Planescape: Pharaoh's Afterlife (5E, LGBTQ+ friendly)

[Velatha]

Velatha: How would Nyar react to a "Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem" in magic? In other words, how would she feel if she saw concrete proof that certain questions in magic are fundamentally undecidable or unknowable? (Seriously, I have a soft spot in my heart for mathematically-inspired magic users).

Oh she is sure to pout, but knowing that you can't know it just makes it an interesting variable.  It even opens questions of why it can't be known.

[Isengrad]

Hent Ta Mehu could take him on a hunt. I'm sure in the 15-20 years since then he's killed for food, but the ritual of it might be missing from his life.

Probably, Of course any expedition that The Pharaoh went on with Hent Ta Mehu he would have accompanied her. But if your talking just the two of them(+ hunting companions) I'm posative that would have been a thing as well. Especially if the quarry was not a prey animal, or if its an overlarge beast. He can carry up to 480, drag 960...so hes got a bit of clout to him strength wise.

He just... He has no real hobby, or anything that defines him beyond a guard for the Pharoah...it would be nice to let him develop into something, he delved into religion after the Night, but he has not let him define him.

Oh she is sure to pout, but knowing that you can't know it just makes it an interesting variable.  It even opens questions of why it can't be known.

i=√-1 of course if you apply that, you might unlock time magic and things get....oh god really strange

[MdG]

MdG, Tey is almost certainly a playmate for Hent Ta Mehu's friendly competition. What will it take to pull her from her work and get her to engage?

Tey's natural sense of duty and competition are easily stirred. She is, after all, a being for whom attention to detail is essential. They will have different perspectives on the nature of wilderness and civilisation, because for Tey the wilds are to be tamed rather than indulged.

[MdG]

MdG: Does Tey hold any worry that her service to the Pharaoh and her desire for personal fame might conflict? If one of the Greater Powers offered her the opportunity to create even grander architectural marvels, how would she react?

I'm not usually a fan of D&D's alignment system, but in this case having Tey as true neutral seemed appropriate. Her devotion to the Pharaoh is a means to an end. Her craft is her life's focus. She was willing to endure symbolic death not exclusively out of devotion to her sovereign, but because the opportunity to help build a great mortuary monument was too good to turn down. If she were ultimately discharged from that obligation, she would likely seek a new patron somewhere in the Multiverse.

[MdG]

@Velatha - what is the role of the Tabaxi, assuming they have a specific one, in Atenkemet?

@TheKhan - I was thinking of an ushabti that is a miniature stone golem, infused with life by the breath of the departed, so that it acts as a spiritual anchor in the Atenkemet even when the person formally entombed travels the Planes.

[Winds Of Lust]

Oh wow I'm so excited to set my excitable, over-eager monk among this potential party (( assuming I make the cut )) He spent his whole life around a rather specific ( if large and occasionally changing ) group of religious types. These new personalities and points of view and life stories will be like water to a parched soul.

[Dhi]

Dhi: Where does Hent Ta Mehu draw the line between duty and love for the Pharaoh? Was there an element of informal friendship to their relationship, or did Hent Ta Mehu do her best to keep things "professional" despite her feelings?

The line between love and devotion was crossed when she learned Akhenisis' identity as Pharaoh. Akhenisis was the first woman Hent Ta Mehu loved, and she was not yet the liberated creature, the experienced hunter she is today. Being denied pushed her young infatuation into obsession, and so her duty became this ideal to strive for.

I'm thinking of it in terms of a white whale. Hent Ta Mehu has become a shrewd hunter and realizes when a quarry is beyond her; a goddess is beyond her primitive tools of flirtation and teasing. But under the right circumstances, even mighty Et Ozet could be conquered, so there remains a chance. If Hent Ta Mehu sees a path to Pharaoh's heart, she won't hesitate.

[TheKhan]

Remember there are 5 parts to the Soul in Egyptian Magic and philosophy. While we would be united with our bodies and would not be our BA within the Duat, we could actually be leaving behind our Shuet, our shadow bound with magics. Using the Shuet would keep the sympathetic magics very strong.

Question for TheKhan.  I may be stretching things a bit but would leaving behind her Ren be acceptable.  That and her library staying behind give a literal and symbolic meaning of leaving behind her memory.  The other pieces of her soul would keep her personality and a note for herself the new name.  A cute new twist of a name found scribbled in a long lost time.

Okay, I've given this a bit more thought. Leaving part of your soul behind could work, when you actually die (as opposed to the symbolic death here) your Ba could return to the tomb, retrieve your remaining soul piece and reunite it with the rest of your soul. Butttt... it would be a risky prospect. Since you've sundered your soul, there could be consequences as you travel through the afterlife, it could leave your soul vulnerable if you die on particular planes, and it leaves a very personal part of your exposed. Sorcerers, demons, monsters (and DMs) may try to use that to their advantage.

If your character is okay with that risk, and if you are okay with me potentially using that as a significant plot hook, go for it!

