RP Story - The Scarab's Great Work
The drumbeat tore through the silence disturbed only by the sea breeze caressing the hull of the ship, the oars beat the waves almost as mercilessly as the latter would beat on rocks till it carved a path for itself, the captain, a southerner from the looks of him was bellowing orders to the quartermaster and the ship was almost fluid in the way it sails and operates, on a golden throne on a dais near the back of the deck, sat a Stygian man, his dusky skin spoke of a bloodline that is more aristocratic than royal, but his eyes shimmered with witch light, a trait present only in the royal Stygian bloodlines, a trace of an ancient heritage long swallowed by the sands he originated from, or at least this body originated from, the Blood of the Ivory skinned Giant kings who once ruled Stygia before the current inhabitants pumped through the cold veins of the Vizier, the man slowly got out of his throne as he saw it, the port of Khemi was close, close enough for him to see, it wasn't the first time he landed on Khemi, but this time, the circumstances under which the Vizier's feet would touch the sun-baked sands of Stygia were different than almost every time since this cycle commenced.
He looked into the horizon, and though his gaze was fixed on the dark spires of the city of the clergy of Set, his attention was flung back a few days…after receiving the king's letter it was obvious that Conan knew about Akhmenukep's presence, a Sorcerer in the service of one of his lords…it was clear that the Stygian stay on Aquilonian soil was coming to an end….and it was clear enough, he had overstayed his welcome, as they say…as the bow of the ship cut through the surface of the styx like a heated blade, the man walked back to the Stern but stopped midway and sat on his throne-like palanquin, the servants stood near the Palanquin, prepared to carry their master through his triumphant return to the Serpent of the South…was it triumphant though? The Vizier eased unto his seat his arms resting on the chair's arms the lion handles gripped by him as he balled a fist and rested his chin on it, he looked over again to Khemi but his gaze drifted to the Black Pyramid, where Set's coils are said to be resting within….and he remembered….
After the Emissary of the King left the City, almost that same night, another emissary came, though they were more secretive and made sure they were neither seen nor announced, She came through as a new whore working in the brothel that Akhmenukep opened in Elymir, which was secretly full with girls dedicated to Derketo working as his agents and temptresses some were spies others were assassins, it was a stroke of genius, and the price of him securing Illwariel as his slave, a long awaited goal, a secured one now….the woman snuck into his quarters and disrupted his meditation, she was southern in every aspect of her appearance and he was for a moment enthralled, but as he stirred from his trance she knelt and presented him with a papyrus scroll, told him in perfect Stygian that his answer needs not be written but his actions will show what he answered . As she left, almost as silently as she arrived Akhmenukep got up and lit a candle unfurling the papyrus and sitting down to his desk, the Papyrus had the purple seal of the King of Stygia, the Serpent, as he broke the seal he seemed abit…surprised, it was an unfamiliar feeling, for he was not prone to be surprised….
The More he read the more surprised yet, satisfied, he was…the King of Stygia was summoning the exiled lord back to Stygia. He was proven to be innocent from the charges of heresy, and now, well, there was more to come…so much more, he was asked by royal decree to return to Stygia, there was talk about the Heretic movement, royal houses that united under a banner and are now contesting the king and his reign…a first…Ctesphon was known to be a powerful king, sure he had his flaws, but he was a great one, and his support staff was uncontested in their competence, after all it was what ousted him from the Political game in Stygia. The situation did not seem so…uplifting, Stygia's long standing traditions and status quo were shifting significantly towards change, one wrought with War and violence…one that reeked of chaos, a change forced suddenly unto a long-standing order never ended well, and now, he was called upon to push back for a great number of nobles drifted to the New order, the Jade Asp chief amongst the coalition, The Vizier was, ironically enough, one of the remaining few that has not been converted to the….Light of the One god…Akhmenukep held the Papyrus in his hand and looked out of the terrace, followed by his great Serpent familiar, the demon hissed, portents & tribulations, Akhmenukep gazed unto the night sky & saw the moon…a Blood moon….the time for change has come….
