded. To any Amkhata or Shuankhsen in the region, it registers to their senses as a powerful source of Sekhem on par with the Arisen.
• Eyes of the Judges (Overwhelming Relic): Sybaris rolls in powerful waves off of the Lifeweb, crushing all before it. Those outside the range of the Lifeweb know that the area within is bad news, a dangerous neighbourhood, somewhere to watch with horrified trepidation. The Mummy suffers a penalty to their Cult's Grasp equal to the dots by which Relic exceeds Geometry. If this would take them below zero, they may apply the Fame Merit, and eventually the Advanced Fame Merit.

Benefits: Whatever the Shan'iatu made them into, the Deathless are craftsmen, first and foremost. They are most comfortable with the tools of their trade in hand, doing what they have always done- shaping Sekhem into functional pieces of art. Whether that craft is done by chisel, stylus, compass, bronze wand, or scalpel is irrelevant. For every paired dot of Geometry and Central Relic, you may pick a single Benefit. These Benefits may be selected more than once, and you do not need to select your maximum number of Benefits. Some Benefits gain no additional power from being repeated, so keep that in mind.

• Banebdjed (Requires Mesen-Nebu & Regia Central Relic): The Alchemist knows that Sekhem isn't the purest form of power in the world- that it can be mastered by skill, will, and sheer effort. As such, Dedwen is not just be in Relics, but may be purified by Sekhem and will. Within the perimeter of their Lifeweb, one Born of Gold may improve an object by their alchemical arts. By spending a point of Willpower, they may add their Guild Status to the Equipment Bonus granted by any object they own. Stolen objects count as 'owned' if the original owner has tried and failed to retrieve it. By spending a dot of Sekhem, they may make this benefit permanent. The bonus to Equipment Bonus, if it would exceed +5, can also be added to the object's Durability or Availability, transmuting them into far more valuable objects. It may also add the Armour Piercing quality to weapons. This ability does not work on Relics or Vestiges. Mesen-Nebu who pursue this Lifeweb Benefit often possess the Blessed Panoply Affinity as well, and the Born of Gold will be something of a hoarder- finding beautiful and fascinating objects and adding them to their collection.
• Bound Affinity: The Mummy adds any Affinity they desire to the Lifeweb- the only ones that are considered off-limits are those that belong to other Guilds -and may benefit from it while within range of the Lifeweb. While any Affinity can be chosen, most Mummies default to those they instinctively understand they can wield (IE. That they have the Pillars and Guild Status for) and it requires either a Guildmaster or an Exceptional Success on a Wits + Occult roll - (5-Guild Status) to determine otherwise via the instinctive power bound into their Five-Fold Soul. This is the secret to unlimited Affinities that the Guildmasters hoard.
• Bound Utterance (Requires Overwhelming Relic Disadvantage): Much like Bound Affinity above, the Mummy adds any Utterance they desire to the Lifeweb, though unlike Bound Affinity, they maybind Guild Utterances if they have a teacher, but can still only use any Utterances they have the Pillars for. This could potentially allow an Ascended Arisen to circumvent the limitations on Utterances posed by Apoetheosis so long as they stay within the Lifeweb.
• Conspiracy of Silence (Requires Maa-Kep & Amulet Central Relic): The power of the Maa-Kep to hush up even the most obvious, and perhaps dangerous, of information and events is legendary, but it isn't always just raw skill that enables them to do so. Within the perimeter of the Lifeweb, the Maa-Kep's Cult gains a bonus to their Grasp equal to the Arisen's Guild Status. If this would take Grasp over five dots, then it applies the effects of the Enigma Merit to the hidden information and/or person. This only works within the Maa-Kep's 'domain' as it were, so this means that they need to keep massive stockpiles of sensitive information, persons, or corpses near their Tomb at all times.
