A group of paranormal investigators made up of people from all over the continent. They find, research, stake out, and catalog odd places. They particularly love a mystery they can’t solve like Mary’s Tower. Adventurers often consult them before exploring a strange place.
Members: Kale (human male ftr12) – head, Lirialiana Glimmerleaf (female elf clr11 of Sehanine) – secretary, Drui (human male rog9) – investigator, Mauresi (human female nec3/eg.nec8) – investigator, Yuki Shera- Hitamisika (drameleck male clr8), Innis (human female ftr8) – investigator, Furze (elf male ftr5/wiz3) – investigator, Onnan (human male rng10) – investigator, Dan Arden (half-elf male brd8) – archivist, Hazel Garcia (human female wiz7) – treasurer.
This college of necromancy is known to exist by the general populace, though no one has any idea who its members are. Its mission is public knowledge: the protection of Khemet and its dead. The college is interesting in its make-up. Though the college is built around the study of life and death, the college’s members are not just necromancers, but priests, scribes, merchants, artists, and even simple soldiers. As such, the college demands that all Reeds, as they are called, have at least one profession that works as a cover for clandestine activities.
Each Reed is initiated by an existing member in a ceremony witnessed by at least five other members. The initiate is ceremonially ‘killed’ and ‘mummified.’ The initiate’s wrapped body is put in a sarcophagus and entombed for a night, essentially causing sensory deprivation. During the entombment, the initiate recites the prayers and spells needed to cross through the Underworld unharmed, falling into a trance within an hour. While in this trance, one or more of Khemet’s gods will visit the initiate. In any case, the initiate will have a vision of their heart being weighed against the feather of Ma’at, and the palm of the left hand being branded with the Feather of Ma’at overlaid with a crook and flail.
After a night among the dead, the initiate is ‘resurrected’ and the linen wrappings stripped away. The initiate, naked and still in the trance, kneels before a statue of the Holy Trinity (Isis, Osiris, and Horus) and, while being held, her arms are slashed so that the initiate’s blood mingles with the ground as an offering. The blood of the initiate literally becomes the property of the Khemetian gods. The Reeds holding the initiate let go and the initiate will hit the ground in a fetal position. After a bit of wriggling, the initiate will find her feet and stand, imitating the growth of a plant, having been fertilized by the death of the animal. Once fully on her feet and standing tall, the initiate is now a Reed.
If a Reed could speak of the experience, he would describe a deep connection with the earth, that they are literally Khemet, and protecting the country is not a duty, but simply an act of survival. The slashes on the arms, no matter how deep, heel naturally without scaring. The visionary brand, however, is not so insubstantial. For as long as the Reed lives, the palm of the left hand will appear completely unmarred. When the Reed dies, the mark suddenly appears, letting friends, relatives, and all of Khemet know that in their midst was one of Khemet’s staunchest defenders. If the Reed is resurrected, the mark disappears and anyone who saw it will suddenly not remember it.
Osiris is the patron of the Reeds and the High Priest of Osiris is always one of the Reeds. A Reed is always planted as a slave girl or boy in the royal court and at least one of the nobility is always a Reed. The Reeds are not hierarchical, but organized as a long ranging network covering Khemet and the continent. Rather than a leader, the college works in small groups, guided by divine instruction. Many foreign gods have tried to take advantage of this, but have failed miserably do to the mystical nature of the Reeds and their blood pact.