Hakkar-Zozer

Overview
Hakkar-Zozer was the first to declare Irem a failure, seeking to return to the wilderness to start anew. During the Rite of Return, the Keeper read the omens in the sands and the stars that were used as foundation for the rest of the Rite.

Hakkar-Zozer's resentment against Irem and the construction of cities that sougt to ape its glory is echoed in every part of his essence. He keeps true to the old ways, so that his pupils learn never to trust the false and seemingly immutable world that has risen around them. A critic of reason, he instead points to the ancient forces of instinct and unthinking wit as guideline, craving the truths that cannot be named by the human mind, but have a profound effect on it. As he rejects the souvereignty of men, his followers usually lived amidts vermin, leading to his identifying title. Sentiments of this echoe in various Deceived movements, most notably the Rotten Temple.

Cults
In Irem, the followers of Father Scarab were beggars, oracles, mystics, madmen and other outcasts from society that were drawn to the primal truths Hakkar-Zozer espoused. In modern times, a similar clientel flocks to his Mummies. Cults of the Deceived bound to the Keeper often create mystery cults, which promote and exalt nature over civilization. Most often, these cults are unorganized, as the Mummy either focuses on a promising cultist who has grasped the Keeper's teachings, or become bored with the secular structures of their groups.

Art
Hakkar-Zozer’s focus on personal revelation and confronting the truths that souls bury within themselves naturally draws his students to mediums that redefine and subvert the human body in its natural state. Scarification, branding, and traditional tattoo have a special resonance for them as the Keeper centers them through the pain and sacrifice of the flesh. When the Keepers use installations to express themselves they often turn to materials such as bone, stone, and wood. Attempts at incorporating fire and water have also emerged, but in the case of fire these attempts are usually limited to generating the light necessary for a short shadow play.

The Keeper's goals are Revelations, seba siphoned from primal revelations without the barriers of the rational mind. Once they are gathered, the rational realization of having the Revelation fades, being subsumed into the inner self. Mummies who gather revelations find it impossible to verbalize them and often prefer to remain in silence.

Mandate
The Keeper demands the following of his adherents: "Reveal the truth of the natural world concealed by the conscious mind and bring forth the wisdom of the unthinking heart."

If a Mummy brings truth to an audience only by using primitive methods and riddles (with as less speech as possible), they recover a full pool of Ren. If they manage to confront the irrational side of a target's nature, forcing them to accept their own futility and meaninglessness in the grand scheme of things, they regain one dot of any pillar they choose.

Burden
Deceived of Hakkar-Zozer recoil from the symbols of reason and human authority. They are often taken for insane. His Deceived feel uncomfortable around human reason, even wearing clothes brings discomfort with them. Hakkar-Zozer’s chosen cannot regain Pillars or Willpower for the remainder of a scene if they have spoken falsely or disguised themselves in the vestments of order or pure reason. Those who must interact with others often speak in riddles and often emulate the dress of the lowliest mortals.

In addition, animals; especially insects, vermin, reptiles and therelike; feel attracted to the Mummy, most often to the shock of mortals.

Expression
The Deceived possessed by one of Father Scarab's Temakh-shards can afflict humans with The Sublime Awe of Nature. By the means of subtle gestures, presenting of incitrate symbols and cryptic fables, the mummy sends his target a vision of through an animistic and primitive nightmare wherein the victim is in turn committing and witnessing rituals that mortals can only regard as atrocities. Those who accept their role in it are invigorated, others are broken.

Targets may regain a Willpower point, but immediatly get a derangement of the mummy's chosing. If the target shares a virtue or vice with the Mummy, they may regain all of their Willpower points, and in addition to gaining a derangement they regress into an unthinking state, unable to act rationally for the remainder of the scene. If the target shares both virtue and vice with the mummy, they gain a derangement even if they refuse to replenish Willpower. Those that do choose to regain all of their Willpower are afflicted with an active derangement as before, and regress into an unthinking, waking dream state for the remainder of the story.