Examples of the War Statues of Ramhotep
Ramhotep, also called Ramhotep the Visionary, was perhaps the greatest necrotect of Nehekhara in history. His craftsmanship was second to none, and it is said that his statues in the Valley of Kings were so lifelike that the priest kings of Nehekhara believed the gods themselves had returned to the mortal world.
Ramhotep designed the Grand Necropolis of Rasetra, the Monuments of Eternal Death in Zandri, the Monoliths of the Great Plains and many other architectural wonders of ancient Nehekhara. However, Ramhotep took credit for not one of these grand monuments, for to do so would have been tantamount to signing his own death warrant.[1a]
History[]
Origins[]
In ancient Nehekhara, the finest artisans were commissioned to build grand burial tombs and upon completion, they were expected to commit ritual suicide. Ramhotep was aghast at the thought, for it would deny the world of the beautiful creations he had yet to make. Thus, Ramhotep manipulated the more arrogant necrotects of the age to take his place.[1a]
Ramhotep posed as an eager student to the renowned Ramakat the Creative, as a pupil to Emrah the Artisan, and as an assistant to a dozen other legendary architects. These great artisans were stricken with blood-lotus addiction consumed in a drug-addled stupor as Ramhotep crafted a mask in their image -- one so perfect that none could tell the difference.[1a]
Ramhotep assumed their identities and oversaw the construction of many magnificent monuments. Each time, shortly before the project's completion, he disappeared and a very confused necrotect was sacrificed and interred within the tomb in Ramhotep's stead. It is said that they protested loudly -- but that these were dismissed as the ravings of a mad artist.[1a]
In life, Ramhotep was consumed by a frenzied compulsion to create and build. No matter how quickly his underlings accomplished their tasks, it was not fast enough for Ramhotep, for there were always more ambitious and grander projects that needed his attention. However, Ramhotep's vision reached past his mortal lifespan, and as he withered in old age, he realised that the only way he could finish his work was if he was granted the honour of mummification.[1a]
Thus, after several decades of careful anonymity, Ramhotep removed his mask and agreed to build a pyramid that would rival the majesty of the Great Pyramid of Khemri. Thousands of work gangs slaved and died under the desert sun to build the Sepulchre of the Heavens in Quatar, and none dared slacken their pace in his presence, for Ramhotep was quick with the lash and would dole out fierce punishments to those who would jeopardise his art.[1a]
In his final days, before the last cornerstone was heaved into position, Ramhotep fashioned for himself a death mask and prepared himself for his interment. The priest king of Quatar was mightily pleased with his tomb and rewarded Ramhotep with an exquisite burial ceremony. For countless centuries afterwards, the artisan rested within his splendid monument.[1a]
Few of Ramhotep's works have endured unscathed through the ages. Half of his creations lie forgotten beneath the sands, and those that have remained have been battered by centuries of war and eroded by time and sandstorms. Upon awakening from his death sleep as an Undead necrotect, Ramhotep was horrified, and he set about excavating and restoring his marvels at once.[1a]
Ramhotep's skill in Undeath is as great as it was in life, and the statues that receive his attention are restored to their former majesty, striding into battle as if they were carved only yesterday. He works relentlessly to maintain his masterpieces, and such is the likeness between these effigies and the gods they represent, that the ancient Nehekharan Pantheon blesses them and protects them in battle.[1a]
With this army of walking statues, Ramhotep intends to pull down the cities of those who defiled his work, slay the inhabitants of these uncultured civilisations, and construct his greatest monument to date: a vast mausoleum built from the bones of his foes. Those who stand in his way feel the lash of Ramhotep's whip, and their flesh parts from their bones as the ancient architect vents his frustration and anger.[1a]
Ramhotep's Revenge[]
When an Imperial army from Reikland invaded Quatar in 2141 IC, they damaged dozens of Ramhotep's works as they looted the city's tombs. This desecration was bad enough, but when the Steam Tank Deliverance smashed through Ramhotep's terracotta wall, the necrotect entered a fit of apoplectic rage, and he swore he would have his revenge. Ramhotep worked for over a century to complete the restoration of his Marble Army, an awe-inspiring host of hundreds of towering Ushabti constructs.[1a]
Such was the demented architect's need for vengeance that, in exchange for eight jade warsphinxes, he enlisted the aid of the Liche Arkhan the Black, who raised a mighty bridge of bones through dark sorcery to span the Black Mountains. Ramhotep's statuesque army marched across, and the cities of Ubersreik and Grünburg were all but destroyed, despite the fact that every soldier to be involved in the destruction of his precious masterpiece had been dead for at least 170 years.[1a]
End Times[]
During the End Times, the Tomb King Settra had commanded a tithe of the war statues from all across Nehekhara, and all obeyed. Furthermore, Settra demanded that all the guardians from the Charnel Valley to set forth across the desert. They were created by the exertions of Ramhotep to safeguard the city of Khemri.[2a]
There strode Ushabti known as the Emerald Sentinels of Lybaras, the Necrolith Colossi known as the Skull Guardians, and the Jade Phalanx -- crocodile-headed statues from a temple in Ka-Sabar, and the Alabaster Army of Quatar. Perhaps most feared of all were the Red Jackals of Rasetra -- Ushabti who howled as they loped into battle, the blood on their crimson-coated weapons never drying.[2a]