The Mortician's Ecstacy
During the last years of Mishra's life, he became increasingly obsessed with immortality and a life free of death. He charged every priest, snake-oil-seller, wiseman and cultist he could find with seeking a way of escaping this fate, eventually giving rise to a cult known as the Mortician's Ecstacy.
Though they made incredible progress, it was to no avail; true immortality lay just beyond their grasp. Great was Mishra's wrath, for though the priests' magic kept him alive far beyond the span of any mortal Tabaxi, they could not prevent his death. However, the Cult gathered a vast lore of magical incantations and rituals, which they claimed could bridge the gap between the mortal world and the Starry Road.
They believed that with careful preparation and the proper incantations, it might be possible for the dead to return to life in imperishable bodies, though it might take many centuries to perfect and perform the necessary rituals. Left with no other choice, Mishra commanded that a vast burial tomb be constructed for his body to rest within until the Cult finished their work and he could be reborn into the eternal existence he so craved. As Misrha lay dying, full of anger, spite, and pride to his very last breath, the priests of the Cult promised him a golden paradise that, upon his awakening, he would rule for millions of years. When the King perished, at last, it was with a final curse upon his lips. Powerful incantations were intoned over his corpse and he was embalmed in a great ritual. Preserved against decay, the body of The Great One was entombed within a mighty sarcophagus in the heart of his majestic pyramid of shining white stone. The monument was so bright that it hurt mortal eyes just to look upon it, shining beneath the savannah and desert sun. The pyramid was vast and it towered over the city of Edeli. It was the largest and most magnificent monument ever created in Kermoria at the time, for no simple cairn would befit a king as mighty and powerful as Mishra. All of his treasures, along with his most loyal servants and bodyguards, were also interred within his pyramid. Mishra's mighty legions, which had carved out his realm at his behest, were arrayed deep beneath it in colossal tomb pits. Loyal even unto death, these soldiers were buried alive in preparation for the Day of Awakening when Mishra would arise and lead them to war once more.
All the Priest Kings, the Abydos Menos, shared the same lust for worldly wealth and power and had the same ambition to defy death and rule for all eternity. However, just as with Mishra, none could escape death's embrace, so they maintained the Mortician's Cult in order to reawaken them after their passing. During this time, the power and influence of the Cult grew. The first generation of priests, whose skills were comparatively rudimentary, died after prolonging their lives far beyond their natural span.
They passed on their knowledge to the next generation who exceeded them in both wisdom and expertise. In this way, the Cult's skill accumulated until the fifth generation of priests discovered the secrets of binding their souls into their bodies and did not die. After long years of perseverance and endless research, they had finally unlocked the secrets of eternal life, and though they had not perfected the necessary incantations, the ability to awaken the deceased kings from the sleep of death was almost in their grasp as well.
It is believed that, after her power awakened, Lyras sought out members of the Cult and, utilizing the gifts she had somehow received, was able to complete some of their long-desired rituals, creating herself as a sort of living lich, as well as granting her further powers to raise, and control, the dead and the undead.
Much of the Cult's knowledge was lost during the Lyras War, either accidentally or intentionally. However, it is rumored that the Cult still exists, and still intends to one day raise the rulers of Edeli from their slumber in their tombs atop King's Rest to once again exert their influence over the world.
Though they made incredible progress, it was to no avail; true immortality lay just beyond their grasp. Great was Mishra's wrath, for though the priests' magic kept him alive far beyond the span of any mortal Tabaxi, they could not prevent his death. However, the Cult gathered a vast lore of magical incantations and rituals, which they claimed could bridge the gap between the mortal world and the Starry Road.
They believed that with careful preparation and the proper incantations, it might be possible for the dead to return to life in imperishable bodies, though it might take many centuries to perfect and perform the necessary rituals. Left with no other choice, Mishra commanded that a vast burial tomb be constructed for his body to rest within until the Cult finished their work and he could be reborn into the eternal existence he so craved. As Misrha lay dying, full of anger, spite, and pride to his very last breath, the priests of the Cult promised him a golden paradise that, upon his awakening, he would rule for millions of years. When the King perished, at last, it was with a final curse upon his lips. Powerful incantations were intoned over his corpse and he was embalmed in a great ritual. Preserved against decay, the body of The Great One was entombed within a mighty sarcophagus in the heart of his majestic pyramid of shining white stone. The monument was so bright that it hurt mortal eyes just to look upon it, shining beneath the savannah and desert sun. The pyramid was vast and it towered over the city of Edeli. It was the largest and most magnificent monument ever created in Kermoria at the time, for no simple cairn would befit a king as mighty and powerful as Mishra. All of his treasures, along with his most loyal servants and bodyguards, were also interred within his pyramid. Mishra's mighty legions, which had carved out his realm at his behest, were arrayed deep beneath it in colossal tomb pits. Loyal even unto death, these soldiers were buried alive in preparation for the Day of Awakening when Mishra would arise and lead them to war once more.
All the Priest Kings, the Abydos Menos, shared the same lust for worldly wealth and power and had the same ambition to defy death and rule for all eternity. However, just as with Mishra, none could escape death's embrace, so they maintained the Mortician's Cult in order to reawaken them after their passing. During this time, the power and influence of the Cult grew. The first generation of priests, whose skills were comparatively rudimentary, died after prolonging their lives far beyond their natural span.
They passed on their knowledge to the next generation who exceeded them in both wisdom and expertise. In this way, the Cult's skill accumulated until the fifth generation of priests discovered the secrets of binding their souls into their bodies and did not die. After long years of perseverance and endless research, they had finally unlocked the secrets of eternal life, and though they had not perfected the necessary incantations, the ability to awaken the deceased kings from the sleep of death was almost in their grasp as well.
It is believed that, after her power awakened, Lyras sought out members of the Cult and, utilizing the gifts she had somehow received, was able to complete some of their long-desired rituals, creating herself as a sort of living lich, as well as granting her further powers to raise, and control, the dead and the undead.
Much of the Cult's knowledge was lost during the Lyras War, either accidentally or intentionally. However, it is rumored that the Cult still exists, and still intends to one day raise the rulers of Edeli from their slumber in their tombs atop King's Rest to once again exert their influence over the world.
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