Avalanche Press - Nile Empire - War in Heliopolis by Azamor

AVALANCHE PRESS

Nile Empire War in Heliopolis Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons® Player’s Handbook, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast® Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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‘D20 System’ and the ‘D20 System’ logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the D20 System License version 1.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com. The Open Game Content in this book includes game rules, character and creature statistics, and similar material using the D20 system. This content is denoted by its placement in

bordered-style sidebars and by text highlighted in bold italic type within the main body of the text. Additionally, all of the material in Parts 3 and 4 is designated Open Game Content. The remaining material, including that in

bordered-style sidebars and the presentation of this book as a complete work is designated Product Identity. With the exception of the Open Game Content, reproduction of this work without the written permission of the Copyright Holder is a violation of copyright law and is expressly forbidden. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead less than 3000 years is purely coincidental.

Avalanche Press Ltd.

P.O. Box 4775, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 USA 1-800-564-9008 • www.AvalanchePress.com Copyright © 2002 Avalanche Press LTD. All rights reserved. ISBN 0-9707961-7-X Printed in the United States of America. First Printing, 2002.

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Table of Contents Introduction

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Part 1: History of the Nile Empire A Brief History of Early Egypt Pre-dynastic Period Archaic Period Old Kingdom First Intermediate Period Middle Kingdom Second Intermediate Period New Kingdom Mythic History The Jealousy of Set The Death of Osiris Isis’s Search The Queen of Byblos The Rebirth of Osiris The Revenge of Set The God of Death The Exile of Set Current State of the Empire

5 5 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 11

Part 2: Life and Culture in Egypt Hieroglyphs and Writing The Beginnings of Language The Makeup of Hieroglyphs Pyramid Shorthand Egyptian Grammar Writing Utensils Learning Hieroglyphs Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts Royalty Divine Rule Commander-in-Chief Trappings of Office The Vizier Government Egyptian Socialism The Justice System The Military Military Regiments Military Advancements Military Transport Egyptian Economics

12 12 12 12 12 12 12 14 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16

Career Choices Money Wages Sick Leave and Vacation Funerary Cost Workers’ Rights Agriculture Inundation and Fertilization Reservoirs and Irrigation Planting and Harvesting Gardens Lumber and Other Crops Controlling Agriculture Livestock Cattle Sheep, Goats, and Pigs Poultry and Fish Exotic Animals Transportation Taxation Architecture Building Materials Worker Housing Furnishings Royal Palace Lifestyles Food Staples Delicacies Hygiene Clothing Family Units Religion The Cosmos Religious Festivals Death, Mummification, and Burial Death Mummification Burial

16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22

Part 3: Characters Race Gender Standard Character Classes New Character Classes Nomad

23 23 23 23 23 23

22 22 23 23

Scribe Trader Prestige Classes Avatar Godslayer Pharaoh Alignment New Skills New Feat Equipment Money

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Part 4: The Great Ennead The Creator Gods Atum Shu Tefnut Nut Geb Apophis The Ennead of the Nile Amun-Re Osiris Isis Horus Anubis Hathor Thoth Bastet The Ennead of the Desert Set Nepthys Sokar Khonsu Ptah Sobek Bes

36 36 37 37 37 37 37 37 38 38 38 40 40 41 41 41 42 42 42 43 44 44 45 45 45

Part 5: War in Heliopolis Running Heliopolitan Adventures Forces of Isfet The Gods of Evil Avatars and Godslayers Monsters Undead Foreign Invaders

46 46 46 46 47 47 50 51

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Part 1: History of the Nile Empire The actual origin of the great state of Egypt is lost in the sands of the desert. What little is known has been gathered by piecing together various archaeological findings. All agree that the Kingdom of Egypt was formed when the states of Upper and Lower Egypt merged for the first time, but beyond that things get a little hazy.

glyphs into Egypt, and for the beginnings of a definite split between the upper class and the rest of the Egyptian people. The First Dynasty would last about 175 years and be led by the pharaohs (after Menes) Atoti (Athotis I), Djer, Wadji, Dewen, Adjib, Semerkhet, and Qaa.

A Brief History of Early Egypt

The Second Dynasty began with the rule of the pharaoh, Hetepsekhemui, and lasted about 150 years. Although there is little information about this dynasty, what is known suggests a time of unrest and possible splitting of the state.

Although the myth of Egypt is that it was an empire that lasted for thousands of years, the truth is a little different. Egyptian culture was split up into several widely diverse periods (often referred to as kingdoms). This section chronicles the rise of Egypt from its earliest origins to the beginning of the New Kingdom where the adventure WAR IN HELIOPOLIS is set.

The troubles seem to have begun when Hetepsekhemui and the two succeeding pharaohs built their royal mastabas not in the necropolis of Abydos, but in Saqqara. While space was probably a great consideration, there was a sense of lost respect for tradition. Two of the later pharaohs, Peribsen and Khasekhemui would return to Abydos for their tombs, but by then the damage seems to have been done.

Pre-dynastic Period (3182-3032 BC) According to archaeological findings, the first known king appears to have been named Narmer. In the one record of his kingship, he is shown wearing a Red Crown in one place and a White Crown in another. Both depictions, however, show him holding dominion over his enemies and feature prominently the symbol for Horus, the falcon. His reign falls into relative prehistory and is usually referred to as the Pre-dynastic Period.

Moving the pharaoh’s tomb from Abydos to Saqqara located both the capital (Memphis) and the royal tomb in Lower Egypt. Prior to this change, the tomb in Upper Egypt (at Abydos) served both as a reminder of the unified kingdom and as a way to ensure it remained that way. From what records exist, it seems as if Upper Egypt grew increasingly disconsolate with this turn of events and its loss of political power. Eventually these disputes led to open warfare. During the reign of Khasekhemui, Upper Egypt defeated Lower Egypt and re-unified the kingdom.

Archaic Period (3032-2707 BC) The Archaic Period marks the rise of the first pharaohs and the first two dynasties in Egypt. The period lasted a little over 300 years, during which Memphis became Egypt’s capital.

The reign of the pharaohs of the Second Dynasty from Hetepsekhemui to Nebre, Ninetjer, Wenegnebti, Sekhemib, Neferkare, Neferkasokar, Hudjefa, Peribsen, and Khasekhemui and the dissolution and reunification of the unified kingdom would lead Egypt into its most memorable period.

The first recorded pharaoh was Horus-Aha, also referred to as Menes. He appears to have been the son of Narmer and the first pharaoh to inherit his position. He headed what is known as the First Dynasty. This period was marked by the use of mastabas, or raised tombs, for burial in the necropolis of Abydos, for the introduction of hiero-

Old Kingdom (2707-2170 BC) With the end of the Second Dynasty, Egypt moved into what is called the Old Kingdom — a period encompassing the Third through Eighth Dynasties. The greatThe Pyramids of Giza still inspire awe in visitors 4,500 years later.


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est achievements of the Old Kingdom are still visible nearly 5,000 years later: the pyramids. However, the existence of these monumental structures is dwarfed by the sheer scope of the economy, government, and popular will needed to create them. The first pharaoh of the Old Kingdom, Nebka, begins the Third Dynasty. However, his predecessor, Djoser, the builder of the first pyramid, overshadowed his reign. Djoser, the son or son-in-law of Khasekhemui, worked with his trusted assistant and architect, Imhotep, to create a monument worthy of the pharaoh in the afterlife. They built upon the idea of the mastabas used by previous pharaohs in Saqqara. Their novel idea was to take the mastaba, which looked like a raised building with a flat top, and build a smaller mastaba on top of the first, and so on, until they created a series of mastabas that reached to the heavens themselves. Thus was born the first, or the step, pyramid. After Djoser, the remaining pharaohs in the Third Dynasty, Djoserti, Khaba, Mesokhris, and Huni, attempted but failed to build their own step pyramids. Most of their tombs have yet to be found. The Fourth Dynasty marks the period of Egypt’s greatest achievement in the art of pyramid building. The dynasty began with the lengthy reign of the pharaoh, Snefru. This was a time of peace and great prosperity for Egypt. Without the need to fight their enemies, resources could be allocated to the works of wonder so intimately linked with Egyptian culture. Snefru’s son, Cheops, is probably the most recognized of the pharaohs for his construction of the Great Pyramid, but under Snefru’s guidance the kingdom flourished. Snefru oversaw the building of not one but three different pyramids during his reign. Snefru was also famed for his raids into Libya that captured immense herds of livestock and for his overall friendliness to his subjects.

godless pagans and used it to build their palaces in Cairo. Snefru’s son, Cheops, used these advances to create the amazing Great Pyramid. However, outside of the Great Pyramid, there is little record of Cheops as pharaoh. There are some claims that he was cruel and abusive, but there is little evidence to support this. What is known about Cheops is that, during his 30-year reign, he mobilized the entire state to create a wonder so magnificent that, not only does it stand to this day, parts of its construction are still mysteries. Also, recent studies have begun to point to Cheops as the creator of the mysterious Sphinx, another of Egypt’s wonders. These studies point to the lack of a beard on the Sphinx (the royal beard was a concept that came later in Egypt’s culture) and the style of the architecture as proof that it was created during Cheops’ rule. His successor and son, Djedefre, attempted to build his own temple but failed due to an untimely death.

Snefru’s first two pyramids were step pyramids like Djoser’s. His final pyramid began as a step pyramid, but later was finished off in true pyramid form. This was the first of its kind, although not without problems. As the pyramid neared completion, the ground underneath it gave way, and it collapsed upon itself. This resulted in the now-famous outline known as the Bent Pyramid. This failure, however, taught later pyramid builders to use a less steep gradient. Advancements in construction design and pyramid location also contributed to more stable edifices. At the time of their construction and for almost 2,500 years afterwards, the pyramids sported a sheath of polished white marble. Reflections of the rising and setting sun could be seen for dozens of miles in all directions. When Arabs conquered Egypt in the 7th Century AD, they stripped the marble from what they saw as the work of

The next pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty was Djedefre’s younger brother, Chephren. Chephren was in his mid-20’s when he 5


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This designation refers mainly to the Ninth and Tenth Dynasties wherein conflict between Lower and Upper Egypt resumed. Only Lower Egypt recognized the pharaoh. The rulers of Thebes openly opposed these pretenders, and they eventually rallied under Mentuhotep II to conquer Memphis with the aid of Nubian mercenaries and reunify the kingdom.

assumed the throne and began work on his pyramid in the hopes of making it as monumental as his father’s. Chephren’s pyramid falls nearly 10 feet short of the Great Pyramid. Chephren’s reign also marks the decline of the great pyramid-building era. Although later pyramids were built, none rival those created by Cheops and Chephren. The Fourth Dynasty ended quietly under the reign of the pharaohs Bikheris (who followed Chephren), Mycerinus, and Shepseskaf, who returned to the creation of a mastaba for his tomb.

Middle Kingdom (2119-1793 BC) Although he is the first recognized ruler of unified Egypt in the Middle Kingdom, Mentuhotep II was not the first ruler of Thebes. Mentuhotep I and Antef I, II, and III all ruled as Theban pharaohs before Mentuhotep II conquered Memphis.

The Fifth Dynasty, ruled over by the pharaohs Userkaf, Sahure, Neferirkare, Shepseskare, Neferefre, Niuserre, Menkauhor, Djedkare, and Unas is relatively unremarkable. Of note is the reduction in scale of monument building and the rise of mortuary temples in place of pyramids as the burial place for the pharaohs.

While Mentuhotep united the kingdom, the regional governors did not want to give up the power that they had gained during the reigns of the previous pharaohs. To gain their acceptance, Mentuhotep allowed them to retain much of this control.

The Sixth Dynasty was as peaceful as the last, but marked a decline in the Old Kingdom. While mortuary temples were used extensively during the Fifth Dynasty, the first pharaoh of this period, Teti, returned to the pyramid as a tomb. However, his pyramid, while technically sound, remained on a much smaller scale than those of the Fourth Dynasty, keeping roughly the same size as the mortuary temples of the Fifth. The decline continued through the peaceful reigns of the first four pharaohs of this time. Userkare, Pepi I (who also built a pyramid), and Nemtiemsaf I followed Teti.

This decentralized structure remained through the next two pharaohs, Mentuhotep III and Mentuhotep IV, until a new power challenged the throne. Amenemhat I overthrew the Theban pharaohs, starting the Twelfth Dynasty. This change did not sit well with the regional governors. Amenemhat maintained power by quashing any challenges to the throne and adopting Theban methods. His

The reign of the next pharaoh, Pepi II, seems to have been the point where the Old Kingdom truly began to fall apart. Pepi II ruled peacefully for 60 years, an immense length of time for a pharaoh. While he completed his pyramid, society fell into idleness and stagnation. Pepi allowed his control of the government to slip, and regional governors realized that they no longer needed the Empire. They could control their own smaller state fine by themselves and not have to worry about the pharaoh looking over their shoulders. After Pepi II left the throne, Nemtiemsaf II and Nitocris each reigned for two or fewer years and eventually a succession of nameless rulers took over as the kingdom slipped into its first Intermediate Period.

First Intermediate Period (2170-2020 BC) The age of the Sphinx, and the identity of the builder, are a riddle today. 6 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC)

rule, however, would not have as much impact on Egypt as would his death.

The New Kingdom under the rule of Ahmose I is where WAR IN H ELIOPOLIS is set. The empire enjoyed great territorial expansion and Egypt rose to dominance as a great world power. Before this could happen, matters had to be settled at home. The new pharaoh had to reinstate the central government and repel attacks from the Nubians and Libyans. The current year is 1547 BC — just as the period is beginning — and the Empire is at a crossroads.

Amenemhat I was removed from power not by a political rival but by a conspiracy contrived within his own harem. While the pharaoh slept, the concubines slipped into his chambers and murdered him. This event shocked the kingdom. The new pharaoh, Sesostris I, Amenemhat’s son, scrambled to maintain power while grieving for his father and dispensing swift justice to the traitorous harem. Sesostris realigned the regions of the kingdom and brought the governors under direct control of the pharaoh.

Mythic History Egypt is the land of the gods, and the land’s fate is tied to that of its patrons. The war in Heliopolis impacts the welfare of mortals. Here is how it began.

This process continued through the succeeding pharaohs, Amenemhat II, Sesostris II, and Sesostris III who centralized the government even more by creating two officials known as viziers. These men oversaw Upper and Lower Egypt and reported directly to the pharaoh.

The Jealousy of Set In times past when the gods walked the face of the land, Osiris, the son of Geb, the God of the Earth, and Nut, the Goddess of the Heavens, was chosen above all others to lead the Great Ennead in Heliopolis and bring peace and prosperity to the lands of humanity. Set, Osiris’ evil brother, railed against the gods’ choice of his brother when he was clearly the greater of the two. However, he bided his time until he could properly disMurderous concubines shattered the image pose of his sibling of a divine pharoah. and take his proper place on the throne.

This did not sit well with the regional governors, who steadily lost their power base. The last pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty, Amenemhat III, Amenemhat IV, and Nefrusobek, spent their reigns fighting violently with these lordlings. This infighting fragmented the Empire and allowed it to be taken over by the Hyksos.

Second Intermediate Period The term, “Hyksos,” is misleading. There weren’t hordes of invading Hyksos that swept across the kingdom. Hyksos is a Greek word that comes from the Egyptian term, “Heka-khasut,” which translated means “Rulers of the Foreign Lands.” At the end of the Middle Kingdom, while the Empire fought amongst itself, Nehesi (Egyptian for “the Nubian”) a ruler from a local region, gained control of a small territory near the Nile delta. This area would flourish under the Fourteenth Dynasty. From this region came a ruler, Salites, who conquered Memphis and declared himself pharaoh. He and his successors, Beon, Apakhnas, Khaian, Apophis, Khamudi, and others form the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Dynasties. The last true rulers of Memphis fled to Thebes, where they maintained their rule as the Seventeenth Dynasty. The Thebans secretly armed themselves and eventually attacked the Hyksos.

One day, Osiris left the lands of the Nile to travel the great disk that was the Earth, leaving his wife, Isis, as Queen of the Gods in his stead. Set saw his opportunity. While his brother traveled, Set allied himself with the enemies of Egypt. There were 72 of these dread foes, the greatest of which was the Queen of Ethiopia, Aso. While Isis ruled, Set plotted, and, together with his conspirators, he concocted a plan to rid himself of his brother forever.

They were moderately successful, but their leader, Seqenenre, died in battle. His son Kamose made it as far as the fortified citadel of Avaris, near Memphis, where he too perished. The Hyksos, however, were in trouble. They attempted to ask the Nubians to attack the Thebans from behind, but the Thebans captured the messenger.

The Death of Osiris

Ahmose, Kamose’s brother then took command. Fueled with thoughts of revenge, Ahmose led the Theban troops into Memphis. He then wiped the Hyksos from Avaris and reclaimed the throne for Egypt. Once again unified, the Empire was restored and the New Kingdom began.

When Osiris returned from his travels, Set slipped into his chambers one night, and surreptitiously measured him as if he were a tailor. He then commissioned the creation of a magnificent sarcophagus to those exact measurements. 7


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Soon after his return, Osiris’ brother called him to a grand feast to celebrate his successful journey around the world and safe return. Trusting his brother implicitly, Osiris attended. The gods played many games and gave many gifts in this celebration. At the height of the revelry, Set brought forth his magnificent sarcophagus and offered it as a prize to anyone who could fit inside. Many tried and failed. Then Set called upon his brother to try. Osiris readily laid within the sarcophagus and was overjoyed to find it fit him perfectly!

Continuing her search, Isis learned that the sarcophagus tossed on the waves of the great sea before coming to rest on the shores of the faraway land of Byblos. There it lay among the branches of a tamarisk bush. However the magic contained within the sarcophagus caused the bush to grow and grow, wrapping itself around the wooden box. Eventually, the bush became a mighty tree with a trunk so large that it completely encapsulated the box within its confines. The people called the King of Byblos to come see this tree that had sprung up on the shores of his kingdom. Enamored with its beauty, he ordered it cut down and carried to the capital, where its beauty would be displayed in the royal palace as a gigantic pillar.

However, Set and his conspirators pounced upon the sarcophagus, slamming the cover down upon Osiris. They sealed it with molten lead and set it adrift on the Nile, where it floated down the river and out to the great sea beyond the delta. Set was overjoyed to be rid of his brother once and for all.

The Queen of Byblos By this time, Isis had journeyed to Byblos and, wishing to remain anonymous for the time being, appeared before the queen’s handmaidens as a humble peasant. As the handmaidens enjoyed a summer’s day sitting around a fountain in the palace courtyard, Isis offered to braid their hair for them. Taking the kindly woman up on her offer, the maidens allowed her to braid their hair and were pleasantly surprised when Isis used her knowledge of herbs to make a sweet smelling perfume for them as well.

Isis’s Search When Isis received word of her husband’s apparent death, she was grief-stricken. Set had cleverly left out the part wherein he was the one who had trapped Osiris in the sarcophagus before it went into the Nile. Isis set out to find her husband, knowing that a body without a proper burial would never be allowed into the underworld and would walk the earth as one of the living dead. She traveled the length of the great disk and consulted man, woman, and child, but none had seen or heard anything with respect to the whereabouts of her husband or the floating coffin into which he had been placed.

Gleefully adorned in their newly braided hair and perfume, the handmaidens returned to the palace and their duties to the queen, who, smelling their wonderful perfume, asked where they had acquired it. The handmaidens happily told her of the mysterious peasant who had helped them while they sat by the fountain.

Upon returning to Egypt, Isis saw some children playing by the Nile. Smiling to them, she asked if they had seen her Osiris. The children had not, but they recounted the tale of Set’s feast and how a sarcophagus had been placed in the Nile near where they were playing.

The queen had the handmaidens bring Isis to her and, after speaking to the disguised goddess, sensed her compassion and goodness. Seeking a proper nanny for her son, the prince, the queen asked Isis to take care of the boy, and the goddess agreed. Each night as Isis was left alone to care for the prince, she suckled him with the tip of her finger. When she was sure the rest of the palace had turned in for the night, she built a roaring blaze in one of the fireplaces and placed the child within the flames. Then she changed herself into the shape of a swallow and sang to the child a sorrowful chirping song of her search for Osiris.

Using this small clue, Isis began her search anew. She used the starting point the children had given her and her powers as a goddess to discover that the sarcophagus had indeed been placed in the Nile and had floated down the river, past the delta, and into the great sea beyond.

However, one night one of the royal servants 8 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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spied Isis as the goddess cared for the child and ran to the queen, telling her all that she had seen. The queen dismissed the tale as the ramblings of a jealous competitor, and yet she could not shake the images from her mind. A few nights later the queen hid herself in a closet in the room where Isis built the fire each night. She would see for herself whether or not the story the servant had told her was true.

lay Osiris, dead with a look of terror on his face. The goddess wept for her deceased beloved, and her cries caught the attention of her sister, Nepthys, the wife of Set, who joined her tearful mourning. After some time, Isis remembered her time in Byblos caring for the queen’s son, and thought of her own son, Horus. Having not seen him since she went in search of her husband, she stopped her mourning to go see him. Nepthys went with her.

Just as she had done each night before, Isis entered the room with the infant prince. She laid the boy down while she gathered firewood and placed the logs in the fireplace, creating a roaring blaze. Isis went back to the child and was about to place him within the flames again when the queen burst from the closet, screaming for Isis to stop.

Once gone though, their tears had a magical effect on the dead Osiris. They gave him new life. He awoke as if from a horrible nightmare.

The Revenge of Set While Isis and Nepthys mourned the death of Osiris, Set had been hunting by the light of Khonsu, as was his wont at times. Hearing the wailing of the sisters, Set went to investigate and was horrified to see them sitting by the side of the sarcophagus he had set adrift on the Nile so long ago.

Turning on the queen with venom in her stare, Isis revealed her godly presence and vehemently chided the now cowering queen. The goddess explained that she was using her power to temper the child for godhood, but the queen’s brashness had ruined the process, and her son would now be resigned to mortality.

Set quietly slipped to the window near where they sat and watched as their tears bathed the unmoving form of Osiris. He watched as the two goddesses ceased their mourning and left to seek Horus.

The queen mustered her courage and nervously asked the goddess why she had come to Byblos. Isis told her tale of the untimely death of her husband, her search across the land for his whereabouts, and her learning of the great tree that was now a pillar in the king’s palace. Isis only wished to retrieve her husband and leave in peace. The queen, with her child in her arms once more, acquiesced to the goddess’s request.

Set laughed evilly to himself as he saw his deceased brother lying there. The malicious smile slid from his face when he saw his brother first twitch and then move stiffly and slowly to sit upright. Set’s rage knew no end. His brother had cheated him out of everything he had ever desired, and now that same brother would cheat even death to spite him. Filled with fury, Set leaped through the window and, before his brother could react, tore him into fourteen pieces.

The Rebirth of Osiris When the king learned of the nature of the guest and her request, he called for the pillar in his royal hall to be taken down and split open so that the sarcophagus could be freed. Isis thanked her hosts, took the sarcophagus with her husband still inside, and returned to Egypt. The King of Byblos had the pillar resealed and put back where it had once stood as a reminder of the passing of a goddess through their kingdom.

When his anger subsided, he knew that he must dispose of the traces of his crime. Gathering up the remains of his brother, Set stole off into the night and scattered the pieces in hidden locations across Egypt. Once again secure in his victory over his brother, Set returned home to celebrate anew.

The God of Death When Isis and Nepthys returned, they found Osiris’s body missing and the signs of a violent struggle. Isis’s grief returned at the thought of losing her husband once again. Just then, a night-

Upon her return to Egypt, Isis took the sarcophagus to the city of the gods, Heliopolis, and pried open the cover. Inside 9 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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ingale alighted on the window and whispered to Isis what it had seen of the murder.

but Osiris was nothing if not compassionate. Set would be exiled from Heliopolis and forced to reside in the great western desert. Should he return, he would suffer a fate far worse than either of those he had inflicted upon his brother.

