Ren (MTC)

The Serpent-Headed are mummies who have arisen with Ren as their defining pillar.

Overview
During the Rite of Return, the Whisperers declared that their striving to understand is what defined them. To their understanding, everything in this world—indeed, in all worlds— harbors an unshakable, unchangeable truth at its core. It cannot, and never will, be anything else, no matter how it is seen, no matter what others believe, no matter what is done to it, in the end it is still, above all else, itself. Truth is truth, regardless of the perceptions or wishes of others.

Some seek this knowledge for its own sake, some out of religious obligation, some for the power it grants them, but are willing students of reality. This often manifests as a paradoxical combination of constant questioning and rigid certainty. The need to understand the nature of their existence and the true purpose behind the Rite that created them continues to drive many of the Kings of Senet. Once they feel that she has a complete understanding of something, however, they can become rigid and closed-minded on that particular topic. After all, they already know the truth; why entertain any contrary notions? This may manifest as arrogance on such topics, an arrogance made even more irritating by the fact that the Serpent-Headed is usually correct.

On those rare occasions, however, when a mummy of this decree is proven wrong in something she truly believed was true, it can cause a nearly crippling crisis of confidence. Whisperers do not begrudge their service to Duat, instead seeing the path of the Descent as opportunity to further comprehend existence. On some level, the Serpent-Headed bear similarities to the Deathless of the decree of shadow. Mummies of both decrees tend toward scholarly pursuits, but where the Jackal-Headed seek occult understanding, the Deathless of the ren are more interested in the what and why of the world itself.

Cults
Cults of the Serpent-Headed tend toward the moderate in size—larger than some, smaller than many. For the most part, those who seek knowledge and understanding are commonly drawn to mummies who seek the same. Thus, these cults often tend toward the most scholastic, or consist of those who believe the Deathless at their core to be a font of otherworldly wisdom.

Restoring Pillars
Those who declare the decree of Ren restore their Pillars through ever-growing understanding (and control) of the world around them and by solving problems via the application of knowledge. Learning the true nature of a person or thing, uncovering an unknown historical truth, or proving the superiority of the mind over the heart and the body (and of planning over instinct or improvisation) restores these Deathless. If a King of Senet deliberately goes out of her way to learn extra information relevant to her current purpose, her Ren Pillar is restored in full.