Welcome to the Pathfinder ® Adventure Path; "Mummy's Mask," converted for use in the Corwyn Game Setting!!!
Introduction:
Thousands of years ago, the desert lands of Vilzar were actually part of an ancient civilization called Shorafa.
The Shorafi were ruled by Pharaohs; ancient God-Kings who wielded vast magical powers. One of the greatest of these Pharaohs was named Hakotep; known to history as the “Sky Pharaoh.”
Long before his death, Hakotep ordered the construction of a unique pyramid, using secrets stolen from the Gods themselves. This huge tomb was imbued with powerful magic allowing the capability of magical “flight,” which really meant inter-planar travel.
Upon the Pharaoh’s death and internment, the great pyramid was designed to disappear into another dimension, and remain permanently hidden from grave robbers and any others who would desecrate his final resting place.
Like most Pharaohs of that era, when Hakotep died, his body was physically preserved, or “mummified.” His corpse was then sealed within the tomb, and a intricate religious ritual was begun to send the pyramid into another dimension.
But, unbeknownst to the priests conducting the ceremony, the Pharaoh’s Mask was not present with his body when the final ritual began, because a group of fanatics had stolen the sacred artifact.
So, Hakotep and his pyramid vanished forever, but without his funerary mask. To the Shorafi, this was considered heresy, because they believed the Pharaoh’s Ka; part of his Soul containing the “divine spark,” was embodied in that same mask. They also believed the angry spirit of the Pharaoh would return to avenge the desecration of his mortal body.
Pharaoh Djederet II; Hakotep’s nephew and successor, learned of the theft soon after he assumed the Shorafi throne. Scandalized by the desecration of his predecessor’s tomb, Djederet immediately ordered the stolen artifact to be recovered. The Pharaoh’s loyal servants scoured all of Shorafa, recovered the Mask of Hakotep, and brought swift justice to the thieves.
The new Pharaoh then ordered the Mask hidden away in a secret location. He decreed that the theft was to remain a secret, because of the shame he believed the brazen theft brought upon his own family. He then ordered a purge of all written records of the event, which destroyed almost all knowledge of Hakotep, his reign, and the location of his funerary Mask.
Despite Djederet’s campaign of secrecy, sages have long theorized that the final resting place of the Hakotep’s Mask was the ancient city of Tanif. However, that city was consumed by a huge sandstorm over 2,000 years ago, which made it impossible to confirm the theory.
Within a few years after the fall of Tanif, the desert empire of Shorafa completely collapsed, leaving the region in chaos. Many centuries later, a new nation called “Vilzar,” gained control over this region.
For many years, fear and superstition kept local Vilzari people away from Shorafa’s ruins. But, over time, Vilzar’s rulers became obsessed with learning the magical secrets of that ancient empire.
So, when the dunes shifted one-hundred years ago, and revealed the long-hidden ruins of Tanif, the new regime was determined to explore the lost city and plunder its ancient riches and magical secrets.
Driven by greed, Vilzari rulers quickly established a settlement just outside the ruins called Wati, which was really nothing more than a base to excavate and plunder the ruins.
The current Vilzari ruler; King Nezrakar N’Kroth, has greatly expanded this excavation. From his vast palace in An-Khara, he dreams of one day possessing whatever powerful magical artifacts may be unearthed from Tanif and exploiting them for his own personal benefit.
King Nezrakar is well aware of one important fact. Unlike many of Shorafa’s ancient tombs, the ruins at Tanif are largely untouched, because the entire city was completely hidden by the desert sands for nearly two millennia.
Adventure Hooks / Character Backgrounds:
1. Devotee of the Old Gods: the realm of Vilzar has a history stretching back over 6,000 years, and the deities worshiped today in modern Vilzar are not the same ones revered in Ancient Shorafa—deities with names like Anubis, Osiris, Ra, and Set, among others. Your family never lost the faith of your ancestors, however, and your devotion to one of the deities of Ancient Shorafa has helped keep the memory of Vilzar’s ancient past alive—a past that still lingers on in the untouched necropolis of Tanif. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (religion) checks, and one of those skills is always a class skill for you. In addition, your faith in the old gods of Shorafa grants you a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against divine magic.
