forum Ancient History, Until it's Not // OxO // Closed

Started July 21, 2021 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

A and B are twin siblings. Fraternal, not identical; how could they be identical, when A is a girl and B is a boy? They are each other's closest friends, and get along very well. Their father is a well-known Egyptologist, and this summer, he has brought them along on his dig in Egypt. Through his research, he discovered a location for a pharaoh's tomb. A tomb that he believes has never been found before. Has never been plundered. Like Tutankhamen, this tomb could still contain untold riches.

This tomb lies outside the Valley of Kings, which is why it hasn't been found previously. Set apart from most others, it is hidden on a rocky hillside, though not too far from Cairo. Cairo is nearly two hours away, by car, and so a camp is set up near the site. A and B's father has brought them along on this dig, with the caveat that they mustn't get into trouble, and that they must not go near the digsite without him.

At first, it is days of searching to find the entrance, which, in the centuries since the pharaoh's burial, has been hidden by landslides and blowing sands and rocks. Once the entrance is found, the work can really begin. Everything is done slowly and carefully, to try and preserve as much as possible. After all, you can't just use dynamite to blow it open! No, the work must be done carefully. The door is the first thing pried open, slow and careful in order to preserve the carvings upon it, hieroglyphs upon hieroglyphs, in combinations unseen on many other tombs. Dr Carter, A and B's father, believes that these glyphs were done by Egyptian sorcerers. That these glyphs are spells, of some sort, though he has yet to puzzle out exactly what they are meant to do.

That was yesterday, that the tomb was opened. A tarp has been put over the entrance to keep dirt from blowing in overnight, and today most of the work is on moving the door out of the way, and keeping it protected from the elements so that the hieroglyphs can be deciphered, after the rest of the tomb has been opened. A and B's father cautions them not to go near the tomb, and not to go inside. After all, who knows what's in there? He himself has only stood in its entrance, but he knows there is still much inside. He doesn't want them hurt, either, by cave-ins. They promise him they won't, but, well, eventually, the temptation becomes too strong, and they sneak inside the tomb while no one is watching.

Inside, they find things they've only seen in museums. Gold and terracotta and wood, all preserved and kept from the elements. As they go deeper into the tomb, armed with flashlights, they hear things. Shifting noises, and something that sounds like…breathing. Rats, they decide. It must be rats. When they reach the innermost chamber, though, where the sarcophagus is, they pause, and stare. The sarcophagus is open. The golden lid has been pushed back and lies on the floor, and the mummy is gone. Wrappings from it are lying on the floor, strewn from the sarcophagus. The body? Nowhere to be found. This is when they begin to back away, back towards the entrance. Something is not right here.

Then a figure comes from the shadows, and they scream, expecting a desiccated corpse. Instead, it's a young man with dark hair and olive skin, and the clothes he is wearing look like something that…well, that you'd see in a museum, or in a movie set in ancient egypt. More than that, he looks…confused. When he speaks, it isn't a language they have ever heard before. Once they speak, first in English and then in Greek (or Arabic), his expression clears slightly, and he responds slowly, haltingly, in accented English. His name, he explains, is Sethenes, and at this, the twins eyes go wide. This is the pharaoh whose tomb their father is excavating?

Basically, ancient egyptian pharaoh comes to life because of magic shenanigans. I would be Sethenes, and you'd be the twins (or just one, if you like, and I'd be the other one, if you don't want to be two characters). I have plot ideas that I'm not going to put down yet. Anyways. I want some romance between Sethenes and one of the twins. Which twin that is is up to you, Sethenes is pan so it doesn't matter what gender haha. Basically I'm thinking that the twins and Sethenes are the only ones who know who he really is, and end up lying to everyone else because who would believe them? Also you uh, don't need to know a ton about ancient Egyptian history, since I'll be bullshitting half of it anyways lmaooo

Rules:

• andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer)'s rules apply
• Smut will be taken to PMs
• Three sentence minimum, please :)
• Let me know of any triggers you have
• This RP may contain: homophobia/transphobia (Sethenes is from like, 1500 BC okay?? I'm sorry but he's gonna be confused about a lot of things), racism (potentially), assault, murder (past), abuse (also past), and others
• I reserve the right to say no

Hey, would this still be open? I'm not a fast responder, but I do try to put effort into my responses and I really like this idea. And before you ask, I'd be happy to provide a writing sample if you need that from a newer user.