As his men carried the Palanquin off the Trireme, and unto the sands of Stygia, several folk gathered to accept the gifts and good graces of the newly returned noble, many folk knelt in reverence as music was played, Celebrating the Return of Akhmenukep the Vizier of Per-Nub-Kheper, the head of House Golden Scarab, an ancient esteemed bloodline, said to trace its origins back to one of the greatest Stygian Kings, the Great Mentupherra the first, the strongest priest of Set, for the title was oft retained by the King of Stygia, the one who also were a Speaker and banished Thoth-Amon, who left out of fear for his life from the Great Philosopher Warrior King….Akhmenukep hid his face in a festival mask as was customary, his men and slaves threw out rings that were currency in Stygia, and distributed grain and other meager sustenance for the populace, but the journey did not end in Khemi it was merely a stop, as the men continued on with the Palanquin climbing up a boat, that was joined by others, it was a pleasure barge, followed by other boats that carried priests, slaves, pleasure girls, dancers, gifts and all assortments of living men and women, all celebrating one event; The Return of the Scarab.
The Boat fleet made its way from Khemi towards the west of Stygia on the length of the Styx, passing by the Black lotus swamp, crossing the Styx all the way to the City of Amanopet the City of Cats, the center of the Cult of Bast, where he was greeted by the High Priest of Set who ruled the city, provided sacrifices to Bast and gifts as well as tributes to her Temple for blessing his festive fleet warding them from curses and instead turning said curses unto his enemies, the fleet then continued further south in the direction of Lake Zuad where the river Bakhr flows from, pouring and mingling with the Styx. Further towards its destination, the royal city of Luxur, where Akhmenukep's palace lies and where his fleet would stop to celebrate and later on meet the King, the journey from Amanopet till Luxur was a rather uneventful one folks gathered on the banks of the Styx to be blessed by the priests and the sight of the Exiled one's return, Akhmenukep's cult was hard at work ever since his exile to make his reputation better with all of Stygia & make the accusations against him fall and seem ridiculous, gaining a foot hold in Aquilonia with its most powerful Noble family also had its boons, the Vizier used the resources at his disposal to conduct secret off the record operations to disgrace his political enemies, get rid of them in all manners conceivable and inconceivable by man….he was never one for direct conflict, and he wasn't planning on being one now, but a face to the serpent was always welcomed, the people needed to See Stygia had a representative, someone seen and heard, tangible, an equally influential and skilled orator to stem the tide of the Light of Amun….and as ironic as it would be for Akhmenukep to be the face of Set's Stygia, it was all for Secular gain, not religious, so he would do whatever it takes even if he had to feign fealty to the Great Serpent….
The festive fleet of pleasure barges finally reached its destination, the ports of the City of Luxur where a sizable amount of Stygians were gathered to greet the Vizier procession, the foreigners accompanying the Vizier while normally would have been denied entry, were made sure to have their leather chords that had the numbered clay tag, the festivities were incredibly lavish and decadent and lasted for a rather long while even after the Procession reached the royal Palace of Luxur, Akhmenukep spared no expense neither in tributes, sacrifices nor in grandeur the people needed to look towards a savior, and the Man's vanity demanded such savior be him & shone as bright as the Gold around the King's Ivory throne…before reaching the palace the Vizier's procession headed for the Temple of Set where he prayed and offered sacrifices both in blood of foreigners and that of animals for the Great Serpent and joined his procession now where priests of Set wielding massive pythons and serpents, accompanied by other sacred animals; cats, lions, hippopotami,the temple dancers performed erotic dances using the serpents as parts of their routine, Derketo pleasure slaves and Dancers also mingled with the populace turning the procession into one of religious significance as well as a full blown orgy of Blood, sweat & Pleasure, the Vizier grinned behind his mask at the sight his black robes not only absorbing the sun's light and reflecting none of it, but also absorbing the people's love and admiration, they looked to him as if he were a prophet of the faith, for why wouldn't they his hand was generous, his wrath swift & terrible and from the look of things he seemed favored by the clergies of the Stygian pantheon, chief amongst them the great Serpent, Akhmenukep knew how significant this is, he wore the robes of a priest long ago, he knows how can the populace be manipulated with the faith, how their fervor can be fanned to an all consuming fire aimed at the enemies of his gods, his enemies.