2. Foreign Opportunist: You’re not a native Vilzari, but the opportunity to explore the tombs of Ancient Shorafa —and “liberate” the treasures they hold—is too good to pass up. Whether or not you’re interested in the history of this land, you’re definitely interested in the wealth that’s lain hidden in dusty crypts for millennia—such as the tombs in the newly discovered city of Tanif. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Appraise checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, your contacts in the antiquities markets allow you to sell relics of Ancient Shorafa for 60% of their listed price, rather than the normal 50% value. What is considered a relic of Ancient Shorafa is left to the GM’s discretion.
3. Inquisitive Archaeologist: You have studied the architectural styles of nations throughout Corwyn, but none have fascinated you like the architecture of Ancient Shorafa. Hearing that the famed lost city of Tanif has finally been revealed and is ripe for exploration, you’ve eager to visit that city to get first-hand experience with the lost secrets of Ancient Shorafa’s master builders. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (engineering) checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Perception checks to find concealed or secret doors in structures built in the style of Ancient Shorafa.
4. Trap Finder: Forgotten dungeons and ancient tombs have always held an appeal for you, and you’ve never been able to resist the urge to delve into these lost sites in search of knowledge, treasure, or both. You may not have received any formal training in the roguish arts, but you’ve nonetheless become quite skilled at spotting and disabling hidden traps. The lost city of Tanif, ripe for exploration, seems like the perfect place to put your skills to the test. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Disable Device checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, you can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps, like a rogue.
5. Wati Native: You were born and raised in the desert city of Wati, and you know well its peoples, cultures and secrets. Although it’s frowned upon by authorities, you have sneaked into the dead city of Tanif on multiple occasions to wander its dusty, abandoned streets. Out of respect for the deceased, you’ve never actually entered any the city’s silent tombs, but you have no fear of what might lie inside. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saves against fear effects. In addition, your prior knowledge of the city grants you a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks and that skill is always a class skill for you.
6. Mummy-Cursed: According to family lore, one of your ancestors ran afoul of a mummy’s curse while exploring an ancient tomb in Vilzar. This curse was passed down to later generations of your family, but over time, your line has become more resistant to curses. You’ve always desired to come to the lost city of Tanif to explore its untouched secrets, and while you hope you won’t have to face a real undead mummy, at least you have some defense if you do. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against curses and curse effects (including mummy rot and spells with the curse descriptor) and a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against a mummy’s aura of despair.
Player Introduction:
Good evening my friends, and thank you for coming. My name is Seti, and I am the one who summoned you here. By the fact that you have all come willingly, it would seem that, as my people say, “The desert sands beckon to you.” Before you, lies the great desert realm of Vilzar; the “Land of Blood and Sand.”
Now, allow me to tell you a tale; based upon ancient legends and dusty scrolls. Thousands of years ago, these lands were not called Vilzar, but were part of an ancient civilization called Shorafa.
The Shorafi people were ruled by ancient God-Kings called Pharaohs, who wielded unimaginable power. One of the greatest of these Pharaohs was named Hakotep; known to history as the “Sky Pharaoh.”
Long before his death, Hakotep ordered the construction of a unique pyramid, using secrets stolen from the Gods themselves. This huge tomb was imbued with powerful magic allowing it capable of magical “flight,” which really meant inter-planar travel.
Upon the Pharaoh’s death and internment, the great pyramid was designed to disappear into another dimension, and remain permanently hidden from grave robbers and any others who would desecrate his final resting place.
Like most Pharaohs of that era, when Hakotep died, his body was physically preserved, or “mummified.” His corpse was then sealed within the tomb, and an intricate religious ritual was begun to send the pyramid into another dimension.
But, unbeknownst to the priests conducting the ceremony, the Pharaoh’s Mask was not present with his body when the final ritual began, because a group of fanatics had stolen the sacred artifact.