Hello! A writing sample would be excellent, yes

I'll be done in a few minutes, I just need to give my tablet some time to charge and to pick from which of my current projects I want to use.

Alright!

Okey dokey, here we go!

It was a clear summer day, perfect for going fishing or hiking or simply laying in the grass staring up at everything. It was the type of day you fondly remembered, or so one would think. But not all were pleased with this turn of events, as not all were optimistic about days like these wherein, they felt, their family was being torn apart.

Such was the case of Maria Bianca, whose cousin was getting married tomorrow. This wasn't so much of a problem, but only because said beloved cousin's partner wanted them to travel the world on some sort of archeology dig/honeymoon instead of stay here in their quiet little town of Spring's Blessing and not leave her behind.

Maria knew what she would have to do. She would have to sabotage the wedding before it even got its legs, and as a bridesmaid she'd have the perfect ability to do so. Solomon and her stupid girlfriend wouldn't stand a chance, and then Maria wouldn't have to feel so utterly alone.

Phase One of the plan was a go already-ruin the RSVP. Maria had been tasked with sending the letters, but none of them would be getting out. She was sending them to an ex-penpal/bitter rival in order to get a rise out of them and kill two birds with one mailbox hucked at their heads.

She snuck through the kitchen to where the letters sat, unopened. She just had to get her hands on them… and rewrite the addresses, then send them off before anyone could suspect anything.

Maria knew everyone would be out of the house, playing sports or some other nonsense, but she wasn't one for that sort of thing, having lost the function of her legs when she was a very young girl. Nobody wanted to play sports with a kid whose legs wouldn't hold her up to stand, so she never got involved with people that much. She had Solomon, anyways, Solomon who understood, Solomon whose eyes wouldn't let her see and Solomon who despite this managed to be much kinder about it than Maria was about her own societally-titled "shortcomings". Maria had tried to get involved, true, but what was the point when nobody liked your way of doing things anyways?

No, she wasn't supposed to think like that. She was supposed to live hersekf, like Solomon always told her to. This was why she had to keep her from leaving, had to keep her right here and not anywhere else. Maria sighed. It was what she had to do. She took the letters and started scribbling the real addresses out with white-out ink, something she knew would come in handy for a time like this.

Looks great! Shall I post the template? And do you want to be both twins, or just one of them?

I can play both, and a template would be good thanks.

Name:
Nicknames:
Age:
Gender and Sexuality:
Looks:
Other:

Name: Sethenes
Nicknames: None, but will probably end up going by "Seth" since it's a more modern name
Age: Appears to be 19, is really 3,539 years old. Was born in 1500 BC, died in 1519 BC
Gender and Sexuality: Male, pan
Looks: Looks. Sethenes is about 5'8", while dark olive skin and a slim, trim form. He has dark, wavy hair, and dark green eyes. He has long, dark eyelashes, and a sharply angled face. He has a scar on his left cheek and jaw, and two matching scars on his sides, where he was stabbed all the way through. The sword entered his right and left his left, and while the wounds were healed after his death by the same priests that put the spells on the door, he still has massive scars from the stabbing. There is also a scar across his throat, where his killer also slit his throat just to ensure his death.
Other: Aesthetic Board

