Mummy's Mask

Lore & Background

The campaign's central conflict arises from the theft of Nephthys's sarcophagus lid by a shadowy cult seeking to resurrect her as an instrument of destruction. Without her physical remains fully intact, the Mummy Queen cannot rise completely, but her spirit is already leaking into the material plane, corrupting the land and driving her followers to madness. The heroes find themselves entangled in a web of deception involving local governors, rival archaeologists, and the lingering influence of the god Set, who seeks to exploit the chaos for his own dark purposes.

In Their Own Story

The wind howls across the sands of the Great Desert, carrying the scent of dry rot and ancient incense. Beneath the dunes, a hidden chamber reveals its secrets: walls lined with glowing hieroglyphs that shift as one approaches. In the center lies a sarcophagus, cracked open by force, revealing not bones, but a swirling vortex of negative energy. A voice, raspy like grinding stones, echoes from the void, promising power to those who dare to free her. The air grows cold, and shadows stretch unnaturally long, as if the desert itself is holding its breath in anticipation of the Queen's return.

Reader's Guide

The adventure begins in Absalom, where players are drawn into a mystery involving stolen artifacts from Osirion. As they travel south to the capital city of Metropolis, they uncover a conspiracy linking local officials to a cult dedicated to Nephthys. The journey takes them through treacherous ruins, cursed oases, and the forbidden lands of the Dead God's domain. Mid-campaign, the stakes escalate as the party must infiltrate the tomb of Nephthys itself, facing her undead guardians and solving complex puzzles left by ancient architects. They discover that the cult plans to use a ritual during a celestial alignment to fully restore the Mummy Queen's power. This forces the heroes to make difficult choices about which allies to trust and what sacrifices must be made. In the final act, the campaign culminates in a climactic battle within the heart of Nephthys's domain. The players must confront not only the physical form of the Mummy Queen but also the psychological horrors she unleashes upon their minds. Their victory or failure will determine whether Osirion remains free or falls under the shadow of an ancient tyrant, reshaping the political and magical landscape of Golarion forever.

Did You Know?

• The source states that the material published by Paizo for the Pathfinder system has been set in a world called Golarion, which includes the nation of Osirion where Mummy's Mask takes place.
• The source notes that the first edition of Pathfinder is intended to be backward-compatible with the revised 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons, and Mummy's Mask was published for this first edition.
• The source mentions that Pathfinder Adventure Paths can consist of exploration, combat, and non-violent interactions with non-player characters, which applies to the structure of Mummy's Mask.
• The source indicates that the game uses a d20 system where most outcomes are based on the roll of a 20-sided die along with additional modifiers, which is the core mechanic for Mummy's Mask.