What We Know So Far: Mummy the Curse 2nd Edition

[Robert D]

What We Know So Far: Mummy the Curse 2^nd Edition The Timeless Chronicle

In preparation for the forthcoming Mummy the Curse 2^nd Edition Kickstarter, and because I love compiling information on games and books I’m eagerly anticipating, here’s a summary of all I’ve been able to find on our forums and podcasts. Please to post corrections or things I've missed. Note this does include some speculations on my part

“Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition expands the popular concepts of tragic Memory, devastating Utterances, pernicious cults, and fractured guilds. It introduces new aspects to the game, including horrifying rituals, expanding your troupe play to include sorcerers and non-Arisen immortals and finally allowing players to experience and interact with the nightmarish journey through Duat. This edition extends Mummy’s reach around the globe, providing justification and story hooks for starting your chronicles as far from the Nameless Empire as a meret of mummies could wish to go. Mummy tightens its grasp on godlike terror, as the presence of the deific Judges becomes more pervasive and insidious than before. This new chronicle of immortals not only begs the question, “What does it mean to be Deathless?” but also “What does it mean to be Timeless?” Coming Soon!” – OnyxPath Brochure

The Arisen

• The origin of Arisen in 2^nd edition is firmly in Irem
• The Arisen have a non-linear experience of time after the Rite of Return from Ancient Irem that transformed them.
  • BUT they may not remember much about Irem at the start of any given Descent. In fact a more recent culture, the one you awaken into or a remembered one from a recent Descent, may have more of an immediate influence on you.
  • The First Descent could be the first Sothic Turn after the Great Rite, OR it could be 2019, with the second Descent being in the 1400s but you still remember 2019 from your ‘past.’
• Creation & Experience
  • Your PC Arisen has starting levels of experience upon character creation. This is because your first in play Descent IS YOUR FIRST DESCENT.
    • Resolves the logical conundrum over how even a forgetful immortal would have the same starting experience/traits as a recently Changed Werewolf.
• The Lifeweb: Seems to be the links of life energy (Sekhem) and Fate that binds all the world, but especially the Vessels/Relics of the Arisen.
  • Referenced by the Gentlemen Gamer in a comparison to the Cryptocracy’s unique connection to the supernatural interconnections of the world
• The Descent: the period of time Arisen are ‘alive,’ active in the physical world and in their own Khat/sahu (physical, restored body). Happens at ‘appropriate times,’ which include:
  • Sothic Turn
  • Summoning by your Cult
  • Disruption of your Tomb’s vessels/relics (my own speculation based on the lore of 1e)
  • “Great acts of Necormancy, even when no necromancer or sorcerer is behind them” Ex: the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution. Quite similar to the periods of time when Sin-Eater populations spike.
• Henet
  • In between Descents, Arisen souls wander the Duat. Here they face torments and judgement by each one’s personal Judge. Judgement of “you are found wanting” results in being ‘sentenced’ to a new Descent at an “appropriate time”
  • BIG QUESTION: What is the nature of the Duat? Is it a Lower Depth (see Mage the Awakening 2e), is it a Dominion of the Underworld (see Geist the Sin-Eaters 2e)?
    • Arisen may NOT go past the upper levels of the Underworld.
• Sybaris
  • Aura that infects the land around you, much like the Disquiet of a Promethean
• Meret
  • A Meret is a group of Arisen. Analogous to a Coterie of Kindred or a Cabal of Mages.
• “Mummies seem to respond to Disquiet if their cults have been afflicted, but data is scarce given the rarity of both the Arisen and the Created.” Promethean 2e, p.173
  • ArcaneArts has suggested this may mean a deeper bond between Arisen and cultists. I love the idea and given some statements about ‘investing pillars’ in cultists, I agree!

Integrity àMemory
Confirmed as the returning Integrity stat for Mummy 2^nd edition. Given that Arisen now experience time nonlinearly, this could allow for in world ‘metaknowledge’ of future events, tech or languages.

