General Tanakah - the Battle Lord
by Jesper AndersenLord Tanakah was born in AC 673 in Edairo on the Isle of Dawn. A bright child, he was accepted into the clergy of the Night Spider, the secret religion of the ruling class of Thothia. But when Tanakah was in his teens it became obvious to all that his flair for magic far exceeded his divine abilities and his was instead transferred to be an apprentice of the magician of the royal court, an evil man named Sakari. Under Sakari's harsh tutoring, Tanakah became a twisted and power-hungry young man. He laboured continuously to improve his magical understanding and completed the construction of his first golem by the age of 27.
Eventually, Tanakah succeeded Sakari as court magician and continued his studies of enchantment and necromancy - studies so horrible that he became one of the most feared men in Edairo. Eventually, he was sent apprentices as well, but Tanakah never taught them so much that they could become a threat to him. Instead, he killed them and animated them as powerful, magic-using mummies to act as officers in the army he was planning to build.
Over the past centuries, Tanakah has in secret developed a monstrous and powerful army for his master, Ramenhotep XXIII. An army that uses powerful undead mummies armed with magical battle-machines armed with awesome rods of lightning or rapid-fire magic missiles built into the arms. Tanakah has also constructed a number of magical, fast-flying U-shaped skyships armed with rods of fireball.
It has taken Tanakah centuries to construct this army, and cost the lives of thousands of warriors and wizards, but today the army is, quite possibly, the most powerful force anywhere on the Isle of Dawn.
Tanakah himself has all the powers of an intelligent, free-willed mummy and an 18th level wizard. He has several powerful magic items to make up for his weaknesses, such as a Ring of Fire Immunity, and other items for both protection and combat. His battlesuit carries a Rod of Lightning which fires an Enlarged, Maximised Lightning Bolt once per round.
[DMing notes]
PCs could run afoul of General Tanakah during a visit to Edairo. He is always on a lookout for unique magic items and books, which might bring the PCs to his attention if they posses such items.
PCs might also be spies or diplomats who get wind of the general's secret army and try to alert Thyatis or Alphatia. General Tanakah would surely then try to eliminate them. Or they might be part of a military force sent to stop a Thothian invasion force - not knowing what they are up against...
General Tanakah, here seen with Queen Aketheti