Isis’ fury was tempered by her desire to restore her husband again. Making a boat out of papyrus, she sailed forth on the Nile to find her husband’s remains.

Set revolted. He pointed to this as but the first act of a god gone insane with power and corrupted by the stench of death. He agreed that he would retreat to the desert for now for “the benefit of the state,” but he would return and put an end to this farce.

Isis traveled the length and breadth of Egypt and eventually found everything but his penis and testicles, which a crocodile had swallowed. Isis sewed Osiris back together but could not breathe life into him again.

Walking from the hall, Set called any of the other gods to come to his side who wished to be done with Osiris and his rulings. Sokar rose first. He spat on the ground before Osiris’ feet and stood next to Set. Nepthys quietly joined her husband. Next Khonsu shrugged his shoulders and walked to the end of the room. Then, shaking his head, Ptah arose and stood with the rebels. After him came Sobek and Bes.

Knowing she needed help, she consulted Atum, the creator of the universe. After much debate, and a little trickery on her part, he told her how to resurrect Osiris. Isis returned to the body of her husband and with the knowledge gained from Atum, brought him back to life. But this was not the Osiris she once knew. The god that stood before her now was cold and solemn. He was the god of death itself.

Declaring that they would create a new ennead of the desert, rally the enemies of Egypt to their banner and wipe the taint of Osiris and his followers from the Nile, Set and his minions departed.

The Exile of Set Osiris and Isis returned to Heliopolis where they called all the gods before them. Horus stood by the side of his father with hatred for Set burning in his eyes.

Current State of the Empire During the time of Osiris’s deaths, the Hyksos overran the Nile Empire. However, with the return of Osiris, power returned to the mortal kingdom as well. A mighty prince named Ahmose rose to challenge the Hyksos and drive them from Egypt. Having become pharaoh, Ahmose reigns from Thebes over the reunified kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt with wisdom and grace. But his reign will not be peaceful for long.

Osiris explained to the amassed gods the story of how he was taken from this world not once, but twice at the hands of his brother. He extolled the love his wife had for him to search the world and resurrect him each time. He also told them that as the sun sets and the flowers fade away, he too must journey to the underworld. While his wife had resurrected him, a part of him would always remain there, and therefore he must remain there in part as well.

Soon after he took the throne, an army of Libyans challenged Ahmose. These Libyans, allies of Set, would be the first of many invaders from the desert.

He would reclaim the title of King of the Gods, but he would now also be the Lord of the Dead as Sokar had once been. Sokar would remain the gatekeeper to the underworld, but he would now look to Osiris for direction.

What the gods of Heliopolis did not know was that, after his exile, Set joined in collusion with the greatest enemy the gods had ever known, the demonic Apophis. This fiend agreed that Set was right in his estimation of his brother and offered his knowledge and assistance in overthrowing Osiris and the other gods of Heliopolis.

At this news, Sokar cried foul. What had he done to deserve such a cruel fate? What right had Osiris to calmly decide where each god would go and what they would do? Sensing a potential ally, Set joined Sokar’s challenge, decrying Osiris as a dictator where once he had been a beneficent ruler. Set called upon the other gods to cast Osiris from the throne and replace this abomination.

Little does Set realize that Apophis is not only looking to destroy Osiris and his allies but Set and the rest of the gods as well. Apophis seeks nothing less than the total destruction of the entire world, and he knows that civil war between the gods is the perfect means toward this end.

Horus would have attacked Set at this point had it not been for his father. Osiris raised his hand and looked coldly at Set. Osiris called the names of the gods, who came before him to denounce Set for the acts of treason and twice murdering his own brother. For these acts alone he should be put to death,

The two pantheons of gods and their mortal allies sit on the brink of war, each building an army and plotting against the other. Only time will tell whether or not the gods will realize they are being pitted against one another by an outside force, if one 10


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Part 2: Life and Culture in Egypt

pantheon will claim victory and total dominion over Egypt, or if they will destroy each other and the entire world with them.

What follows is a description of everyday life in Egypt during the New Kingdom. While the war between the gods has had some effect on society, it largely remains unchanged. After the description of Egyptian culture is a brief glossary of some common Egyptian terms for use in your WAR IN HELIOPOLIS game.

Hieroglyphs & Writing Egyptian culture may be best known for its ancient written language, Hieroglyphs.

The Beginnings of Language The ancient Egyptians believed that the god, Thoth, gave them their written language. The word, “hieroglyph” comes from the Greek term, hieroglyphikos grammata, or “holy signs.” The Greeks took this name from the Egyptian word for their writing, medu-netjer, or “the god’s words.” The language seems to have “sprung” into being a r o u n d 3,000 B.C., perhaps even

ear-


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lier. Later studies point to the beginnings of picture-writing in Mesopotamia at around the same time. Trade between the two regions may have sparked the use of writing in Egypt as a way to keep track of business. Strangely enough, unlike most other forms of written language, English included, there is no long-term process of the linguistic evolution. The Egyptian hieroglyphs created at the beginning remained unchanged for nearly the next 3,500 years.

The Makeup of the Hieroglyphs The Egyptians did not use a structured alphabet. Of over 1,400 known hieroglyphs, only 25 have been recognized as any sort of letter, and the few vowels that exist have been added by researchers to better allow the translation of texts. The remaining symbols are either phonograms used to represent sounds or ideograms used to represent ideas. Most of these symbols have multiple purposes and could represent any combination of the above. This isn’t to say that the language is indecipherable. Most existing texts can be translated and understood. The main difficulty comes from the fact that the ancient Egyptian language is largely dead. Thus, the actual pronunciation of the language is unknown.

Pyramid Shorthand Hieroglyphs are a very stylized, formal language mainly used to decorate religious items such as tombs, coffins, monuments, and other long-lasting objects. There are some hieroglyphic scrolls, but these, like the other physical items, use this language because they are intended to last for all eternity. For parchment, a less stylized form called cursive hieroglyphs exists. These are used mainly in religious documents such as the Book of the Dead. While less structured than the formal hieroglyphs, the cursive hieroglyphs are still very formatted and can easily be distinguished from one scribe to another. The other form of hieroglyphs used in the New Kingdom is known as hieratic. Hieratic is more free-flowing, and is used for most non-religious writing including letters and school texts. It is much faster to write and is popular for sending quick messages. It can be compared in modern terms to printing versus cursive writing. The problem with hieratic is that different scribes’ handwriting, as with that of modern

doctors, is sometimes illegible.

Egyptian Grammar The Egyptian scribes roll out their parchment to the right and write from right to left. Usually this is in vertical columns that are read from top to bottom and then right to left. Sometimes instead of columns text is written in rows, but this is still read from right to left. As they do not see their language as merely a collection of symbols but rather as graphic representations of the world around them, Egyptians also believe that the hieroglyphs are holy images with souls of their own. These images are written to face the reader so that they may acknowledge the reader by eyesight. If the end of a parchment is reached before completion, the roll is turned over and the writing begun again on the back side. After it is read, a scroll is re-rolled so that the beginning will be the first part visible as it is unrolled.

Writing Utensils Although modern paper is not made with the same technique, it is named for the papyrus parchment devised by the Egyptians as a more disposable (and much handier) writing material than stone or clay tablets. Cutting the papyrus plant that grows along the banks of the Nile creates the scrolls. From the plant, the stems are culled and cut into strips. These strips are woven and pressed together in interlocking horizontal and vertical layers. Very pliable when wet, the “sheets” of papyrus are dried flat and form a sturdy writing surface. These sheets are then glued together and have the edges trimmed to create rolls of parchment. The rolls are, on average, made up of 20 or so sheets about 4’11” to 6’6” long and six to 10 inches wide. When a scribe sits down to write, he sprays the parchment with water as an offering to the god, Thoth, from a small pot of water kept to stir up the ink. Black ink is created using soot. Red is also used and is created by using ochre or hematite. Red is often used to mark headings and, as modern editors are wont to do, for corrections. Some manuscripts require large amounts of red ink. The ink is applied using a rush, a type of plant with leafless stems that grows on the banks of the Nile. One end is used much like the point of a pen while the other is chewed to attain a brushlike stroke. Scribes are fond of keeping an extra rush tucked behind their ear as a back-up. The brush behind the ear is something of a status symbol and identifies a scribe.

Learning Hieroglyphs Very few people are literate. Other than scribes, the people who know


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An Egyptian Glossary Even though the Egyptians did not use an alphabet such as most modern languages do, many of their words have been translated. What follows is a list of some Egyptian terms and their English translations.

Egyptian

English

Akh Akhet Amduat

The person’s eternal soul formed by merging the ba and ka. Flood — The first of the three seasons. Refers to one of the books that describe the journey to the underworld such as the Book of the Dead. The person’s soul. Emmer Royal jubilee. The opposite of maat. It means chaos, wrong, sin, and evil. Barley The person’s life force. Committee of officials who act as a court. The Blue Crown worn by the pharaoh. The person’s body. A light open-sided pavilion. Incense. Also used to mean a mixture of ingredients used to fragrant the body. A necklace made of beads used as a musical instrument. God Ruler of a nome. A regional division of the kingdom. Harem Seed - The second of the three seasons. The people living to the west of the Nile, mainly Libyans. The person’s name. Servant images placed in the tomb. Harvest — The third of the three seasons. The person’s shadow. Bandages

Ba Bedet Heb-sed Isfet It Ka Kenbet Khepresh Khet Kiosk Kyphi pastille Menat Netjer Nomarch Nome Opet Peret Rebu Ren Shabtis Shemu Shut Wet

how to read and write are limited to priests, officials, and sometimes high-ranking military personnel. This has to do with the way the hieroglyphs are taught as much as the society itself.

schools teach their students through a method of repetition. Students copy “classic” scrolls over and over again until they learn what each symbol means. This method of memorization takes many years to complete and prohibits it being implemented more widely.

Because hieroglyphs are not structured alphabetically, scribal 13 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts

the translated words for king or ruler and kingdom are one and the same. The pharaoh is not only the ruler of the kingdom, he is the kingdom. This is one of the core beliefs of Egyptian religion and the theory of maat, or order. If the pharaoh were to perish, the kingdom would be thrown into chaos and surely die as well.

Although the majority of Egypt’s libraries focus around the temples and are cared for by priests (most are known as “houses of life”), some affluent individuals have personal libraries. Egyptian texts range from religious doctrines to documents on ethics, law, science, economics, and fiction and poetry. And, of course, there are all the other written aspects of life such as letters, notes, and even graffiti. Most of these materials are written in hieratic in what is best described as local dialects and often reflect the speaking styles of that section of the Empire.

Commander-in-Chief One of the pharaoh’s duties is to be commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Unlike those of many modern political leaders, this title is very much a literal one. The pharaoh leads his troops into battle against the enemies of the state and to conquer new lands. This is often a dangerous position but one many pharaohs relish.

For these more mundane works, the people of Egypt write on what are called ostraca, fragments of stone that are plentiful at the edges of the desert. This bountiful, free writing material allows the lower classes to keep a written record of their lives much as the upper class do with the papyrus scrolls.

Trappings of the Office The pharaoh has many items associated with his position. Most have religious significance, but others are historically important as well.

Royalty

Crowns and Headgear: The pharaoh of Egypt has not one,

Even the Land of the Gods needs someone to oversee it and ensure that it runs smoothly. In Egypt, this person is the pharaoh.

not two, but three different crowns. Depending on the time period, each of these different crowns was used. The most prominent is the Double Crown signifying the unified kingdom made up of the Red Crown denoting lordship of Lower Egypt (the Memphis area) and the White Crown denoting rule over Upper Egypt (the Thebes area).

Divine Rule

The Red Crown looks like a cone that curves around the ears and down the back of the head. It has a rectangular piece extended from the back of the top into the air.

The leader of the peoples of Egypt is not merely an individual who holds the title of pharaoh. He is the living embodiment of the royal god, Horus, heir to the throne of Osiris.

The White Crown is also conical, but tapers towards the top where it has a knob on the end. When combined, the top of the White Crown extends out of the Red Crown and comes even with the end of the rectangular piece at the back.

Egypt is an absolute monarchy. The pharaoh’s word is law, both secular and religious. His commandments are edicts from the gods themselves. The pharaoh decrees the laws, installs the officials who oversees them, and commands the royal guards that enforce them.

The third crown the pharaoh wears is known as the Khepresh, or Blue Crown. The Khepresh is worn into battle by the pharaoh as his war helmet. It is made of leather with metal overlays and looks like a bonnet with wings on the sides. It is blue in color (hence the name) and is adorned with golden rings. In less formal situations, the pharaoh may wear caps, wigs, and a Nemes head cloth: a piece of rectangular material folded and placed on the head and continuing down the back, but leaving the ears uncovered.

Other Clothing: Pharaohs wear much the same clothing as

The hieroglyphs and texts make this abundantly clear. In the Egyptian language,

other members of the royal family. This included a variety of kilts, cloaks, shirts, and shawls. The pharaoh himself also wears a panther skin and a type of kilt known as a shendyt, which is seen in many pictures of the pharaoh.

Symbols of Rule: Symbolism is important to Egyptians.

Most renderings of the pharaoh show him adorned with one or more symbols. The two most prevalent are the bull’s tail and the uraeus cobra.

The words of the gods, as taught to the Egyptians by Thoth.


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The bull’s tail is often depicted forward off the top of the crown of the pharaoh. The bull’s tail symbolizes the animal powers of the king and his bullish nature.

the peace, and so they command troops of police.

Egyptian Socialism The state is everything in Egypt. All production is given over to it. Artisans are all employed by the state. All trade ventures are either funded by or overseen by the government, usually both. Temples are no exception, and are often set up much like the state itself.

The uraeus cobra most frequently appears curled up on the pharaoh’s brow with its head reared and leaning forward, menacing anyone who would come too near. The cobra protects pharaoh from any enemies that might threaten his rule. Almost all images of the pharaohs have them holding a flail in his left hand and a crook in his right. These icons were given to pharaoh by the gods and are also seen being held by Osiris himself. There is also a third scepter granted by the gods: the Was Scepter, which is a staff with an animal’s head on its top and a forked bottom. The Was Scepter symbolizes the power given to the pharaoh by the gods.

The Justice System As the pharaoh has the final say on all matters in Egypt, there is no real justice system. A series of councils of local notables, known as kenbets, hear the complaints of the citizenry. For decisions of greater importance, or ones that the local kenbet cannot handle, each half of the kingdom has a Great Kenbet headed by the vizier. The Great Kenbet is mainly used for property claims, taxes, and matters that require information be gathered from files to which only the vizier or pharaoh has access.

The Vizier Beneath the pharaoh are two viziers, one for Upper Egypt and one for Lower Egypt. The viziers act as prime ministers of equal standing. They put pharaoh’s wishes into action and make sure that the laws are enforced. They act as the highest-ranking judge in their part of the kingdom and oversee many aspects of day-to-day life.

Kenbets are more like congressional hearings than actual trials. There are no attorneys, and the members of the council ask all of the questions. They are not known for their civility. Suspects during criminal cases are often beaten with wooden sticks to make them confess. The verdicts are usually just as harsh. Depending on the crime committed, the sentence can range from confiscation of property to beatings; forced labor; having one’s lips, nose, or ears cut off; and even death.

Viziers are stewards of Egypt’s resources. They manage the canals that regulate the flow of the Nile and dispense surveys that enable the state to monitor its people. The vizier is also in charge of the state treasury, royal libraries, national storehouses, and responsible for creating the royal tomb. They ensure that workers are paid, materials are gathered, and that the whole of society runs smoothly.

The Military

Government

The Egyptian military has gone through many changes. Prior to the Hyksos’ invasion, Egypt had no real army. Whenever a military force was required, the men of the Empire would be drafted with the regional governors to command them.

Beneath the vizier is a well-organized and efficient system of government. A central agency administers income, collects taxes, and oversees the allocation of resources for the army, construction projects, and import tariffs. It also sees to it that the grain collected makes it to the granaries and that the other taxed items such as gold, silver, electrum, precious stones, linen, cattle, and wood arrive safely in the treasuries.

Now that the kingdom has been reclaimed, a standing military is maintained. Unlike in previous years, this new military is bolstered by mercenary troops. These soldiers are paid in gold and have land allocated to them for their use while they are in the kingdom.

Regional governments are made up of nomes, which are divisions of the kingdom named after the capital of their region. The primary tasks of the regional jurisdictions are collecting taxes for the central government and drafting citizens to labor on state projects.

Normally, within the first few years of a new pharaoh’s reign he must defeat challenges from invading forces and basically reestablish maat. After the Hyksos were expelled, this was the case as well. However, in the world of WAR IN HELIOPOLIS, the invasions have a more sinister force behind them (see Part 5).

All of this is accomplished by doing a survey of the nome. This survey is then sent to the central government which determines what taxes should be paid and how many laborers. The regional governor then raises these taxes and drafts the laborers. In additional, they are also in charge of maintaining

Military Regiments The Egyptian Army is divided into divisions of 100 soldiers, 15


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Careers in Egypt are passed down from father to son. The sons of laborers become laborers themselves. The child of a scribe can expect a career just like his father’s. The same goes for officials. Their children are sent to school to learn to read and write so that they can one day take their parents’ positions.

which are broken down into two units of 50 warriors each. Units are then split into five equal squads of 10. Each squad is headed by a lieutenant who reports to the lieutenant of the squad above him. The lieutenant from the first squad is also the commander of the whole unit. When combined as a division, the lieutenant from the first squad in the first unit commands the entire division. This breakdown is often utilized to divide the workforce when working on state projects.

Money Egyptians do not have money in the form of coins or paper. Instead, they use a system of barter based on different weights of valuable metals (mostly copper) and sacks of grain.

Military Advances With the need for a standing army also came a need for improved weapons and armor. The biggest improvement is the addition of metal to wooden shields and arrows. Shields, previously made of animal skins stretched over a wooden frame, are now made of wood with a bronze buckle at the center. Leather armor is now covered in bronze plates.

There are three main monetary units: the deben (the most common unit), which is equivalent to 91 grams of copper; the shenati, which is equal to 7.6 grams of silver; and the kite, which is 9.1 grams of silver. The exchange rate between a sack of grain (barley or emmer) and metal fluctuates considerably depending on supply, but, on average, one deben equals .78 sacks of grain. A sack of grain weighs approximately 77 pounds.

Also, the Hyksos brought with them horses and chariots, which the Egyptians have now worked into their armed forces. The pharaohs adapted the light chariot to carry two men: a driver and a soldier, who carries a composite bow and metal tipped arrows.

Wages Wages are mainly paid in sacks of grain. Payments are made monthly, and amounts depend upon the recipients’ level in society. Foremen and scribes usually receive two sacks of barley and five and a half sacks of emmer each month. Simple laborers can expect four sacks of barley and one and a half sacks of emmer. Apprentices and other assistants on the bottom of the wage chart normally receive one and a half sacks of barley and a half sack of emmer.

Military Transport Surrounded by desert on almost all sides, the Egyptians have many problems transporting support material to troops fighting outside of the Nile Empire. Initially, this was done using donkeys and mules, but the cost of feed plus lack of reliability eventually scuttled this plan. Sea transport failed due to the poor skills of Egyptian sailors.

Due to fluctuations in the exchange rate between metals and grain, the amount of goods the workers receive each month varies. However, on average, laborers receive seven deben worth of grain each month and foremen get 9.5 deben worth.

Sick Leave and Vacation There are no such things as sick leave or vacation. If a worker misses work for any reason, the absence is recorded by the local scribe, and the worker has to make up the time lost. Continued or chronic absences result in swift and often painful punishment. On the other hand, exemplary peformance is rewarded.

The solution is twofold. First, troops are force-marched for long distances to get to their destination as quickly as possible. They live off the land as much as they can. Second, and most importantly, the Egyptians have become quite adept at creating and maintaining military bases. Armies establish depots as they advance, to even out the sporadic arrival of overland convoys.

Material Cost A person can pay with goods valued at a certain amount of deben in exchange for whatever he or she wishes to purchase. Purchases are also allowed with credit, noting what is paid towards the total of the item being purchased and what remains. Some sample costs of items appear on Table 3-9.

Egyptian Economics The economy in Egypt is highly structured and, like everything else, administered by the state. The central government provides everything that people need to survive, plus a small wage to allow them a certain degree of personal freedom. The majority of this wage is usually saved to purchase tomb decorations, but a worker can still live reasonably well.

Funerary Cost The majority of a person’s saved wages go towards purchasing the materials with which to furnish his or her tomb. These include clothing, furniture, food, vessels, statues, and basically anything else the individual thinks will be necessary in the afterlife.

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prime farmland; and new islands created by the floods.

Reservoirs and Irrigation By the time of the New Kingdom, a series of reservoirs have been created to regulate the flow of water and to allow for greater control of the land. After the Nile has flooded and receded, the land often becomes dry and barren again. The reservoirs are connected to a series of canals monitored by the viziers and the regional governors, which can be opened to allow irrigation. This arrangement greatly increases the amount of workable land. The canals also act as transportation routes. A boat can travel the canals from the Nile as far as the Red Sea and can be tied up anywhere along the way so that there is no need for harbors and docks.

Planting and Harvesting Planting season runs from mid-October to November. A variety of crops are planted, but grain is the most prevalent with emmer and barley being the most common. Emmer (a thick-husked, two-kernel strand of wheat) is good for everyday use, but barley is also desirable as an ingredient in beer.

On average, a simple laborer has about 200 deben or two and a half years’ salary to spend on his tomb. An official or scribe can afford roughly 1,000 deben. Pharaohs, viziers, and other high-ranking members of the Empire spend vastly more. It is said that the golden mask of one pharaoh cost an estimated 245,000 deben, and this was only a small bit of what was in his tomb!

Crops are cultivated for the next six months, and in April and May they are harvested. The yield is stored in massive granaries where scribes keep careful count, using various inks. Black is typically used for barley and red for emmer. Scribes document the allocation of the crops to state bakeries and to laborers.

Worker’s Rights As with any economy, some times are better than others, and problems arise at the low points. When the economy breaks down in Egypt, the workers suffer the most. Oftentimes there are shortages of food, and wages won’t be paid for several months.

Gardens On top of the large amounts of land used for general farming, many Egyptians keep gardens as well. The pharaoh has lush gardens at the royal palace, and the average citizen can maintain one as well. A tax is due (usually a portion of the harvest) for the privilege of using the land for a garden and keeping what is grown.

For the most part, there is nothing that can be done. If a group of workers speaks out against the government, they are punished. Consequently, most remain silent and get along as best they can until the shortages pass.

Gardens are walled enclosures separated by a series of canals. They contain a variety of vegetation, but most feature some sort of shade tree, a few shrubs, and some vegetables. A typical garden might include any of the following: date and dom palm trees, carob-trees, tamarisks, willows, persimmons, figs, pomegranates, mandrakes, garlic, onions, beans, leeks, lettuce, lentils, pumpkins, melons, caraway, coriander, juniper berries, castor beans, sesame, safflower, medicinal plants, and grapes. Grapes grow exceptionally well in parts of Egypt, and vast vineyards are constructed to house them. They are picked when ripe and used to make fine wine.

Agriculture Agriculture in Egypt is predicated on the Nile. The ebb and flow of this river is the basis for all aspects, both cultural and economic, of Egyptian society.

Inundation and Fertilization The spring and summer monsoon rains in lower Africa, principally Ethiopia and the Sudan, swell the Nile to the point of bursting its banks. Torrents of water flood the river, causing the Egyptian people to move their homes and livestock. This inundation continues until around September, when the waters once again become calm. By October, the floodwaters recede, leaving the previously drowned land covered in fresh soil.