• In 1^st edition, each Descent has the Arisen begin with low Memory, and gradually raise it as the Descent continues and events, people or places jog the Memory of your life before the Rite of Return.

Anchors:
The anchors of the Arisen are not yet confirmed. Contagion Chronicle KS manuscript previews do show two Arisen NPCs, both with a Virtue and a Vice, but fans were cautioned that one of these Arisen is an escapee from a parallel universe, thus not to be taken as an example of ‘our’ reality’s Arisen, and even with the second NPC Arisen, the KS manuscript is just that, a manuscript, not the finished edited product. With Matthew Dawkins, the Gentleman Gamer, overseeing MtC2 and the Contagion, we can rest assured that all Anchors for Arisen will be standardized across all books, regardless of what they end up being.

X-Splat: the Decrees
Nothing has yet been mentioned about 2^nd edition Decrees, but I would guess that There are the same 5 Decrees, each linked to a Pillar of the Arisen soul. Each Decree's name is not yet known, but each Decree has one of the following five Pillars at its core:

• Ab: Heart/Emotion
• Ba: Spirit/Animating Force
• Ka: Essence/Body
• Sheut: Shadow
• Ren: Name

One Decree name has become known:

• Nesrem ("Divine Bull") - given 1st edition's Ox-Headed Decree being linked to Ka, I believe with Decree is linked to Ka the Pillar of Essence.

Y-Splat: the Guilds & Vessels
Vessels are particular artifacts that are imbued with or harness or guide Sekhem in some way. Each Guild (and minor guild I believe) has a category of Vessel they are trained with and attuned to.

• In 1^st edition: This lets a Guild member avoid or mitigate the curse linked to that type of Vessel.

• Maa-Kep – “Spies” “Secret Police” “Junta” “Dapifers” “Shadows of Pillars”

Secret police, spies, convoy leaders, middle managers and overseers of the other Guilds of Irem. Right Hand Guild of the Shan’iatu and claim to be their true successors since the Sorcerer-Priests’ disappearance (or ascension?) after the Rite of Return.
Vessel: Amulets (Protective Talismans)

• Mesen-Nebu

In 1^st edition: Alchemists who generated Irem’s wealth in the days of the Nameless Empire, and provided the enchanted weapons, armor and tools of the Empire’s forces.
Vessel: (1^st Ed) Regula

• Sesha-Hebsu

In 1^st edition: Scribes who recorded and rendered judgement of events, meetings, and scholarship in the Nameless Empire.
Vessel: (1^st Ed) Text

• Su-Menent – “Necromancers”

In 1^st edition: Priests and Embalmers who were dedicated toward ensuring the spiritual well-being of the living and the dead of Irem.
Vessel: (1^st Ed) Uter

• Tef-Aabhi – “New Pharaohs,” “Masons”

In 1^st edition: Architects who tended to the sacred geometry of Irem’s cities and monuments. The most ‘modern adaptable’ guild in 1^st edition with a strong independent streak. 2^nd edition Maa-Kep say Tef-Aabhi memories are more reliable than their own, and that’s “a pity.”
Vessel: (1^st Ed) Effigy


The Minor Guilds
These seem to be Guilds of old Iremite that either refused or rejected the Rite of Return, and were able to gain or were given an imperfect version of it afterwards.
My hypothesis, since each reference to a known minor guild has ONLY been in the context of a SINGLE MAJOR GUILD’s info is that there is one minor guild for each major guild, a dark secret, shame or rival of each guild. MIGHT get a follow up book if KS does well.
10/31 Podcast update: Minor Guilds are either failed attempts by Judges to create immortal servants OR failed attempts by the Major Guilds to recreate the Rite of Return.

• Maar-Kherit – Physics, Blights, the Malignant

Formerly the guild of healers and physicians. Rejected the Shan’iatu plans of the Rite of Return and were slaughtered to silence them. The Su-Menent discovered this and tried to implement the Rite to resurrect them. It went horribly wrong. Now Unliving, but in constant pain, their life magic causes out of control cancerous growth. This failure is the secret shame of the Su-Menet
Vessel: Ankh (but can’t use them anymore)

• Wadjet-Itja

Hated by the Maa-Kep, who insist the Wadjet-Itja are “pretenders” to immortality. As the Maa-Kep are the secret police, I imagine that this minor guild is their Guild Shame and Embarrassment. This minor guild pulled a fast one on the watchdog Maa-Kep.
Vessel:?