• Master Of All I Survey: Everything within range of the Lifeweb counts as part of the Mummy's Tomb for use of the 'Tomb' keyword, and for certain Affinities. This is an extremely common Benefit, but it is worth remembering that while many Utterances with the 'Tomb' keyword are free to use within the Tomb, or last indefinitely within the Tomb, or both, that this could mean you become over-reliant on that advantage, and rarely leave the safety of the Lifeweb or develop stronger Pillars. A Mummy who has become dependent upon their Lifeweb is often a sitting duck outside of it.
• Necropolis (Requires Su-Menet & Uter Central Relic): Sekhem is the answer to the riddle of flesh, and such a truth cannot be denied, not even by death. Whenever a mortal dies within the perimeter of the Lifeweb, roll the Su-Menet's Guild Status. A success means that the mortal has left behind a ghost, and said ghost has become anchored to the Priest's Tomb. A Su-Menet Guildmaster, and often a First Prophet, is typically served and protected by an army of the dead, but they also have a tendency to draw attention to themselves- an army of the dead doing your bidding is hardly subtle.
• Sekhem Reservoir (Requires Overwhelming Geometry Disadvantage): Whenever a Sekhem bearing creature enters the perimeter of the Lifeweb and experiences a Descent check, should they succeed the roll the lost Sekhem naturally pools somewhere within the perimeter. Most Mummies intending to use this advantage have a ritual basin in their Tomb for just this purpose, where the Sekhem collects as a viscous, golden fluid. Mummies who bathe in or drink it regain a dot of Sekhem (or as many dots as they choose to take from the pool), but so may the Lifeless. Mortals can also gain dots of Sekhem from the pool, but at great cost. For every dot of Sekhem they take (which is subject to the Descent as normal) they suffer a point of Aggravated damage. This Benefit is an amazing bargaining chip, but also an enormous liability.
• Talisman Focus: The Central Relic at the core of the Lifeweb also happens to be a Talisman belonging to the Mummy. For as long as the Talisman remains the Central Relic, they may apply any of the keyword manifestations bound to the Talisman itself as additional Benefits, up to the limit. However, while the Talisman is in the Lifeweb, the Mummy cannot benefit from its Bound Sekhem, Soul Resonance, or Talismanic Record. This represents an extensive amount of dedicated resources, and likely won't come into play until very late in a Chronicle.
• True Monument (Requires Tef-Aabahi & Effigy Central Relic): More than any other Guild, the Masons are connected to humanity, inspired by it, and like the teeming masses are constantly seeking to improve themselves. For a Mason, the Tomb is far more intimate and personal than it is for just about any other Mummy, and they are constantly changing it. If the Mason has reconfigured their Lifeweb or changed their Tomb in any significant way during that Descent, it becomes a Monument, with all the benefits that implies. If the Lifeweb collapses via a stolen Relic, this benefit goes into dormancy, but is one of the first to reemerge. For the Tef-Aabahi, perhaps the greatest crime another of the Arisen can commit is desecration of the Tomb, and their vengeance is met with the unified and fearsome resolve of their Guild.
• Word is Law (Requires Sesha-Hebsu & Text Central Relic): It is to the Scribes and the Scribes alone that the secrets of the Scroll of Ages are revealed. This is not some petty form of universal law, such as blasphemous Ma'at, but the fated course of history, the will of the gods and the Judges. To act against it is to mar the Scroll, and perhaps cause unspeakable horrors to be unleashed. As such, when called upon to make a judgement within the dictates of the Diasporic Code, the Sesha-Hebsu have a vested interest in ensuring history follows its preordained path. When called upon to preside over an Obloquy trial, the Sesha-Hebsu may spend a point of Willpower to add their Guild Status to the roll of another Arisen. If they are the ones on trial, they may spend a point of Willpower to turn the roll into a rote action. As such, it is common for Guildmasters of the Scribes to possess this benefit, and to allow their favoured subordinates to meditate in the Tomb before the trial- who better than a Scribe to mark the Scroll?