Lumber and Other Crops At one time there were forests along the banks of the Nile. This timber was eventually cut down and used for roofs, wooden support columns, ships, furniture and coffins. Wood was also used as fuel for fires needed to create ceramic and metal items.

This thick black mud is a magnificent fertilizer and allows the farmers to grow the thick, lush vegetation for which Egypt is known. After the annual flood, the land is divided by the government into highlands, previous floodplains with vegetation already on it; low-lying land, which becomes

The state regulates the use of wood. For larger trees, permis17


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sion to cut must come directly from a vizier or the pharaoh. Some woods, mainly hardwoods, are unavailable on the banks of the Nile and are imported, but these are reserved for royal use.

Cattle Cows are prized above all other domesticated animals. They are used for transportation, to pull heavy loads, to work in the fields, for milk, for meat, and as sacrifices to the gods.

Other than wood and grain, the main crop planted is flax, which is used to make linen garments. These clothes are prized possessions and are saved for special occasions such as festivals.

Cows are kept in pastures in the marshes created by the flooding of the Nile. Herds are named and branded to designate ownership. The allocation of cattle falls to a special government official: the pharaoh’s cattle overseer.

Controlling Agriculture All of Egypt belongs solely to the pharaoh. This includes not just the land itself, but all of the vegetation grown on it, the people who work it, and even the water that falls onto it from the sky.

Short-legged oxen are the most common type used for sacrificial offerings. They are separated from the rest of the herd and fattened When it is time for an offering, their throats are slit. The Egyptians are very knowledgeable about their cattle and keep documented records on various types of

The land is split into units known as estates. These consist of villages with fields for growing crops and buildings for processing them. Estates are about 23 to 54 aruras (14 to 33 acres) in size and controlled by a provincial official. Certain high-ranking individuals, including military veterans, are granted plots of land to work as their own to ensure them an income. These plots range from three to five aruras (2 to 3 acres) in size. Most work is done by bondsmen. These are ordinary citizens bonded to work for the state. They can be forced to work the fields. After harvest, a percentage of the yield is paid as taxes to the state granaries. The amount that has to be given over is determined by the government during the previous inundation. Each year a new survey is taken to determine how much will be required. If this quota is not met, the provincial official is beaten. It is therefore not uncommon for him to dispense this same treatment to his bonded workers an incentive to make sure they make quota.

The main mode of transportation in Egypt is the donkey.

The harvests collected in the granaries must provide for an entire year, paying the salaries of all citizens from laborers to scribes and officials. When the amount collected does not fulfill this need, salaries are not paid. This occasionally causes laborers to strike, resulting in the military having to quell them. Working in the fields is hard and not something to which the typical Egyptian aspires. Field workers are often seen as little more than slaves.

bovine diseases. Before any cow is used for an offering, its health is checked, including its smell. The cow must be in perfect condition to be offered to the gods, lest they be offended.

Livestock Egyptians keep a variety of animals as beasts of burden, for the production of meat and milk, and to acquire skins, pelts, wool, horns, eggs, fats, and other useful materials. While herds of animals are raised in the kingdom, the pharaoh often raids neighboring countries to seize livestock and other treasures for the Empire.

Sheep, Goats, and Pigs Beyond cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs are the main domesticated animals in Egypt. Sheep are valued for their fine wool and fat. Goats give milk, and their hides make excellent water 18


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skins. Pigs are a popular food source, but are not otherwise prized. All of these beasts are used as sacrificial offerings and are checked as thoroughly as cattle.

Poultry and Fish

Egyptian Measurements

Hunters use nets to capture chickens, ducks, geese, quail, pigeons, turtledoves, cranes, and swans. Some are eaten right away, but many are transported to farms where they are fattened.

Egyptians have an advanced system of measurement. What follows is a list of the most common measurements:

Fish is a staple of the Egyptian diet. Fish are caught along the Nile and the river delta using nets, hooks, and baskets.

Exotic Animals In addition to domesticated animals, exotic ones are caught and used for sacrificial offerings and other purposes. Antelopes and gazelles are prized for their horns. Ibexes are sometimes captured as are hyenas, though the latter can never be domesticated. They are nonetheless used as sacrifices.

Egyptian

Metric Equivalent

Cubit

52.5 cm

Hand

7.5 cm

Finger

1.875 cm

Hin

.48l

Deben

91g

Kite

9.1g

Transportation The main mode of transportation in Egypt is the donkey. Camels and horses are available, but neither of them is used much. Horses of this period are not large enough to bear riders. Donkeys are valued nearly as highly as cattle, and a donkey rental services exist, charging three times the price of a female slave.

Citizens who are not high ranking officials or members of the royal family have simple, utilitarian houses built of hardened mud and some wood. These houses are all built in roughly the same configuration in accordance with a plan devised by the state to optimize space.

Taxation Animals are taxed like everything else in Egypt. Each year after harvest, they are counted and taxes levied. The owner can pay with grain, precious metals, or even a portion of the livestock.

The front door opens into a hallway that leads into the main living area. Most workers sleep on beds, but sometimes a part of the room is raised on bricks to denote it as the sleeping area. Beds are raised to keep away rats and other vermin.

Architecture When we think of Egyptian architecture, we think of the pyramids, temples, the Sphinx, and other monumental structures. However, these structures are the exception rather than the rule.

To the rear of this room is a door to the kitchen, which has a stairway leading to the roof. The roof serves numerous purposes. It is where firewood is stored, wash lines are hung, and children play.

Building Materials

The kitchen is little more than an enclosed yard. Because food is often prepared over an open flame, the roof does not extend over the kitchen. A millstone for grinding flour and wheat, a fireplace for cooking, and an oven for baking bread are the most common kitchen implements. Earthen jars are used for storage with the contents inscribed on the outside.

Much like agriculture, construction is dependent upon the ebb and flow of the Nile. When the floodwaters recede, a wealth of thick mud is left behind. This mud serves as a good, if not long-lasting, building material. Workers gather the mud and, using wooden frames, form it into bricks that are left in the sun to dry. Once hardened, these bricks become the buildings in most worker settlements.

To the rear of the kitchen, a small set of steps leads down to a low cellar. Perishable items are kept here, out of the sun. In total, the interior of these houses is around 750 square feet not counting the roof.

These buildings often last only a short time since sun-baking does not harden the bricks as well as firing. Unused buildings can be ground up and the material spread across the fields as fertilizer since it retains many of the same properties of fresh mud.

Furnishings Most Egyptian furnishings are very utilitarian. Mats made of woven plant fibers cover the floors. Linen hangings adorn the walls.

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Chairs are usually made of wood. Designs range from a simple straight-back or stool to a folding chair and even a recliner with cushions and backrests. Tables are less elaborate, built entirely of wood or with wooden frames and stone tops. All tables are small. The idea of a large table with an entire group sitting at it is alien to Egyptians. Instead each person sits at his or her own small table facing the others in a sort of ancient precursor to the TV tray.

need or want.

Lifestyles While some parts of Egyptian culture remain shrouded in mystery to this day, much of its history was chronicled on the walls of temples and tombs. From the records a good picture of the culture can be pieced together, including what Early Egyptians ate, how they lived, and what they wore.

Dwellings are designed with wall niches for household items such as clothing. More affluent (though still not upper class) households have wooden chests, boxes, and sometimes other woven material such as blankets.

Food Staples As in most cultures, Egyptian dietary habits differ greatly between the lower and the upper classes. Some items are universal. Diet is almost solely based on grains.

Royal Palace The royal palace is actually but one of many places in which the pharaoh resides. It is mainly an administrative structure. The pharaoh spends most of his time in the royal residence. Like many structures of its kind, the palace is designed to show the power and presence of the pharaoh and his kingdom.

In addition to grain, lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas are staples of the lower classes. They also eat fish, poultry (geese, pigeons, and ducks), goat’s meat, mutton, and pork. The upper classes have a bit more from which to choose, including lettuce, onions, garlic, pumpkins, grapes, figs, dates, dom palm nuts, pomegranates, and, most importantly, beef. Cattle are very expensive, and the average citizen doesn’t have the space to raise a cow or to butcher it.

In addition to the palace and residence, the pharaoh also has a temple to his patron god so that he may worship. These three ideas — administration, worship, and residence — have been a cornerstone of the pharaohs’ reign since the dawn of the Empire.

Delicacies

There are few records of royal palaces from the time in which WAR IN HELIOPOLIS is set. The one described here is based on that of Amenophis III. This is thought to have been built about 200 years later than the period of our adventure, but is a similar New Kingdom construction.

The main delicacy for the upper class is meat. Besides beef, they also prize the meat of antelopes, gazelles, and ibexes.

The palace is an immense structure with several courtyards and long, pillared hallways. To the rear of the central hall is a smaller room with four sandstone pillars and a raised seat. This is the throne room. To get here, one has to enter the first courtyard, travel its length, turn right and travel down a hallway, turn right again and travel down a small, pillared hall, before turning left and coming upon the central hall. From the central hall a person can walk straight on to the throne room.

Hygiene

The other delicacy reserved for the upper class is wine. While almost everyone has access to barley and can make beer, only the upper class has vineyards and winepresses. Hygiene is very important to Egyptians. Insects and vermin are always present, and the people of the Nile have many methods of combating them. To get rid of fleas, they sprinkle the house with natron water or grind bebt (fleabane) into charcoal and rub the house with it. Most people bathe in the Nile or one of the canals. Bathrooms are luxuries available to only the richest citizens. Egyptian bathrooms are much the same as modern ones with a shower and a toilet, although sometimes these facilities are in two separate rooms as in well-made homes in the 21st Century AD.

Off to each side of the central hall are four rooms, which house the pharaoh’s chief advisors. Two of these rooms are reserved for viziers visiting the pharaoh. Doorways at the rear of the throne room open on three more rooms: the pharaoh’s bedroom, a bathroom, and one for the pharaoh’s personal servants. A door in the pharoah’s room opens on a series of courtyards for the pharaoh’s private use.

Soap is made of natron and animal and vegetable fat mixed with limestone or chalk to give it grit. Perfumes are also used and consist of incense, styptic, myrrh, and the kyphipastilles (a mixture of the above combined with fenugreek seeds and juniper berries).

The wife of the pharaoh is housed alone in an adjacent building. Constructed in much the same way as the palace, the queen’s building has a series of courtyards, halls, and living quarters exclusively for her.

Clothing Egyptians prefer white, light clothing to help abate the intense heat, although dyeing of fabrics is common. The main ingredients for dye come from plants — safflower for red, woad for blue, and pomegranate tree bark for yellow.

Numerous other buildings form the “royal complex”: kitchens, stables, temples, and anything else the pharaoh may 20 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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The Cosmos

While styles change, clothing during the New Kingdom is characterized by baggy tunics for men and wraparound dresses held in place by a large sash for women. Wigs are popular accessories among both sexes. Footwear consists of either hand-woven sandals made from plant fibers for the lower classes and more expensive leather for the upper classes.

In the beginning there was a primordial sea, or nun, upon which floated Atum, the creator surrounded by chaos. After floating for an immeasurable amount of time, Atum found a place upon which he could stand, the primeval mound.

Family Units Egyptian families normally include spouses and any children who haven’t reached the age of maturity. Rich families also have servants, sometimes more than 100. Egyptian families are insular and not particularly close to distant relatives. Their language has no words for aunt, uncle, cousin, and the like. To speak of these individuals, one must refer to one’s cousin as my mother’s sister’s daughter.

Atum stood upon the primeval mound and decided to create other gods. From himself, he formed Shu (the air), Tefnut (moisture), Nut (the heavens), and Geb (the Earth). These gods helped Atum create the world and became the parents of the rest of the gods.

Couples are married once the man can support both himself and his wife. There is no state or religious administration regarding marriage. The couple merely announce their intention to be married and then move in together. The wife usually moves to her husband’s home, but, more rarely, the opposite is sometimes true.

Out of the primordial sea, the gods raised a great disk with Egypt in its center. This was the world, as we know it. The primordial sea still surrounds this disk, and the Nile is fed by the sea, which in turn feeds the land and eventually flows back into the ocean. The Nile splits the world in half from north to south, and the path the sun travels divides it from west to east. The Great Empire of Egypt exists from the cataracts of the Nile to the Mediterranean Sea and from the desert mountains to the East and to the West, which hide the rising and setting of the sun. Beyond the Empire lie the lands of chaos, ruled by evil enemies and populated by all manner of horrors.

The purpose of marriage is to produce children. The more children a couple has, the more support they can expect in their later years and the greater their legacy. A couple without children is considered a tragedy, and female servants, often slaves, are sometimes brought into the home to bear a child. A child produced in this manner is recognized as legitimate. A woman gives birth in a structure erected on the roof and stays there for two weeks afterwards, engaging in ritual purification.

At the four farthest corners of the disk, gigantic pillars support the heavens. The sky is an immense dome across which Amun-Re sails as the sun each day and Konshu as the moon and upon which the gods who are the stars play at night. This dome is surrounded by the primordial sea and is the body of the sky goddess, Nut. Her fingers and toes touch each of the pillars forming the horizon, and her back is the arch of the dome on which the gods travel and play. When the primordial sea reaches a point where it overflows the banks of Heaven, it cascades down upon the land in the form of rain.

Women raise children until the youngsters reach an age at which they can begin learning a trade. At this point, they accompany their fathers to work. Alternatively, they may be sent to trade schools where, they are taught to read, write, and do arithmetic.

Religion

Beneath the disk lies the Underworld, the land of the dead, which is also surrounded by the primordial sea. The Underworld is a dark reflection of the disk of the world. A great river flows through the Underworld from west to east much like the Nile flows from south to north. Each night, Amun-Re travels back to the western heavens on this river so he may light the sky once again the following day. As he travels, Amun-Re is attacked by all manner of demons. The greatest of these is Apophis, who longs to destroy Amun-Re and take over the universe. A cadre of gods, including the sinister Set, protects Amun-Re from these evils.

Egyptian religion is marked by a strong belief in the power of the sun. The sun god, Amun-Re, is the most powerful divinity. However, in the New Kingdom a shift is occuring: the sun god has tired of handling the mortal world and wishes to withdraw. At about the same time, the cult of Osiris is beginning to gain more power. Also emerging is the notion of the pharaoh as the Horus, or son of the king of the gods. Horus will in turn become the Osiris, or king of the gods upon his ascension to the throne. Thus, Amun-Re, creates the king and in the end decides his fate, but the power lies with the other gods while the pharaoh acts as the mediator between the divine and humankind.

Seeing their children take their place as rulers of the world and with the cycles of life and death set into motion, the creator gods receded into their natures. Geb became like the Earth, stony and unmoving. Nut became the heavens. Shu 21


6

spread himself out over the lands, spreading air throughout the world. Tefnut joined with Nun to become the moisture that feeds the world. Atum drew back once again to the edge of chaos to watch over his creations from afar until the time when the cycle will be broken and the world will fall back into chaos. Then he will have to go forth and remake the world again.

belonged. The ka is sent to the Underworld, where it awaits reunification with its ba. The ba must now seek the ka. This is not an easy task. It may only travel to the Underworld after the sun has set and the god Amun-Re is there. Once in the Underworld, the ba must face a series of difficult challenges.

Religious Festivals Despite the importance of religion in Egyptians’ lives, they celebrate almost no festivals. Of those few they do keep, the key one is the Sed Festival, which is performed by the pharaoh after successfully ruling for thirty years. The pharaoh runs a race to show he is still in physical condition to rule. The principle theme of the event is rejuvenation. After the first Sed Festival, the pharaoh holds this event every three years. It is a grand event celebrated throughout the Empire with much pomp and circumstance.

Once reunification occurs, the two become an akh, which is the ideal form of an individual. Akhs are allowed to reside with the gods in Heliopolis in the afterlife. If a person’s ba fails to reunite with the ka, he or she becomes one of the dead. These unfortunates have no hope of living with the gods in Heliopolis and instead become mummies, zombies, vampires, and other monstrous beings. It is of paramount importance that, when a person dies, his or her body is properly cared for and prepared for the journey into the Underworld. If the ba cannot recognize the person’s features, it does not know to merge with the ka, forcing him or her to become one of the dead.

The remaining festivals revolve around local patron deities whose statues are put on barges and paraded past villages along the Nile. Offerings are given to them, and the citizens celebrate another year of prosperity.

Death, Mummification, and Burial The entirety of an Egyptian’s life is the preparation of the body and soul for the trip to the Underworld and passage into eternal life. This is done by preparing the six parts of being: khet, the body; ren, the person’s name; shut, the person’s shadow; ka, the life force; ba, the soul; and akh, the eternal soul formed by the union of the ba and ka in the afterlife.

Mummification When a person dies and is taken for mummification, they are placed on a specially designed couch that allows the priests to work on all sides of the body. First the organs, except for the heart, are removed and placed in canopic jars (special vessels made for the

Death When a person dies, the ba and ka are separated. The ba flies from the body in the form of a bird with the head of the person to whom it

Above the world, the goddess Nut forms the sky.


6

purpose). The jars are placed in a box, which is placed in the tomb near the body. The four sons of Horus are responsible for protecting these organs, and their likenesses can be seen on all canopic jars: Amset, the man; Hapi, the baboon; Qebehsenuf, the falcon; and Duamutef, the jackal. Once the organs are removed, the body is embalmed. First a liquid is poured into the skull, where it hardens to protect the head. Then the body is filled with and covered in natron, a substance that drains the water out of the tissues. This process lasts 40 days. Afterwards, the chest cavity is filled with linen or sawdust to make it seem as lifelike as possible. Then the body is wrapped in bandages. The head is covered in a mask of painted linen (gold for royalty), and spells are said over it to prepare it for burial, the final step towards the journey into the Underworld.

Burial Once the body is mummified, it is placed in a coffin, which is decorated on both the outside and inside. If the deceased can afford it, the coffin is placed within a larger sarcophagus. When the person awakes in the Underworld he or she needs to see what is happening and to be able get out. Therefore, windows and doors are often painted on the inside of the coffin. Even in the afterlife a person is not above having to work. To offset this, the tomb includes images of servants, or shabtis. There can be up to one shabti for every day of the year. Each one allows the person one less day of work. Some well-off individuals even have shabtis of overseers to make sure their servants work. Finally, the coffin, the canopic jars, shabtis, and any other offerings that are to accompany it in the afterlife are carried in a great funeral procession to the necropolis where the person is to be buried. Once there, funeral rites are performed over the body, and it is then placed in its tomb or buried.

Part 3: Characters This portion of the book deals with character information and considerations specific to the WAR IN HELIOPOLIS setting. It offers new Character Classes, new Skills, and other options germane to an Egyptian campaign. All of the material in Part 3 is designated Open Game Content.

Race The only race in the Nile Empire is human. While the setting does include fantastic monsters and warring gods, traditional fantasy races are not appropriate.

Gender Egypt is a male-dominated society. The pharaoh controls everything, and through him power passes down to the men of Egypt. Noble women are often nothing more than wives of men in power. While a woman may have equal rights, she does not hold equal power. Women can own property, appear in court and make contracts, but little more. Female characters adventuring in WAR IN HELIOPOLIS are breaking the mold and setting the stage for later individuals, including the first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, to claim their place as the equals of men.

Standard Character Classes The following standard Character Classes are not allowed: Bard, Druid, Monk, and Paladin. These archetypes do not fit the setting. Further, Barbarian characters must be from a land outside of Egypt. They suffer a -2 penalty to all Charisma Ability and Skill checks when dealing with someone from the Nile Empire due to Egyptian prejudices against those seen as “uncivilized.” Clerics must choose a deity from Part 4 to worship and from which to gain their abilities. They must be of the same alignment as that of their chosen deity. Clerics may use the Spontaneous Casting Class Feature, but, to heal, the character must be of a Lawful Alignment and to inflict damage he or she must be of a Chaotic one. Rangers are allowed in WAR IN HELIOPOLIS, but instead of being at home in forests, their expertise lies in the desert. They know where to get water, how to survive the brutal heat and terrible cold, and their Favored Enemies must have the Desert Terrain designation.

New Character Classes The following classes have been created specifically for WAR IN HELIOPOLIS. Players may choose them at any time in a characters’ career.

Nomad The Nomad is a desert dweller, who travels from oasis to 23 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Table 3-1: Nomad Class Features Level Base Attack

Fort Ref

Will Class Features

Spells per Day 0 1 2 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

+2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11

+1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7

1 1 2 2 3 3

+1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5 +16/+11/+6/+1 +17/+12/+7/+2 +18/+13/+8/+3 +19/+14/+9/+4 +20/+15/+10/+5

+1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7

Whirling Dervish

Desert Bond 1

Desert Bond 2 Mirage Desert Bond 3

Desert Bond 4

Desert Bond 5

oasis, living off what he or she can find or raise amid the sand dunes. Not even Rangers know as much about the desert as a Nomad. While not looked upon favorably in the Empire because they choose to live in the uncivilized wastelands, they are tolerated since they often provide valuable information about the comings and goings of the other, less savory denizens of the desert.

1 1 2 2 3

1 1 2 2

1 1 2

They will tolerate and sometimes make friends with others, particularly Rangers, but they view most everyone else with skepticism. If a character can’t survive a sandstorm on their own, then they aren’t worth the Nomad’s time. Despite this attitude, most Nomads will protect those travelers they find lost and wandering in the desert. However, evil ones do exist. These cutthroats gather bands of like-minded individuals around them and either raid passing caravans or lead naïve travelers into the desert where they rob them and dispose of their remains.

Nomads tend to serve as guides and scouts to those traveling through the desert. They have the best knowledge of this wasteland, its hazards, and the ways around them. Alternately, Nomads may adventure to seek out an enemy that has plagued other members of their clans.

Experienced Nomads are able to disappear in the desert as easily as Rogues step into shadows. Moreover, there are rumors that some of these mysterious people are able to control the sands themselves.

Their organization is tribal. Their clans travel as groups from oasis to oasis. Nomads tend to stick to their own. 24 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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third the Nomad’s character level rounded up.

Hit Die: d8 Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int Modifier) x 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int Modifier Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft,

Scribe Scribes are the chroniclers of the kingdom’s history, protectors of ancient mysteries, and tellers of tales. Some priests and members of the royal family can also read and write, but for the most part, scribes are the only literate individuals in Egypt. Consequently, these librarians are often the only ones who can read the multitudinous scrolls contained in the Empire’s libraries, vaults, and hidden tombs. As Scribes increase in level, they gain contacts among other Scribes, learn new languages, and eventually can cast Arcane Spells.

Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Intuit Direction, Jump, Knowledge (Desert), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Spot, Wilderness Lore

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Nomads are proficient in all simple and martial weapons. They may not wear any type of armor. The desert is too hot for even the lightest types, and they have therefore learned to battle without it.

A career as a Scribe is a lifelong duty. Young men and women who stand out as particularly intelligent are recruited when very young. Once chosen, they leave their families and go into training to learn to read, write, and properly comport themselves among the royal family. They spend years learning these skills before they are apprenticed to another Scribe who is working for a vizier or other government official. After they learn their trade, these historians are assigned their own position and often work at it for the rest of their lives. The pharaoh’s Scribes are usually family members who pass their position down to their children.

Starting Deben: 3d4 x 100 Restrictions: Nomads may not be of Lawful Alignment. They

are free spirits who prefer to wander with the desert winds. Many (though not all) are Chaotic in Alignment as a result.

