The Egyptian Mummies were the original Immortals of Egypt, created by the Spell of Life, which blessed Horus and his followers with life eternal. The Egyptian Mummies were divided into four known Dynasties: the Shemsu-heru, the Cabiri, the Children of Apophis (Bane Mummies), and the Ishmaelites. In the wake of the Sixth Great Maelstrom, the Dja-ahk, the power of the original spell began to wane. So as soon as Osiris awoke from torpor, he created a new Spell of Life which would result in the Amenti.
History[]
Over the course of thousands of years, ancient Egyptians perfected the art of preserving the bodies of the dead. Their intent was to maintain the body for the family of the deceased. After death, the individual’s soul passed into Duat, the Egyptian underworld. There, in the spirit city of Amenti, Osiris ruled over the dead. The god Anubis guided new arrivals before the judges of the afterlife, so that they could determine the spirit’s reward for its life.
When incorporated with the mummification ceremony, the Spell of Life that had been set down by Osiris and his sister-wife Isis created an eternal link between soul and corpse. Although the spirit still ventured into the underworld upon its death, it could now return across the Shroud (which divides the living and spirit worlds), infusing its dead flesh with life. Proper service in the underworld realm of Amenti allowed the mummy to gather sufficient spiritual energy to return to the living world. Months, even years, might pass, but a mummy would always eventually return to life no matter how many times he was slain.
The followers of Isis and Osiris performed the resurrection ceremony on a small number of their members. Because of an imperfect understanding by Osiris and Isis when they created the spell, however, the ancient mummies were subtly flawed. Although their flesh was warm and their hearts beat, the touch of death never left them entirely. Although they had been infused with life eternal, they were completely sterile. Mystics found mummies’ auras dull and their blood strangely lacking in life force.
Despite being small in number, the undying breed made formidable opponents. Horus, the son of Osiris and greatest of the Undying, led most of the mummies in a crusade to cleanse the world of his murderous uncle, Set — who was himself the servant of Apophis. The faithful Followers of Horus, the Shemsu-heru, returned again and again from beyond the grave to stand against the evil of Set and the dark god’s venomous children.
The handful of mummies battled Set’s corruption down through the millennia. Then came the Dja-akh, the ghost storm, that ravaged the underworld. Even the eternal Shemsu-heru could not withstand the fury of the Dja-akh, and many of their number perished in the destruction of great Amenti, the Dark Kingdom of Sand. Without the wisdom of Osiris, the god of resurrection, all might have been lost.
A World of Mummies[]
When Horus declared the Great Diaspora, he and most of the Shemsu-heru departed Egypt for the four corners of the world. They were not the first mummies to leave Egypt, of course, for the Ishmaelites had been wandering far beyond Egypt’s borders from earliest times, and the occasional follower of Horus had been sent to distant nations; but this was the first massive exodus of Horus’ followers. Their travels took them many places — and though they were separated by thousands of miles, they could always communicate in dreams and by magic, so they were never truly alone.
Some few traveled south of the Sahara, or westward, across the oceans, to the Americas. Still others journeyed eastward, across Asia. But these were in the minority, and the Egyptian Reborn did not linger here for long.
Most followed the course of what would be called “Western civilization” — through Greece and Rome, and into Europe. By the High Middle Ages, the Shemsu-heru had representatives in most major European regions. And as America grew in prominence, more of Horus’ followers established themselves there as well. The situation has remained unchanged for the past century or so. Although the Shemsu-heru may now be found anywhere across the world, they have established a few centers of power for themselves.
Egypt[]
Not all Reborn left Egypt. Some Shemsu-heru, though loyal to their leader, preferred to remain in their homeland, that they might continue their studies in the ways of magic or the nature of death; they had built for themselves monumental sanctums, and were loath to leave them.
But Horus also asked some of his followers to remain, that he might always have representatives in his homeland should the need arrive, and these men and women stayed in Alexandria. For centuries Alexandria remained the Egyptian capital for the Shemsu-heru — even though it was built by a foreign power. Even after Cairo was established and rose in fame, the Shemsu-heru remained stationed in Alexandria.
Horus’ followers in Egypt have many duties — they are the stewards of history and the defenders of the homeland. They are the guardians of the many secrets left behind by Horus and the Shemsu-heru. Theirs is the task of finding and preserving artifacts of use against the Accursed, and of keeping safe the places of rest which some ancient mummies still inhabit. Horus and his people had been in Egypt for some four thousand years, and they left much which could be used against them — secrets carved in stone, magical weapons and items lost in the sand and to history, tomes filled with forbidden knowledge. All these were to be kept from the hands of others, be they mortal or supernatural.
But Horus’ servants in Egypt do more than merely serve as custodians: They are his advance guard against the Setites, and still struggle against their activities. They must be ever alert for Set’s reawakening in Egypt — should this happen, then Horus will no doubt return for what is expected to be the final battle.
Europe[]
Switzerland has been the European capital of the Shemsu-heru for almost three centuries, ever since Horus settled near Geneva. He still resides in a grand manor, heavily fortified against physical and magical intrusion; it is from this manor that he directs the operations of his followers worldwide, and prepares for the fi nal battle against Apophis.
The Shemsu-heru are otherwise scattered all about Europe. Some live transient lifestyles, moving from country to country. Others have found places to their liking, and so remain there: England, France, and all the major European nations have one or (rarely) more Shemsu-heru among their populations, typically attracted to major cities to better take advantage of their economic, political and cultural status. Of course, this can put the Shemsu-heru at odds with vampires, who have set themselves up positions of power in the same cities. But such is the course of things, and in fact aids the mummies who participate in Horus’ Jyhad.
Until recently, they have avoided Eastern Europe; early encounters during the Dark Ages left many Shemsu-heru scarred and frightened, and for many years they were loath to return. But now, as the West rediscovers the lands of Eastern Europe, the Shemsu-heru are taking a new look. Not surprisingly, while the Shemsu-heru avoided Eastern Europe, a number of the Cabiri have long-established domains there.
The Americas[]
Without a doubt, North America has risen tremendously in significance for mummies. At least half of the Shemsu-heru can be found here, and many Ishmaelites and Cabiri have also found their way to the “Land of Opportunity,” where they tend to congregate around places of economic or political importance. Hence they can be found in all the major cities of North America: Washington, New York, Chicago, Toronto — whatever city has some significance among mortals has attracted the Reborn.
The Egyptian Reborn tend to avoid Mesoamerica and South America as best they can. In those lands, unlike in North America, ancient Reborn of Indian extraction still hold domain, and they do not favor the Egyptian mummies who would claim to be the masters of all Reborn. Some Ishmaelites have ventured into these lands, and report tentative contacts with the Lords of Xibalba and their kin — but these are guarded meetings at best
Recent History[]
Due to the destruction of the Dark Kingdom of Sand, Amenti, caused by the Sixth Great Maelstrom, the Spell of Life began to lose its effectiveness upon the Undyings' bodies. So upon his reawakening, Osiris created a new Spell of Life which would merge two souls into one. Under the command of Osiris and Horus, the immortals were told not to ressurect themselves but find the soul of a recently deceased mortal and ressurect them instead. As a result of this, most immortal Egyptian mummies became the newly reborn Amenti. Bar a select few who refuse the new spell.
References[]
- VTM: World of Darkness: Mummy Second Edition, p. 43-45
- MTR: Mummy: The Resurrection Rulebook, p. 7