Power Stat: Sekhem
The energy of life in the cosmos, ranking from 1 to 10. At the start of a Descent, an Arisen begins with a Sekhem score of 10. As the Descent continues, the Sekhem score decreases over time. Can be regenerated, but at a cost:
Serving a Judge in sacrifice to yourself (lose a limb or a friend)
Stealing from a Judge (absorbing it from a Relic/Vessel of the Judge OR from an Eternal's phylactery)


Powers: Affinities & Utterances
The Contagion Chronicle Manuscript’s NPC Arisen had Affinities & Utteranceslisted in their descriptions. One can assume that this means Affinities are back in 2e in some fashion.

• 1^st edition Affinities were often persistent and passive abilities that enhanced the Mummy in some way (Soul Affinities linked to Decree) or unique abilities derived from Guild secret powers (Guild Affinities)
  • 2nd edition Affinities are mostly passive, permanent abilities, primarily tied to Guilds, though there are common affinities.
• 1^st edition Utterances were massive workings of Iremite magic that make QUITE the impact on their world around them: summoning meteor showers, controlling ghosts, giant sand tidal waves, etc).
  • 2nd edition Utterances are still massive magic workings, with the Pillar ratings of the casting Mummy having different effects. Around 12 or 13 in the core. Each has three powers nested within it, depending on the Pillars of the Casting Mummy

Fuel: Pillars
Thus far, the only sure thing is that Pillars are an element of the Arisen’s powers again. They may be invested into Cultists to grant them access to your powers (Affinities perhaps), and to allow you the option of taking their bodies as another means of resurrection (at the cost of the cultist’s existence). The Contagion Chronicle Manuscript’s NPC Arisen both had 5 types of Pillars listed: Ab, Ba, Ka, Ren, Sheut.

• Ab: Heart/Emotion
• Ba: Spirit/Animating Force
• Ka: Essence/Body
• Sheut: Shadow
• Ren: Name

Each Pillar is linked to a Decree. Likely this means that, as in 1^st edition, instead of a single pool of fuel beginning at a max starting capacity of 10 as is found in many other 2^nd edition gamelines, there will be 5 small pools of Pillars that every Decree of Arisen may build up over time.

Cults & Cultists: Supporting Cast & Rivals
There are grades or tiers of Arisen Cult cultists, based on their ability to become invested in their Arisen’s pillars, a maximum number of pillars equal to the tier number of the Cultist. Being invested with Pillars allows a cultist to access some of the donor’s related powers, AND allows the donating Arisen to resurrect himself or herself in the invested cultist’s body, destroying the cultist to return the Arisen to the world. The corebook can be used to make mortal cultists. The tiers are:

1. Ordinary mortals
2. Sorcerers (likely a 2e update on the Sekehm Sorcerer materials released in the Dark Eras Companion)
3. Immortals (Non-Iremite humans that have gained immortality or longevity in a variety of ways. The Gentleman Gamer has said that non-Arisen Immortals are not Iremite in origin. Includes
   1. Blood Bathers (Seen in Dark Eras Companion. Think Bartholdy bathing in blood to gain immortality and a few other powers.)
   2. Body Thieves (Seen in Dark Eras Companion. Just like they sound)
   3. Eternals (store their lifeforce in an object to anchor them and keep them alive. Mummies sense these objects as Sekhem Relics and see them as the Judges’ property. Tense relationships as a result)
   4. Reborn (immortal human souls constantly being reborn and living physically mortal lives across the ages).
4. Sadikh (a mortal supernaturally bonded to a specific Arisen through Iremite magic. Mummy analog of a Ghoul)

Antagonists:

• The Decieved: Arisen Guild of Artists who were bound to broken Judges that more intimately bond into the minds of their Arisen than the remaining Judges. Unlike other Arisen, they never forget and know the truth of the Rite of Return.

