9
$\begingroup$

Mummies are widely considered to be one of the most iconic undead monsters, but are often overshadowed by their vampire & zombie brethren.

Furthermore, while the vampire has a bevy of supernatural abilities aside from their bloodsucking repertoire, and zombies can eat the brains of living creatures to make more of their own via biological pathogens or magick hexes, the mummy has never been able to compete against them what with their fragility (desiccation, flammability, heat/cold weakness) without the aid of some vague 'magick'. One can't help but feel that the mummies' quantifiable existence & reproduction in reality has more or less come to encompass their 'curse' in this regard.

The only example of "mummy danger" that didn't come from vengeful spirits or magick (e.g., The Mummy franchise) I know of is:

El Dorado in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune where the sarcophagus its mummy is sealed in contained an extremely-infectious, immediately-debilitating virus presumably infecting the mummy.

While this works on its own, I feel it only doubles-down on the supremacy of the zombie camp.

Various cultures throughout history have used various materials (Egyptian papyri/linen wrappings, Han dynasty jade suits, layers of heavy cloth of the Incas or other Andean peoples) to insulate the body from natural phenomena which could exacerbate decay. Whereas others have specific methods (Inca refrigeration, Kabayan fire mummies) to the same ends. Moreover, an extra step of preservation - post-embalming or not - is established by encasing the body in a storage medium (Egyptian sarcophagi, Chachapoyas purunmachu) with a hermetic seal or vacuum even provided in some circumstances (Rosalia Lombardo, Vladimir Lenin, incorruptible saints).

If we humans have used embalming & preservation on our dead since antiquity - if not for the veneration of the specific dead and/or the comfort of their admired - then what exactly is the practicality of separating our dead from our living with as many 'layers' as necessary? If a vampire would start drinking human/animal/medical blood (and creating more vampires) if one went loose today, what could a mummy do to pose an active danger to the living & society if let loose today? How & why? The best reason(s) for the unique threat of the mummy don't require any specific materials, methods, or climates to work - use as many of them as you want! The best answer shouldn't require viral or magick agents as a requirement of the danger.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
4
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ As another example of "mummy danger not from vengeful spirits or magick": The 2018 Tomb Raider movie. $\endgroup$
    – Nzall
    Mar 22, 2021 at 9:29
  • $\begingroup$ @Nzall While this example is distinct from magick danger, you could also find it somewhere in the OP. $\endgroup$
    – Possessed-by-the-Muses
    Mar 22, 2021 at 20:16
  • $\begingroup$ I'm not sure where it was referenced. Unless you mean the Uncharted spoiler. $\endgroup$
    – Nzall
    Mar 23, 2021 at 7:54
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Don't the details in the exposition here seem to be quite different from the Question itself? $\endgroup$
    – Robbie Goodwin
    Mar 24, 2021 at 13:58

6 Answers 6

Reset to default
41
$\begingroup$

It could rule.

ramses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramesses_II

Your nation is a shadow of what it was. Foreigners walk your streets and command your kings. The ancient pharaohs conquered many lands and made monuments that have stood 1000 years. Could one of the rulers of old return to restore the glory that once was?

Zombies are mindless horrors. Vampires are evil predators. Mummies were great and revered persons, carefully preserved so that in need, they could once again take up their bodies and do what they did before.

The danger of a mummy is that its like is no longer on the earth. It could be shrewd, ruthless, farsighted, ferocious, benevolent and loved by the masses. Again.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
10
  • 23
    $\begingroup$ +1. Hard to put term limits on an immortal god king. $\endgroup$
    – candied_orange
    Mar 22, 2021 at 0:58
  • 9
    $\begingroup$ A Pharaoh is accustomed to being worshipped, and believes that he is descended from a god. If he or she actually, factually rose from the dead, they could start a cult. $\endgroup$
    – Robyn
    Mar 22, 2021 at 16:00
  • 7
    $\begingroup$ @Robyn - the Pharaohs didn't believe they were descended from gods, they believed they were one. (And if they can't die, are we sure they're wrong?) $\endgroup$
    – jdunlop
    Mar 22, 2021 at 16:13
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ In addition to all the religious/cult credibility that resurrection gives you (as @Robyn said), I don't think it's a stretch to give your resurrected king superhuman authority – that hard-to-define trait that makes people trust you and follow you, because they instinctively understand that you are more important and powerful than them. The specific military/economic/tech/whatever details are easily picked up with the help of a few competent advisers who will attach themselves to what they see as the winning team. $\endgroup$
    – dbmag9
    Mar 22, 2021 at 21:43
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ In a time of political instability (mass disaffection with current rulers civil war, etc), an unknown outsider with a clear voice of authority could draw lots of support quickly. You don't need much pre-existing political capital if the current powers that be wasted theirs away. $\endgroup$
    – Georgelemental
    Mar 23, 2021 at 0:38
18
$\begingroup$

It Knows Too Much

Whatever culture created this mummy has a means of making someone literally immortal. Even if the mummy themselves doesn't know the mechanism - though, under the conditions of your question, we can assume they do - they would know where to look to rediscover it. They know the right magic words/the right alchemical processes/the right gods to pray to to make it so that a recipient won't die for real/forever.

Wars have been fought over (much, much) less.

Moreover, while this immortality has its downsides, unlike vampirism, the mummy doesn't need a supply of blood to stay alive, nor is it a thrall to its creator, and unlike a zombie, it also keeps its intelligence. On top of all that, unlike either, a mummy can die of natural causes and then be resurrected, allowing it to live out a human life first.

