The Undead: Dr. Alexander Papoulas' translations of the tomb's hieroglyphics showed this recently discovered sarcophagus belonged to a prince of Egypt, dated from the time of the pharaoh Sesostris III, about 1850 BC. Although few other items from the makeshift tomb remain intact, there is the invaluable discovery of the prince's weapon--a crooked bronze sword of the khopesh variety. The sword is a marvel of ancient metallurgy, light but strong, and engraved with symbols of power and magic. It still easily cuts cloth or even skin, as Dr. Papoulas found accidentally.
There are a few puzzles to work out before announcing his find to the world, but with a little luck, Dr. Papoulas will be able to present to the scientific community a fully, researched find by the summer of 1894. It is strange that the sarcophagus was found with the seal broken, but the mummy and his gold desk mask were both intact. Surely, there is some explanation. The fact that the tomb was found in here on the Greek mainland makes it all the more monumental, but other scholars will certainly demand a very convincing explanation, or they will accuse him of 'fraud'.
If only the archeologist knew the whole story. His curiosity and passive contentment would change to terror in a moment. Thimosis was a violent man, seeking to purge his country of all heretics, criminals, and even foreigners. His extremes were tolerated by the pharaoh until a minor rebellion broke out among the upper Nile. The uprising was quickly squashed, but Sesostris realized that this was just the beginning of his troubles from his wayward nephew. He decided to put the prince's talents to use where he could release his violent tendencies at will, but not harm the unity of the country if he failed. Thimosis was ordered to raise an army and extend Egyptian influence in the Mediterranean, following the lead of Sesostris I, who took Crete some years before.
Thimosis made excellent progress, sending boats of loot back to the pharaoh, but he angered the priests who accompanied the army by refusing them their share of the spoils. They killed him during battle, using a fallen enemy spear, and left his body in the foreign land so that the murder would not be detected by the pharaoh's own embalmers. To appease the soldiers' superstition (and their own fears), they made a makeshift tomb in a low sea cave, then closed it in. Without a strong leader, the army soon returned to Egypt and never again ventured this far north.
Thimosis was outraged when he learned of his own death. He would have howled with fury, but his dead lips moaned piteously. He rose from his sarcophagus, explored his tomb and railed at his captivity. Subdued by his inability to act, he set himself down to rest until things changed, hibernating as it were, until he could be released by an unsuspecting person. Recently, his slumber has been disturbed. It seems his body has been taken somewhere, maybe back to Egypt. Wherever it is, these northern barbarians will regret his death. He will send them all back to Egypt as slaves. He still intends to conquer Greece, having no idea how long has passed. since his burial. When he finds out, his plans, will not change at all.
The Weapon: Discovering this story from before its arrival pleased the Red Death, and it imparted great magical energies into Thimosis' sword. When the mummy first grasp it, which will become his first goal, it will activate, becoming a +4 weapon, and he will fully realize all of its powers. It will first allow him to appear as a living person, as it will bestow the wizard spells seeming, tongues, and ESP at will. Then it will aid his quest for war by raising his Charisma to 18, which will allow him to once again become a leader of men. Finally, it will protect him from the modern world by making all firearms and explosives within 100' of him inoperative. He still can be shot from further away, but it may take a while for his enemies to realize this. By then, it may be too late.
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