BIG BADS: The Judges
Major NPC Antagonists. The masters of the Arisen. Entities of god-like power. Can be encountered in play. This is some sort of connection between the Judges and the Idigam

• Slim likelihood of any Arisen realistically throwing down with a Judge. Multiple Descent chronicle arcs would be needed to oppose them.
• Judge while manifested Inspirations: D&D’s Planescape: the Torment, Lovecraft & Werewolf the Forsaken 2e’s Idigam

ENDGAME: Apotheosis?
In 1^st edition there was a possible way to break the cycle of Descent and Henet but permanently reducing your own personal power in exchange for freedom after regaining your Memory and gaining the Heretic’s knowledge. No mention has yet been made of its role in 2^nd edition, if any.
In 2nd edition, it is more mythical to Mummies than the Pilgrimage is to Prometheans. Similar to the Catharsis of Sin-Eaters

Podcasts & Videos:
http://theonyxpath.com/episode-15-ge...retrospective/
the 18 minute mark begins MtC2e stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9lbz4TWY9s

http://theonyxpath.com/episode-73-pa...-podbean-live/
https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/mumm...atthew-dawkins

Blog Posts:
http://theonyxpath.com/maar-kherit-m...e-2nd-edition/
http://theonyxpath.com/maa-kep-mummy...e-2nd-edition/

[LordHeru]

There is just so much to like about this.

Firstly, thanks Robert D for gathering it all together, its awesome!

Reading over it the thing that is to me the biggest YES!!! is the non-linear experience of time. This is marvelous. This is amazing. And depending on how many pages are devoted to this (and I hope a lot) it could be in and of itself a good reason to get the book for help on toolkit campaign play.

Related to this is the whole the first time in play is the first descent. I think the idea that the first time one arises (say in 2019) is the first time one rose as brilliant. It will mean that all future descents have a base of a modern thinking you. this is brilliant to me.

(It also provides a good reason for me to maybe think about switching Sekhem to 1 to 10 rather than 10 to 1, as each Descent doesn't start over but rather you keep what you gained from the last time.)

The fact that time in the Underworld is in some ways playable is also interesting. I hope there are some rules or advice on maybe having a playable base of operations within said underworld. hehe

The fact that there are minor guilds is interesting. It show cases that Irem is a bit more varied then 1e.

Speaking of Irem, it seems there may be hints that Irem is a more fantastic place then they were in 1e. The fact that their magic actually broke time for the Mummies indicates something of this. I wonder if maybe Irem isn't in the distant past as first imagined but actually far far future. That would be nifty.

The fact that other immortal types are present (including for me the Reborn, they are nifty) is also interesting.

Additionally, I like the idea of Mortal Sorcerors and hope that this translates into them being able to learn Arisen magic. Which to me hopefully means there are ways to get Pillars, Affinities, and Utterances. I don't think this is going to be cheap or easy but I still hope its there.

Speaking of which, as a fan of the Pillars, Affinities, and Utterances I look forward to the later two groups having more powers in them.

I hope more is given to Apotheosis. I think it would be interesting to have that as something with rules and mechanics behind it.

Honestly, while I am not a fan of the way Sekhem is organized some of the way things are changing (looking at you non-linear time) has me raising my interest level from 'hmm, interesting' to 'I need to check this out.'

Even if not used in mummy the idea behind the non-linear time idea is just so brilliant that I want to read the advise and ideas about it that I hopefully believe will be in the book.

[White Oak Dragon]

I hope more is given to Apotheosis. I think it would be interesting to have that as something with rules and mechanics behind it.

I would like to point out that Apotheosis had rules and mechanics in 1e, unless my memory is really playing tricks on me.