The Palanquin carrying the Vizier Stopped at the stairs of the palace, where at the top another Palanquin awaited, one that carried the King, next to him stood his two Viziers & The Speaker of Set himself; Prince Besu-Besek, the Right eye of the King, Vizier of Southern Stygia and other titles, he was Ctesphon's childhood rival, turned friend and there he was…a Vizier of the king. Akhmenukep's gaze turned towards the other Vizier; Prince Menophis the left eye of the King, the Vizier of Western Stygia, the Hand of Set, Lord Procurer of Stygia & Judge of the House of the Black circle, the man's gaze fumed with ageless hatred, for he may have looked aged, but he was steeped in sorcerous knowledge and despite his lavish appearance, he barely could contain his concern & his hatred, like any petty man; it was prince Menophis that Orchestrated Akhmenukep's heresy charges and his later banishment for the Vizier sought his position in court and here they both were again, will the dance of deceit repeat itself or will they unite now against a common greater threat?
Next to the Viziers stood the Speaker of Set; the great Thoth Amon himself, the greatest sorcerer of this age & maybe beyond, the Ivory Giant of a man's gaze was fixed on the Vizier, Akhmenukep recognized great power, but the Speaker did not seem intrigued, he seemed to be here merely for show not even remotely invested; it was rumored that Thoth-amon controls King Ctesphon but that was not the full truth, the King always were strong enough to oppose Thoth-Amon but they rarely disagreed so such a sentiment was not needed, and because the Sorcerer knew exactly how to deal with Ctesphon it gave some the notion that both men were in a master, servant situation not one of equals….
Surrounding the King's palanquin was his family; his prime consort, the high priestess of Derketo, his seventeen children; the five sons & Twelve daughters, Akhmenukep knew the throne would go to one of them by the end of the King's reign but he never could discern which one would be the one to take it; a queen or a king was in the making, the King had four other wives, yet his Prime Consort, the Primary Queen, had more influence upon him than the other lovers, wives or concubines ever did or will….
Akhmenukep climbed the stairs all the way till he reached the King's Palanquin, borne by mighty Kushite slaves, they had the skin-tone of the Heretic Priest, Akhmenukep couldn't help but smirk behind his mask, it was…fitting…he presented his left foot forward, a sign of respect and love, for the heart was present on the left side of the body and this was the ancient traditional greeting, he then sank to one knee inclining his head slightly, one of the few times he ever did that, but decorum demanded it, he didn't wish to insult the king or any of the Viziers…and most certainly not the Speaker of Set…the cold, clinical Thoth Amon was forever an observer of the Human condition, he was not an evil man, but he was no hero either, he always was so fond of saying how he stands as a mere observer….despite the thoughts and sentiments of others, but then again the whole world thought Ill of Stygia, that never meant they were right….
The Vizier then rose as the King bid him so, his regal booming voice echoing through all the crowds gathering to witness such a lavish processional's final destination, the Palace of the King, the Ivory Throne the King spoke, showing almost no signs of frailty of age, he either aged well, or did not age at all "People of Stygia, my Subjects and adoring worshippers…" The King was a god afterall "You have all been blessed by taking part in such magnificent procession, nigh on a festival…you all welcomed the return of the Exiled, now redeemed Golden Scarab, now celebrate, bask in Harakht's son & Khonshu's moon for 3 days & their nights…such is the King's Decree…" the King's Herald then raised a rather large polearm and declared "May His reign be never ending!" the crowds thundered back the same sentence as the royal family, he advisers and Heralds headed on into the Palace followed by Akhmenukep, the Scarab.