Name: Ernesto Torres-Carter
Nicknames: Ernie
Age: 21
Gender and Sexuality: afab nonbinary, they/them, gay in the direction of men.
Looks: Bleached hair with black roots, round tan cheeks that have dimples in them. Wears a very "dark academia" aesthetic wardrobe with oversized sweaters hiding a slight frame. Scars from top surgery that have just started to fade, and slight stubble from having been on testosterone for a little over two years, not long enough to grow any sort of beard with their genetics but enough to look like they're trying. Looks a lot younger than they are and many comment on it, it doesn't help that they top out at 5'0" exactly.
Other: Hates anything paranormal or supernatural and especially hates horror movies. They resent their father's job on the basis of it being creep but never pass up an opportunity to spend time with him since their mother died. Hoping to become a vet that works with birds.

Name: Bellatrix Emily Torres-Carter
Nicknames: Bella
Age: 21
Gender and Sexuality: Transgender woman, she/her, very bisexual and proud.
Looks: Bella is about average height (5'7"), with long black hair, freckles, and a tan just like Ernie's from long hours in the sun. She wears a lot of vintage dresses from various eras, but also leans towards high fashion and anything that lets her show off her legs, which she's a little vain about. She has a little bit of chub from estrogen changing her metabolism but ultimately doesn't let anything get in the way of her living herself and thinking she's gorgeous, which she honestly is.
Other: Bella wants to someday become a fashion designer for historical films, something her mother did before she died. Loves her family more than anything and would readily sacrifice her wellbeing to make them feel happy.

(oh I should explain something: so I was thinking, like, the twins were raised around their father and his Egypt obsession, yeah? So I was thinking maybe they speak either Greek or Arabic because of that, because he knew them and was always babbling to himself in them when he read through manuscripts and whatnot? If that works for you)

(I know more about the Greek language so can we go with that maybe?)

(haha yeah. Alright! Just a heads-up tho, I'm not gonna be super active tonight)

Dr James Carter had been searching for something like this for a lifetime. How ironic, that the discoverer of Tutankhamen's tomb was named Howard Carter, and now, he, James Carter, would discover a tomb of equal if not greater importance. Or at least, so he hoped. The door had only just been taken down, and it was covered in carved hieroglyphics, the work of months, surely. He was not yet sure what they meant, but knew it was important. Some fresh, new glimpse into the lives of these ancients. A tarp had been fastened to cover the gaping hole, and everyone had been instructed not to go near it, to leave it be. He had glimpsed inside the first chamber and knew already the importance of this discovery, the impact it would have on the world.

To his children, his excitement would be obvious, though he did his best to remain calm and collected. Even still, he couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop taking off his hat and putting it back on, fidgeting and grinning. His face was already sunburned; unlike his children, he didn't tan. They had inherited that from their mother. His dark hair, already beginning to go grey, was wild and uncombed, and that was made worse by the hat he was constantly adjusting.

The encampment was not a bad one, with large, airy tents, generators, and portable AC units, but it still was no hotel. But it wasn't bad. The sand was the worst part, constantly blowing around them and into tents, making everyone cough. This was why many of them had bandanas tied around their necks, to lift over their nose and mouth like robbers in an old Western. Except in this case, they weren't necessarily robbing, though some might call this grave robbery. This was discovery, this was science. This was the discovery of a lifetime, of a generation.

Ernesto was playing miniature checkers with Bella over a flimsy table inside one of the tents. "¿Cuál es tu problema?" Bellatrix exclaimed, angrily knocking over the tiny board into the sand. "¿Cuál es tu problema? You knocked over our checkers!" Ernie grumbled, picking up the tiny discs from the sand and mimicking a groan of pain.

"Why do you always win and keep making me lose?"

"You keep losing yourself, stinky. Now get out of my tent!" Ernesto pushed Bella away from themself, at which Bella laughed.

"Hey, it's not my fault. I didn't know that the perfume I wear goes bad in hot weather, and here is the hottest of all!" Bella complained, dramatically fanning her face with a dainty hand painted with hot pink nail polish.