Class Features: Nomads have the following Class Features, which they gain at a rate indicated on Table 3-1. Whirling Dervish (Ex): Due to their lack of armor, Nomads

have developed a fighting technique based around spinning and slashing attacks. When a Nomad is wielding a sword in an open area, the character may spin to attack. To do so, he or she makes a Balance Skill check at DC 10. If successful, the Nomad gains a +2 Circumstance Bonus to attack rolls and AC. The character may perform this ability for as many times per round as he or she has attacks. Each successful use of Whirling Dervish grants an additional +2 Circumstance Bonus. The maximum bonus that may be gained is +6. If the character fails one of the Balance checks, the bonuses are lost. AC Bonuses last until the character’s next turn.

While not skilled at fighting, Scribes are indispensable to a party for their knowledge and contacts. Just as a Rogue has contacts among the underground who can procure key information in less savory fields, a Scribe can approach the person sitting at the right hand of the pharaoh himself. Despite their lack of battlefield prowess, they are capable of defending themselves when put to the test. It is rumored Scribes know secret techniques they only teach each other.

Desert Bond (Ex): Beginning at 4th Level and every four levels thereafter, the character gains innate insight into the workings of the desert, its denizens, and its hazards. Nomads gain a +2 Class Bonus to all Handle Animal, Hide, Intuit Direction, Knowledge (Desert), Move Silently, and Wilderness Lore checks each time they gain this ability. The bonus is only usable on rolls made while in the desert.

Hit Die: d4 Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int Modifier) x 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int Modifier Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script,

Diplomacy, Forgery, Gather Information, Hieroglyphics, Innuendo, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Profession, Read Lips, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Spot, Use Magic Device.

Mirage (Su): At 10th Level, the Nomad learns how to blend into the desert so well it seems as if he or she were never there. The character fades from sight, his or her footprints disappear, and even a steed upon which the character rides vanishes. The only way to see such a Nomad is to perceive the heat rising from his or her body (the wavy lines in a mirage). To do so, the observer must succeed at a Spot check against a DC of twice the character’s level. At night the character cannot be seen without magical means.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scribes are proficient with all

simple weapons. They have no official need for armor and so are not trained to use it.

Starting Deben: 2d4 x 100 Class Features: Scribes have the following Class Features, which they gain at a rate shown on Table 3-2.

Literacy, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, and Stunning Fist Feats: The character gains each of

Spells (Sp): Beginning at 15th Level, Nomads are able to

cast Divine Spells. Saving Throws against their spells are 10 + spell level + Wisdom Modifier. They may learn any spells in the Domains of their deity. A Nomad prepares and casts spells just as a Cleric does but does not benefit from the Spontaneous Casting Class Feature. Caster Level is one

these bonus Feats for free at the level indicated on Table 3-2 as a benefit of the class.

Scribe Network (Ex): Scribes frequently network among each

other, and this ability represents one of their greatest assets: the ability to get information and other help from colleagues.


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Table 3-2: Scribe Class Features Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Base Attack

Fort

Ref

Will

Class Features

+0

+0

+0

+2

Literacy Feat

+1

+0

+0

+3

Improved Unarmed Strike Feat

+1

+1

+1

+3

Scribe Network

+2

+1

+1

+4

Lightning Reflexes Feat

+2

+1

+1

+4

Scribe Network

+3

+2

+2

+5

Dodge Feat

+3

+2

+2

+5

Scroll Spells

+4

+2

+2

+6

Scribe Network

+4

+3

+3

+6

+5

+3

+3

+7

Scribe Network

+5

+3

+3

+7

Mobility Feat

+6/+1

+4

+4

+8

Scribe Network

+6/+1

+4

+4

+8

Copy Scroll

+7/+2

+4

+4

+9

Scribe Network

+7/+2

+5

+5

+9

+8/+3

+5

+5

+10

Scribe Network

+8/+3

+5

+5

+10

Stunning Fist Feat

+9/+4

+6

+6

+11

Scribe Network

+9/+4

+6

+6

+11

+10/+5

+6

+6

+12

Scribe Network

Each time the character gains this ability, he or she may choose a new contact of equal or lesser level. This other Scribe will assist the character in most things. The contact will provide any information to which he or she is privy, perform favors, and otherwise help out where needed. The contact will not engage in any activities that are patently illegal (and thus dangerous to his or her position), but he or she may be willing to slide information to the character the Scribe is not authorized to see.

It’s important to remember that the character is part of the Scribe Network too. He or she is someone else’s contact too. Thus, while the character can call on his or her contacts for assistance, they can return the favor. Enterprising GM’s can use this as an adventure hook or just a means to cause the character a little trouble.

Contacts who are higher in level work in correspondingly higher stations. Scribes of local officials are typically 1st through 5th Level. Governors employ Scribes from 6th through 10th Level. A vizier’s or member of the royal family’s Scribe ranges between 11th and 15th Levels, and the pharaoh’s scribe exceeds 15th Level.

Copy Scroll (Ex): The Scribe has now become proficient enough in the use of magical scrolls that he or she may make copies of any existing ones. This ability works exactly like the Scribe Scroll Feat, except that the character must copy a scroll to which he or she has access. Because they are not spellcasters themselves, Scribes can inscribe a spell onto a

Scroll Spells (Sp): Beginning at 7th Level, a Scribe can cast Arcane Spells from scrolls per the rules for Wizards. The character cannot use divine scrolls.


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scroll from memory.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int Modifier) x 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int Modifier Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy,

Trader Egypt is a center for numerous trade routes running between Africa and the Middle East. With bandits roaming the highways, only the toughest individuals travel these paths. There are many merchants, sailors, and other sellers of wares in Egypt and the surrounding lands, but none of these can truly call themselves a Trader.

Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Innuendo, Intuit Direction, Knowledge (Arcana), Listen, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Use Rope

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Traders are proficient in all simple and martial weapons. They are also capable in light and medium armors and shields.

Traders deal in just about everything. They earn a living by not only determining if something is valuable but also to whom that useless piece of junk is priceless. Most are loners who pick up other outsiders along the way and teach them their ways. Sometimes a Trader has a family and the children will follow in their parent’s footsteps, but unlike other trades in Egypt, this is the exception rather than the rule.

Starting Deben: 6d4 x 100 Class Features: Traders benefit from the Class Features listed

below. They gain them at a rate shown on Table 3-3.

Trading Goods: Traders begin the game with the highest

amount of deben. However, they must use this not only to outfit themselves but also to buy goods that they will sell or trade. A trader with slim offerings will have difficulty

Hit Die: d8

Table 3-3: Trader Class Features Level

Base Attack

Fort

Ref

Will

Class Features

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

+0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5

+2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12

+0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6

+2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12

Trading Goods Iron Will Feat Weapon Focus Feat Jack of All Trades 1 Toughness Feat Weapon Focus Feat Jack of All Trades 2 Toughness Feat Weapon Focus Feat Jack of All Trades 3 Weapon Focus Feat

Jack of All Trades 4


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making a living.

There can only be one Avatar for each god, and that power comes at a great price. If the character is killed while the link to the deity is still intact, the god is destroyed as well. Fortunately, only the dreaded Godslayers have the ability to kill an Avatar while the link is still active. A regular mortal who kills an Avatar severs the link by doing so.

Iron Will, Weapon Focus, and Toughness Feats: Traders gain these Feats for free at the levels indicated on Table 3-3. Weapon Focus and Toughness are gained multiple times. Jack-of-all-Trades (Ex): Because they deal with so many

different people in so many different situations, Traders pick up a lot of extraneous skills and bits of trivia. Each time the character gains a level in this Class Feature, he or she gains an additional 10 Skill Points to spend. The character may purchase new Skills or add to existing ones, but the maximum number of ranks that a Skill can improve in this fashion is eight. These extra points represent little tricks and tidbits, not actual training or practical experience.

NPC avatars are often powerful evil beings serving gods such as Set and Sokar. They make great master villains for games.

Requirements: Base Attack Bonus +8, Same Alignment as

Patron God, Worship Skill: 5 Ranks, Knowledge (Patron God) Skill: 5 Ranks, Leadership Feat

Hit Die: d12 Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier per level Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Bluff, Concentration, Craft,

Prestige Classes The following Prestige Classes are all a part of the setting. GM’s may wish to restrict some of them from the players (such as pharaoh).

Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Worship

Avatar

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Avatar is proficient in all simple and martial weapons.

The pharaoh is not just the ruler of the Nile Empire, he is the living embodiment of Horus, son and heir of Osiris. The other gods of the Great Ennead have their embodiments walking the Earth as well.

Class Features: All of the following are Class Features of the Avatar. Table 3-4 illustrates the rate at which they are gained. Touch of the Divine: The character’s patron god coveys a

bonus from its Primary Ability. The Avatar’s score in the deity’s Primary Ability increases by one permanently. Each god’s Primary Ability is listed in Part 4.

While they can influence the world with their powers, the gods cannot physically enter the mortal plane. That is why they need Avatars: mortal vessels filled with their power.

Lesser Divine Magic (Sp): Each time the Avatar gains this feature,

Table 3-4: Avatar Class Features Level

Base Attack

Fort

Ref

Will

Class Features

1

+0

+2

+0

+2

Touch of the Divine

2

+1

+3

+0

+3

Lesser Divine Magic 1

3

+2

+3

+1

+3


4

+3

+4

+1

+4

Moderate Divine Magic 1

5

+3

+4

+1

+4


6

+4

+5

+2

+5


7

+5

+5

+2

+5


8

+6/+1

+6

+2

+6

Metamorphosis

9

+6/+1

+6

+3

+6

Greater Divine Magic

10

+7/+2

+7

+3

+7

Immortality


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Table 3-5: Godslayer Class Features Level

Base Attack

Fort

Ref

Will

Class Features

1

+1

+2

+0

+2

Lesser Divine Hunter, Lesser Divine Magic 1, Fist of the Divine

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

+2 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +10/+5

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

+0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Lesser Divine Magic 2 Greater Divine Hunter Divine Assassin Metamorphosis Immortality

Godslayer

he or she may choose a spell from any of his or her patron’s Domains. This spell becomes a Spell-like Special Quality that the character may cast once per day. Lesser Divine Magic 1 allows the character to choose 1st Level Spells only. Lesser Divine Magic 2 permits the choice of 1st or 2nd Level spells.

If avatars are the living embodiment of the gods they serve, then Godslayers are the god’s hitmen. Godslayers do not have the wide access to a god’s power of an Avatar; the divine energy that flows through them is focused on one thing only: killing a god, and not just any god. When a Godslayer is created, he or she is given the task of seeking out and killing the Avatar of a specific deity and, in doing so, killing the god who is the target’s patron.

Moderate Divine Magic (Sp): This ability works exactly like

Lesser Divine Magic except that the spells chosen are more powerful. Characters with Moderate Divine Magic 1 may choose 3rd Level Spells. Those with Moderate Divine Magic 2 may choose 3rd or 4th Level spells.

Godslayers are not set upon the world lightly. They are singleminded individuals created by a god bent on stopping his or her enemy once and for all. Characters who become Godslayers are not the same as they were before this awful transformation. They are now focused solely on their ultimate goal and at times seem aloof, even distant.

Greater Divine Magic (Sp): Like Moderate Divine Magic,

this ability works just like Lesser Divine Magic except that spell chosen is of 5th Level.

Metamorphosis (Su): The character can transform into the sacred animal of the patron deity once per day. If the deity has more than one sacred animal, the Avatar may choose one of them as the form he or she will assume. Transformation takes one round.

NPC Godslayers are among the greatest threats a party can face. They are high-level enemies who have been given the added advantage of being blessed by their god. Defeating one is quite an accomplishment.

Immortality (Su): Once achieving this level of power, the

Avatar does not die when he or she reaches 0 or fewer hit points. Instead the character falls into a coma-like state and remains that way until healed. Upon reaching 1 Hit Point, the character awakens. While in this state, the Avatar may be bound or trapped, but he or she will not age nor will the character die. An Avatar with this power can only be destroyed if his or her patron god severs the link between them or at the hands of a Godslayer.

Requirements: Base Attack Bonus +10, Same Alignment as Patron God, Worship Skill: 3 Ranks, Knowledge (Enemy God) Skill: 5 Ranks, Leadership Feat, Chosen Enemy (see below). Hit Die: d12 Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier per level Class Skills: Climb, Concentration, Disable Device, Gather

Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently,


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Table 3-6: Pharaoh Class Features Level

Base Attack

Fort

Ref

Will

Class Features

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

+0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2

+0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

+0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

+2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Alertness Feat Protection from Chaos 2/Day Protection from Evil 2/Day Divine Kingship Endure Heat 1/Day Wisdom of the Crown Turn Undead Shield of Law 1/Week Holy Aura 1/Week Eternal Champion

Greater Divine Hunter (Su): The Godslayer is now capable

Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Use Rope

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Godslayers are proficient in all

of killing Avatars of up to 9th Level and thus slaying their patron deity.

Chosen Enemy: When the Godslayer is created, the target of

Divine Assassin (Su): At this level, the character may now slay

simple and martial weapons and in all types of armor.

his or her quest must be designated. The player in conjunction with the GM declares which god the character is meant to kill. Once chosen, this cannot be changed. The character was given the power of the Godslayer for the specific purpose of destroying the selected deity.

even immortal Avatars, killing their patron gods in the process.

Class Features: Godslayers benefit from the following Class

Immortality (Su): At 10th Level, the Godslayer can only be killed by the Avatar of the god he or she has sworn to destroy. If reduced to 0 or less Hit Points by anyone or anything else, the character simply falls into a coma-like state and remains that way until he or she recovers enough to have 1 Hit Point. While in this state, the Godslayer may be bound or trapped but does not age and will not die.

Metamorphosis (Su): The character may change shape into the sacred animal of his or her patron deity once per day. If the god has more than one sacred animal, the character may choose which form he or she will assume.

Features, which they gain at a rate shown on Table 3-5.

Lesser Divine Hunter (Su): Initially, a Godslayer can kill

Avatars of up to 5th Level. If they do so while the link to the patron god is still active, the character successfully slays the deity as well.

Lesser Divine Magic (Sp): Like an Avatar, a Godslayer may choose a spell from any of his or her patron deity’s Domains and cast it once per day as a Spell-like Special Quality. Lesser Divine Magic 1 allows the character to choose a 1st Level spell. Lesser Divine Magic 2 permits a choice of 1st and 2nd Level spells.

Pharaoh The Pharaoh is King of the Nile Empire, the son of Re, and the living embodiment Horus. He is the unquestioned ruler of the state, and his word is law. He is also the protector of maat, and the insurer of peace, prosperity, and wealth for all. Obviously, there can be only one Pharaoh at a time.

Fist of the Divine: As a manifestation of the patron god’s

majesty, the character gains a permanent +2 increase in the same ability as the patron’s Primary Ability. Each god’s Primary Ability is listed in Part 4.

Characters who become Pharaoh have their work cut out for them. They not only have to appease the masses but the 30


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acter must be acknowledged as the rightful successor to the throne. There are three ways to establish legitimacy. The first, and easiest, is to be of the royal family. A character who is a direct relative of the departed pharaoh and who is named as the successor, can assume the office with little resistance.

gods themselves. Pharaoh is not an easy job and should not be taken lightly. An NPC Pharaoh can be the benefactor or bane of an adventuring group. He may hire them to complete missions for the state or send them on dangerous assignments he trusts no one else to complete. On the other hand, if the party crosses the Pharaoh, it may find itself hunted to the ends of the Earth by his agents or placed on the front lines of a hopeless battle against Set’s forces.

The second method requires the character to be the Avatar of Horus. If this is the case, the character can legitimately claim to be the rightful ruler of the Empire. The clergy will support this claim, causing a civil war if there is resistance to the character’s attempt to rule. If a pretender is on the throne, he will have to rely on his loyalists to resist the character’s challenge. Most of the kingdom will side with Horus’ Avatar.

Requirements: Base Attack Bonus +7, Bluff Skill: 8 Ranks,

Charioteering Skill: 8 Ranks, Diplomacy Skill: 12 Ranks, Innuendo Skill: 8 Ranks, Knowledge (Religion) Skill: 8 Ranks, Leadership Feat, Literacy Feat, Right of Ascension (see below)

The third and most difficult means is for the character to stage a coup without being the Avatar of Horus. For this method to succeed, the character must have the support and endorsement of at least one vizier. Without it, his authority to rule will not be recognized, even if the coup is successful. The character will spend the entirety of a very short reign fighting off challengers.

Hit Die: d8 Skill Points: 2 + Int Modifier per level Class Skills: Bluff, Charioteering, Concentration, Decipher

Script, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Hieroglyphics, Innuendo, Intimidate, Listen, Knowledge (Nile Empire), Knowledge (Religion), Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, Worship.

Without the Right of Ascension, none of the benefits of this class are available. Even if the character manages to win the throne, he or she cannot employ any Class Features or other abilities of the Pharaoh Class. He may be nominally in charge, but without authority to rule, the gods will not grant him their blessing.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Pharaoh is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. He is also trained in the use of all armor. Right of Ascension: Not just anyone can become Pharaoh. The char-

Class Features:

following s h e

Pharaoh benefits from the Class Features, which he or gains at a rate shown on Table 3-6.

Alertness: At

1st Level the Pharaoh gains the Alertness Feat at no cost.

Protection from Chaos (Sp): Twice

per day, the Pharaoh can cast the Divine


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Adventure Seeds

52

Table 3-7: Weapons The following is a list of weapons typically used by the Egyptians. The most common weapon was the khopesh, which is a slightly curved sword about the size of a broadsword but without a tip. Note that, in many cases, a new damage die has been listed to account for Bronze Age weapons being less effective than their Iron Age cousins. A weapon’s Critical Threat number does not change from the standard listing.

Simple Weapons Damage

Cost in Deben

Club Dagger Dart Javelin Quarterstaff Shortspear Sling Bullets (10)

— 20 5 10 — 20 — 1

1d6 1d4 1d4 1d6 1d6/1d6 1d6 1d4 —

Martial Weapons Damage

Cost in Deben

Battle-axe 1d6 Handaxe 1d4 Khopesh 1d6 Lance, light 1d6 Net* — Scimitar 1d4 Shortbow 1d6 Arrows (20) — Shortbow, composite 1d6 Arrows (20) — Sword, short 1d4 Whip* 1d2 (subdual)

100 60 120 80 50 150 300 10 750 10 100 10

* These weapons are usually listed as Exotic Weapons. In this setting they are considered Martial Weapons.

Introduction Egypt: land of the pyramids, the Sphinx, mummies, curses, and biblical plagues. The very name conjures up images of mysteries lost, treasures found, and unspeakable horrors unleashed. This is also the land of the gods. The gods of Egypt weren’t just theoretical entities. They watched over each and every aspect of daily life. The kings of Egypt, the Pharaohs, were themselves the sons of the gods and heirs to their power. But not all of the gods were gracious to the people of the Nile. Some, such as Set, were petty and vindictive, seeking only more power for themselves. Set himself tried to seize command of the gods on numerous occasions, twice murdering his brother Osiris. Each time Isis, Horus, and other gods of Heliopolis stopped him. While the gods warred among themselves, the people of the Nile toiled in their everyday lives, enjoying the benefits of the gods’ protection. Now, though, this shelter has come to an end. So intense is the divine warfare that the gods’ power has faded. They can only extend it to their most devout worshippers. Foreign armies are mustering on the borders of the Empire and new evils are beginning to prowl the streets at night. The people are afraid, and seek new heroes to protect the empire from those that would see it destroyed.

Using This Product WAR IN HELIOPOLIS is set in the Nile Empire during the Eighteenth Dynasty. The players take the roles of heroes who have banded together to stop the forces of evil from conquering the kingdom. They face two enemies: the mortal armies of foreign lands and the gods of the Desert Ennead, a rogue pantheon led by the evil Set that has splintered off from Heliopolis and is now waging war against its brethren. Thus, the heroes must wage a battle 32


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Spell, Protection from Chaos, at a Caster Level equal to the character’s Pharaoh Class Level.

character can cast the Divine Spell, Shield of Law, once per week.

Protection from Evil (Sp): Upon reaching 3rd Level, the

enabling him to frustrate evil as well as chaos. Once a week, the character can cast the Divine Spell, Holy Aura.

Holy Aura (Sp): Pharaoh’s power now extends further,

character gains the ability to cast Protection from Evil twice a day. This ability works exactly like the Divine Spell of the same name, and the Caster Level is the character’s level in Pharaoh.

Eternal Champion (Su): The character has now become

legendary and will be one of the Pharaohs that time never forgets. His majesty and connection to Horus are so strong that the character cannot be slain. He ages normally, but only a Godslayer of Set can kill him.

Divine Kingship (Ex): Pharaoh now receives a +2 Wisdom

Bonus to all Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Listen checks.

Endure Heat (Sp): Once a day, the character can cast Endure Elements (Heat). This ability is identical to the Divine Spell of the same name.

Alignment Alignment is extremely important in Egyptian Culture. The primary role of the pharaoh is to ensure maat, order, and the Egyptian way of life. This results in the protection of the kingdom and, on some levels, the world as well. Maat is the ideal of a perfectly ordered world with ethical values, justice, culture, and creativity. It is the foundation upon which the

Wisdom of the Crown (Ex): As this level, Pharaoh has

become wise as well as strong. The character’s experience as ruler grants a permanent +2 boost to his Wisdom score.

Shield of Law (Sp): The Pharaoh has now become powerful enough to thwart the forces of chaos more effectively. The

Table 3-8: Armor Armor in the Eighteenth Dynasty has become much more advanced than that of previous Dynasties. Divisions of infantry with leather armor covered in bronze plates are not uncommon. Wooden shields once covered in animal hides now have bronze shield buckles in their center as well.

Armor

Armor Bonus Max Dex Bonus

Armor Check Penalty

Animal Hides Breastplate Bronze-plated Scale mail Buckler Shield, small, wooden Shield, large, wooden

+1 +3 +4 +2 +1 +1 +2

+8 +6 +4 +6 -

0 -2 -3 -2 -1 -1 -2

Armor

Arcane Spell

Speed Failure

Cost in Deben

Animal Hides Breastplate Bronze-plated Scale mail Buckler Shield, small, wooden Shield, large, wooden

0% 15% 20% 25% 5% 5% 15%

30 ft. 30 ft. 30 ft. 20 ft. -

150 2000 1000 500 150 30 70


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Table 3-9: General Equipment Adventuring Gear Backpack Bedroll Candle (10) Case, Map or Scroll Chain Flask Grappling Hook Ink Inkpen (Rush) Jug, Clay (3) Ladder, 10-foot Manacles Oil Papyrus sheet Pole, 10-foot Rope, Hemp Sack, Leather Torch (10) Vial Waterskin

Cost in Deben 20 1 1 10 300 1 10 8 1 1 1/2 150 1 2 2 5 2 1 10 10

Clothes

Cost in Deben

Fine cloak Peasant’s Outfit Royal Outfit Shirt Traveler’s Outfit Worker’s apron

60

Food

Cost in Deben

Beer (10 hin) Piece of cake Sack of barley (156 hin) Sack of emmer (156 hin) Wine (20 hin) and salted meat

2 1/40

10

Livestock

Cost in Deben

2 1

Chicken Cow Donkey Pig

30 7

Miscellaneous Items

Cost in Deben

Amulet (simple) Basket Bed Chair Clothes chest Coffin, Decorated Coffin, Simple Copper vessel Footstool Mat Mummy mask Salve (2 hin)

1/4 95

1 20 5 200 25 37 1/2 40 1

1 6

2

1 2000 5 10 1

rest of society is built. The opposite of maat is isfet, or chaos and injustice. Those that oppose the Egyptian way of life embody the nature of this idea.

ervation of maat. Characters who worship the Ennead of the Desert seek to promote isfet and all that ensues from it. For more information on enneads, see Part 4.

