Team Finds 17 Statues of Egyptian GoddessTuesday, March 14, 2006
Source: Fox News
CAIRO, Egypt — An Egyptian-German archaeological team has discovered 17 statues of Sekhmet, an ancient Egyptian goddess with the head of a lioness and the body of a woman.
The statues, estimated to be about 3,000 years old, were found during restoration work on the temple of Amenhotep III, in the southern city of Luxor, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni said in a statement Sunday.
Last week, the team discovered six similar black granite statues depicting Sekhmet seated on a throne and holding the "key of life" in her left hand.
Two of those statues were broken, with only the lower parts found.
The condition of the 17 statues was not revealed, though the council's chief, Zahi Hawass, said in the statement that each figure will be removed from the site for maintenance. Hosni did not say when the figures were found.
Hawass said Amenhotep III's different names and titles were delicately engraved on both sides of the statues' thrones, reflecting the advanced stage of arts during the 18th Dynasty.
Sekhmet was considered the goddess of war and recovery, which could explain why so many similar statues were found on the same site, according to Mansour Breik, the official supervising the Luxor antiquities.
The Caryatid Column of Sekhmet
Medium-Sized Construct
Hit Dice: 10d10 [50 hit points]
Initiative: +04
Speed:
- 20 ft.
Armor Class
Base: 16 (-1 Dex, 15 Natural, Deflection Bonus +2)
-Flat-Footed: 17
Touch: 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +06/+01
Attack: +10/+05, Great Flail [1d8/1d10/19-20/x2], Long Spear [1d6/1d8/x3], Khopesh Sword [1d8/1d8/ 19-20/x2]. Some weapons may have magical qualities.
Full Attack: +11/+06, Great Flail [1d8+5/1d10+5/19-20/x2], Long Spear [1d6+5/1d8+5/x3], Khopesh Sword [1d8+5/1d8+5/19-20/x2]. Some weapons may have magical qualities.
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks
Attacks as sixth level fighters, Saving throws as a sixth level fighter, Combat feats, as a sixth level fighter
Special Qualities
Construct, damage reduction 10/+1, magic immunity, resistances, shatter weapons
Saves: Fort +05, Ref +02, Will +02
Abilities:
Str 20 [+05], Int 00 [+00], Wis 11 [+00], Dex 10 [+00], Con 00 [+0], Cha 00 [+0]
Skills:
None
Feats: Cleave, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting
Environment: Any
Organization: Troupe
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 06-10 HD (Medium-size), 11-15 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: ---
COMBAT
Caryatid Columns are enchanted by the war-priests to serve as sentries to her faithful’s tombs and crypts. They activate when certain conditions or stipulations are broken (such as a living creature entering a chamber guarded by a Caryatid Column). A Caryatid Column attacks an opponent with whatever weapon it is carrying. (In the case of a Caryatid Column enchanted to Sekhmet, Footman’s Flail, Long Spear, or Khopesh Sword). It does move more than 50 ft from an area it is guarding or protecting.
Construct: Immune to mind influential effects, poison, disease, and similar effects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save, unless the effect targets objects. Caryatid Column have darkvision to a range of 60 feet.
Imbue with Spell-Like Ability: Divine Favor, Foundation of Faith, Shield of Faith, Spiritual Weapon: Activates when opponents come within 50 feet of the Caryatid Column and remain activate for the duration of combat. They can activate these abilities at will. They however will not attack any individual wearing the holy symbol of Horus, Sekhmet, Osiris, Ra, or Thoth.
Resistances (Ex): Caryatid Columns receive a +4 bonus on saving throws against any spell that can affect it. (see text below)
Magic Vulnerability (Ex): A caryatid column is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities and super natural effects, except as follows. A transmute rock to mud, stone to flesh, or stone shape instantly slays a caryatid column if it fails a saving throw. A transmute rock to mud heals all of its lost hit points.
Shatter Weapons (Ex): Any weapon that strikes a caryatid column must succeed at a Fortitude save (Dc 12) or shatter into pieces. Magic weapons receive a bonus equal to their weapons bonus.