Overlapping Lifewebs: It is fairly rare for Mummies to live in such close proximity that their Lifewebs begin to overlap, but in such rare cases where they live near one another for simplicity, safety, or sheer population density (as in First Turn Kemet, or modern Washington DC or Rio) the Lifewebs of various Tombs can mingle and alter one another. Where Lifewebs overlap, they magnify, overwhelm, or reduce weaknesses in the others. A Lifeweb with an Overwhelming Relic butting up against a Lifeweb with Overwhelming Geometry may very well balance out, or even be overwhelmed by the other occult schema. This is not necessarily a good thing. The Arisen are extremely careful about how they go about building, reconfiguring, and maintaining their Lifewebs, and the occult energies that serve the goals of one may not be beneficial to another. If done unintentionally, this can be a source of political concern, or even in some cases, a kind of attack. A Mummy trying to avoid attention could find their efforts rendered futile by a neighbour with an overpowering Lifeweb that enhances Sybaris, while that same neighbour, who depends upon Sybaris to keep their Cult in line and find new cultists, could find their best weapon of terror slipping away.

However, there is a way to protect one's Lifeweb. When calculating which of the overlapping Lifewebs affects the other, look at their dots of equal Geometry and Relic- if one is greater than the other, they are unaffected but may affect the other. If they are equal, they are mutually affected by any imbalances in the Lifeweb.

[atamajakki]

Random ideas of mine worth nothing; some pre-built example Cults of the time (Arisen and Deceived), and maybe do some reading so I can put together a Compact of Nubian Medjay militants/mercenaries.

[Deionscribe]

For your viewing pleasure, and constructive criticism, a little something I threw together to make Lifewebs, Relics, Tombs, and Vestiges a little more important than they already were in the eyes of one of the Deathless. The rules are a bit dense, but I'm currently trying to pare them down a bit- make it easier to read.

*****

Lifewebs: A Mummy's Tomb is not where they live, it is where they are buried, and it is where they are most closely aligned with the forces of Duat and the structure of their five-fold soul. The sacred geometry of the Tomb drains the heka from the surrounding environment, the power of the ever-shifting hyper-dynamic, three dimensional schema that is the Lifeweb giving a sense of awe to the Mummy's cultists, and when tempered by the Sekhem contained in a Central Relic, enables the Mummy to harness the blessings of Sekhem bent to their artisan's expertise. Usually, the Arisen are expected to carry Relics to Duat with them, discharging their Sekhem for mysterious purposes, but there are exceptions to that rule.

• They are permitted a Central Relic for the use of maintaining the Lifeweb
• They are permitted one Relic of Lost Irem, a Relic made by the Shan'iatu themselves
• They are permitted any Relic they made with their own hands, or a Relic that held great significance to them in life

And even then, there are exceptions to the exceptions. Beyond the expertly sculpted might of Relics, there are Vestiges, vessels imprinted with a Pillar and are 'fettered' to the Virtue and Vice of those who loved these objects best in life. If a Vestige resonates with the Mummy's soul (it is probably worth recording what the Virtue and Vice were in their living days) they may keep it and fetter it to the Central Relic. These Vestiges serve to enhance and empower either Relic or Geometry within the Lifeweb, and thus the more Vestiges tied to the Lifeweb, the greater its power. A Mummy may only tether a number of Vesitges equal to the Central Relic's dots (one to five) + the higher of their Guild Status or Memory.

Reconfiguring the Lifeweb
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Crafts or Occult)
Action: Instant (Special- it's only one action, but in-game it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours)
Target Number: Dot rating of the vessel being added, removed, or replaced (Whichever is higher)

