Necromancy (MTR)

Given the importance of the soul in Egyptian legend -- especially to the newly created Amenti who are acutely aware that their state stems in part from the Tem-akh -- the study of magic devoted to the soul is a natural outgrowth of a mummy's existence. While other magic affects the material world, Necromancy reshapes the underworld, gifting the wielder with command of the dead and mastery of her own soul. To recognize the importance of Necromancy, one need only look to the tremendous tombs and monuments of Egypt, where the Pharaohs expended the efforts -- and lives -- of thousands of slaves to ensure their own sanctity in the afterlife.

Neophyte necromancers first learn the divisions of the soul and the importance of metaphysical relics ion the underworld. With practice, the necromancer gains authority over the dead through special rites of purification and the practice of ascetic disciplines. In effect, the mummy becomes a lord among the dead, capable of commanding with a word and transfixing with a gaze.

While many Western traditions and religions regard Necromancy as an unwholesome practice, Necromancy is the fundamental art and a purifying discipline to mummies. The necromancer's very soul refines itself to become a being of puissant light in Duat. Through this authority, the necromancer can defend or manipulate the soul's many parts, command the dead, and channel the blackened entropy that flows through the underworld while remaining untainted herself.

Among mummies, Necromancy is the specialty of the khaibit. The mummy channels the powers of Duat through the shadow soul, which touches most closely on the Lands of the Dead. To master Necromancy, the mummy must exert authority through purification but also strengthen its ties to the khaibit. A truly puissant necromancer becomes as a noble monster. She leashes the khaibit to her will, combining the terrible monster and the purified master in order to transform herself into a lord of the dead. The mummy walks a thin line as she balances Ma'at with the strength of the khabit, eventually learning to harness the khaibit for conviction and dedication as molded through the authority of Ma'at. The khaibit's strength becomes the mummy's strength, with its lusts moderated through the mummy's adherence to the universal balance.