A former monarch - or other important person - is going to be canny, and is going to realize the value this knowledge holds in a world that has lost it. And then the danger simply lies in someone having something worth literal fortunes, and being willing to provide it to people in exchange for favours, treasure, or both. Even if they didn't have a globe-spanning empire on the first go-round, they certainly will this time!

Addendum - Why Fragile?

Many media (Dungeons and Dragons, for one) portray mummies as being incredibly strong and durable, even if fire is a bit more of a weakness to them than it is to say, me. Superhuman strength and unlimited endurance are definite upsides. Unless you're determined that your mummies be fragile things that crumble to dust on impact, they can have superhero/villain properties on top of the One Weird Trick That Morticians Hate!

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ I always liked that in AD&D, the mummy was one of the few undead animated by positive energy rather than negative (even if the mummy wasn't of a good alignment). It served a good and protective function rather than a malicious one. $\endgroup$
    – DWKraus
    Mar 22, 2021 at 1:26
  • $\begingroup$ How would the threat of virtual immortality best be achieved through its physiology? How does it protect its mortal coil from resisting permanent death? Starfish regrow lost limbs (and potentially duplicate themselves from a lost limb). One bone-dry mummy must harvest the moisture from the body tissue of humans by inflicting bubonic lesions or scleroses at the attack site. Regarding fragility, I haven't experienced enough media convincing me of endurance wrought from the preservation instead. Fire could still make for an iconic folk ward against dry mummies - like vampire garlic allergies. $\endgroup$
    – Possessed-by-the-Muses
    Mar 22, 2021 at 21:20
6
$\begingroup$

The Mummy is a regional variation of Vampire

An immortal, nigh-unkillable creature with the intelligence of a human and vaguely defined magical powers?
Notably, resides in, and rises from, a tomb..

Known to drain victims of their life-force to sustain and repair itself?

Yup, sounds like a Vampire to me!

The bandages serve the purpose of protecting the Vamp/Mummy from the elements before it feeds enough to lose the fragility of eons of entombment and starvation.
They also provide limited protection from the sun, allowing the Mummy some mobility in daylight hours in the middle of the shadowless desert.

The Mummy's chief distinction is its total lack of familiarity with the present day, its regional flavour of magic, and its initial vulnerabilities due to long starvation. Once it finds its feet (and possibly reattaches them) it will be essentially a regular vampire with added headdress and pointy beard.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
3
$\begingroup$

Microbial and fungal spores that can infect animals and plants, ranging from anthrax to plague to wheat rust.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ While this may apply, it is more of a comment than a full answer. Flesh out this with details, and it could work. Otherwise it is likely to get closed. $\endgroup$
    – DWKraus
    Mar 29, 2021 at 3:11
2
$\begingroup$

Now, there are two answers to this question. To which, I will answer with both. Feel free to choose any or all of them.

Intelligence

Now, while vampires also possess this, a mummy uses it in a bit of a different way. Vampires think small, to put it simply. Mummies raise armies. They used to be a leader, a pharaoh, so why shouldn't they have a kingdom? However, mummies are cowardly. They are quite weak, so they end up simply hiding behind their forces and running away from battle frequently. This counteracts the obvious bonus of having a military force.

Magic

Now, vampires, at least I assume, can do any sort of magic a human can, while zombies can replicate themselves using magic. So what do mummies have? Plague magic. They can summon any sort of disease or pestilence, from locusts to crop blight. Mummies can end up being a huge problem, as when they arise, they end up causing pandemics and famine wherever they go. They detest physical combat, instead simply keeping at a distance and killing their enemies with all kinds of sicknesses.

Conclusion

Mummies will end up being a monster you want to keep in check, as if they are allowed to get a foothold, they end up being quite a hard monster to kill. However, we can set a gradient of mummy power. You see, the mummies that have the aforementioned abilities are rare, as there's not that many pharaohs. The less standing a mummy had in life, the less intelligent and powerful it is. So you have very few smart, powerful pharaoh mummies and a lot of lesser mummies that can't summon much more than a dung beetle or the common cold. That, my friends, is my answer. Cheers.

Also, if you are a bored high school sophomore with a basic understanding of science like me who wants to help create a DnD style fantasy world, click this link.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
-1
$\begingroup$

I hate to disagree with everyone but a Mummy is NOT immortal. Consider: Died @ age 50, raised 1000 years later, at 50. Lived for 30 years. Died again at 80, raised 1000 years later, at 80.

At some point, you are gonna have to let go. The dude is still aging at a normal rate. You are just adding pauses in the process, not making the living portion any longer

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ The other 3 answers as of now already imply finality in regards to maintaining a vessel for the soul. What I'm seeking is a design on the part of said vessel that causes its harm to others - AKA sustaining its dead body to some physiological semblance of life. $\endgroup$
    – Possessed-by-the-Muses
    Mar 22, 2021 at 20:24
  • $\begingroup$ This is more than a little incorrect. The cells and nervous system are no longer working, nor are they needed, so how can they age? How can dead cells break down even further? The mummy is simply a vessel, an automaton, if you will. While the mummy cannot heal in any other way than magic, this effectively still makes the mummy immortal till they are so decrepit that they just crumble to dust. $\endgroup$
    – The Sophomore
    Mar 23, 2021 at 18:09

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .