Specific stats are in D&D3e format, but can be adaped easily to any version.
The Embalmed Noble is a nithian undead. Very few survived the spell of oblivion, and many of those remained comatose until their tombs were breached.
Their mummies themselves look like very thin humans, covered by white linen wrappings. Their face is covered by a large, helmet like mask, made of precious metals (mostly gold and precious stones for the facial features).
They tend to wear many very fine jewels - mostly rings and necklaces.
Unlike "traditional" mummies, the noble's mummy smells quite nice, moves with flowing, serene movements, and speaks with a very normal sounding mortal voice. They still have ALL their mortal class features and alignment.
(although they are mostly drawn to evil after long years as undead)
They tend to speak only ancient languages, such as Nithian... at least that's the situation if they awoke recently. The spell of oblivion still erased most of the specific details about nithia from their memories - that can make them frightened or angry.
The mummy ISN'T the noble. The noble also has his soul bird , and his shadow, as companions in undeath.
The soul bird is a separate entity. Usually it is merged with the mummy, but the noble may send it away. It's an incorporeal undead, with the slightly blurred form of a stork with a human head (if facial features could be made out, it would be the nobles face).
The noble may send the soul bird away from his mummy. They don't have a telepathic link when separated, so the bird must return to the noble in order to communicate. The bird can lose it's way - the noble loses 1 HD per day of such separation. Destruction of the noble follows the demise of the bird, always.
When the mummy is destroyed, the bird can grab it's heart (see below) and fly away. If not surprised by this (standard spot checks), the noble's enemies can try to attack the bird or the heart when it happens.It can sink the heart into another body or zombie.
If the soul bird isn't merged with the noble's mummy when it is destroyed, this cannot happen - although if the heart is not destroyed, the bird still has a few days to attempt rescue (losing 1HD per day, as if normally separated from the mummy).
Immediately the nobles takes control of the body and animates it - now he has the body's physical abilitiy scores and HP (as a zombie), and his own mental and magical abilitiy scores and other features.
The zombie slowly turns into the noble's mummy (without the wrappings, mask , or jewel - looks VERY disturbing), after a period of 1 week per HD.
The Shadow is actually the shadow cast by the mummy. The noble has total control over it's position and lengh relative to itself, as if an imaginary light source moves around the mummy at it's whim.
The noble can see, hear and speak through the shadow. Some nobles know spells that use the shadow in other ways.
The noble can move it's mummy into any spot that it's shadow occupies, as a free action, once per round. This is a supernatural ability.It can make the noble very deadly - a rogue, for example, would always sneak attack !!
The shadow has no substance - it has no HP and ability scores. It can be hampered by the use of light spells - the DM determines the exact effect on the shadow.
The heart is the core of the noble's animating magic, and his will and intelligence. If the heart is destroyed, the noble immediately expires. This cannot normally be done while the heart is within the mummy, although special methods can be attempted.
The Embalmed Nithian Noble is a template that can be added to a human from nithian descent. Sometimes the ancient egyptians mummified animals too, perhaps their owner's beloved pets. So the DM can apply the template to anything he wishes, within reason. If he thinks the nithian embalmers would have a good reason to embalm Zizrek the beholder, then so be it.
Type changes to undead. HD to d12's and constitution bonuses are lost.
Str is raised by 2, natural armor raised by 3, and damage reduction 5/- is gained.
The bird is one size category smaller than the mummy. It has the same AC modified by size, and half the mummy's HP.
The heart is three size categories smaller than the mummy. It has the same AC modified by size, and a quarter of the mummy's HP.
The Mummy, Heart, and Shadow are actual parts of the ancient egyptian soul. The bird is the usual representation of another part, called the Bah.
Hope you like it !!
Wow that brings a whole new light to mummies. I enjoy how powerful and dangerous this kind of mummy can be. Nice work.
Absolutely!
I love it! I have to find a way to get a mummy into MC. Come to think of it, I'd imagine the Thothians still practice this form of embalming, wouldn't they?
The mundane embalming can be done by experts , but the divine (or unholy..) rituals should be done by priests. In ancient egypt the process was available only to the very, very rich. In thothia this would mean that this embalming method is practiced by powerful yet fringe cults, on eccentric nobles or merchants who seek religious enlightment.
At least, thats my opinion, according to the little I know of thothia.
P.S : There were several methods of mummification in ancient egypt. The one that inspired the Embalmed Noble was the most expensive (and disturbing - brain removal through nose and so on). There were other methods, and perhaps the "common" mummies of mystara were made by them.