Menkaure

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Menkaure M
HP	24
HD	3
XP	161
Speed	8
AC	3
EV	6
Will	20
Attack1	25 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rC+, rPois+++, rN+++, rTorm, rRot+++, rDrown
Vulnerabilities	Fire, Holy, Holy wrath
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Normal
Uses	Open doors
Holiness	Undead
Size	Medium
Type	mummy, mummy
Flags	Actual spells Evil See invisible Speaks Spellcaster Unique

A fair and noble ruler of an ancient and mighty kingdom, mummified after an early death. His faithful priests subsequently infused him with great and powerful magic, seeking to grant him eternal life. Now he is forgotten and reduced to mouldering bandages and dry, brittle bones. Ye men of Egypt, ye have heard your king! I go, and I return not. But the will Of the great Gods is plain; and ye must bring Ill deeds, ill passions, zealous to fulfil Their pleasure, to their feet; and reap their praise, The praise of Gods, rich boon! and length of days. -Matthew Arnold, _Mycerinus

Useful Info

Menkaure is a unique mummy with limited access to dangerous Necromancy. He's just as slow, fragile, and vulnerable to fire as a regular mummy, but his ability to torment you makes him a significant threat.

Spells: Pain (1d8), Symbol of Torment, Haste

Location

• The Dungeon:4-7
• The Ossuary

Spells

Spell set
Slot1	Pain (d8)
Slot2	none
Slot3	Haste
Slot4	none
Slot5	Symbol of Torment
Slot6	none

Tips & Tricks

• While undead characters have nothing to fear from Menkaure's spells, the living can lose half their HP in a single turn if he casts Symbol of Torment. Use any life protection equipment you have if you expect a drawn-out battle with him.
  • Undead characters should still be wary about engaging him in melee; as slow and fragile as he is, a potential 25 damage per hit isn't something to sneeze at.
• His fire vulnerability and awful EV makes him fall quickly to a wand of fire, wand of flame, or pretty much any Fire Magic. Dispel Undead or holy wrath weapons also work well.
• Menkaure's death curse is a single cursed piece of equipment. Use allies to finish him off if you'd prefer to avoid this.

Trivia

Menkaure may be based on Smenkhkare, who was an Egyptian pharaoh thought to have ruled for a short time after the death of Akhenaten. Like Menkaure, he was also largely forgotten (at least before the advent of modern scholarship), owing to the Egyptians' desire to erase all memory of Akhenaten's attempted religious reforms.