Characters who worship the Ennead of the Nile (this includes all non-Evil and non-Chaotic characters) must strive to preserve maat. It is their role as heroes to protect the Empire, and the best way to do that is through the pres-

New Skills Characters in WAR IN HELIOPOLIS have access to the following additional Skills in addition to the usual set. 34


6

Charioteering (Dex) The army of the Eighteenth Dynasty prefers light chariots pulled by two horses and manned by two men. The first is a charioteer, who does the driving. The other is a soldier armed with a composite bow and long arrows with bronze tips. A Skill check is not required for normal driving, but one may be required under extraordinary circumstances. Potential situations that may call for a check and the associated DC are listed below:

Event

Turning sharply at high speed Driving over rough terrain Jumping chariot over low obstacle Soldier fighting from chariot Driver fighting from chariot

Table 3-10: Player Character Starting Funds

DC

Listed below are the starting funds for each regular PC Class. New character classes are highlighted in bold.

5 or 10 10 15 10 15

(chariot can only move straight at current speed) Charioteering is a Class Skill for Fighters only. All other characters learn it as a non-Class Skill.

Hieroglyphics (Int) Hieroglyphics is the ability to read and write the pictographic language of Egypt. While the Literacy Feat will allow an individual to learn the basics of the language, the Hieroglyphics skill is needed to understand the more advanced style used by priests and scribes in tombs, monuments, and important documents. Sample uses (reading or writing) and their incumbent DC’s are listed below:

Use

Monument Decoration Tomb Decoration Tomb Warning Royal Document Religious Document

Class

Starting Deben

Barbarian Cleric Fighter Nomad Ranger Rogue Scribe Sorcerer Trader Wizard

3d4 x 100 2d4 x 100 4d4 x 100 3d4 x 100 3d4 x 100 2d4 x 100 2d4 x 100 2d4 x 100 6d4 x 100 2d4 x 100

DC 10 10 15 15 20

Hieroglyphics is a Class Skill for Clerics and Scribes. It is a Cross-Class Skill for Wizards and Sorcerers.

must specify a new language. Note that he or she must also take the Speak Language Skill if he or she wishes to speak it too. Likewise, a character can take Speak Language to know a foreign tongue without being able to read it if this Feat is not also taken.

Worship (Wis)

Equipment

The character knows the rituals and mysteries involved in worshipping a particular deity. With this Skill the character can prepare a proper offering or sacrifice to a god, know secrets about a deity that non-worshippers don’t, and be aware of the best way to beseech the god’s favor.

WAR IN HELIOPOLIS is set at the beginning of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty. This places it in the Bronze Age when people have not yet begun using iron for tools and weapons. Bronze is an alloy made by combining copper and tin or sometimes arsenic. The resulting metal is stronger than copper alone, but not as strong as iron. This means that the weapons in this time period deal less damage than later versions will.

New Feat WAR IN HELIOPOLIS offers one new Feat for characters to add.

Table 3-7, 3-8, and 3-9 contain the weapons, armor, and equipment available to characters in the Nile Empire. Any equipment not listed is prohibited. Some notes regarding the different types of armor some special equipment follow.

Literacy [General] Benefit: The character can read and write his or her native

language in addition to speaking it, if it has a written form. This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time, the character 35 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Breastplate: This is a bronze plate, which covers the chest and back only.

Manacles: These are also made of bronze. They have a Hardness of 8 and 6 Hit Points. They can be slipped on a successful Escape Artist check at DC 20 or burst with a Strength check at DC 22.

Bronze-plated: This is leather

armor covered in bronze plates.

Money The standard unit of value in Egypt for game purposes the deben. Note that there is no actual coin, but a unit of weight (3.213 ounces of copper), which makes it equal to a piece of silver in the standard game. All of the prices on the equipments lists reflect this and are listed in deben. These prices may seem extremely expensive, especially given the average salaries listed in Part 2. This is correct. The average peasant has no hope of being able to afford a sword, let alone all of the expensive gear necessary for a life of adventure. Starting characters are assumed to be part of the military (which would have funds to outfit him or her) or rich enough that they can afford the unusual life of adven-

Scale Mail: While similar to Iron

Age scale mail, this armor features interlocking scales of bronze instead, and it only covers the chest.

Buckler: The Egyptian buckler is made of bronze rather than iron.

Wooden Shields: Both the small and large varieties of this item are reinforced with bronze. Chain: This chain is made of bronze. It has a Hardness of 8, 3 Hit Points, and bursts on a successful Strength check with DC 22.

Egyptian Pantheons: Changing with the Times History is written by the winners, and, in Egypt, this went for mythology as well. When creating the fictional back story for this book, the selection of a pantheon was a difficult choice. As Egyptian society moved from the Old Kingdom through the Middle Kingdom and into the New Kingdom, the gods changed as much as the rulers did. As different sovereigns took control of the Nile Empire, they switched the ruling city between Memphis, Thebes, and other locations. In the process, they adopted many of the gods from local cults and elevated them to prominent roles in the “official” pantheon. Classic examples of this practice are Ptah and Amun. Ptah, the patron god of artists and craftsmen, was primarily based in Memphis. When the capital resided in Thebes, Ptah became merely a god who protected craftsmen. However, with the so-called Memphite Theology in place, Ptah arose to be the head of the ennead, or family of gods. Amun remained a lesser god until the time of the Middle Kingdom. Amun would later be combined with Re, the sun god, to become Amun-Re, the King of the Gods. By the time of the Twenty-First Dynasty, Amun had become entrenched as a supreme deity and would remain so until the Empire fell to Alexander the Great. Despite these constant changes, there were consistent similarities between enneads. The Egyptians believed that since three was an indefinite number, it stood for a vast amount, and therefore was a good power base for their deities. The ennead usually contained nine deities because it was a factor of three times the base of three. Later in Thebes, the Great Ennead would be created, containing fifteen deities, also a factor of three. Since the game is set during the Eighteenth Dynasty and the capital is located in Thebes, the Great Ennead was chosen to represent the gods in this supplement. Amun-Re is therefore the primary deity.


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Part 4: The Great Ennead

turing. Moreover, Egypt is no different than other cultures of the time in that the pharaoh is not going to trust a secret state mission to a bunch of peasants. He’ll choose trusted and capable servants instead. This means individuals with the resources to outfit themselves and to be noticed by an august personage like the pharaoh in the first place.

This portion of the book describes the Great Ennead or pantheon of Egyptian gods. All of the material in this part of the book is designated Open Game Content for license purposes. It’s important to note that these are only twenty gods out of a vast array present in Egyptian Mythology. Most every aspect of life has a divine representation.

That said, adjustments have been made to the starting capital available to all PC Classes. In every case, they are adjusted down to be more reflective of the economy of the period. Table 3-10 lists these changes and includes the starting “money” for the new classes introduced in WAR IN HELIOPOLIS.

If you decide to add more deities to your game, consider them lesser members of the pantheon. Each of the lesser gods should be able to allow his or her priests access to one domain for spells and may be slain by any Godslayer, not just those sworn against him or her. Each listing contains a brief background on the god, his or her Primary Ability, chosen animal, Domains, and any special abilities. A member of the Ennead may transform into his or her chosen animal at will as a Standard Action and can control any of that specific animal within the god’s sphere of influence.

The Creator Gods Unless the GM decides otherwise, characters are not allowed to choose any of the creator gods as their patron deity, nor can a character choose a creator god as his or her sworn enemy. These entities form the very world around the characters, and while people acknowledge their existence they do not worship them. This is mainly because, unlike the other deities, the creator gods do not often grant spells to their priests and will not come to their aid if beseeched. If the GM decides to allow creator gods as patron deities, any Clerics choosing them must be of Lawful Neutral Alignment. The maintaining of maat is paramount to the creator gods. They are beyond the concepts of good and evil. Therefore, their followers must strive to maintain order but, at the same time, remain distanced from the forces of good or evil.

Atum Atum is the primeval god. He gave birth to the air, Shu, moisture, Tefnut, the sky, Nut, and the Earth, Geb. He created this world and the next, and in doing so, created time and space. Atum is at times also the consort of his daughter, Tefnut. He is depicted as an elderly man, one of the few gods of human appearance. Atum conceived Shu and Tefnut through the notable feat of self-copulation, and every 500 years appears on earth as the Bennu, a huge golden hawk with a heron’s head.

Primary Ability: Wisdom Sacred Animal: Bull, heron Domains: Any Special Ability: Alter Time Alter Time (Sp): This ability works similar to the Time Stop spell but with fewer restrictions. While Atum has stopped time he may harm others, cast spells, and engage in other actions that are not normally permitted when under the


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influence of the Time Stop spell. He can transfer this ability to another via touch, but only to willing subjects. The effect lasts for 1d4+1 rounds of apparent time.

sacred asp), as a suckling sow, or as a sycamore tree (in which guise she protected dead Osiris and his wandering soul).

Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animal: Cow, pig Domains: Animal, Knowledge, Law, Travel Special Ability: Teleport without Error Teleport without Error (Sp): This ability works exactly like

In addition to the ability to stop time, Atum can speed it up or slow it down. All affected subjects act as though under the effects of a Haste or Slow spell depending on the application. Because Atum is the principal creator god, there is no Saving Throw to resist the effects of this ability.

the Arcane Spell of the same name, except that the destination must be visible from the sky.

Shu

Geb

Born at the same time as his sister, Tefnut, the God of Air separates the sky from the Earth. He works to maintain this balance because he knows that without him all will die, including the gods since they need air just as much as mortals do. Even the dead must breathe, and so they also honor Shu. Shu briefly ruled the gods, before handing the reigns to Geb. Like his father, Shu is also depicted as a human man, with three ostrich feathers on his head.

As the God of Earth, Geb was its first king. Consequently, he has a patriarchal view of all who follow him. He is quick to anger, and his strength makes him a force with which to be reckoned. Only Shu and Tefnut can to hold his temper in check. Geb is the father of Isis, Osiris, Nepthys, and Set, and created the earth by laying a gigantic goose egg. He is shown as a human with the head of a goose, and also appears as an enormous crocodile with gaping jaws.

Primary Ability: Dexterity Sacred Animal: Any flying Domains: Air, Animal, Law Special Ability: Master of Air Master of Air (Sp): Shu can cast any spell from the Air

Primary Ability: Strength Sacred Animal: Goose, crocodile Domains: Animal, Earth, Law, Strength Special Ability: Master of Earth Master of Earth (Sp): Geb can cast any Earth Domain spell

Domain as though he were a 20th Level Cleric.

as though he were a 20th Level Cleric.

Tefnut

Apophis

Where Shu represents dryness, his twin sister and wife Tefnut is the Goddess of Moisture. It is her job to make sure the waters of the Nile Valley remain strong and the desert does not encroach any further. She brings plentiful rain to the Land of the Pharaohs. Owner of a ferocious temper, Tefnut is shown as a human woman with the head of a lionness. At times she also appears in human form, with the sun’s disk circled by a cobra on her head.

Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animal: Serpent Domains: Animal, Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil,

Primary Ability: Constitution Sacred Animal: Any water dwelling Domains: Animal, Law, Water Special Ability: Master of Water Master of Water (Sp): Tefnut casts all Water Domain spells

at will as a 20th Level Cleric.

Nut Daughter of Shu and Tefnut, Nut is the Goddess of the Sky. Her fingers and toes are the horizon and her back arches to make the heavens above. It is across her back that Amun-Re travels during the day as the sun and Khonsu travels at night as the moon. She is the mother of Isis, Osiris, Nepthys, and Set. She is Geb’s wife, but when he caught her being unfaithful he cursed her to only give birth on days which are not on the calendar. Thoth helped her by beating the moon god Khonsu in a board game, forcing the addition of five more days to the calendar so that her children could come forth. She appears as a human woman with the head of a uraeus (the 38 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Heliopolitan Racial Traits All of the gods of Heliopolis have the same racial traits, regardless of whether they are of the Nile or Desert Ennead. In some cases, two numbers are presented for a trait. The number before the slash is used for greater gods. The one after it for lesser deities. • +10 Str, Con / +5 Str, Con • +8 Dex, Int, Wis, Cha / +4 Dex, Int, Wis, Cha • Base Movement 30’ • Rapid Healing (Ex): Heliopolitan gods heal at twice the normal rate. • Spell Resistance (Ex): 10 • AC Bonus (Ex): Because the blood of the creator gods flows in their veins, all Heliopolitans have a Natural AC Bonus. For greater gods, it is +10. For lesser, the bonus is +7. • Divine Magic (Sp): A Heliopolitan deity may cast any of spells of a Domain to which they grant their Clerics access. • Immortality (Ex): The gods do not age, and they are very difficult to kill. Lesser gods can only be slain by other gods, and greater gods are only vulnerable to other greater gods. The Heliopolitans can otherwise only be killed by a Godslayer who is specifically tasked with destroying the god in question. • Animal Form (Su): A deity may transform into his or her sacred animal at will. • Animal Control (Su): A god may control a number of his or her sacred animals equal to his or her Hit Dice. The range for this ability is also equal to the god’s Hit Dice in miles.

Knowledge, Trickery

For now, Apophis is biding his time and helping Set to overthrow Osiris. When the time is right, Apophis plans to kill the remainder of the gods and become the new ruler of the universe.

Apophis is the greatest enemy of the Heliopolitan gods and the true power behind Set’s revolution. He is a gigantic serpent and has tried to overthrow the gods for millennia by killing Amun-Re. He dwells in the river flowing through the underworld, always hoping to destroy the sun as it passes through this domain.

The Ennead of the Nile The following gods are those who remained loyal to Osiris after Set seceded. Player characters may choose any of these gods as their patron deity, but they may not be of a Chaotic Alignment. Those who worship the Nile Ennead strive to preserve maat and to defeat the forces of chaos represented by Set and his minions. Avatar and Godslayer characters must share the same Alignment of their patron deity.

Now, he has been teaching Set ancient forms of magic that he can use to create an army of unspeakable horrors to unleash upon the Nile Empire and Heliopolis. Worse yet, Apophis has managed to learn the secret of the Godslayers from the other gods of Heliopolis, and he has passed this knowledge to Set, so that the evil Lord of the Desert can create his own Godslayers to kill the Heliopolitans once and for all.

Amun-Re (Greater God)

None of the other members of the Desert Ennead know of Apophis’ part in Set’s revolution. If they did, many would leave, knowing that Apophis is interested in the downfall of, not just Heliopolis, but all of the gods including Set and his minions.

As God of the Sun, Amun-Re sails his mighty barge across the heavens of Nut, arising in the East and disappearing in the West each day. At night, he travels through the Underworld to begin his day anew in the Eastern sky. 39


6

Pharaohs are considered the Sons of Re and acquire him as their patron when they become king in addition to any other deities who patronize them. The great god of Thebes, he appears in many forms: as a human with a lion’s tail, a human with the head of a hawk, frog, crocodile, goose or ram, or with the head of a man and the body of a giant beetle. He has also appeared as a human-sized penis. The son of Thoth, Amun-Re is also a war god.

Initiative, Iron Will, Leadership.

Alignment: Lawful Good Primary Ability: Charisma Sacred Animals: Ram and Goose Domains: Good, Law, Sun Power of the Sun (Su): Amun-Re can create light at will.

He can choose the intensity, varying it from a soft glow to searing brightness. At its most intense, all those within 20 feet of him take 3d10 points of damage and must make a Reflex Save at DC 30 to avoid being Blinded. The effects of Blindness wear off a god in 1d10 rounds. For mortals, the effect is permanent.

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 35d8 + 315 Hit Points: 472 Initiative: +26 (+6 Dex, +10 Improved Initiative) Speed: 30 ft. AC: 20 (Dex +6, Natural +4) Attacks: Khopesh +44/+39/+34/+29/+24/+19/+14

Osiris (Greater God) The son of Geb, Osiris taught humans about law, music, agriculture and religion and convinced them to abandon cannibalism. He appears as a bearded human male, with his skin sometimes white, sometimes black, and sometimes green, or as a man with the head of a hawk. Male sexual arousal is also a manifestation of Osiris (symbolizing his triumph over death). Osiris was chosen to be the next king of the gods until his jealous brother, Set, tricked him and murdered him. Set ascended the throne, but Isis, Osiris’s wife, resurrected him, creating the first mummy in the process. Osiris reclaimed his throne, and Set seceded from the ennead taking several other rebels with him.

melee (1d6 +9); or shortbow +41/+36/+31/+26/+21/ +16/+9 ranged (1d6)

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Power of the Sun Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Magic, Immortality, Rapid Healing, Spell Resistance 10

Saves: Fort +28, Ref +25, Will +26 Abilities: Str 28, Dex 23, Int 19, Wis 24, Con 28, Cha 26

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 30d8 + 210 Hit Points: 358 Initiative: +5 (Dex) Speed: 30 ft. AC: 25 (Dex +5, Natural +10) Attacks: Khopesh +39/+34/+29/+24/+19/+14 melee

Skills: Animal Empathy +16, Bluff +10, Charioteering +30, Concentration +15, Decipher Script +16, Diplomacy +30, Disguise +14, Handle Animal +18, Heal +16, Hieroglyphics +25, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (Arcana) +25, Knowledge (Religion) +30, Knowledge (Nature) +25, Listen +16, Sense Motive +25, Spot +25, Wilderness Lore +24, Worship (Amun-Re) +30.

(1d6+9) or javelin +35/+30/+25/+20/+15/+10 ranged (1d6+9)

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Lord of the Underworld Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine


Saves: Fort +24, Ref +22, Will +26 Abilities: Str 28, Dex 21, Con 25, Int 24, Wis 26, Cha 18 Skills: Animal Empathy +16, Bluff +16, Charioteering

+30, Concentration +31, Decipher Script +27, Diplomacy +31, Handle Animal +24, Heal +31, Hieroglyphics +31, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (Arcana) +36, Knowledge (Religion) +26, Listen +22, Sense Motive +31, Spot +32, Worship (Osiris) +32.

Feats: Alertness,

Ambidexterity, Armor Proficiency (light), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Improved

Feats: Alertness, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Iron Will, Leadership, Light Armor Proficiency.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral 40


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Primary Ability: Wisdom Sacred Animal: Phoenix, Bull, Ram Domains: Animal, Death, Luck Lord of the Underworld (Sp): Osiris may instantly kill or resurrect any mortal he touches.

Alignment: Lawful Good Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animal: Cow, Hawk Domains: Healing, Law, Protection Mother’s Touch (Su): Isis can resurrect the dead at will.

Isis (Greater Goddess)

Horus (Greater God)

Isis is the daughter of Geb, wife and sister of Osiris, and sister of Set and Nepthys. When Set grew jealous of his brother, cast him into a coffin and set him adrift, it was Isis who searched for and returned Osiris to Egypt. When Set killed Osiris, she reclaimed all but one part of her husband and resurrected him.

Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis and is the acknowledged heir to the throne of the gods. The pharaohs are his living embodiment, ruling Egypt as Osiris rules Heliopolis. He is also a great warrior who drove Set and his minions into the desert. Horus waged an epic battle against Set and Set’s evil horde of crocodiles and hippopotami. During the fight, Set in the form of a black pig gouged out Horus’s eye. Horus in turn tore off Set’s testicles, refusing to return them until Set handed back the missing eye. Horus always appears as a falcon or a human with a falcon’s head.

Isis is the patron of fidelity, children, and the dead who journey to the Underworld. She is a peaceful goddess, but can be deadly when roused. Isis is crafty and uses any means necessary to learn her foes’ secrets for later exploitation. She appears as a human woman with cows’ horns, the disk of the sun shining brihgtly between them.

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 30d8+240 Hit Points: 370 Initiative: +11 (+7 Dex, +4 Improved

Initiative)

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 30d8+210 Hit Points: 339 Initiative: +5 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 25 (Dex +5, Natural +10) Attacks: Unarmed Strike

Speed: 30 feet AC: 27 (Dex +7, Natural +10) Attacks: Any weapon

+39/+34/+29/+24/+19/+14 melee (per weapon + 9) or +37/+32/+27/+22/+17/+12 ranged (per weapon)

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Art of War Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

+36/+31/+26/+21/ +16/+9 melee (1d3+6)


Face/Reach: 5 foot by 5 foot/5 foot Special Attacks: Mother’s Touch Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Saves: Fort +27, Ref +24, Will +22 Abilities: Str 28, Dex 25, Con 27, Int 20, Wis 21, Cha 24 Skills: Balance +23, Bluff +15, Charioteering +25, Climb


+20, Concentration +13, Diplomacy +13, Heal +15, Hide +13, Hieroglyphics +13, Intimidate +33, Jump +20, Knowledge (Nature) +15, Listen +25, Move Silently +25, Ride +25, Search +20, Sense Motive +15, Spot +17, Tumble +15, Wilderness Lore +15, Worship (Horus) +20.

Saves: Fort +24, Ref +22, Will +24 Abilities: Str 23, Dex 21, Con 24, Int 26, Wis 25, Cha 26 Skills: Alchemy +27, Animal Empathy +22, Bluff +27,

Concentration +27, Decipher Script +28, Diplomacy +32, Gather Information +29, Handle Animal +22, Heal +35, Hieroglyphics +30, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (Arcana) +35, Knowledge (Religion) +27, Listen +22, Sense Motive +35, Spot +30, Worship (Isis) +30.

Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Blind-Flight, Combat

Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (Khopesh), Improved Initiative, Leadership.

Alignment: Lawful Good Primary Ability: Strength Sacred Animals: Hawk and Falcon

Feats: Alertness, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Iron Will, Leadership, Track


6

Domains: Good, Law, War Art of War (Ex): Horus is a master of the martial arts and

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+150 Hit Points: 258 Initiative: +4 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 21 (Dex +4, Natural +7) Attacks: Unarmed Strike +29/+24/+19/+14/+9 (1d3+4) Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Infatuation Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

may use any weapon with equal proficiency.

Anubis (Lesser God) Jackal-headed, black-skinned Anubis is the son of Osiris and Nepthys. Ashamed of her dalliance, Nepthys abandoned baby Anubis to be raised by Isis. He is the guardian of the necropoli (cities of the dead), and the Judge of the Dead. He weighs the heart of each person against the Feather of Truth to determine whether the person will live forever or be fed to the Destroyer. Anubis is wise and restrained. He weighs all of his options before making a decision on any matter.


Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+6 Hit Points: 262 Initiative: +6 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 23 (Dex +6, Natural +7) Attacks: Staff +29/+24/+19/+14/+9 melee (1d6+4) Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Create Undead Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Saves: Fort +18, Ref +18, Will +17 Abilities: Str 19, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 22 Skills: Animal Empathy +16, Bluff +20, Diplomacy +26, Disguise +26, Hieroglyphics +18, Knowledge (Arcana) +18, Knowledge (Religion) +18, Listen +24, Perform +26, Sense Motive +28, Worship (Hathor) +28.

Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Brew Potion, Dodge,

Endurance, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Perform)

Alignment: Neutral Good Primary Ability: Charisma Sacred Animal: Cow Domains: Good, Luck, Trickery Infatuation (Su): Hathor can make any individual fall into


Saves: Fort +20, Ref +20, Will +19 Abilities: Str 19, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 21, Wis 22, Cha 17 Skills: Alchemy +18, Bluff +18, Charioteering +16,

or out of love. This effect is similar to a person consuming a Potion of Love. There are subtle differences, though. The object of the affection is chosen by Hathor rather than being the first person seen. There is no Saving Throw for mortal characters. Gods get a Will Save at DC 16.

Concentration +24, Diplomacy +30, Heal +26, Hieroglyphics +34, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (Arcana) +34, Knowledge (Religion) +24, Knowledge (Nature) +20, Listen +20, Sense Motive +16, Worship (Anubis) +20.