After resting from his long journey Akhmenukep was set to a meeting with the King & his Entourage, informed of the dire situation Stygia is facing, though officially for the first time, he already bore witness to it so he did know, he never anticipated to be called upon to serve again though after a feast and all the courtiers and other petty nobles left for more festivities, the entourage composed of the King, his Viziers, the Speaker and Akhmenukep himself retreated to another hall, where the throne was settled, the King sat upon the throne, his Viziers & the speaker stood on his sides & Akhmenukep remained standing before the throne, making sure his left foot was always presented before the other…the King gulped his wine, he was almost as well built Conan himself, his Ivory skin and eyes shimmered with the light of the Giant kings' sorcerous blood, one that Akhmenukep had as well…the Viziers remained silent, all remained quiet till Thoth-amon whispered in the King's ear to which Ctesphon nodded and spoke "Neb Akhmenukep, you were so wrongly treated by this throne, yet you never gave up on your home, on your people, my agents would always inform me that even in your exiles you kept an eye on Stygia, never insulting Us, nor misjudging us, and our coffers remain full of your gifts, our bedchambers with your…other gifts, and our gardens and pens teeming with creatures exotic to our lands, and brought for our own viewing pleasure…" Akhmenukep bowed "My King is as shrewd as he is strong, indeed, my heart belongs to Stygia & his highness, I am a Son of these sands, through and through, and I knew it, I knew that your highness' justice & insight would see through the mists & shrouds surrounding his humble subject's life cast by mine enemies & your detractors, highness…" after completing his sentence, Akhmenukep took a lower bow
"Yet you would serve an Aquilonian against the interests of the Ivory Throne, Neb Scarab"
Spoken as an accusation, anticipated from the mouth of Prince Menophis, he still felt threatened he still wanted the Vizier Dead, Akhmenukep did not shake or hesitate, his face a porcelain mask of calm and calculated looks "I merely did what any would have done, knew that my life would be needed by the Ivory throne, so I elected to preserve it, but never did I act against the best interests of the Throne, I used my connections there to establish contact with other Stygian nobles, gain information about his Highness' hated enemy, the Heretic, as well as establish relations with other long lost friends in Shem & Newly acquired ones, who all love his highness and would wish only to serve him…as do I…" though addressing accusations by Menophis, Akhmenukep kept his gaze on the King and took a low bow, before sinking to his knees, avoiding his gaze out of reverence. Thoth Amon remained silent, as King Ctesphon gestured for his other Vizier, Bessu-Besek, who stepped towards Akhmenukep handing him a sealed Papyrus, a dagger & a golden sickle sword, a Khopesh, Akhmenukep took the items with reverence before looking quizzically, his young face made the portrayal of such sentiments too easy, deep down the Vizier grinned triumphantly. As Ctesphon rose from his throne, all others sank to their knees, Akhmenukep more than the others, he was appealing to the King's vanity even more, it was the wise thing to do as the King's voice boomed "Neb Akhmenukep, of Per-nub-Kheper, you have officially been pardoned from all charges against your name, and thine house, your titles have been restored to you and so are your Nome, you are now the Heri-tep-a'a of Abydos nome…" Akhmenukep smiled as his forehead almost touched the floor; he was just bestowed his lands, more of them actually, and he became a governor of a portion of lands. The King continued as the Vizier heard the sound of a cage being pulled unto the halls, and a vicious reptilian screech, roar and hiss, the sound of claws rumbling against the steel cage "you were also granted exemption from the taxes usually anticipated from you, and were granted this creature from our personal…collection…." Inside the Cage stood a a Serpent man of a rather large size, its scales had a purple hue about them, Akhmenukep's beastmasters will have quite the adventure breaking the cold blooded creature & later the Vizier will impose his iron will unto the fiend, Akhmenukep looked up to meet the King's gaze "your highness' generosity humbles me greatly, dare I ask why such gifts are bestowed upon me?"
Thoth Amon then spoke, his cold voice almost an echo than an actual sound, chilling and imposing "You are to face the Heretics, you are now his highness' weapon against the Heresy of Amun….Set's power and his highness' splendor must not be challenged or allowed to perish!" Akhmenukep stood up and drew his Khopesh admiring the engravings and nodded with a smile "The Scarab never failed any King since the earliest days of our ancestors….the Scarab will never fail you, nor our home, the Ankh will protect our lands, Set's name be praised!"
The next chapter of this Cycle has begun….