So, Hakotep and his pyramid vanished forever, but without his funerary mask. To the Shorafi, this was considered heresy, because they believed the Pharaoh’s Ka; part of his soul containing the “divine spark,” was embodied in that same mask. They also believed the angry spirit of the Pharaoh would return to avenge the desecration of his mortal body.
Pharaoh Djederet; Hakotep’s nephew and successor, learned of the theft soon after he assumed the Shorafi throne. Scandalized by the desecration of his predecessor’s tomb, Djederet immediately ordered the stolen artifact to be recovered. The Pharaoh’s loyal servants scoured all of Shorafa, recovered the Mask of Hakotep, and brought swift justice to the thieves.
The new Pharaoh then ordered the mask hidden away in a secret location. He decreed that the entire incident was to be kept secret, because he believed the brazen theft brought terrible shame upon his family. He further ordered a purge of all written records of Hakotep, his reign, and the location of his funerary Mask.
Despite Djederet’s campaign of secrecy, sages have long theorized that the final resting place of the Hakotep’s Mask was the ancient city of Tanif. However, that city was consumed by a huge sandstorm over 2,000 years ago, which made it impossible to confirm the theory.
Within a few years after the fall of Tanif, the desert empire of Shorafa completely collapsed, leaving the region in chaos. Many centuries later, a new nation called “Vilzar” gained control over this region.
For many years, fear and superstition kept local Vilzari people away from Shorafa’s ruins. But, over time, Vilzar’s rulers became obsessed with learning the magical secrets of that ancient empire.
So, one-hundred years ago, when the dunes shifted and revealed the long-hidden ruins of Tanif, the new regime was determined to explore the lost city and plunder its ancient riches and magical secrets.
Driven by greed, Vilzari rulers quickly established a settlement just outside the ruins called Wati, which was really nothing more than a base to excavate and plunder the ruins.
The current Vilzari ruler; King Nezrakar N’Kroth, has greatly expanded this excavation. He dreams of one day possessing whatever powerful magical artifacts may be unearthed from Tanif and exploiting them for his own personal benefit.
King Nezrakar is well aware of one important fact. Unlike many of Shorafa’s ancient tombs, the ruins at Tanif are largely untouched, because the entire city was completely hidden by the desert sands for nearly two millennia.
This brings us to why you are here. I have confirmed that the Mask of Hakotep is indeed hidden somewhere within the ruins of Tanif. I learned this from a Nebta-Khufre, an evil man who is also desperately seeking the artifact. Your mission will be to explore the ruins and recover the Mask, before Nebta-Khufre gets possession of it.
This quest will not be easy. Wati is home to legions of diggers and slaves brought there by King Nezrakar to excavate the ruins, and they make more progress every day. To prevent ‘unauthorized’ grave robbing, most dig sites are well-guarded by the King’s soldiers. But, using my sources, I can sneak you into the city.
A second difficulty is that the city ruins are massive, and I do not know exactly where to look. But there is one clue that should be most helpful. One important tomb has recently been unearthed at Tanif, the tomb of Akhentepi; a loyal army commander who once served under Hakotep. I believe inside his final resting place is a key that will reveal the exact location of the Mask.
I want you to explore his tomb, find the key, recover the Mask, and return it to me. If you are successful, I will reward you with the sum of 5,000 gold pieces.
Once you arrive in Wati, go to an inn called the Tooth & Hookah. Once there, seek out a man named Farhaan, who will act as your guide within the city. I must warn you to be careful, for Nebta-Khufre is also seeking the Mask for his own dark purposes. He is capable of extreme violence and will stop at nothing to acquire it.
Now, there are other urgent matters to which I must attend, but I shall meet you in Wati on the first day of the next full moon. Hopefully, by then you will have the Mask in your possession. Because it is a long and difficult journey to Wati, my faithful servant Haji will accompany you.
Farewell, until we meet again. I wish you the good luck on your quest, and I shall offer a prayer to Bes; the Shorafi Goddess of fate, to watch over you.