Thoth (Lesser God)

Feats: Alertness, Brew Potion, Dodge, Extra Turning, Iron

Thoth is a divine scholar and the patron of Scribes. He invented writing, the calendar, mathematics, and many other forms of language. Thoth is also the god of astronomy, magic, medicine and surveying. He has written 42 books. Thoth keeps a record of the decisions weighed by Anubis over the dead. When a matter of record comes into question by the gods, it is invariably Thoth who is called upon to clear the matter up. Thoth appears as a human man with the head of an ibis or a dog. Using his mighty voice, Thoth helped Isis revive Osiris after Osiris had been torn apart.

Will, Leadership, Scribe Scroll.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral Primary Ability: Wisdom Sacred Animal: Jackal, Antelope Domains: Death, Healing, Knowledge Create Undead (Su): As the Judge of the Dead, Anubis can

create undead creatures at will as though he were casting the spell of the same name. He is considered a 20th Level Cleric for purposes of determining Caster Level.

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+75 Hit Points: 185 Initiative: +3 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 20 (Dex +3, Natural +7) Attacks: Unarmed Strike +28/+23/+18/+13/+8

Hathor (Lesser Goddess) Hathor is the goddess of joy and love. She is often the consort of Horus and is jealously desired by Bes. Hathor protects babies from harm, and at the other end of life’s journey she consoles the newly dead. The rattle is sacred to her, as it reminds her of the infants she loves. Hathor appears as a human woman with a cow’s head. 42 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

6

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: None. Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

magical forces. She is the protector of cats, and it is forbidden to hunt lions during her festival. Bastest appears as a cat-headed woman, and is the wife of Bes.

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+100 Hit Points: 215 Initiative: +3 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 20 (Dex +3, Natural +7) Attacks: Staff +27/+22/+17/+12/+7 melee (1d6+2) Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Magical Mastery Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Magic, Immortality, Rapid Healing, Historical Record, Spell Resistance 10

Saves: Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +20 Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Int 22, Wis 19, Con 18, Cha 16 Skills: Concentration +25, Decipher Script +30, Diplomacy

+26, Gather Information +30, Hieroglyphics +30, Knowledge (Arcana) +30, Knowledge (Religion) +28, Knowledge (Nile Empire) +30, Listen +30, Read Lips +26, Sense Motive +25, Spot +25, Worship (Thoth) +15

Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Leadership, Skill Focus (Decipher Script), Skill Focus (Gather Information), Skill Focus (Hieroglyphics), Scribe Scroll.


Alignment: Neutral Good Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animals: Ibis and Baboon Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law Historical Record (Ex): Thoth keeps a record of all that has

Saves: Fort +18, Ref +17, Will +18 Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 22, Wis 19, Cha 17 Skills: Alchemy +25, Bluff +20, Concentration +28,

Decipher Script +19, Gather Information +15, Hieroglyphics +21, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (Arcana) +31, Knowledge (Religion) +25, Knowledge (Nature) +15, Scry +30, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +31, Spot +20, Wilderness Lore +15, Worship (Bastet) +20.

occurred since the dawn of time. If need be, he can refer to it to find the solution to a problem, determine the veracity of a claim, or any number of other tasks. In short, there is no question he cannot answer, given enough time.

Feats: Combat Casting, Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell,

Maximize Spell, Skill Focus (Knowledge [Arcana]), Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Penetration.

Bastet (Lesser Goddess) Bastet is the patron of wizards and other magicians. She also is the goddess of cats, fruit and dance. Bastet is often called upon to preserve an individual from harm against

Alignment: Lawful Neutral Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animal: Cat Domains: Good, Magic, Protection Magical Mastery (Sp): As the patron goddess of magicians,

Bastet has access to all Arcane Spells. Treat her as a 20th Level Wizard for purposes of Caster Level and spell selection. Note that while she is limited in how many spells she can cast per day, she knows them all.

The Ennead of the Desert The Desert Ennead is made up of Set and his minions — the gods who seceded with him. Only villainous characters would choose any of these gods as their patron deity. These gods strive to sow chaos and destruction. Since this is contrary to the underlying theme of preserving order in the Empire, the gods of the Desert Ennead do not make suitable patrons for most PC’s. Those who choose these gods must be of Chaotic Alignment, and that means they typically are working to destroy maat and overthrow the Nile Empire. Note that, as with the Nile Ennead, characters who wish to become Godslayers and Avatars must be of the exact same alignment as their patron deity.

Set (Greater God) 43 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Nepthys (Greater Goddess)

The son of Geb and brother of Osiris, Set embodies the worst qualities of the gods. He is petty, cruel, jealous, vindictive, and spiteful. Jealous of his brother’s position as king, Set murdered him on two different occasions. He also fought with his nephew, Horus, for the throne.

Nepthys is the daughter of Geb, sister of Osiris, and wife of Set. She is goddess of the dead, and guardian of embalmed lungs. She mourned over the body of Osiris with Isis, thereby helping her sister to resurrect him. This infuriated Set almost as much as her seduction of Osiris which resulted in the birth of Anubis. Consequently, while Set loves his wife, he does not completely trust her.

Known now as the Lord of Deserts and Foreign Lands, Set is now an exile from Heliopolis. He is highly resentful of his situation, but, rather than try to make amends with the other gods, he has gathered his own ennead around him and seeks to overthrow Heliopolis through trickery, guile, and by sowing whatever chaos he can.

When he rebelled, Set took Nepthys with him. Some debate whether or not she went of her accord. When asked, Nepthys says it is her duty to be with her husband. She supports Set in all matters unless he does something truly despicable. She does love him, but at times her love is quite blind. She is a quiet, reserved soul, who has been thrust into this war of the gods when she wishes the sides would be at peace.

The god of evil, Set was worshipped by the Hyksos as supreme god. Set appears in many forms, usually a hyena-like creature called the Set Beast. Most sacred of all to him is the ass, symbolizing his lust and cruelty.

Size: Medium-Size Outsider Hit Dice: 30d8+240 Hit Points: 378 Initiative: +7 (Dex) Speed: 30 ft. AC: 27 (Dex +7, Natural +10) Attacks: Scimitar +37/+32/+27/+22/+17/+12 melee

Nepthys appears as a kite (a small hawk), or as a human woman with winged arms.

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Master of Storms Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

melee (1d3+5)

Saves: Fort +25, Ref +24, Will +23 Abilities: Str 25, Dex 25, Con 26, Int 26, Wis 23, Cha 26 Skills: Alchemy +24, Animal Empathy +10, Balance +14,


Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 30d8+210 Hit Points: 340 Initiative: +5 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 25 (Dex +5, Natural +10) Attacks: Unarmed Strike +35/+30/+25/+20/+15/+10

(1d6+7) or Shortbow +37/+32/+27/+22/+17/+12 ranged (1d6)

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Mother’s Touch Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine


Saves: Fort +24, Ref +22, Will +23 Abilities: Str 21, Dex 21, Con 24, Int 24, Wis 22, Cha 26 Skills: Animal Empathy +31, Balance +20, Bluff +21,

Bluff +35, Charioteering +14, Concentration +20, Decipher Script +23, Diplomacy +25, Disguise +25, Handle Animal +10, Hide +25, Hieroglyphics +26, Intimidate +35, Intuit Direction +20, Knowledge (Arcana) +30, Knowledge (Religion) +20, Knowledge (Nature) +20, Move Silently +17, Sense Motive +25, Spot +20, Wilderness Lore +18, Worship (Set) +25.

Concentration +24, Diplomacy +30, Handle Animal +31, Heal +40, Hieroglyphics +25, Knowledge (Arcana) +35, Knowledge (Religion) +25, Knowledge (Nature) +30, Move Silently +20, Sense Motive +27, Spot +21, Wilderness Lore +30, Worship (Nepthys) +30.

Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Brew Potion, Extra Turning,

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Disarm,

Maximize Spell, Run, Silent Spell, Track.

Improved Trip, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack.

Alignment: Neutral Primary Ability: Charisma Sacred Animal: Any female bird

Alignment: Chaotic Evi Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animals: Set Beast, Ass, Antelope, Donkey, Crocodile, Pig Domains: Air, Chaos, Evil Master of Storms (Sp): Set can create storms at will. In the

Domains: Death, Healing, Protection Mother’s Touch (Sp): Nepthys can resurrect the dead at will.

desert, this is usually a sandstorm, but, near the Nile or a large body of water, Set can create virtually any type of storm. His storms can grow up to 15 miles in diameter and can be of any intensity he likes.

Sokar (Lesser God) Sokar is the King of the City of the Dead, charged with preventing the dead from returning to the land of the living. 44


6

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+150 Hit Points: 247 Initiative: +7 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 24 (Dex +7, Natural +7) Attacks: Staff +31/+26/+21/+16/+11 melee (1d6+6)

However, he used to rule the entire Underworld until Osiris claimed that realm as his own. When Osiris descended to the Underworld and became its ruler, Sokar was relegated to watching over the City of the Dead instead. Sokar was the first god to join Set in his rebellion. He feels slighted by Osiris and believes that, when the coup succeeds, he will once again rule the entire Underworld. Sokar, who is also the god of weeds, appears as a human male with a hawk’s head.

or Net +32 ranged

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+210 Hit Points: 319 Initiative: +5 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 22 (Dex +5, Natural +7) Attacks: Dagger +30/+25/+20/+15/+10 melee (1d4+5)

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: None Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Bringer of Death Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

+18, Concentration +14, Handle Animal +17, Hieroglyphics +17, Intimidate +19, Intuit Direction +15, Knowledge (Arcana) +15 , Knowledge (Religion) +17, Knowledge (Nature) +13, Listen +13, Move Silently +15, Search +17, Sense Motive +18, Spot +16, Wilderness Lore +13, Worship (Khonsu) +15.

Magic, Immortality, Lunar Control, Rapid Healing, Spell Resistance 10

Saves: Fort +20, Ref +20, Will +20 Abilities: Str 22, Dex 23, Con 22, Int 18, Wis 22, Cha 16 Skills: Animal Empathy +17, Balance +31, Charioteering

or Whip +30/+25/+20/+15/+10 melee (1d2+5)


Saves: Fort +20, Ref +19, Will +18 Abilities: Str 20, Dex 21, Con 23, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 14 Skills: Appraise +25, Balance +15, Charioteering +15,

Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist.

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Primary Ability: Dexterity Sacred Animal: Any nocturnal Domains: Destruction, Protection, Water Lunar Control (Su): Khonsu can cause the moon to change

Diplomacy +21, Hide +23, Hieroglyphics +20, Intimidate +27, Intuit Direction +16, Knowledge (Arcana) +20, Knowledge (Religion) +18, Move Silently +24, Ride +16, Sense Motive +20, Spot +20, Worship (Sokar) +20

Feats: Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Far Shot, Improved

Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.

phases at will, causing the tides to shift dramatically.

Alignment: Lawful Evil Primary Ability: Constitution Sacred Animal: Falcon Domains: Chaos, Death, Evil Bringer of Death (Su): Sokar can kill any mortal he touches.

Ptah (Lesser God) The patron deity of artists and craftsmen, Ptah was once one of the most powerful deities in the Great Ennead. Known as the Ancient One, Ptah invented art and created humans on a potter’s wheel. However, once the Nile Empire turned towards conquest instead of creation, Osiris and Horus gained greater favor with the people, and Ptah’s power diminished. Feeling that Osiris and Horus are mindless brutes who are just using the people for their own enjoyment, Ptah has been beguiled by Set into believing that their overthrow will usher in a new age of prosperity and devotion to the arts. Ptah appears as a bearded man, sometimes with female breasts symbolizing his life-giving powers.

There is no Saving Throw allowed.

Khonsu (Lesser God) Khonsu is the youthful God of the Moon. Much like the changing nature of the moon itself, Khonsu is known for his almost bipolar nature. His moods change frequently and without warning. At one moment he can be friendly and happy and at the next he is temperamental and violent. Playing upon this weakness, Set has convinced Khonsu that the other gods do not respect him and that only by helping Set to claim the throne will he be able to gain a place among the greater gods. Khonsu, in earlier times a close friend of Thoth, appears as a young human male mummy with his legs bound together and a tight cap bearing the moon’s crescent.

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+125 Hit Points: 244 Initiative: +4 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet 45


6

AC: 21 (Dex +4, Natural +7) Attacks: Unarmed Strike +30/+25/+20/+15/+10 melee

shipped at Arsinoe (the “city of crocodiles”), Sobek is the god of crocodiles and appears in the form of a crocodile or a crocodile-headed man. Sobek agreed to help Set overthrow Heliopolis on the condition that the entire delta region would be his to control once they were victorious. Sobek is the protector of reptiles, and prevents the decay of mummies. He makes sure the dead can see and speak.

(1d3+5)

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: None. Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Magic, Immortality, Master Craftsman, Rapid Healing, Spell Resistance 10

Saves: Fort +19, Ref +18, Will +19 Abilities: Str 20, Dex 18, Con 21, Int 22, Wis 22, Cha 17 Skills: Appraise +16, Charioteering +8, Concentration +9,

Size: Medium-Size Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+150 Hit Points: 310 Initiative: +4 (Dex) Speed: 30 ft. AC: 21 (Dex +4, Natural +7) Attacks: Shortspear +31/+26/+21/+16/+11 melee (1d6+6)

Craft (Gem-cutting) +28, Craft (Masonry) +28, Craft (Metalworking) +28, Craft (Stone-cutting) +28, Decipher Script +20, Disable Device +24, Gather Information +17, Hieroglyphics +18, Knowledge (Arcana) +15, Knowledge (Religion) +8, Knowledge (Nature) +11, Knowledge (Engineering) +24, Search +12, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12, Use Magic Device +24, Worship (Ptah) +8.

or Whip +29/+24/+19/+14/+9 melee (1d2+6)

Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Extend Spell, Iron Will,

Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: Crocodile God Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine

Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (Craft [Masonry]), Skill Focus (Craft [Stone-cutting])

Alignment: Chaotic Good Primary Ability: Wisdom Sacred Animal: Ox Domains: Earth, Fire, Knowledge Master Craftsman (Ex): Ptah can create any item, magical


Saves: Fort +20, Ref +18, Will +18 Abilities: Str 23, Dex 19, Con 22, Int 19, Wis 18, Cha 20 Skills: Animal Empathy +26, Balance +24, Charioteering

+14, Handle Animal +26, Intimidate +32, Jump +22, Knowledge (Nature) +20, Move Silently +18, Ride +20, Search +16, Spot +18, Swim +26, Wilderness Lore +20, Worship (Sobek) +20

or otherwise, at no cost in 1/10 the time it would normally take to create it.

Sobek

(Lesser

Originally a local god

God)

Feats: Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Mounted

wor-

Combat, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Sunder.

Alignment: Neutral Evil Primary Ability: Strength Sacred Animal: Crocodile Domains: Animal, Strength, Water Crocodile God (Su): Sobek can use the Summon Nature’s Ally IX spell at no cost to summon crocodiles to his aid.

Bes (Lesser God) Bes was once a benign protector deity favored for driving away poisonous snakes and other evil creatures. However, the other gods ridiculed him due to his short stature. Sensing Bes’s self-loathing with regard to his size, Set never made light of the dwarf. Instead, he whispered in Bes’s ear how the other gods resented him and looked on him as the jester of Heliopolis. Believing Set’s lies, Bes became twisted and cruel, eventually forgoing his role as a protector of others in favor of himself. When Set seceded, Bes readily joined the 46 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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side of the only friend he believed he had against the gods who had wronged them both.

there is some type of magic in each one. Many times it’s someone or something getting transformed into something else. Or it is the heroes being placed up against a magical being such as a mummy. You should see Egypt as having magic woven into its very fabric and approach each of your adventures in this manner.

Bes is the god of fighting and of marriage, activities the Egyptians see as closely linked, and also of music. He protects women during childbirth, and uses his music to repel evil. Bes appears as an ugly, bearded dwarf with shaggy hair, jug ears and a flat nose. He sometimes has wings as well.

Remember too that the gods aren’t just religious icons. They are living, breathing entities that have a direct impact on the way of life of every Egyptian from the pharaoh down to the peasant selling bread on the corner. The gods can make what may seem like an innocuous occurrence into a truly magical and unforgettable one. And don’t forget that the gods are at war with each other. Helping out one may make the heroes the targets of another and vice versa.

Size: Medium Outsider Hit Dice: 25d8+125 Hit Points: 234 Initiative: +5 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet AC: 22 (Dex +5, Natural +7) Attacks: Dagger +30/+25/+20/+15/+10 melee (1d4+5) Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet Special Attacks: None. Special Qualities: Animal Control, Animal Form, Divine Magic,

Mystery is another key component of a good Egyptian adventure. The pyramids and the Sphinx were built long before the current pharaoh took the throne. In fact, they were built so long before he came to power that much of the

Immortality, Rapid Healing, Spell Resistance 10, Thick Skin

Saves: Fort +19, Ref +19, Will +19 Abilities: Str 21, Dex 21, Con 21, Int 22, Wis 20, Cha 10 Skills: Animal Empathy +23, Balance +25, Decipher

Script +27, Diplomacy +23, Escape Artist +24, Handle Animal +23, Hieroglyphics +21, Hide +25, Jump +15, Knowledge (Arcana) +20, Knowledge (Religion) +15, Knowledge (Nature) +15, Listen +20, Move Silently +27, Search +15, Wilderness Lore +17, Worship (Bes) +15

Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Toughness

Alignment: Neutral Evil Primary Ability: Intelligence Sacred Animal: Lion Domains: Evil, Protection, War Thick Skin (Sp): Bes can use the Repulsion spell at will. He is

treated as a 20th Level Cleric for purposes of determining Caster Level.

Part 5: War in Heliopolis This final portion of the book examines the campaign setting. A series of linked adventures is presented below along with notes on running an Egyptian campaign.

Running Adventures Heliopolitan Style Magic and mystery are at the heart of adventures in this setting. Whether they are grand epics spanning several sessions or simple plots designed to take place in a few hours, they need to embrace these two elements. As you look at the adventure settings below you will see that 47 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Bennu Size: Hit Dice: Initiative: Speed: AC: Attacks: Face/Reach: Special Attacks: Special Qualities: Saves: Abilities: Skills: Feats: Climate/Terrain: Organization: Challenge Rating: Treasure: Alignment: Advancement:

Large Magical Beast 5d10 + 5 (32) +3 (Dex) 10 feet, 50 feet flying (poor) 14 (-1 Size, +3 Dex, +2 Natural) Peck +9/+4 melee (1d8 + 4) 5 feet by 5 feet / 5 feet Mesmerizing Song Darkvision, Fire Subtype, Low-light Vision Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3 Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 20 Listen +6, Perform +20, Spot +6 Skill Focus (Perform), Weapon Focus (Peck) Any Solitary 3 None Usually Neutral 5-8 HD (Huge); 9-12 HD (Gargantuan)

on two different fronts in a desperate attempt to save the Empire.

Combat

Bennu (cont.)

When forced to fight , the bennu uses its powerful neck muscles to dr ive its beak into an opponent. This maneuver is surp creatures stick arou risingly painful, and few nd once or twice. The long after being pecked large wings, flappin creature also spreads its g them to make its elf more terrifying. However, bennu do most of their fightin g to protect hunting grou nds. When threat ened, they move on, preferring no The principle danger t to be drawn into a fight. of these fantastic cr is their ability to eatures transfix any who hear them sing.

Mesmerizin

g Song bennu is so exquisi (Ex): The song of the te gods can be transfix ly beautiful that even the ed by it. Any creatu re within 30 feet of the benn u a Fortitude Save at when it sings must make D do nothing but lis C 35. Those that fail can ten to the music. They are completely transfix ed defend themselves and will take no actions to even if in real dang er. Target creatures must be ab le for this effect to oc to hear the bennu singing cur. Fire Subtype: Owi ng the bennu is immun to its birth in flames, e to Fire Damage. double damage fro It takes m Cold unless it makes a Saving Throw. Skills: Bennu receiv e a +12 Racial Bo all Performance chec ks. The creature adds nus to its ranks

knowledge of their construction has already been lost. What seem like mysteries to us were mysteries to the people of the Nile Empire as well. Use this to your advantage. There are always hidden tombs to be unearthed, mysterious machines to be found, and lost knowledge to be discovered.

Forces of Isfet The forces allied against the pharaoh and the rest of the Nile Empire are determined to create isfet — chaos and 48 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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injustice — wherever they may. Unholy monsters that attack the kingdom most obviously represent this goal, but some evil forces are more insidious and less visible than others.

Hydrus

The Gods of Evil

Size: Hit Dice: Initiative: Speed:

The gods of evil are those swayed by Apophis and Set and who make up the Ennead of the Desert. Some of these gods are not truly evil, but all of them have their grudges against Heliopolis and will resort to almost any means at their disposal to topple that pantheon in favor of their own.

AC:

The gods of evil should never be front-line troops in an adventure. They are the force motivating those evil things to perform their wickedness. Use them as mysterious benefactors or powerful forces of nature who try to get their way through the clever use of their power rather than outright brute force.

Attacks: Face/Reach: Special Attacks: Special Qualities: Saves:

Some of the gods, such as Ptah, will resort to trickery and guile to attain their goals, since a physical confrontation

Abilities: Skills: Feats: Climate/Terrain: Organization: Challenge Rating: Treasure: Alignment: Advancement:

Medium Beast 4d10 (18) +3 (Dex) 20 feet; 20 feet climb; 20 feet swim 16 (+3 Dex, +3 Natural) 3 Bite +3 melee (1d4-1 and poison) 5 feet by 5 feet / 5 feet Poison Scent Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2 Str 8, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 5 Balance +8, Climb +4, Hide +12, Listen +4, Spot +7 None. Any Temperate Solitary or Pair 2 None Usually Neutral 5-6 HD (Large); 7-10 HD (Huge)

Combat

The Hydrus fights much like an ordinary viper except that it has three heads with which to strike. When fighting multiple opponents, it will attempt to situate itself such that it can strike more than one at a time. It attempts to hit with its Bite Attack, poisoning its target in so doing. Poison (Ex): Any creature hit by the Hydrus’s Bite Attack must make a Fortitude Save at DC 11. If failed, the venom inflicts 1d6 points of Constitution Damage. Secondary damage is also 1d6 Constitution. Skills: A Hydrus receives a +8 Racial Bonus to Balance and Hide checks. It gets a +4 Racial Bonus to its Listen and Spot checks. The creature uses its Dexterity Bonus for all Climb checks.


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could well leave them defeated before they even begin. Only gods like Set, Sokar, and Bes will attack a foe head on, and even Set and Sokar would rather let their minions do it for them than to dirty their hands with their “inferiors.”

Mafedet Size: Hit Dice: Initiative: Speed: AC: Attacks: Face/Reach: Special Attacks: Special Qualities: Saves: Abilities: Skills: Feats: Climate/Terrain: Organization: Challenge Rating: Treasure: Alignment: Advancement:

Large Beast 5d10+10 (55) +3 (Dex) 40 feet 15 (-1 Size, +3 Dex, +3 Natural) 2 Claws +7 melee (1d4+5) or Bite +2 melee (1d4 and poison) 5 feet by 5 feet / 5 feet Poison, Pounce, Rake Scent Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2 Str 21, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 8 Balance +7, Hide +4/+12, Jump +6, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Spot +6 None. Any Temperate Solitary, Pair, or Pride (5-12) 4 None Usually Neutral 6-8 HD (Large); 9-12 HD (Huge)

History vs. Hollywood In reality, Egypt was a pretty boring place. It was much the same as everyday life for you or me. Anat would go to the quarry in the morning each day and work until the evening when he would return home to be with his family. No mummies attacked him, and no terrible plagues consumed his coworkers while they mined limestone.

Avatars and Godslayers Avatars and Godslayers are the generals and assassins of the gods of evil. That isn’t to say that the gods of Heliopolis do not have them as well; the forces of good just don’t use them as often. They like to rely on the strength of the mortal spirit rather than divine intervention. Avatars are the earthly representatives of the gods. The gods themselves cannot enter the physical plane of mortals. In order for them to get a foothold in the mortal realm, they need to funnel their powers through Avatars. While this grants the chosen character great power, it also ties him or her to the patron deity, which could cause the god to perish if a Godslayer kills the Avatar. The gods of evil use their Avatars as overseers, kings, and generals. However, evil always turns upon itself, making the position of

Combat

Mafedet (cont.)