Description: All caryatid columns bear the likeness of the goddess Sekhmet.
The Caryatid Columns of Sekhmet are created through incantations (Unearthed Arcana, Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition, Pg. 174) in observance with the Goddess of War and Peace.
The Caryatid Columns of Sekhmet
Enchantment
Effective Level: 8th
Skill Check: Knowledge (Arcana) DC 20, 3 Successes, Knowledge (Religion) DC 20, 2 Sucesses
Failure: Attack
Components: V, S, M, SC, XP (Non-worshipper of Sekhmet only)
Casting Time: 60 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: One statue per four caster levels, plus one additional statue per four levels of every secondary caster.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Source Material - Role Playing Publication
Open Gaming Lincense, V 1.0a, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
The Tome of Horrors I, Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.
Pictures, photographs, and art are the sole respective property of there owners. No challenge to ownership, trademark, or copyright is intended.
Archaeologists Find New Ancient Egyptian TombFriday, February 10, 2006
Source: Fox News
CAIRO, Egypt — American archaeologists have uncovered a pharaonic-era tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, the first uncovered there since King Tutankhamun's in 1922, Egypt's antiquities chief announced.
The 18th Dynasty tomb included five mummies in intact sarcophagi with colored funerary masks along with more than 20 large storage jars still with their with pharaonic seals intact, Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a statement Wednesday.
Still unknown is who was the owner of the tomb. U.S. archaeologist Kent Weeks, who was not involved in the discovery but has seen photographs of the tomb's interior, said its appearance suggested it did not belong to a king.
"It could be the tomb of a king's wife or son, or of a priest or court official," he told The Associated Press on Thursday.
No matter, its discovery shatters the nearly century-old perception that there was nothing left to discover in the Valley of the Kings, where it had long been believed that the 62 previously known tombs were all there was, he said.
Weeks made the last major discovery in the valley. In 1995, he opened a previously known tomb and found it was far larger than expected: more than 120 chambers, which he determined were tombs for sons of the pharoah Ramses II.
The newly discovered tomb is a single chamber, meaning it was likely intended for one mummy, he said. Other sarcophagi — or even all of them — may have been put in later, Weeks said.
In later dynasties, high priests fearing grave robbers took mummies from their original sites and stashed them elsewhere. Even after the pharoanic era, mummies were moved either to protect them or to hide them, he said.
Hawass did not specify who was believed buried in the tomb. The antiquities chief was scheduled to visit the site Friday to announce more details.
A University of Memphis team of archaeologists led by Otto Schaden found the tomb 12 feet below the ground, buried under rubble and stones 15 feet from Tut's tomb, Hawass said. The statement didn't say when the tomb was found.
Inside the rectangular tomb, the five wooden sarcophagi were surrounded by the jars, which appeared placed haphazardly, suggesting the burial was completed quickly, Hawass said.
The 18th Dynasty, from around 1500 B.C. to 1300 B.C., was the first dynasty of the New Kingdom, the pharaonic empire than lasted until around 1000 B.C. and made its capital in Thebes — the present day city of Luxor, 300 miles south of Cairo. The Valley of the Kings was used as a burial ground throughout the New Kingdom, though contrary to its name not all the tombs are of kings.
The new tomb will be called KV63, adding to the previously known sites labeled from KV1 to KV62, which is the tomb of Tutankhamun, uncovered by Howard Carter in 1922. KV5 is the tomb of Ramses II's sons.
"It clearly proves that the Valley of the Kings is still not exhausted," Weeks said. "There are probably more tombs.