Roll Results

• Dramatic Failure: The Mummy has horribly miscalculated how to reconfigure their Lifeweb, and now the vessels are in grave danger. The character suffers a Descent check (and perhaps a Memory Breaking Point depending on the nature of the vessels involved) and the vessel they were handling may lose a dot. However, if they wish to preserve the vessels they may- at a cost. Saving a Relic from diminishment costs a dot of Sekhem, which does not circumvent the Descent check, and saving a Vestiges costs a Pillar point from a suitable Pillar.
• Failure: They manage to configure the Lifeweb, but only barely, and there's something tainted about it. The Lifeweb gains the Fragile or Volatile Condition (From the CofD Equipment rules), which means that once those consequences have come to pass the Mummy will likely need to rebuild their Lifeweb from scratch.
• Success: The vessel is attached to the Lifeweb as expected. When attaching a vessel, the player may choose whether to anchor it to the Central Relic, or the Geometry of the Tomb. Every five dots of Vestiges adds an effective dot to the Relic or Geometry, but does not increase its actual rating. A one-dot Relic may be magnified by tethered Vestiges, but its power is still that of a one-dot Relic. When replacing the Central Relic, use its effective dot rating instead of the actual dot rating when calculating the Target Number unless you have detached all associated Vestiges first.
• Exceptional Success: The reconfigured Lifeweb is exceptionally pleasing to the Mummy's five-fold soul. They replenish a point of their Decree Pillar and earn a Descent Reset.

Judging the Effect of the Lifeweb: There are two primary factors that go into calculating the effect of the Lifeweb on the surrounding area; the strength of the Central Relic, and the Geometry of the Tomb. This is among the reasons Mummies are so enraged by the theft of the Central Relic, for not only is it blasphemous before the Judges, it collapses a system they have been carefully harbouring and growing for untold centuries. Stealing any Relic is sure to arouse the ire of the Arisen, but most will not respond as swiftly or as violently as when their Lifeweb has been compromised. The Geometry of the Tomb is what twists the Sekhem of the Relic, and occasionally the heka in the surrounding environment, into a functional Lifeweb, while it is the power of the Relic that stabilizes the draining effect a potent Tomb can have on the area around it. When they are in harmony, they grant the Mummy benefits, but when one overpowers the other, it can have dire consequences for the region around the Tomb.

• Equality: Tomb and Relic resonate with the soul of the Mummy attuned to the Lifeweb. For every dot of Relic and Geometry that matches up, the Mummy may choose a Benefit to apply to the Lifeweb. This also calculates the maximum range of the Lifeweb, out to a mile for every set of paired dots. A Mummy must be considered 'attuned' to the Lifeweb to benefit, which requires a Memory roll within the Tomb itself after a number of days equal to their dots in their Decree Pillar. Normally, only the Tomb's owner may be attuned, but they may permit other members of their meret to meditate there in order to benefit.
  • The true master of the Tomb may reflexively terminate donated or granted Benefits at any time by spending a point of Willpower.
• Overwhelming Geometry: The sacred geometry of the Tomb stifles and chokes the life out of the Sekhem in the Relic, and mutes the Deathless glory of its inhabitant. Every dot of Geometry that exceeds the dots of the Central Relic acts as a bonus to mortals resisting Sybaris, and increases the effective Sekhem rating of Mummies not attuned to the Tomb for the purposes of judging when they experience a Descent check, within the range of the Lifeweb. Without Vestiges to help balance it out, it could cause a serious drain of heka- or even Sekhem -in the range of the Lifeweb.
  • All attempts to track the Central Relic, or any other vessel stored within the Tomb, suffers a penalty equal to the dots of Geometry that exceed the dots of the Central Relic.
• Overwhelming Relic: The spectacular might of the Central Relic drowns out the constraining power of sacred geometry and announces its presence to the world. Every dot of the Central Relic that exceeds the dots of Geometry acts as a penalty to mortals resisting Sybaris, and reduces the effective Sekhem rating of Mummies attuned to the Tomb for the purposes of judging when they experience a Descent check, within the range of the Lifeweb. Without Vestiges to help balance it out, the Lifeweb could begin to inflict Sybaris on its own to those within range.
  • All attempts to track the Central Relic, or any other vessel stored within the Tomb, gain a bonus equal to the dots of the Central Relic that exceed the dots of Geometry.

Benefits and Drawbacks
Drawbacks: A Tomb with an imbalanced Lifeweb is almost always subject to a Drawback. These Drawbacks may only be selected once, and they may only possess up to three. Taking a Drawback frees up another potential Benefit for use in the Lifeweb.