"Of course you didn't." Ernesto snapped in return, standing up. Their sweater, which was tied around sweaty bare shoulders, billowed in the gentle wind.

Bella stood up too, towering over Ernie somewhat. She was seven inches taller, after all. "Let's go explore dad's weird tomb. Maybe we'll find a way in further, finally." she said, pulling her flower patterned bandana and goggles over her face. She started to walk out, but Ernie grabbed her leg to halt her progress. "Dude, you can't go out alone like that, and I'm certainly not coming with you. You'll get yourself hurt and Carter said not to get into trouble."

"Who cares what Dad thinks? And why do you keep calling him Carter, weirdo? Maybe he'll be proud of us!" Bellatrix flipped her long waves of hair, turning around and shaking Ernie off. She walked out the tent and continued on towards the tomb, night sky clear and calm above the two. Ernesto followed, but checked to see if their father was still asleep. He was. They then followed Bella, close behind her so as not to fall behind and get horribly lost in empty desert. They had market the trail to the tomb, but Dad had spaced the markers pretty far apart and Ernie didn't have the best night vision since his cat had attacked their right eye.

Ernie and Bella continued into the desert until there, about half a mile away from camp, was the tomb. Bella snuck inside, and before they could protest, pulled Ernie in with her. It was cool inside the tomb, much cooler than the outside, and Bella shivered. She could sense something was wrong, but chose not to comment or even turn back as she searched around the tomb's first chamber for a secret door or something to get her inside. She found a panel in the wall, and used it to enter, Ernie reluctantly following.

Eventually they went deeper. So far, no traps, which was good. Ernie shivered, it was getting colder and this place stank of death.

But eventually, Bella found what she had been looking for. It was a huge room filled with jewels and gold, but when she went to look at the sarcophagus, it was empty.

"Ernie? Something's wrong. There isn't a body here." she whispered, more of a squeak really. "Did rats eat it or something?"

Each sarcophagus had five lawyers. Stone, woof, and other materials, until the final layer, which was the classic golden one. All of them were opened, with the final lid laying facedown. Like it had been pushed from the inside. The ancient linen wrappings used in mummification lay scattered in and around the sarcophagus, the amulets usually put inside all strewn on the floor, one cracking underfoot when one of the twins stepped on it by mistake. The walls were covered in more art, the paint still visible even after all these years. Hieroglyphs, too, lined the walls, marching across it in straight, orderly lines. Every now and again were cartouches, which were the circles that were put around the hieroglyphs of a pharaoh's name. If rats had eaten the body, surely they would have eaten the linen? Not…unwrapped it so neatly?

As they came deeper into the tomb, and into that final chamber, there were shifting sounds, almost like…like a bare foot on stone, and a soft hiss like breath. But it had to be rats. It couldn't be anything else, right? All those horror stories and movies about ancient mummies coming to life and going on a murder spree, those were fake… right?

Ernie jumped, and started to mumble to themself. They were going to die, they knew it, coming here was a mistake that was going to get the two of them killed. They ran, outside the tomb, then back inside when they realized Bella hadn’t left. Bella, meanwhile, was still staring at the sarcophagus, looking at the empty thing in awe and wonder, with a touch of fear. So, this was the great tomb right? Of some guy… Seth… somethingorother, was his name. She shivered once more, and looked around the room. Nobody could be there, right? She certainly hoped not. That would probably get her killed. She stepped backwards, and hit only wall. The door had closed, leaving her trapped inside with… something. Or was it only nothing?

Ernie, meanwhile, was trapped back in the first chamber. They’d tripped a mechanism that apparently shut the whole place down, and they weren’t happy about it. They looked around for any way to undo their mistake, to no avail. They still searched, however, finding nothing and eventually running back to wake up their father. “Cart-Dad, Dad, wake up! Something’s gone wrong, Bella is trapped… and in the tomb, worst of all!”