Imenand of the Silt Shackles
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Race/Sex: Dwarven Male
Templates: Mummy Lord
Class: Cleric of Sekhmet/Tomb Warden
Levels: 13th Ceric/3rd Level
Spells/Number: 0/4, 1st/6, 2nd/5, 3rd/5, 4th/5, 5th/4, 6th/2, 7th/1
Str: [-18-][+04], Int: [-16-][+03], Wis: [-20-][+05], Dex: [-15-][+02], Con: [-00-][+00], Cha: [-20-][+05]
Feats (09): Combat Reflexes, Divine Metamagic, Improved Critical, Power Attack, Reach Spell, Scribe Scroll (Alternate Feat Advancement List), Still Spell, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Special Abilities – Cleric of Sekhmet
Aura (Ex): Imenand possesses an aura that corresponds towards law and neutrality.
Channel Energy (Su): Imenand can channel the divine energies of his faith to damage or repel undead. Imenand can use this ability 6/Day.
Domain Powers (Su): Imenand has chosen two domains favored by Sekhmet and gains those abilities listed within the Pathfinder campaign book.
Domain Spells - Healing
Rebuke Death (Su): Imenand can touch a creature as a standard action, healing it of 1d4 points of damage plus 1 point for every two levels he possesses [Total: 1d4+4]. He can only use this ability on a creature that is below 0 hit points. If he touches an undead creature with this effect, it is shaken for the number rounds equal to his caster level. [Total: 08]
Cure Light Wounds (Su): Imenand can cast cure light wounds 4/day.
Lesser Restoration (Su): Imenand can cast lesser restoration 1/day.
Healer’s Blessing (Su): Imenand can emit a 30-ft. aura of healing for 8 rounds. You and your allies within aura gain fast healing 2 as long as they remain within range. This fast healing only allies to damage caused after the damage began. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Domain Powers – War
Battle Smite (Su): Imenand can touch his deity’s favorite weapon and give it the ability to deal a battle smite. For the next three rounds, anyone wielding the weapon may add an enchantment bonus on one damage roll equal ½ your caster level for one attack roll [Damage: +08]. The target must decide to use this ability before rolling the attack. This effect fades after three rounds or when the battle smite is used. Once a wielder has used a battle smite, he can gain no further benefit from it for one day.
Magic Weapon (Sp): Imenand can cast magic weapon 1/day [Total: 08] per 2 caster levels he has.
Spiritual Weapon (Sp): Imenand can cast spiritual weapon 1/day.
Weapon Master (Su): Imenand gains the use of one combat feat for a number or rounds per day equal to his caster level [Total: 08]. These rounds do not need to consecutive and he can change the feat he chooses each time he uses this ability. You must meet the prerequisites to use this feat.
Flame Strike (Sp): Imenand can use flame strike 1/day.
Orisons (Su): Imenand can cast 4/day. He can cast these orisons at will as a spell-like ability. Orisons cannot be channeled through spontaneous spell casting.
Spontaneous Casting: Imenand can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that he did not prepare ahead of time. The cleric can “lose” any prepared spell that is not an orison in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or a lower.
Special Abilities - Dustform Creature
Type: Construct/Undead
Hit Dice: d12
Blindsight (Ex): Although not physically blind, Imenand can sense all creatures within 60 feet as a sighted creature would by detecting subtle vibrations in the air around them. Beyond that range, they treat all targets as having total concealment.
Breath Weapon (Su): As a standard action every 2d4 rounds, a dustform creature can spew a 10-foot cone of dust and sand. The cone deals 8d6 points of damage, and creatures within the area can make a Reflex saves for half damage. The save DC is charisma based.
Construct/Undead Traits: Immunity to paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning and mind-effecting spells and abilities. They are not subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. In addition, a dustform creature cannot be polymorphed into a nondustform creature. As a dustform creature, Imenand has one Achilles’ heel. A critical hit with a bludgeoning weapon forces the dustform creature to make a Will save to remain cohesive; otherwise it dissolves into lifeless dust. The DC for the will save is equal to 10 + damage dealt. Imenand, however can make a second Will save immediately by stacking his clerical levels [+13] and his charisma modifier [+05] + 1d20 vs. DC 27 and remain cohesive after the critical hit. He however still retains full damage if struck by a magical weapon.
