Event:1925/06/29 Day in Cairo

Gunter goes to the Egyptian Library and finds pictures of Hypatia Masters as she prepares for a camera safari in Kenya. The accompanying article notes the rumor is the Carlyle Expedition is looking for King Solomon's Mines. This confirms a lot of the things the others have been talking about and makes Gunter more comfortable around them.

Meanwhile, Victor, Charles, and Father Quinn do the tourist things at Giza and the sphinx. Most people are just talking about the history and colonial potential of Egypt. There are no mentions of mummies or curses in the general population of tourists, though some folks do mention the missing mummy scandal in relation to the Clive Expedition.

We meet back at the Shepheard's Hotel for tea. Then we head to the Egyptian Museum to talk to Dr. Kafour. We take our case notes and lay out our case, requesting any aid he can provide in helping to restore the Eye of Light and Darkness at the Bent Pyramid. Dr. Kafour seems to take stock of what we're saying, but then asks us why we're doing this now when in just 2 months time, in August, the Sleeper of R'lyeh wakes. He believes the future of a world conquered by Nyarlathotep is at least a future; whereas, the Sleeper waking would be the end of all existence. We ask about Omar al-Shakti. Dr. Kafour instead tells us what he knows of the goings on in Cairo. He believes that the Carlyle Expedition uncovered a secret related to the Black Pharaoh. He understands Aubrey Penhew long studied the Black Pharaoh, and Dr. Kafour and Penhew corresponded about the Black Pharaoh at length prior to Penhew coming to Egypt. When Penhew came to Egypt, he did not seek out Dr. Kafour and Kafour was rebuffed when he attempted to contact Penhew. In terms of the Black Pharaoh, in the 3rd dynasty a man named Nephren-ka showed up, and he was a sorcerer and became pharaoh. Nephren-ka revived the worship of an old foul god, the Black Pharaoh. Nephren-ka was a powerful sorcerer who brought madness and death to his enemies at the flick of a finger. He did so at Irem, the city of pillars. This is according to the Necronomicon, the original copy. Nephren-ka fought against the forces of Zoser's successors. Sneferu rose and founded the 4th dynasty with the aid of Isis and slew Nephren-ka. Sneferu built a pyramid at the site to contain the body of Nephren-ka. This pyramid is known as the Bent Pyramid at Dashur. Records indicate that Nephren-ka's body was removed from the Red Pyramid and placed in the Bent Pyramid. The Red Pyramid is dedicated to Sneferu, where Nephren-ka is contained in the Bent Pyramid. In the 6th dynasty, the cruel Queen Nitocris was thought to be in league with the Black Pharaoh. Sometimes the Black Pharaoh is known by the name Nyarlathotep. Nephren-ka was said to possess a huge beast of which the sphinx of Giza was a small, inaccurate representation. The voice of Nephren-ka was said to be carried by a Black Wind, a wind which was destroyed by his whim. One prophesy implies that the Black Pharaoh will rise 20 centuries after Jesus. Man-like but inhuman worshipers of the Black Pharaoh were said to lurk underground in the desert occasionally waylaying innocents. The great sphinx of Giza is said to have an important function in the rituals of Queen Nitocris. Dr. Kafour believes that the Black Pharaoh and Nephren-ka existed, as do the pantheon of gods, of which the Black Pharaoh was a part. He calls these gods the Outer Gods, and feels that they were led by a being known as Azathoth. He only knows that Omar al-Shakti is related to Queen Nitocris and the Penhew Foundation which is funding the Clive Expedition. Gustaf Joheansen, a Norwegian sailor, is Dr. Kafour's source for what's happening with the Sleeper. He believes the Sleeper lies in the south Pacific ocean. He says that he will personally assist us, but he won't bring any further resources to bear as he feels that they're needed for the coming battle with the Sleeper. He has stone napping skills. We leave him with a copy of the ritual to create an Eye of Light and Darkness and leave.

Charles heads to the local British military base asking about available moonlighters (mercenaries), but comes up empty.

The rest of the group heads to the Egyptian Library. Gunter researches Queen Nitocris while Quinn looks up information on the sphinx, hoping their efforts will intertwine. The Mykerinos' Pyramid was heavily damaged and bent in 1196. It's possible to get under the sphinx via the stelle. The sphinx is currently being excavated by the Clive Expedition. Underneath the sphinx is supposed to be the worship site of Queen Nitocris. The tunnels under Giza are very confusing and it's easy to get lost. It would be unsurprising to find areas that have never been seen by man since the antiquity. Based on everything we've read and researched, there's a high probability that we would die venturing under the sphinx. Victor researches the Shining Crystal, but comes up empty.

We all meet up and head back to the hotel and sleep.

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