The Masks of Nyarlathotep: Egypt part 2

The Diary of Adam Walters

October 3^rd

I went back to the hotel and had a good rest. I Read my copy of Psychic News. It gave me the inspiration to do an Angel Card reading. I did a “What the Angels want you to know” spread. The Theme was Omega. Victory is ahead and I should meditate. A possible block was rushing ahead, it advised me against it. The third card was Daniel. It advised me about how to heal the block. I should breathe out toxins and negativity. The probable outcome card was Francesca. If I visualise success and stay positive things will work out well.

October 4th

Alec, Eliza and I went to visit Ali Khafour the next day. He had an assistant with him. He said that she might be useful to us while we were in Egypt. She is a local egyptologist and she talks to the dead. Her name is Fatima and she is a native Egyptian, 5’8” tall, with brown hair and eyes. She wears the Muslim hijab. I sense that she has some spiritual power. Dr Khafour talked about various dynasties and sarcophagi. He also mentioned the various pyramids but I was finding it hard to keep track. Perhaps we do need Fatima.

Ali said he would try to arrange for a pass to visit the Bent Pyramid. Ali mentioned Nyarlathotep and how he was the big bad guy worshiped by various nasty cults. I mentioned that Eliza, Alec and I had met Nyarlathotep in the Dreamlands some months back - he said that he would meet us in Egypt.

Fatima meets the rest of the gang at the Embassy. We struggle to remember our cover names. Fatima chooses the codename Ibis. We discuss details of the case and make some plans.

We must discover the locations of the burial places of those murdered by cultists. John takes charge of this. He asked if it’s really necessary? What a silly question! Why would be in Egypt in the first place, facing the dirt and heat if it wasn’t necessary. I just said yes.

We decided to split our group: Elisa and Sandy were to climb the Red Pyramid. Not sure why, perhaps because it’s there. Fatima, John and Syed were to go grave-digging, hoping to interrogate the ghost of the French-American killed by cultists of the Black Pharaoh. Alec and I were to head into dreamlands. Alec needed to do something related to Bast and I wished to learn Augury by Cartomancy.

Dreamlands

Alec got us through to Ulthar. We headed for the Temple of the Elder Gods. A priest of Isis taught the spell to me. In return I promised to worship the Goddess Isis and agreed to revere her when the chance arose.

October 5th

After breakfast we head to the embassy and exchange tales of climbing the Red Pyramid, our trip to dreamlands, grave-robbing and speaking to the spirits of the dead.

The Carlisle expedition may have been responsible for the missing capstone on the Red Pyramid. Fatima found out that Warren was the fixer during the Carlisle expedition. Jack Brady told Warren that Carlisle, Hypatia Masters, Huston and Penhew had disappeared into the Bent Pyramid one night. Brady and some men explored the pyramid but found no trace of them. They reappeared in the morning and he claimed that they had changed for the worse.

Ayesha and Ahmed helped Warren after he witnessed a ritual at the Collapsed Pyramid. The ritual occurred during the dark of the moon. 100 cultists chanted and there were 12 sacrifices. An elephant-sized creature arose and devoured the sacrifices. Dark Sphinxes were ready to be unleashed. Warren lost his mind and only recovered with the help of the priestess Ayesha. Cultists of the Black Pharaoh found Ayesha and Warren and attacked them with the clubs with hooked spikes. When they would pass out the cultists awoke them. Warren demanded vengeance on the murderers and the thwarting of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh.

A trip out

We go to find Ayesha and visit the Collapsed Pyramid. I am unable to help them find Ayesha since I don’t speak the lingo. We eventually find her in the shanty town. Her son Ahmed arrives and is annoyed with us for some reason. His mother is in a terrible state having lost both hands. She gifts John with a protective amulet. She commands her son to give us an item which is buried nearby. It turns out to be a missing piece from the capstone of the Red Pyramid. Ahmed tells us that his mother will not last long. We ply him with gifts. He agrees to show us round the collapsed pyramid the next day. Eliza tries to force painkillers on him but he refuses. She is a fine Doctor but has zero people skills.

The Collapsed Pyramid

I try to sense the vibes at the Collapsed Pyramid. The place is extremely evil. It gives me a nasty turn and I have to sit down for a while. I sweat profusely and decide to head back to the car. The place reminds me of Silbury Hill in that it was sealing in evil entities. With the collapse the seal was annihilated. The evil was free to roam. The ritual awoke the Black Pharaoh, a being of immense evil. Sometime later a couple of the others get a bad feeling about the place.

October 6th

We return to Cairo and talk with Ali Khafour. We exchange information. He has gained access for us to visit the Bent Pyramid. I feel I may need to get hold of a set of Tarot tomorrow and do a reading with my newly learned spell.