Thoth's Estate Thoth's realm is a large one. It is a broad savannah, holding a collection of several villages and towns.

These dot the banks of the River Ma'at, which flows through the realm. At the centre of the realm is Thebestys, the City of Thoth where thousands of his worshippers dwell - some living, others experiencing their afterlives. Thebestys is built around the Great Library, which holds the answers to all questions, if the right scroll can be found. The god dwells in the Palace of Thoth, one league outside of Thebestys. The building of pure white marble can be seen from anywhere in Thebestys, for the pinnacle of its dome reaches far into the sky. The Great Library of Thoth The pyramid housing Thoth's Library towers over Thebestys like a mountain of bluish stone. High above the pyramid soars the sun-barge, whose golden rays are reflected and refracted by the carved blue stone. Every symbol, letter, or glyph ever devised has been carved somewhere on the surface of the Great Library. Entry to the Great Library requires that a character prove his ability to read; guards check this at the main gate. Characters who are unable to read must wait outside. Research done within the Great Library may uncover information provided as handouts to the player charaxcters. The Twelve Hours of Night The Twelve Hours of Night is a series of caverns that lie beneath the city of Thebestys. Part of a larger, unmapped labyrinth, the twelve caverns represent the twelve hours of darkness that enshroud the sun-barge of Ra every night. As there is no true sun in Thoth's realm, the nightly voyages of the sunbarge are symbolic, but no less powerful for that. Each night there is a ceremonial sunset at the Western Gate of Manu, and there is a ceremonial sunrise every morning at the Eastern Gate of Bakhau. Divine proxies are empowered by the gods themselves to take part in these ceremonies, which ensure the proper restoration of light and order to Thoth's Estate. For example, in the sunrise ceremony, a proxy of the goddess Bast enters one of the side entrances, and makes her way to the proxy of Ra in his sun-barge within the twelfth cavern. The proxy of Bast kills a serpent, representing the chaos demon Apophis that threatens to devour Ra, and then leads the sun-barge through the Eastern Gates to the fanfare of worshippers awaiting the new dawn. A wide, paved avenue approaches the Western Gate, flanked with rows of golden scarab beetle statues. Huge bronze gates stand between two carved and brightly painted towers. Within the gate is a wide stair that leads down to a vast chamber, the first of the Twelve Hours of the Night. It is thirty paces broad and about three times as long, with large bronze doors at the far end. Statues of minor gods stand beside these doors, white light spilling from their upturned hands. This mystic light illuminates painted hieroglyphs of serpents, demons and beasts, representing the perils of the underworld. The brass doors open automatically as the sun-barge approaches. They will also open if a character identifies the name of the demon depicted on the door (successful Read Hieroglyphics check) and proclaims "I know you, <DEMON'S NAME>, and I know your name!" The doors immediately swing open. Example demons include the Devourer of Truth and the Four-fold Evil One. The GM may only require the players to role-play this out when it is dramatic, not every time. The doors can also be physically forced open. In AD&D, characters must succeed in a Bend Bars/Lift Gates roll; in CoC, they must roll equal or under their STR or SIZ (whichever is greater). Beyond the doors is a long, narrow corridor with painted hieroglyphs upon the walls; characters who can read hieroglyphs may recognize these as protection spells from the Pyramid Texts. There are also walledup doorways that guard the tombs of deceased proxies and champions of Thoth; these are decorated with scenes from the proxy's life. The characters will eventually discover the tomb of Djehutimerit, which has been broken into and desecrated; the scenes on the door depict the champion as looking like a stylized portrait of Baseka, and the accompanying hieroglyphs tell the story of the Year of Murders. This passage eventually leads to the second chamber, which is much like the first but for additional passages leading away from it (without bronze doors). These lead into a mazing tunnel system, in which the PCs might easily become lost. The kamummy might well emerge from some of these tunnels, strike, and then flee back into them This pattern repeats itself for the rest of the Twelve Hours of the Night. Tematen Meaning of Name: "Sword of the Sun" This adolescent boy is the proxy and

mouthpiece of Ra in Thebestys, and plays the role of the sun-god in the daily sunrise and sunset rituals. Tematen is lordly, fearless, and proud; he considers himself to be above most people. In some ways, he is right. However, Tematen is a child, and this shows through at times.