How mummies rule the world?

[nothri]

"Does being a recent Twice Risen with memory bleed count?"

Its an option, but the memories are a jumble and you have no control over what you know about the present. Also, as I recall the drawbacks to performing the ritual are quite severe (though to be fair I don't recall if they are applied at character creation as well as if it is done later in the chronicle).


"Start with a higher Memory Score?"

That might help? It depends on the concept, I suppose, and how far back you'd want to go. Just remember your memory starts fairly low for these types of traits (3, I believe) and doesn't give you the whole picture for several levels beyond that.

"Or their Cult is scattered (or destroyed) and something else wakes them up?"

Thats an option I'd dissuade players from doing unless they were really, really sure its what they want for their characters. A good cult isn't exactly ESSENTIAL, but I think it puts a mummy at a big disadvantage not having one to lean on when the time comes.

[Cleverest of Things]

It can be strange, but remember that mummies do have SOME backstory. All memory three mummies have a good idea about what their last life was, so they've got SOME room to imagine their character as an immortal being. Plus, there can be important scenes of deeper history (And thus deeper memory) almost any storyteller will go with, either as played in game live or as if those memories just show up quickly and can be mentally pictured as backstory. But as an ST I can say.. creating a full history for a 6,000 being is really daunting, and if players were expected to make their whole backstory before playing, it'd likely be even rougher than the "lack of backstory" low Memory mummies experience.

The lack of memory and weird startups of mummies allow for extremely unique gameplay on session 1. I always give the example of a Mummy who woke up convinced he was a superhero, with his wife from his living days. Turns out she was an angel, who's only recently warped his mind through torture and numina, to believe he was her husband. It was a long, sad, and remarkable storyline that ended with him going rogue and her falling to be with him for real.

In another story, one character was a reincarnating immortal, and his memories led him into the arms of Jason the Argonaut, a Tef-Abhi who he remembers always ending up with despite his various dangerous Ex wives (including the archmage Medea). One particular wife, the one from Irem, was always a victim in his mind until he realized she was Deceived. He remembered her becoming cruel and monstrous, using name magic to destroy her enemies with a wird, remembering that her name was forgotten because it could wake her up if spoken. Someone eventually made the mistake of speaking her name, and when she rose, she was... kind. She didn't remember being a monster and hated what the voice inside was trying to turn her into.

There is a lot of flexibility still in the system, that sometimes takes two or three readthrough's to from and use comfortably. I hope 2e addresses that and cleans it up more, focusing less on things pcs and players shouldn't know until endgame sourcebooks, and focusing more on what mummies are like today, how they are part of their current setting, how far and wide they are and why, etc.