A mafedet is a dang erous opponent, poss essing all of the natura l advantages of a lio n and of a viper. Its preferre d Pounce on the target, method of attack is to rending its flesh with claws, before finally its subduing the unfortu nate with its poisonous bi te. Pounce (Ex): A mafe det that leaps upon opponent in the first its round of combat can make a Full Attack, even if it has already taken a move action.

Rake (Ex): Mafedets th can make two claw att at successfully Pounce acks (+7 melee, 1d4 +5 damage) with their hi nd legs. Poison (Ex): Any creatu Bite Attack must mak re hit by the mafedet’s ea 11. If failed, the veno Fortitude Save at DC m Constitution Damage. inflicts 1d6 points of Secondary damage is also 1d6 Constitution. Skills: Mafedets receiv e the following Skill ch +4 Racial Bonuses to ecks: Balance, Hide, M ov Silently, Listen, and Spot. When the creatu e re is concealed in tall gras s or thick overgrowt h, its Hide check bonus in creases to +12.

However, Hollywood would lead us to believe that curses, monsters, magic, and the like were everyday occurrences in the lands of the Nile River Valley. And why not? That 50 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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Set Beast (cont.)

Set Beast

Combat

Size: Medium Beast 2) Hit Dice: 3d10 + 6 (2 Initiative: +4 (Dex) Speed: 30 feet Natural) AC: 16 (+4 Dex, +2 melee Attacks: 2 Claws +5 5

Set Beasts are clever creatures that know how to hunt and how to employ psychological warfare. They stalk their prey from a distance, slowing closing in and preferring to encircle the target. They will allow themselves to be seen before they plan to strike so that they may flush the prey towards the rest of the pack. Once they have an opponent surrounded, they begin baying with their horrible howls that sound like highpitched maniacal laughter to invoke fear in the target. Then they strike. Despite their intelligence, these foul creatures do not use weapons in combat. They much prefer to leap upon their opponents, tearing them limb from limb with sharp claws and teeth. A Set Beast can use tools and weapons, but it typically uses its hand to grab hold of an opponent or to throw him or her, rather than pick up even a club or rock. Frightful Presence (Ex): The baying of a Set Beast is truly terrifying. All creatures of equal or lesser Hit Dice within 30 feet that can hear this dreadful sound must make a Will Save at DC 12 or suffer as though a Fear spell had been cast upon them. Rend (Ex): If a Set Beast succeeds with both of its Claw Attacks, it make attempt a Grapple check as a Free Action. If it succeeds, the creature has a hold on its prey and may automatically hit with both its Claws and its Bite Attacks every round that the target cannot break the hold. The monster essentially gets on top of the unfortunate creature and begins tearing it to pieces. Skills: Set Beasts receive a +4 Racial Bonus to Intimidation checks.

(1d3+3) or Bite + melee (1d6+3) 5 feet / 5 feet Face/Reach: 5 feet by tful Presence, Rend Special Attacks: Frigh t Special Qualities: Scen 7, Will -1 Saves: Fort +5, Ref + 18, Con 14, Abilities: Str 16, Dex Cha 12 Int 7, Wis 6, Jump +4, Skills: Intimidate +8, e Listen +4, Mov Silently +4 Feats: None. Avatar a tenuous one at best. If a god does not think an Avatar is living up to the god’s stature, the Avatar will stripped of all powers and often killed. In your campaign, Avatars should be the evil masterminds encountered after the heroes have defeated hordes of lesser monsters. Even then, the fiend tends to slip away at the end before the heroes can defeat him or her. They are spiders at the centers of webs of villainy. Until they are finally vanquished, they will continue to spin their plots, and defeating them once and for all is difficult at best. Godslayers, on the other hand, are the enforcers of the gods of evil. While their abilities are designed to make them the perfect assassins for Avatars and the gods they serve, these same abilities also make them superior warriors. The gods of evil are aware of this and often send their Godslayers out on missions for which they do not trust others but on which they also do not wish to risk sending their Avatars. Godslayers should appear in your games as the strong men and sometimes women who are around to enforce the will of your villainous Avatars. They are often paired together since the abilities of a Godslayer work well to protect an Avatar, even against another Godslayer. 51 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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The most powerful Avatars and Godslayers (10th Level) cannot be killed, and this presents a real problem for your PC’s. If they are not Avatars or Godslayers themselves, they will find regular characters of this type extremely formidable opponents, let alone those that have become immortal. However, if you want to add some mystery to your games, when the heroes “kill” an Avatar or Godslayer of 10th Level, let them believe the villain is dead. When the fiend unexpectedly shows up again later on, it should catch them off guard.

Libyans and Nubians Each of these foes specializes in a certain form of combat. The Libyans have no equal in the sands. So long as a Libyan is fighting in the desert, he or she receives a +1 Racial Bonus to all melee attack rolls and to Armor Class. Nubians are masters of the bow. They are the finest archers in the world. All Nubian soldiers receive a +2 Racial Bonus on all attack rolls made with a bow.

Monsters There is a wealth of monsters at your disposal in WAR IN HELIOPOLIS. While the Nile Empire is surrounded on almost all sides by desert, the Empire itself is a temperate region. So are most of the oases the party finds in the desert. Add to that the proximity to large bodies of water, jungle, grasslands, and all of the other varied land types in Africa, and just about any type of monster could wander into Egypt. For the most part, though, stick to monsters that are common to desert areas or underground. These will be the most likely to appear. In addition to the standard monsters that you can adapt to a WAR IN HELIOPOLIS campaign, we present the following four monsters from Egyptian mythology.

is a lot more fun, at least if you don’t have to live there. While the material herein is largely historically accurate, it has been embellished a bit to spice things up. Because what is Egypt without a little magic and mystery?

Bennu: This creature is an early version of the phoenix. It is

large bird that resembles a stork. It has white feathers, long red legs, and two elongated feathers extending from the head in a crest. The bennu rises from the flames of a burning tree. It has such beautiful and melodious song that even the gods have been transfixed by its singing. Consequently, it has become associated with Amun-Re since it rises from the flames.


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Hydrus: While sometimes confused with hydra, the hydrus

is a unique creature. It is, essentially, a three-headed snake, indigenous to the banks of the Nile River. The creature is the sworn enemy of crocodiles, and will seek to do them in. A hydrus rolls in the mud to conceal itself and become very slippery. In this state, it then slides down the belly of a crocodile. It bursts through the croc’s side, killing it as it exits.

Foreign Invaders In WAR IN HELIOPOLIS, the principal foreign invaders are from Libya to the west and Nubia to the south. Both peoples are fierce warriors. The Libyans are known for their desert fighting skills and the Nubians for their superior archery. An invasion isn’t the only threat these foes can provide. Rooting out a Libyan spy who has infiltrated the royal palace is as interesting an adventure as holding off a platoon of charioteers at the gates of Thebes.

While it seeks to kill crocodiles, a hydrus is no less dangerous to humans. It is nearly as large as a crocodile, and its three heads make it a difficult foe if it feels threatened or decides that a human being would make for a good supper.

Nubians and Libyans aren’t the only threats to the Nile Empire. While they are the main threats at the moment, the Ethiopians are also enemies of Egypt, and the Cretans, Hittites, Mycenaeans and Babylonians will eventually come into conflict with Egypt, though they have not yet made contact.

Mafedet: This terrifying creature has the body of a lion and

the head of a snake. Hence, it can do all the terrible physical damage of a great cat, and still strike with the speed, skill, and poison of a serpent. While they are not, by their nature, evil, mafedets are dangerous opponents that will not think twice about making a snack of the unfortunate human that stumbles across their paths.

Invading forces from other lands are a nice change of pace from the supernatural threats of monsters, undead, and godly servants. It causes your players to shift gears. It’s a lot different dealing with an army of several thousand soldiers than it is dealing with a shambling mummy. When the invaders have been vanquished, the monsters will be back to keep them on their toes.

Set Beast: This horrible monster is the sacred animal of Set.

It resembles a hyena about the size of a human being that stands upright. These fiends hunt in packs, are thoroughly evil, and enjoy nothing more that tearing their prey to pieces before gobbling them up.

Adventure Seeds

Undead

The following adventure seeds can be used separately or together to form a campaign for you and your players. If you decide to use the adventure settings together as a campaign, you should run them in the order they are presented. Some of the later settings build on the ones that come before them. If you are going to use them separately, ignore the linking parts and play them in any order you like.

One of the most enduring images from Egypt is that of the slow, shambling mummy stalking its prey. Mummies are like Avatars and Godslayers, however, in that they should be used sparingly as powerful villains that the heroes come across only after surviving encounters with lesser foes. When the party enters a tomb, don’t just have the mummy pop out of his sarcophagus and attack. Let the living dead (zombies, skeletons, etc.) do that instead. Then, when all of those other fiends have been dusted, have the mummy show up and begin terrorizing your PC’s. Of course, you could always use the movie technique of having a horde of less powerful mummies gang up on your heroes before they face the master.

These are intended to follow a definite progression, getting tougher as they go along. The first one is intended for characters of 5th through 7th Level. The final one is for characters of 12th to 14th Level.

The Scorpion King Characters: While the goal of this adventure is to save the

prince without harming him, characters who are more battleinclined will come in handy.

All manner of undead are appropriate to the setting: skeletons, zombies, ghosts, ghouls, ghasts, wights, and even vampires (a monster first described by the Egyptians). All of them are living dead and, thus, are under control of Sokar and through him by the gods of evil.

Goal: Save the prince before he destroys the kingdom. Setup: The heroes awake one night to a commotion in the

streets of Thebes. A prince of a nearby kingdom, Ra-kenufu, has been kidnapped from his chambers in the royal palace. The palace guards are currently searching all of the homes in the city (and turning all of the people out of their beds in the process) in an attempt to locate the missing prince. The heroes will not know what is going on until a bang is heard on their door. When they open it, four guards storm into their chambers forcing the one who answered the door out into the hall and rolling anyone still managing to sleep out of their beds. If the heroes take offense at this, the cadre of 20 or so palace


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guards and the noise on the streets of other searches taking place should give them reason enough to remain quiet. If not, and they challenge the guards, they will be told to keep quiet and then be left alone. Should they go further and provoke or attack the guards, the situation will resolve itself swiftly with the players swarmed by guards who knock them unconscious and drag them away to the dungeons, where they will be questioned (tortured) and eventually released once it has been determined that they know nothing about the prince’s kidnapping.

grain by force. If the PC’s are well known in the kingdom (they have performed a few heroic deeds for the state), they are called before the pharaoh and asked to take the grain to the cavern and to see if they can save the prince without surrendering it. If they aren’t renowned, perhaps the pharaoh is looking for volunteers for what he thinks is a suicide mission. Alternatively, a Scribe PC could suggest the pharaoh use the heroes for the mission because they are noble and trustworthy (expendable). Regardless, the party should take the grain to the cavern. While they are so engaged, the pharaoh will form up the army, preparing a strike against the cavern a day after the heroes arrive.

If, however, the heroes take the smart route and keep quiet, they can get some information out of the guards while their rooms are being searched. The guards only know that the prince was stolen from his room on the third floor of the palace and that the door to the room was locked from the inside. Should the heroes have some sort of connection to get into the palace, they will be turned away at the door. No one is going in or out until the prince has been found.

Once the heroes arrive at the cavern they will be separated from their wagons of grain and sent back to Egypt on foot. If they resist, the Libyans will chain and imprison them to be fed to the scorpion.

Resolution: Eventually, the characters must confront the

The next day, a ransom demand is given to the pharaoh. Half the kingdom’s stock of grain shall be carried to the entrance of a cavern in the Western Desert and left there. If done, the prince will be returned. If not, he will be transformed into a great demonic scorpion and set loose to destroy the Nile Empire.

giant scorpion and cut off its stinger. Any uproar in the cave (such as a battle with the Libyans) will cause the monster to burst its chains and head off toward Egypt. Should the heroes take too long and the pharaoh arrives or if the scorpion somehow gets loose and meets up with the Egyptian army, the beast routs it, scattering the soldiers in every direction. In such an instance, the party must now not only saving the prince but also stop him from destroying Thebes.

The Adventure: What the note does not say is that Sokar’s Avatar stole the prince from his bed. Set intends to extort the grain from Egypt to feed his troops amassing in the desert. Also, the prince, Ra-kenufu, has already been changed into a gigantic demonic scorpion (use stats for a Huge Monstrous Scorpion), and the evil god has no intention of turning him back. The only way to return the prince to his true form is by cutting the stinger off his tail, thereby

Two rounds after the heroes cut off the stinger, the scorpion reverts back to the prince, who lies unconscious but relatively unharmed (any damage taken in the battle not withstanding). In the interim, he thrashes around wildly, striking out at anyone within reach.

Reward: Defeating the scorpion is a Challenge Rating 6 Encounter. If the manage to save the prince in the process, reward them as though it were a Challenge Rating 7 Encounter. If they can do this without harming him, increase the Challenge Rating to 8.

In addition, if they manage to save the prince, the characters will be commended by the pharaoh and earn positions as trusted servants of the state.

releasing the magic that transformed him. Any other damage done to the scorpion (such as cutting off a leg) will be likewise represented on the prince if he is changed back (he has lost a digit, hand, or even entire limb).

Heart of Darkness Characters: Any. This adventure will take a variety of skills, so

The heroes should be given the chance to learn how to save the prince. A Scribe can locate a scroll with the spell that converted the prince on it, a Trader could have a piece of information from a faraway land, or a Nomad could have heard of this curse in a desert legend. Regardless, the heroes should be able to find out the solution with a little legwork.

any classes are acceptable. Mixing in a few magicians won’t hurt, though.

Goal: Destroy the dam the Nubians have built and are using to block the Nile’s waters. Setup: Each year the rains to the South cause the Nile to

flood its banks and cover the land with thick, fertile topsoil. This year was no different. The Nile flooded and gently receded back to its normal banks, but it did not stop there. The river continued to abate until little more than a trickle ran past Thebes. Now the delta is completely barren.

The prince is being held within the same cavern in which the grain is to be left. He is chained and under the watchful eye of a group of Set’s Libyan warriors. The cavern is well guarded, so sneaking into it will be a challenge. The pharaoh feels he has no choice but to send the grain to the desert. His hope is that when the prince is returned he can rally his army and return to the desert to reclaim the stolen

In the short term, the Empire’s reservoirs can keep the people from suffering heavily under this drought, but if this goes 54


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on much longer, people will die and the topsoil will dry up and blow away. An entire season’s harvest could be ruined in this fashion, causing widespread famine.

work its way to two places in the base of the dam, one on each side of the river. Here are the two main support beams (Hardness 5, 100 Hit Points each) for the dam. Destroy these, and the dam will collapse in upon itself from the weight of the water.

The heroes are called before the pharaoh when the drought is several weeks old. Pharaoh has sent both scouts and troops to the very headwaters of the Nile to determine the cause of this lack of water, but none have returned. Last night the pharaoh dreamed of Set pouring sand over a model of Thebes. Consequently, he now believes that this drought is not natural in origin. He wants the characters to travel to the cataracts of the Nile, find out what is behind this catastrophe, and put a stop to it if they can.

The trick is to knock out the beams and get out before the dam collapses. As soon as either beam is destroyed (hacked through, sawed through, etc.), water starts pouring in. Just destroying one is not enough, though, because the Nubians can let the water pass through until they fix the beam without the dam bursting. Destroying both beams causes too much water to rush in for them to have time to make repairs.

The Adventure: The pharaoh is right on in his speculation.

Once both beams are ruined, the characters have 10 minutes to get clear of the dam before it ruptures. Being anywhere on the river is a bad idea as well since the resulting release of water will cause a tidal surge as the water rushes to fill its banks once again. Downstream, the Avatar of Tefnut will prevent the wall of water from destroying Egyptian civilization, but here the heroes are on their own.

Set instructed his Nubian allies to block the Nile as its floodwaters subsided. They did so, and now, at the first cataract of the river, there is a great lake behind a structure that is both fortress and dam. The Nubians have continued to fortify their position and were prepared when the pharaoh’s troops arrived. Great archers, they picked off the Egyptians before they could get close. Subsequent expeditions have either fallen to the Nubian archers or the other troops patrolling around the dam. Now their bodies are hung from its massive side facing Egypt as a warning to anyone who would come near.

Rewards: Smashing the dam is a Challenge Rating 7 Encounter

in addition to the rewards for defeating the Nubian soldiers.

Further, Pharaoh rewards the party with 10,000 deben each, and the characters become beloved heroes of the Egyptian people (and hated enemies of the Nubians).

However, their initial success has had an adverse effect on the Nubians. They have begun to think they have won. Because of this, they only send out troops twice a day into the land around the dam and those soldiers only do cursory checks before heading back. The archers have also gotten lazy, spending little time keeping a lookout and more time chatting amongst themselves.

Shaking the Pillars of Heaven

Resolution: Getting into the dam is actually the easy part.

and massive flaming stones are falling from the heavens. The end of the world would seem to be upon the Nile Empire.

Characters: Any. The party will need strong minds for this

one to figure out the machinations of the god of architects.

Goal: Stop Ptah from causing the heavens to collapse upon the world.

Setup: Egypt is being shaken to its very core. The ground quakes

Destroying it is tougher. To get inside, the heroes have two options. There are two ladders, one on either side of the dam, that, while guarded, would allow the characters access to the top. From there, they can take out the archers and use a set of stairs to enter. Alternatively, the heroes could try to slip into the lake blocking the dam and swim to a small tunnel near the base, which leads up to a well that the Nubians are using for their water.

The pharaoh has called the heroes before him to ask their advice and instruct them to find the meaning behind these disasters. Just as the heroes are about to leave the pharaoh’s presence, a hooded beggar appears in the central hall before the pharaoh’s throne. He insults Egypt, calling it “a group of warlike barbarians who cannot solve the simplest of puzzles.” He then challenges them to solve the following riddle or the kingdom will tumble down upon them:

Either way has its risks and benefits. Once the heroes are inside the dam, they have to contend with a garrison of

What has three brothers but is always alone, is straight but a circle, and holds the weight of the world upon its shoulders but has none? He then tells them they have one full cycle of Khonsu to arrive at an answer or Egypt is doomed. Then he disappears. Any attempt by the palace guards to capture him ends only with his cloak in their hands. The pharaoh tasks the heroes to devise a solution to the riddle and stop the doom it predicts.

Nubians. If they are quiet, they can probably make their way along without drawing much attention to themselves. However, once the alarm has been sounded, the Nubians will scour the dam for intruders.

The Adventure: The beggar that appeared before the characters was an agent of Ptah. Ptah feels that the pharaoh and even the king of gods, Osiris, and his son, Horus, are warlike

To destroy the dam and free the water, the party will have to 55 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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idiots who do not deserve to rule. In his opinion, knowledge and wisdom should be the prevailing force in the land not strength of arms.

of the sentries equally, and create the area of effect the monster will protect. Cross the line and wake up another Shield Guardian. They were placed by the gods to stop anyone from damaging the pillars. Ptah managed to get by them to install his device.

So he has crafted an insidious plan to test their mental prowess. The heavens, formed by the goddess, Nut, stretch across the great disk that forms the world. Four massive pillars stretching from the ground to the sky hold them aloft. Ptah has created a device that he attached to the base of one of the four pillars that holds up the heavens. This device causes the pillar to shake intermittently. Each time, the shaking becomes more severe. In a month’s time, it will become so terrible that it will split the column asunder, causing the corner of heaven it is holding up to collapse upon the world, creating untold amounts of destruction.

The apparatus can be seen from the ground. It looks like a box attached to a black band around the pillar about 30 feet above the ground. The heroes need to get to the box to disarm it. Due to the shaking that has already taken place, the pillar has small cracks in it that a character can use to climb. To reach the device, characters must make three success-

ful Climb Skill checks at DC 20.

Once a character has managed to get to the machine, it must be disarmed. There are three symbols on its face: an ox, a phoenix, and a hawk. The hero needs to touch the symbols in the correct order to disable the device. The proper sequence is ox (Ptah), phoenix (Osiris), and hawk (Horus), showing Ptah’s desire to be revered over the other two gods. If the symbols are pushed in the wrong order, the device shakes the pillar violently. The hero must make another Climb

What Ptah doesn’t know is that the pillars are balanced. If one of the pillars is destroyed, all of the others will topple, and the heavens will come crashing down upon the Earth. Such a cataclysm will cause the Great Primordial Sea to sweep in and cover everything once again. Ptah does not really want to see the world end, he just wants to prove he is right: the other gods are not as smart as he is, and he should be able to lead through knowledge.

check, this time with a -2 Circumstance Penalty to hang on.

Failure causes the character to fall 40 feet to the ground and into the attack radius of a Shield Guardian. Successful checks enable the character to attempt another sequence.

Ptah’s riddle, of course, refers to the pillar upon which he has placed his device. When the heroes deduce that one of the heavenly pillars is what Ptah is taking about, they might be in a bit of a quandary. The pillars are at the four corners of the world and they do not know which one holds the device.

Each misfired attempt increases the Circumstance Penalty to hang on by an additional -2.

If the hero keys the symbols in the correct order, the device stops shaking (if it had started), and there is a loud click. The band detaches from one side of the box, and the whole apparatus falls to the ground.

At this point, let them beseech their gods for help. The gods of Heliopolis do not like to directly interfere with the affairs of mortals, but they will lend a hand to stop the annihilation of the world by Set or one of his minions. Each of the gods

Once it has been detached, the pillar is safe, but the hero coming down must still contend with the sentries.

Rewards: Solving the riddle on their own is a Challenge Rating 6 Encounter. Reduce it to CR 5 if the party gets outside help. Disarming the device is also a Challenge Rating 6 Encounter while each Shield Guardian the characters face is CR 8.

Delta King will offer aid in one way or another. How you handle this is up to you, but, in the end, the heroes should learn where the device is and have a means to get to it.

Characters: Any, but Traders will be very handy here. The heroes will be spending a lot of time on the water, so anyone with boating knowledge will be useful, and most Traders have learned how to handle a boat at least to a limited degree.

This is also your opportunity to take your Egyptian adventurers to far-off lands on their quest to stop Ptah. Granted they only have a month, but a whirlwind tour of the world could make for some interesting games.

Goal: Find and overthrow the king of the delta whom Sobek installed. Setup: The vizier of Lower Egypt is dead! The news is

Resolution: Once the heroes reach the pillar they have to

spreading throughout all of the Empire. Worse yet, someone calling himself the Delta King is claiming the entire river delta region as his kingdom.

contend with its guardians. There is a group of four Shield Guardians surrounding the pillar — one on each side. These sentries will only attack someone who is attacking the pillar from the quarter they defend. Thus, if the heroes all come at the pillar from the south, only the southern-facing Shield Guardian will oppose them. In effect, four magical lines emanate from the pillar splitting the distance between each

The Delta King sent a proclamation to the vizier announcing his claim, and the vizier responded with soldiers. When the troops didn’t return, the enraged vizier personally led the next group of soldiers into the delta to put an end to what 56


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he thought was an upstart peasant with delusions of nobility.

the party passes by, swimming slowly after them as they continue downwards.

Two days passed without word. On the third day, their barge turned up with two items: the vizier’s head and a note from the Delta King warning all others not to interfere with his claim. The head of the vizier was contorted with a look of sheer terror.

Once they reach the heart of the delta, the characters come upon a bend in the river that is almost a small lake. Here they will be surrounded by crocodiles that will sit eyeing them while they wait for the Delta King to arrive. If the heroes attack any of the crocs, the others will disappear under the water, but will pop back up to stop the heroes from continuing onward.