[TheKhan]

Coolio. I am also quite open if you or anyone else has comment or suggestions on the character or the nature of the fist of ra

Hmmmm that's odd, well I put up a new link that seems to be working for me, so hopefully, this one sticks? please let me know if you encounter any other problems

Eh, it happens, no worries. Are your background and alignment on your character sheet? I can't seem to find them.

@TheKhan - I was thinking of an ushabti that is a miniature stone golem, infused with life by the breath of the departed, so that it acts as a spiritual anchor in the Atenkemet even when the person formally entombed travels the Planes.

That's a cool idea!

[Velatha]

If your character is okay with that risk, and if you are okay with me potentially using that as a significant plot hook, go for it!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  This could make for a very interesting twist.  She could experience a truly unique existence.  She won't learn the answers she seeks following the paths that others have already tread.

@Velatha - what is the role of the Tabaxi, assuming they have a specific one, in Atenkemet?

Certain tribes of Tabaxi exist largely on the outskirts of the desert serving as defenders as they stand vigil.  Closer to civilization however, they tend to find their own way.  Most become traders, become tradesmen, or serve as followers of Bast.

[TheKhan]

Let me know if I'm missing anything. This was a bit of a hazy, late-night brainstorm. I usually prefer to get a loose backstory out there and then flesh out the specifics collaboratively, rather than try to hammer out all the details only to find my character doesn't fit.

Where is the performer background from? I can't seem to track it down.

[Isengrad]

It might just be the entertainer background

[HopeFox]

Anyhow, I just had a thought and everyone can take it or leave it as they wish. A big part of the Kemetic afterlife is the Ba's journey back to the khat, the physical corpse. Since you are journeying into the afterlife, you won't leave a physical corpse on the material plane, so your tombs will use ushabti statues as proxies. It is possible that you are leaving a mummified piece of your body behind to increase the sympathetic resonance between ushabti and your soul (and so part of your khat is on the material plane). Think about if your character would want to go that route. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything big, and I'm assuming none of you are going to be pulling a Wesir and be missing reproductive organs. I'd say regeneration could also be possible, as would be harvesting and embalming part of your body that you can survive without, such as a kidney or appendix. Anyhow, not necessary, just something to think about.

Ooh, now that's an interesting question. Senbu's primary connection to the physical plain is through his tribe's knowledge of his deeds, and the children he's left behind. As long as he has descendants, and his people tell his stories, then he has his connection to the material plane. He fully expects that future generations will call on him to help them in battle or impart his wisdom, and it's his duty to listen to their prayers and answer them. Given that, what about leaving an ear behind? That way, he always has one ear in the material plane, listening to his people's prayers and to the stories of life going on without him.

[TheKhan]

It might just be the entertainer background

That thought had crossed my mind, but I'd like to make sure.

[Isengrad]

That thought had crossed my mind, but I'd like to make sure.

looks like entertainer with custom personality,bond, ideal and flaw to reflect the character...they just don't have the feature listed. but the extra proficiencies and granted items and gold match up

[TheKhan]

FYI, a new version of the Artificer just when up on Unearthed Arcana, if anyone wants to use it.

https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/artificer-returns

[Dhi]

All the tool use options inspire ideas, but I'm invested in Hent Ta Mehu. Playing character hot potato just to try out new mechanics was the bad habit of 3.5 Dhi.

[Velatha]

Definitely not interested because this fool I've made sounds too much fun.  Still need to pick out some items, but I think she is otherwise pretty much done.

[TheKhan]

Fair enough! We have a couple of days left! If haven't got a character in yet, but are interested in joining (and making my decisions that much harder) now would be the time!

[TheKhan]

Thank you everyone! You presented some awesome characters and made picking really, really challenging! Unfortunately, I can't manage an eight-player game so that everyone can participate. I do apologize to those who didn't make the cut, I am not exaggerating when I say I agonized for how to make everyone happy. With that said, here is our party:

Tey played by MdG
Hent Tu Mehu played by Dhi
Kesi played by clonkertink
Senbu played by HopeFox
Nyar played by Velatha
Amennekht played by Isengrad

Congratulations to everyone who is in the game. There is a PM I have to send to everyone before I post the OOC thread, but once that is taken care of we can get going. We also do have some class overlap, so if anyone wants to adjust your skills/features while we are getting set up, please feel free, just let everyone know the adjustments you make.

I'm excited! Let's rock and roll!

[Isengrad]

Well, I could always play a Masked hero flavored as taking on the aspect of an egyptian god whenever he transforms :p. But if we get into the ooc and want to balance things a bit I dont mind adjusting my concept a bit to fit the partys needs.

[clonkertink]

I don't mind having two fighters in the party. Kesi may have an element of "Honour Guard" in her role, but there's more ceremony and display to her duty compared to Ammenekht's more practical bodyguard work.

If anything, I think it gives our two characters a natural connection point.

[TheKhan]

I don't mind having two fighters in the party. Kesi may have an element of "Honour Guard" in her role, but there's more ceremony and display to her duty compared to Ammenekht's more practical bodyguard work.

If anything, I think it gives our two characters a natural connection point.

Yeah, I have zero problems with having two characters of the same class in the party.