• Death of Will (Overwhelming Geometry): Within the range of the Lifeweb, everyone- even the Mummy attuned to the Tomb -has difficulty mustering the will to leave. Leaving the range of the Lifeweb requires a Resolve + Composure roll, and every Failure adds a -1 penalty to every subsequent roll. Anyone who suffers a Dramatic Failure must be physically dragged from the range of the Lifeweb, since it has begun draining their vitality and any heka present in their will and in their desires.
• Crumbling Effigies (Overwhelming Geometry): Within the range of the Lifeweb, things become brittle and prone to decay as the heka produced and used by their pleasing architecture is sucked out of them. Count the Durability of objects within the range of the Lifeweb as reduced by the dots by which Geometry exceeds Relic- if this would reduce Durability below zero, it inflicts permanent Structure damage on the object. The Tomb is, of course, immune to this. Object brought into the range of the Lifeweb lose a point of Durability per day until the full penalty has been reached.
• Sapping the Vital Spark (Overwhelming Geometry): Within the range of the Lifeweb, heka is no longer just drained from objects, but from living things as well. All injuries suffered within range of the Lifeweb gain an additional point of damage, all wound penalties increase by -1, and healing times are doubled.
• Sands of Duat (Overwhelming Geometry): The Lifeweb is draining heka in such a way to make perceiving the truth, or much of anything for that matter, be of less and less value. Sybaris no longer possesses quite the same bite, as people become too drained and jaded to even be affected by its waves of despair. It also means that connections no longer go quite as far as they once may have. The Mummy suffers a penalty to their Cult's Reach equal to the dots by which Geometry exceeds Relic. If this would take them below zero, they may apply the modified Enigma Merit (as per Book of the Deceived) to themselves and to their Cultists. The Deceived may take this Disadvantage, but if Reach goes below zero, they do not increase their effective Enigma rating.

• Active Sybaris (Overwhelming Relic): The Tomb may inflict Awe and Terror Sybaris just like the Mummy can. Every day you spend within range of the Lifeweb, roll for Unease Sybaris. More importantly, entering the Tomb no longer inflicts Unease Sybaris, but Terror Sybaris.
• Corrupted Dedwen (Overwhelming Relic): Something has gone terribly wrong in the Subtle Bazaar. Values and efforts are no longer what they were, and excellence is no longer enough. Within the range of the Lifeweb, all actions suffer a +1 increase to their Target Number and lose the 10-again quality. Additionally, as the sense of value and worth inherent to most people is corrupted, the Availability or any given service increases by the dots of Relic that exceed Geometry. Baubles become absurdly precious, favours no longer go as far, contacts become unwilling to help. The economy of the region can effectively break down.
• Lifeless Magnet (Overwhelming Relic): The Sekhem within the Central Relic is powerful, free, and unguarded. To any Amkhata or Shuankhsen in the region, it registers to their senses as a powerful source of Sekhem on par with the Arisen.
• Eyes of the Judges (Overwhelming Relic): Sybaris rolls in powerful waves off of the Lifeweb, crushing all before it. Those outside the range of the Lifeweb know that the area within is bad news, a dangerous neighbourhood, somewhere to watch with horrified trepidation. The Mummy suffers a penalty to their Cult's Grasp equal to the dots by which Relic exceeds Geometry. If this would take them below zero, they may apply the Fame Merit, and eventually the Advanced Fame Merit.

Benefits: Whatever the Shan'iatu made them into, the Deathless are craftsmen, first and foremost. They are most comfortable with the tools of their trade in hand, doing what they have always done- shaping Sekhem into functional pieces of art. Whether that craft is done by chisel, stylus, compass, bronze wand, or scalpel is irrelevant. For every paired dot of Geometry and Central Relic, you may pick a single Benefit. These Benefits may be selected more than once, and you do not need to select your maximum number of Benefits. Some Benefits gain no additional power from being repeated, so keep that in mind.