The palace is in an uproar. Who dares attack Egyptian royalty? The pharaoh is intent on sending the army down to wipe out this Delta King, but he wants the heroes to go first and find out what sort of troops the Delta King has before making his move.

Resolution: Just as he did before, the now one-eyed Delta

The Adventure: Delta King is no man. He is a massive crocodile

King arrives. The beast stares down the characters for only a moment. Then it moves to attack. The Delta King is a 10 HD Giant Crocodile. The remaining crocs attack the following round.

The Delta King is actually Sobek’s pet, his pride and joy. Sobek bred and raised the King to the size he is today. Then

If the heroes manage to kill the Delta King before they finish off the rest of the crocodiles, the other crocs that aren’t already engaged in a fight will swim off unless they are attacked. The Delta King’s spell has faded and they are back to their normal habits. They will attack given the opportunity or if provoked, but they are no longer the vicious fighters they were when commanded by the Delta King.

over 30 feet long with a cunning intellect and an army of crocodiles at his side. The power behind the Delta King is the evil god of crocodiles, Sobek.

Rewards: Defeating the Delta King and his minions is a Challenge Rating 10 Encounter. If the heroes want to search

the bottom of the river and the surrounding banks, they can locate up to 10,000 deben. The pharaoh is very pleased that they managed to put an end to this threat themselves, but they have made a deadly enemy of Sobek.

he placed an enchantment on the gargantuan beast that allows him to call other crocodiles to him. These crocodiles will do whatever the King does. If the Delta King attacks a boat, all of the other crocodiles do the same. Currently there are 10 other crocs with the King.

Waking the Earth Characters: Any classes are acceptable, but Nomads and

Sobek’s Avatar sent the note to the vizier in the first place. When the vizier resisted and sent troops into the delta, Sobek was overjoyed. He is a plotter who loves stirring up trouble. The Delta King and his crocodile minions made short work of the vizier’s troops.

Rangers will be particularly useful while traveling through the desert. Also, Scribes will be essential to translate the Book of the Dead.

Goal: Stop Geb’s rampage and cause him to revert to his natural, dormant, state.

When the vizier entered the area of the delta in which the King was residing, he and his men were shocked to find the remains of the other soldiers. He commanded his men to press on and as night fell, they found themselves surrounded by the Delta King’s minions. Then the Delta King appeared and assaulted the vizier and his men.

Setup: When the creator gods looked upon the world and saw what they had set in motion, they knew that it was time for them to depart. Their children would now take their place as the gods of humanity.

Geb traveled into the Western Desert, where he knelt down and became as the Earth — solid and unmoving. Here he would sleep until the time came to join Atum in remaking the world.

Sobek laughed at the vizier’s predicament, but the evil god didn’t expect the ferocity the vizier and his troops displayed in that hopeless situation. The Egyptians managed to kill 10 crocodiles, and the vizier himself put out one of the Delta King’s eyes before they perished. Furious that his pet had been harmed, Sobek commanded his Avatar to behead the vizier and send his head back up the river along with the note to warn off anyone else from coming into the delta.

Millennia have passed since then. Now Set and his minions seek to wake the God of the Earth and use him in their scheme to overthrow Heliopolis and become the rulers of all creation themselves. Set has ordered his wife, Nepthys, to send her Avatar into the desert, find Geb, and use her power over the dead to awaken him. However, the Earth God will not drop back into his slumber so easily once awakened.

As the heroes pass down the Nile, they will see the fear in the eyes of the people in the villages, but as they enter the delta itself, everything will seem normal. Once they get in deeper, they will spot more and more crocodiles on the banks of the river. These crocs will dive into the water as

The Adventure: Nepthys’ Avatar did travel into the Western

Desert, and she found Geb’s stony, dormant form. Nepthys used her power to raise the dead to awaken him, but the God


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of Earth was angry when he awoke since it was not yet time to remake the world. Geb lashed out, nearly killing the goddess with a single blow to her Avatar. Then the stony giant raised himself to his full height and headed towards Thebes, the center of the world. Having gone dormant when gods still walked the Earth, he exists on the mortal plane, out of reach of the gods.

is begun, it takes five rounds to complete. Geb will sense what is going on and try to stop the hero who is reading the incantation. The others will have to prevent Geb from getting to the character reading the incantation to successfully make him dormant again.

Rewards: Defeating the mummy is a Challenge Rating 6 Encounter. Retrieving the Book of the Dead has no reward in itself, but you should design several traps for the temple and grant Experience for surviving them. Make them increasingly tougher so that your PC’s receive a hefty reward for extracting this legendary artifact from its hiding place. Overcoming Geb is CR 10.

Being awakened early has made Geb cranky. In fact, the creator god is insane. He has no real comprehension of reality and seeks only to end the world so that he may do his job and recreate it once again. He is on a path through the desert towards Thebes and will reach the capital in a few weeks. Thankfully, he isn’t one of the speedier gods.

Bad Moon Rising

The heroes have no hope of defeating him. Geb is raw, natural force. He is powerful enough to kill any of the gods with his bare hands.

Characters: Any. Scribes and Clerics will be the most beneficial here to locate and decipher scrolls that will be needed to stop Khonsu.

So how do they stop him? The party needs to put Geb back to sleep. This is only possible by locating the Book of the Dead and using an incantation within its pages to force him back to dormancy.

Goal: Stop Khonsu from causing the Nile to flood the Empire. Setup: Khonsu, the God of the Moon has a personality that is as changing as the phases of the lunar body. While he often is a friendly god, he can be quite vindictive and cruel. During one of the times when Khonsu was at his most depressed, Set came to him and convinced him that the other gods hated the Moon God and that he should side with Set who had always been his friend.

The Book of the Dead (the real one; there are many false copies) is located within the Necropolis in Thebes. Its guardian is the mummy of a palace guard who pledged his eternal life to prevent the book from leaving the halls within which it is secured.

Fueled by his depression, Khonsu believed Set’s lies and followed the evil god into the desert when he and the rest of Set’s ennead rebelled against the gods of Heliopolis. Since that time however, Khonsu has been rethinking his position. Set is by nature not the most outgoing of individuals unless he wants something, and this was the case with Khonsu. Once he had the Mood God’s allegiance, Set didn’t give him another thought.

The book rests on an altar with torches on either side of it within a tomb in the Necropolis. As soon as it is opened or removed from the altar, the mummy will rise and attack the person with the book. If it is passed to someone else, the mummy will shift its attacks to the new target. This mummy

Khonsu has sensed this but remains with Set for as many reasons as he has moods. At times he is afraid to leave and at others he just doesn’t care, staying so he won’t have to confront anyone. And there are times when he actively plots against Set and plans to supplant him at the head of this new pantheon.

has 12 HD, and the only way to stop it is to destroy it or the book. If the heroes manage to escape the mummy and make

Unfortunately for Egypt, Khonsu’s moods have come upon a plan to which they all agree. As the God of the Moon, Khonsu controls the ebb and flow of the tides. He has decided that he will use this power to cause the sea to rise, forcing the Nile to flood its banks and wiping out all of the people. His different moods each offer a different justification for this act. One believes this will make Set look like a fool, enabling Khonsu to take control. Another feels that, with the land destroyed, Set won’t have anything left to fight for and will leave the Moon God alone. Still another presumes that the people living in Egypt are probably all bad anyway so that it will not be a great loss.

off with the book, the undead creature will continue to pursue them and might show up in a later adventure still seeking the book. In addition to mummy, the tomb is trapped to prevent interlopers from penetrating it very deeply.

Resolution: Once the heroes have the Book of the Dead, they must travel into the desert to find Geb. Alternately, if the characters take a lot of time finding the book, you could have Geb show up and begin attacking Thebes to make the scene a little more dramatic. However you play it, Geb will not be hard to find. He is on a straight course to Thebes, and he plows through anything that gets in his way.

The Adventure: The heroes start the adventure after being

Once the heroes catch up with Geb, they need to recite the incantation from the book. This must be done by a character with the ability to read scrolls. Once the incantation

called before the pharaoh. The royal astronomers have noticed something odd in the night sky. The moon has


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seemed to grow in size and remain full for an overly long amount of time. Consequently, the tides continue to grow with no end in sight.

shines down from the face of the moon to strike the Avatar of Khonsu sitting before the heroes. As the light shines on him, Anat begins to twitch and growl, and then is transformed into a werewolf in the upright hybrid form.

The astronomers fear that somehow the kingdom has angered Khonsu, and so he rides his chariot low in the sky to inflict his wrath upon the kingdom. The pharaoh orders the heroes to find out what can be done and to somehow make amends with the God of the Moon.

The heroes need to defeat the werewolf of Khonsu to appease the god. This is no easy task. Anat may be a poor,

mad fool, but he’s also a 6th Level Cleric/2nd Level Avatar, and that’s before being turned into a werewolf. Khonsu trans-

formed his Avatar because he felt pity for the man’s insanity and wished to free him of his bondage. If the characters can’t kill him, then the God of the Moon is clearly justified in destroying the Nile Empire. Once the heroes defeat Anat, a beam of moonlight strikes the body of the fallen Avatar and lifts it into the air while a voice commends them on their accomplishment and vows to lower the tides as promised.

This is a difficult task. The characters must somehow consult Khonsu, a member of the renegade pantheon led by Set, and put an end to his menacing of the Empire. Any character who worships Khonsu or has him as a patron may attempt to contact him, but all such prayers go unanswered. He is too caught up in his plans to answer the petitions of any of his worshippers. The heroes will have to consult the royal libraries to see whether or not they can find any scrolls that may be able to help them in their plight.

Rewards: If the characters think to search the library on their own (without prompting from the GM), reward them as though they had overcome a Challenge Rating 5 Encounter. Do the same for convincing Anat to beseech Khonsu for them. Defeating Anat once he becomes a werewolf is a CR 11 task.

Resolution: Finding the scrolls in the royal library will not be easy. The heroes need to make a Search check with a DC of at least 20 to find a scroll that can give them the information they need. Once they find one, a Decipher Script check at DC 20 or a Hieroglyphics check at DC 25 is required to interpret the information.

Slaying a King of Gods and Men Characters: Any. Goal: Stop Bes’s Godslayer from killing the pharaoh. Setup: Set is as much a god of lies and deception as he is a

The scroll reveals Khonsu’s quirky nature. It also makes mention of a man who became the Moon God’s Avatar but

god of evil. When he began his plans to topple Heliopolis, he sowed the seeds of his wickedness with a number of his brethren, none more so than Bes. Because of his dwarf-like nature, Bes was the butt of many jokes from the other gods. Set saw this and played up his friendship to Bes, knowing that the diminutive god would come in handy. Since his pantheon left Heliopolis, Seth has used Bes as his unwitting pawn. Bes thinks that he is Set’s right-hand man, a position actually held by Sokar.

was driven mad due to the very nature of his patron deity. This unfortunate now lives in the desert outside Thebes, where he makes sculptures of the god in his different moods. The heroes need to find him and convince him to stop the god’s insane rampage.

Now Set has begun to grow impatient with the conflict between the gods and has decided to act first. Knowing that any move made against a god of Heliopolis will result in swift retribution from the remaining Heliopolitans, Set has set up Bes as his patsy.

If the group of heroes has a Godslayer of Khonsu in it, they may be tempted to just kill this man, and in doing so Khonsu, ending the situation once and for all. If this is done, though, there will be no moon to regulate the tides and the Empire will be destroyed by a combination of horrendous flooding and terrible drought.

He has instructed Bes to bestow the mantle of Godslayer upon one of his worshippers and to have that Godslayer target Horus and his Avatar, the pharaoh. Set knows that the deaths of the pharaoh and, subsequently, Horus will throw both the Nile Empire and the pantheon of Heliopolis into chaos. And there is nothing Set enjoys to create more than chaos.

Khonsu’s Avatar, whose name is Anat, proves difficult at best. The heroes can see his moods change as he sits before them. Role-play this situation out. Anat will be hard to deal with, but eventually the heroes should be able to convince him to speak with his god on their behalf. Make them convince you, though. When it seems natural, he relents.

Meanwhile, Bes becomes a fall guy who was acting upon his own accord to please his leader, Set, who has no knowledge of the action. That way, Bes takes the brunt of the gods’ revenge and Set can plan a counter-offensive while the gods are distracted with Bes.

Once Khonsu has been contacted, he offers the PC’s a challenge. If they can prove they are brave enough, mighty enough, and worthy enough to be saved, he will spare the kingdom. When the heroes agree to the challenge, a bright beam of moonlight

The Adventure: Unaware of Set’s treachery, Bes has followed his master’s wishes and created a Godslayer to kill Horus. The person Bes has chosen is a former palace guard named


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Table 5-1: Heroic Opportunities Roll a d8 and consult the table below for an heroic opportunity in battle. Brief descriptions follow.

Die Roll

Heroic Opportunity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Brief Respite Burn Down the House Duel Fortify the Defenses Outnumbered! Rally the People Rescue an Innocent Spirited Charge

Brief Respite: When the character kills the monster he or she is currently fighting, there

is a sudden break in the action. All nearby foes are vanquished. Through the haze of battle, a 5th Level Cleric finds the character and casts Cure Moderate Wounds upon him or her. Burn Down the House: The character comes upon several zombies in a small house where they have murdered the inhabitants. A small fire burns nearby. With a Wisdom check at DC 7, the character can think to set the dwelling ablaze and then wait at the door, mowing down the fell creatures as they emerge. Duel: In the midst of battle, the character locks eyes with a fiendish undead creature such as an advanced (8 HD) wight. The waves of dead part, and the vile creature engages the hero in a one-on-one duel, seeking to please its master by personally vanquishing of the characters who killed the Delta King. No other creatures interfere with this duel while it occurs. Fortify the Defenses: A line Egyptian soldiers is in deep trouble. A wedge of ghouls has attacked them at one point and threatens to break through. The character can swoop in from behind to help shore up their defenses and force the ghouls to fight on two fronts. Outnumbered!: Suddenly, the character finds himself or herself surrounded by zombies. He or she has gotten separated from the rest of the party, and the dead are closing in for the kill. There should be enough zombies for this to be a challenging encounter for the character, but not so many that he or she is hopelessly overwhelmed. The hero will have the opportunity to fight off multiple foes and still emerge victorious, thereby furthering his or her legend. Rally the People: The character swoops in and saves a small group of citizens from a ghoul. Now he or she can rally them to attack a group of zombies not far away, helping them to defeat more monsters and inspiring them to greater acts of heroism. Rescue an Innocent: A small child, a helpless woman, or a crippled man is being menaced by a monster. The character has the opportunity to arrive in the nick of time and perform the rescue. Spirited Charge: As a fiend falls at the character’s feet, the soldiers around him or her cheer. The character can lead them in a charge against a line of monsters, granting them a +1 Morale Bonus to their attack rolls.


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Ahnan, who was enslaved because he had become too close a “friend” to one of the members of the pharaoh’s harem.

If the heroes attempt to form a guard around the pharaoh, the king will still want to retire for his usual stroll through his gardens alone, regardless of the threat. He will not allow any to accompany him. When he does, Ahnan attacks. The heroes will have to break through the door to stop Ahnan. The pharaoh puts up a fight, but he is unarmed and so at a significant disadvantage. The assassin is a 9th Level Fighter/

Bes freed Ahnan and gifted him with a special weapon, a massive scimitar with a hilt of gold and magical inscriptions along its blade, making it unbreakable. It is otherwise considered

a Masterwork weapon.

The heroes become aware of this threat when one of the characters is given a horrible vision of the pharaoh being murdered by having a scimitar thrust through him and Horus falling in Heliopolis, a similar wound in his chest. The person who receives this vision is up to the GM. This works best if the recipient has Osiris or Horus as his or her patron deity, but if no one does, Thoth or Anubis are good choices as well. Failing that, select a character that seems most appropriate.

2nd Level Godslayer.

When the heroes do break in, Ahnan attempts to use the pharaoh as a hostage to make good his escape. Given a chance, though, he will slit his prey’s throat before he leaves. If the heroes manage to stop Ahnan without him escaping, the pharaoh is most grateful. He’s especially pleased if they capture the Godslayer alive, enabling him the pleasure of executing him, which he does with Ahnan’s own scimitar. If any character was particularly instrumental in saving the pharaoh, he gives that person Ahnan’s scimitar as a gift. Otherwise, he keeps it as a trophy.

The character does not get a clear image of the killer in the vision, so locating the person in real life will be dif-

Rewards: Defeating Ahnan is a Challenge Rating 11 Encounter. Preventing him from escaping kicks it up one level. There is no reward if the pharaoh perishes.

And the Dead Shall Rise Characters: Any. Goal: Stop Sokar and his legions of the undead from

ficult. The first thing they should do is warn the pharaoh. His reaction is one of concern, but he will not abandon the throne. If the players want to set up a guard on the pharaoh, he will resist, but will agree if there are no more than two heroes there.

overrunning the kingdom.

Setup: Prior to Osiris establishing himself as ruler of the

Underworld, this was the sovereignty of Sokar. When Set began to plot the downfall of Heliopolis, Sokar was the first conspirator he brought in on his plans.

After the pharaoh is warned, the characters can begin to look for the killer. However, as a former palace guard, Ahnan knows many of the secrets of the fortress and will do his best to blend in.

Their plans for the overthrow of the gods did not go well. The forces of the Nile Empire are mightier than either of the two evil gods had anticipated, and all of Set’s plans have thus far been foiled. They have hit upon a new plan, however. The Heliopolitan gods draw strength from the worship of the Egyptians. Thus, to quench the source of their power, the two villains now propose to wipe out the Nile Empire for good.

The pharaoh has a long list of enemies, but a Gather Information check at DC 25 will reveal that one of the slaves in a local encampment, a former guard, has turned up missing. Further

investigation will uncover his identity, history, and grudge against the pharaoh.

The Adventure: While Osiris is now the ruler of the Underworld, Sokar still controls the City of the Dead and, more importantly, the gates that keep the deceased from returning to the land of the living. On the night of the new moon when the power of fear is at its highest, Sokar throws open these gates and allows the living dead to surge forth and feast upon the living who do not worship the Desert Ennead.

Resolution: Now that the heroes know who the Godslayer is,

they have to be on the lookout for him. Ahnan, however, has already managed to infiltrate the palace. He has killed one of the regular guards and taken his place. Since then he has been scouting out when it would be best to kill his prey. He has found that each night the pharaoh leaves his guards for an hour and walks in his gardens under the moonlight. This is when Ahnan intends to strike.

Osiris would normally be aware of such a treasonous act. Since his beloved son’s Avatar was attacked by Bes’ Godslayer, he has diverted his attention to consultation with the other gods of Heliopolis regarding the impending threat from the desert. This distraction has allowed Sokar to assemble an army of the dead and prepare them to march forth.

The only difficulty he has come across is that he has been unable to sneak his scimitar into the palace. He cannot wear it while posing as a guard because it will attract too much attention. Ahnan intends to overcome that difficulty by dropping the scimitar outside a window to the gardens and reclaiming it once he has slipped away from his post.

At midnight, when the new moon is at its zenith, a great hole appears in the ground several miles to the west of 61


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pack of ghouls to cover his escape. Towards dawn, the dead withdraw. Kasuf, if he is still alive, leads them back into the desert. If he is not, they begin scattering shortly after his death, having lost the direction they need to sustain their attack. An exhausted city can breathe a sigh of relief. It has withstood the assault, but the questions remain: what caused it, and will the dead be back?

Thebes in the desert. Those in the city can hear a low moaning sound from that direction as if the souls of the dead are calling to them. They are. Hundreds of undead — ghouls, wights, and zombies — rush forth from it and descend upon Thebes. Leading them is Sokar’s foul Avatar, Kasuf, the same fiend who kidnapped the prince.

Rewards: Surviving heroes receive experience based on the challenges they faced during the battle. Overall, they should have fought four or five individual skirmishes plus any heroic opportunities they had and should be rewarded for each. Defeating Kasuf is a Challenge Rating 12 Encounter.

Within an hour the dead reach the city walls and attack. They burst through the gates and fall upon any living person they can find. They can sense whether a person is a worshipper of Set and his minions, and those people will be left alone.

Serpent’s Tongue Characters: Any, but a Trader will come in very handy. Goal: Stop Apophis from blocking the trade routes. Setup: Apophis, the eternal enemy of the gods, has been

Resolution: Kasuf and his army hit the city like a brick

through a papyrus sheet. Their immediate aim is wholesale slaughter. They fall upon as many people as they can find, killing them mercilessly. The dead waste little time on any particular victim. They slay as quickly as possible and move on to the next target.

plotting their downfall for millennia. Each night he attacks Amun-Re as he sails through the Underworld, only to be thwarted by the Sun God’s personal guard. However, when Set left Heliopolis, Apophis approached him and made an offer: if Set would but give Amun-Re to Apophis, the snake demon would give him all the aid he would need to overthrow Osiris and the other gods of Heliopolis. Set readily agreed.

This is because their true goal is to reach the palace and other government buildings. Killing peasants is helpful to Set, but what he really wants to accomplish is breaking the people’s spirit. That means, he needs to slaughter the officials who bring order to their lives. In particular, Clerics are the preferred targets. They represent the link between the people and the gods, so eliminating them is instrumental in Set’s plans.

Sokar’s undead attack on the kingdom caused much destruction. In addition to the number of people who perished, the granaries were broken open, crops were polluted, and cattle and other animals slaughtered.

The pharaoh calls upon the army to protect the city. After the initial attack, they get organized and begin repelling the dead wherever possible. Once it becomes obvious that the thrust of the attack is headed towards the palace, they fall back a bit to defend it. As well as the army fights, there are massive numbers of undead monsters, and casualties everywhere.

If Egypt is to survive, it needs to acquire goods from other lands quickly. Strangely though, no trade caravans have been seen in days. In fact, most of the Traders in the kingdom seem to have mysteriously disappeared. If any of the heroes in the group are Traders themselves, they will notice that many of their friends and colleagues have vanished.

The heroes should be willing to jump into the fray immediately. If they need direction, pharaoh orders them to the front lines to help his overtaxed and besieged soldiers. This is a bloody free-for-all with the party in almost constant battle with hordes of undead. Keep them fighting enough monsters for them to be challenged but not horribly endangered at first. Over the course of the battle, any character who scores a

The Adventure: The pharaoh calls the heroes before him to

discuss the matter of the missing Traders. He believes that this is another plot by Set and his minions to overthrow the kingdom. He orders the party to take the caravan route to the Northeast in search of both answers to this mystery and goods that can help save the kingdom.

Critical Threat on his or her attack roll may roll on Table 5-1 for an heroic opportunity in the course of the battle.

The heroes are given a wagon and some donkeys to pull it along with a few trade goods. If any of them is a Trader, the

If any of the characters are Avatars, they should be wary. The undead can sense this and will attack them mercilessly. Any blows the forces of evil can strike at Heliopolis through their followers they will gladly take.

Credits Text: Fred Jandt & John R. Phythyon, Jr. Art Direction, Layout, Interior Art: Peggy Gordon Cover Illustration: Lorenzo Sperlonga Interior Art & Back Cover: Terry Strickland Editing: John R. Phythyon, Jr.

Eventually, the party will confront Kasuf. He remembers them well, and is only too happy to engage them in combat.

Kasuf is a 6th Level Fighter/6th Level Avatar. He’s not interested in fighting to the death, though. When he’s down to one quarter of his Hit Points, he makes a run for it, instructing a nearby 62 Gora McGahey (order #19251)

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Nile Empire: War in Heliopolis, copyright 2002, Avalanche Press, Ltd.


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Avalanche Press - Nile Empire - War in Heliopolis by Azamor

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