Damage Reduction (Su): 5/magic. Imenand’s slam attack is treated as a magical weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Special Abilities - Mummy
Darkvision: 60 feet
Despair (Su): At the mere sight of a mummy, the viewer must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same mummy’s despair ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based. Imenand can use this ability at will and he can “deactivate” this ability towards individuals and group if their intentions are non-hostile.
Mummy Rot (Su): Supernatural disease and slam, Fortitude DC 16, incubation period 1 minute; damage 1d6 Con and 1d6 Cha. The save DC is Charisma-based. Unlike normal diseases, mummy rot continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below. Mummy rot is a powerful curse, not a natural disease. A character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted with mummy rot must succeed on a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character. To eliminate mummy rot, the curse must first be broken with break enchantment or remove curse (requiring a DC 20 caster level check for either spell), after which a caster level check is no longer necessary to cast healing spells on the victim, and the mummy rot can be magically cured as any normal disease. An afflicted creature who dies of mummy rot shrivels away into sand and dust that blow away into nothing at the first wind.
Apprentices: No
Weapons and Equipment
Plate Mail +03, Ice Burst Battle Axe +03, Helm of Teleportation, Ring of Fire Resistance, Parchment of Three Blessings, Decanter of Endless Water, Staff of the Pharaoh, Bottle of Endless Sand, Figurine of Wondrous Power: Gold Beetle, Jug of Whirlwinds, Lamp of Stars [Many of these items can be found in the Magic Item Compendium or the Sandstorm Accessory, Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition Revised], and several miscellaneous Potions and Scrolls
Notes: Imenand of the Silt Shackles is a rarity for a mummy lord. His unwavering devotion to Sekhmet after death has maintained his alignment status in the domains of law and neutrality. A second ritual in his devotion to the lion-headed goddess of war and peace grants him the abilities (ala template) of a dustform creature.
Source Material - Role Playing Publications
Open Gaming Lincense, V 1.0a, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Pathfinder, Beta Playtest Edition, Copyright 2008, Paizo Publishing
Player's Handook, Third Edition Revised, Copyright 2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Pictures, photographs, and art are the sole respective property of there owners. No challenge to ownership, trademark, or copyright is intended. Imenand of the Silt Shackles, The War-Vaults of Sekhmet, other character concepts, and fictious creative concepts are the sole property of Jeffrey N. Williams, Copyright 2009.
On the Planetouched Races of Hamunaptra and Mulhorand
by Joel Ehrig, Email: xaeyruudh@GMAIL.COM
The Aasimar, Chaond, Tieflings, and Zenythri work for most areas of the Realms, but in keeping with my aberrant approach to the Old Empires, I'm playing with an idea for planetouched races unique to the Old Empires.
Instead of 4 races representing the alignment axes, I’m thinking about a separate race for planetouched descended from each of the God-Kings. By God-Kings, I mean the God-Kings rather than their mortal descendants. This is not an exhaustive list of details, just the beginnings of descriptions. I haven't come up with names for them yet.
Anhur - pale bronze skin, black eyes, thick golden hair; eagle eyes, cool touch, smell like clear mountain air.
Horus-Re - bronze skin, yellow eyes, black hair; no other peculiar features.
Isis - blue skin, blue eyes, fine black hair; cool touch, smell like rain.
Nephthys - silver skin, blue eyes, hairless; no other peculiar features.
Osiris - white skin, black eyes, coarse black hair; cool touch, perfectly symmetrical features
Thoth - pale bronze skin, black eyes, thin white hair; cool touch, smell like parchment
Bast - bronze skin, green eyes, fine black hair; feline eyes
Geb - bronze skin, black eyes, coarse black hair; pebbly skin, warm touch, smell like fresh earth
Hathor - dusky bronze skin, green eyes, golden hair; smell like fresh earth
Anubis - black skin, white eyes, hairless; smooth skin, warm touch, smell like rain
Re - golden skin, red eyes, fine white hair; warm touch, smell like clear mountain air
Sebek - green skin, red eyes, hairless; pebbly skin, warm touch
Set - dusky bronze skin, yellow eyes, coarse black hair; warm touch
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