• Banebdjed (Requires Mesen-Nebu & Regia Central Relic): The Alchemist knows that Sekhem isn't the purest form of power in the world- that it can be mastered by skill, will, and sheer effort. As such, Dedwen is not just be in Relics, but may be purified by Sekhem and will. Within the perimeter of their Lifeweb, one Born of Gold may improve an object by their alchemical arts. By spending a point of Willpower, they may add their Guild Status to the Equipment Bonus granted by any object they own. Stolen objects count as 'owned' if the original owner has tried and failed to retrieve it. By spending a dot of Sekhem, they may make this benefit permanent. The bonus to Equipment Bonus, if it would exceed +5, can also be added to the object's Durability or Availability, transmuting them into far more valuable objects. It may also add the Armour Piercing quality to weapons. This ability does not work on Relics or Vestiges. Mesen-Nebu who pursue this Lifeweb Benefit often possess the Blessed Panoply Affinity as well, and the Born of Gold will be something of a hoarder- finding beautiful and fascinating objects and adding them to their collection.
• Bound Affinity: The Mummy adds any Affinity they desire to the Lifeweb- the only ones that are considered off-limits are those that belong to other Guilds -and may benefit from it while within range of the Lifeweb. While any Affinity can be chosen, most Mummies default to those they instinctively understand they can wield (IE. That they have the Pillars and Guild Status for) and it requires either a Guildmaster or an Exceptional Success on a Wits + Occult roll - (5-Guild Status) to determine otherwise via the instinctive power bound into their Five-Fold Soul. This is the secret to unlimited Affinities that the Guildmasters hoard.
• Bound Utterance (Requires Overwhelming Relic Disadvantage): Much like Bound Affinity above, the Mummy adds any Utterance they desire to the Lifeweb, though unlike Bound Affinity, they maybind Guild Utterances if they have a teacher, but can still only use any Utterances they have the Pillars for. This could potentially allow an Ascended Arisen to circumvent the limitations on Utterances posed by Apoetheosis so long as they stay within the Lifeweb.
• Conspiracy of Silence (Requires Maa-Kep & Amulet Central Relic): The power of the Maa-Kep to hush up even the most obvious, and perhaps dangerous, of information and events is legendary, but it isn't always just raw skill that enables them to do so. Within the perimeter of the Lifeweb, the Maa-Kep's Cult gains a bonus to their Grasp equal to the Arisen's Guild Status. If this would take Grasp over five dots, then it applies the effects of the Enigma Merit to the hidden information and/or person. This only works within the Maa-Kep's 'domain' as it were, so this means that they need to keep massive stockpiles of sensitive information, persons, or corpses near their Tomb at all times.
• Master Of All I Survey: Everything within range of the Lifeweb counts as part of the Mummy's Tomb for use of the 'Tomb' keyword, and for certain Affinities. This is an extremely common Benefit, but it is worth remembering that while many Utterances with the 'Tomb' keyword are free to use within the Tomb, or last indefinitely within the Tomb, or both, that this could mean you become over-reliant on that advantage, and rarely leave the safety of the Lifeweb or develop stronger Pillars. A Mummy who has become dependent upon their Lifeweb is often a sitting duck outside of it.
• Necropolis (Requires Su-Menet & Uter Central Relic): Sekhem is the answer to the riddle of flesh, and such a truth cannot be denied, not even by death. Whenever a mortal dies within the perimeter of the Lifeweb, roll the Su-Menet's Guild Status. A success means that the mortal has left behind a ghost, and said ghost has become anchored to the Priest's Tomb. A Su-Menet Guildmaster, and often a First Prophet, is typically served and protected by an army of the dead, but they also have a tendency to draw attention to themselves- an army of the dead doing your bidding is hardly subtle.
• Sekhem Reservoir (Requires Overwhelming Geometry Disadvantage): Whenever a Sekhem bearing creature enters the perimeter of the Lifeweb and experiences a Descent check, should they succeed the roll the lost Sekhem naturally pools somewhere within the perimeter. Most Mummies intending to use this advantage have a ritual basin in their Tomb for just this purpose, where the Sekhem collects as a viscous, golden fluid. Mummies who bathe in or drink it regain a dot of Sekhem (or as many dots as they choose to take from the pool), but so may the Lifeless. Mortals can also gain dots of Sekhem from the pool, but at great cost. For every dot of Sekhem they take (which is subject to the Descent as normal) they suffer a point of Aggravated damage. This Benefit is an amazing bargaining chip, but also an enormous liability.
• Talisman Focus: The Central Relic at the core of the Lifeweb also happens to be a Talisman belonging to the Mummy. For as long as the Talisman remains the Central Relic, they may apply any of the keyword manifestations bound to the Talisman itself as additional Benefits, up to the limit. However, while the Talisman is in the Lifeweb, the Mummy cannot benefit from its Bound Sekhem, Soul Resonance, or Talismanic Record. This represents an extensive amount of dedicated resources, and likely won't come into play until very late in a Chronicle.
• True Monument (Requires Tef-Aabahi & Effigy Central Relic): More than any other Guild, the Masons are connected to humanity, inspired by it, and like the teeming masses are constantly seeking to improve themselves. For a Mason, the Tomb is far more intimate and personal than it is for just about any other Mummy, and they are constantly changing it. If the Mason has reconfigured their Lifeweb or changed their Tomb in any significant way during that Descent, it becomes a Monument, with all the benefits that implies. If the Lifeweb collapses via a stolen Relic, this benefit goes into dormancy, but is one of the first to reemerge. For the Tef-Aabahi, perhaps the greatest crime another of the Arisen can commit is desecration of the Tomb, and their vengeance is met with the unified and fearsome resolve of their Guild.
• Word is Law (Requires Sesha-Hebsu & Text Central Relic): It is to the Scribes and the Scribes alone that the secrets of the Scroll of Ages are revealed. This is not some petty form of universal law, such as blasphemous Ma'at, but the fated course of history, the will of the gods and the Judges. To act against it is to mar the Scroll, and perhaps cause unspeakable horrors to be unleashed. As such, when called upon to make a judgement within the dictates of the Diasporic Code, the Sesha-Hebsu have a vested interest in ensuring history follows its preordained path. When called upon to preside over an Obloquy trial, the Sesha-Hebsu may spend a point of Willpower to add their Guild Status to the roll of another Arisen. If they are the ones on trial, they may spend a point of Willpower to turn the roll into a rote action. As such, it is common for Guildmasters of the Scribes to possess this benefit, and to allow their favoured subordinates to meditate in the Tomb before the trial- who better than a Scribe to mark the Scroll?