[Second Chances]

One clarification that I think I’m safe to make: the pillars are not the decrees, even in 1e — despite it being somewhat inconsistent with its language (I’m looking at your Guildhalls). The pillars are Ab, Ba, Ka, Ren, and Sheut — all mummies can grow and develop each pillar. The decrees are [REDACTED x5] and each mummy can only declare one decree. One of 2e’s goals is to be much clearer about this.

[ArcaneArts]

One clarification that I think I’m safe to make: the pillars are not the decrees, even in 1e — despite it being somewhat inconsistent with its language (I’m looking at your Guildhalls). The pillars are Ab, Ba, Ka, Ren, and Sheut — all mummies can grow and develop each pillar. The decrees are [REDACTED x5] and each mummy can only declare one decree. One of 2e’s goals is to be much clearer about this.

In 1E, the Decrees were bound around the Pillars, though-you made the Decree based on the Pillar you were willing to stake your eternity on.

I suppose if that's changed, it can't be clarified upon until the KS.

I would like to point out that Apotheosis had rules and mechanics in 1e, unless my memory is really playing tricks on me.

It did indeed!

[Second Chances]

In 1E, the Decrees were bound around the Pillars, though-you made the Decree based on the Pillar you were willing to stake your eternity on.

Absolutely. One pillar is central to each decree. I wanted to make sure the misconception of the central pillar BEING the decree gets nipped in the bud.

[ArcaneArts]

Absolutely. One pillared is central to each decree. I wanted to make sure the misconception of the central pillar BEING the decree gets nipped in the bud.

Ah! That makes sense.

[Robert D]

I would like to point out that Apotheosis had rules and mechanics in 1e, unless my memory is really playing tricks on me.

Your memory is spot on good sir!

[Robert D]

One clarification that I think I’m safe to make: the pillars are not the decrees, even in 1e — despite it being somewhat inconsistent with its language (I’m looking at your Guildhalls). The pillars are Ab, Ba, Ka, Ren, and Sheut — all mummies can grow and develop each pillar. The decrees are [REDACTED x5] and each mummy can only declare one decree. One of 2e’s goals is to be much clearer about this.

Thanks Second Chances !

[Jennkryst]

Is there any news on whether Memory is going to function like Humanity/Wisdom, or more like Harmony/Clarity?

[Robert D]

Is there any news on whether Memory is going to function like Humanity/Wisdom, or more like Harmony/Clarity?

Beast the Primordial pp.96 has a sidebar that says that Memory loss, along with Humanity, Wisdom and Clarity loss, from breaking points can be used by a Beast to expand his or her Lair with a new Chamber. That would suggest to me that Memory will mechanically function like those, with higher Memory being preferable to low memory; but as this is Mummy, my guess is that when you first wake up in a Descent, Memory is poor but grows as the Descent continues or you face things that evoke your immortal memory. I've not heard anything mechanical about Mummy Memory outside of Contagion KS manuscript previews and that mostly involved the Mummy from another reality with a unique special mastery over the Memory of others including non-Mummies, so I'm reluctant to speculate too much based on that.

[Satchel]

Beast the Primordial pp.96 has a sidebar that says that Memory loss, along with Humanity, Wisdom and Clarity loss, from breaking points can be used by a Beast to expand his or her Lair with a new Chamber.

It was also written back when the only Second Edition gamelines that were far enough along the pipeline to be referenced were Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Promethean, and Demon, so that may may not be the best point of reference; the same book draws pretty clearly on First Edition Changeling for its notes on how Beasts affect the Hedge around them in terms of mechanics, and Mummy 1e had only been out for three or four years when Beast Core was published.

[Robert D]

It was also written back when the only Second Edition gamelines that were far enough along the pipeline to be referenced were Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Promethean, and Demon, so that may may not be the best point of reference; the same book draws pretty clearly on First Edition Changeling for its notes on how Beasts affect the Hedge around them in terms of mechanics, and Mummy 1e had only been out for three or four years when Beast Core was published.

A good point! In my excitement at the upcoming KS I did not take that into account.

[Aiden]

We know that it is here next Tuesday!

[Robert D]

We know that it is here next Tuesday!

YAY!!! (Dancing a jig in excitement!!!)