Throw the mummy off the train

From: Erik Sieurin <BV9521_at_utb.hb.se>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 17:25:20 +0100


This was is my (probably heretic) take on mummies in Esrolia: When the earthers die, they go to the halls of Ty Kora Tek. Most folk just mill around staring at the walls, mumbling and drooling (think Hades). However, those people with Good Spiritual Connections (ie the rulers and priests) are let into Asrelias big cave and have one big tea party until they are reborn - which they are. _Bad_ people are torn apart by the Hounds of Hell and other demons of darkness (ie the children of Earth and the Night King - in this way the Earth feed all her children, but it has the unfortunate side-effect of the Night-kin trying to convince people - especially men, who lack the wisdom to know better - to do Bad Things, so they will end up as food for the Night-Kin after death).

Now, there are two kinds of mummies, and both are created the same way. You take your everyday mummy and perform special rituals over it, and then the ghost (ie, normal POW, all good'ol magic it needs, no need to save MP) can possess its old body during certain circumstances, reanimating it.

This enchantment is performed in two ways. First, it is made upon the bodies of nobles and priestesses. Then, whenever you need them, you cast Summon Dead on the mummy and they reanimate it for the time they are needed. (The Death Crones regularily use this spell to speak with the dead, but without the mummy being enchanted they cannot make the body move) Now, this is in most cases not appreciated by those summoned - they are having a lovely vacation down with Asrelia (their ancestress), and what do YOU think of people who keeps calling you with job business during YOUR vacation?

Second, the bodies of vile (but strong) criminals are so treated. The priestesses just wait a night to let them feel how it is being in Hell; then they summon them into the mummies. The poor bastards know that the crones have ways to break the enchantment (it is put on the jars which contain the innards of the mummy, you see, which the priestesses keep) and then they end up Down Below, so they will do most anything - you know strangling people the priestesses don't like,  guarding crypts, and the like.

Perhaps sometimes people are kidnapped, they are sacrificed, and this ritual is performed upon them. Some curse is set upon them so they will be hunted by Night Beings regardless of ther ethical status if they go to the underworld. Now, the Life Crones probably have this spell called "Refresh Mummy" which makes a mummy look like it did when it was alive. Just a little sluggish, maybe. And smelling of strange spices. And being unwilling to eat because all its organs are tucked away in jars. Then you attack Uncle Albert, and smash his body open, and its dried flesh, and perhaps badly mummified so the worms crawls from it... mmmmm...

I like the idea that the mummies ain't controlled, but blackmailed into doing what they do; you can have this mad criminal (Jill the Ripper, going around cutting up male prostitutes?) who succeeded in snatching her innard jars, and now is a free-lance mummy.

That's all about mummies, for now.

"The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea, in a beautiful pea-green boat..."
>From "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear

Erik Sieurin
bv9521_at_utb.hb.se
Bodagatan 39, 2 tr
50742 Boras
Sweden
033/141731


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