Overlapping Lifewebs: It is fairly rare for Mummies to live in such close proximity that their Lifewebs begin to overlap, but in such rare cases where they live near one another for simplicity, safety, or sheer population density (as in First Turn Kemet, or modern Washington DC or Rio) the Lifewebs of various Tombs can mingle and alter one another. Where Lifewebs overlap, they magnify, overwhelm, or reduce weaknesses in the others. A Lifeweb with an Overwhelming Relic butting up against a Lifeweb with Overwhelming Geometry may very well balance out, or even be overwhelmed by the other occult schema. This is not necessarily a good thing. The Arisen are extremely careful about how they go about building, reconfiguring, and maintaining their Lifewebs, and the occult energies that serve the goals of one may not be beneficial to another. If done unintentionally, this can be a source of political concern, or even in some cases, a kind of attack. A Mummy trying to avoid attention could find their efforts rendered futile by a neighbour with an overpowering Lifeweb that enhances Sybaris, while that same neighbour, who depends upon Sybaris to keep their Cult in line and find new cultists, could find their best weapon of terror slipping away.

However, there is a way to protect one's Lifeweb. When calculating which of the overlapping Lifewebs affects the other, look at their dots of equal Geometry and Relic- if one is greater than the other, they are unaffected but may affect the other. If they are equal, they are mutually affected by any imbalances in the Lifeweb.

How goes the Lifeweb stuff?

[Deionscribe]

Random ideas of mine worth nothing; some pre-built example Cults of the time (Arisen and Deceived), and maybe do some reading so I can put together a Compact of Nubian Medjay militants/mercenaries.

May do some research, myself, once I'm inspired enough.