Nephren-Ka

## The Dark Pharaoh

*Evil stirs beneath the sands of Egypt as the Brotherhood of the Beast, a cult with mysterious loyalties, searches for the final resting place of the Dark Pharaoh Nephren-Ka, seeking to fulfill the prophecy of his resurrection.*

### Gameplay

* **:** Each investigator may move 1 space toward The Bent Pyramid. Then each investigator that did not move loses  1 Sanity.
* When 3 Mysteries have been solved, **investigators win the game**.
* When Nephren-Ka awakens, **flip this sheet** and resolve the "Nephren-Ka Awakens!" effect on the back.

#### Setup

Set aside all Nephren-Ka Special Encounters. Set up the Egypt side board.

## Awakening

**Tomb of Nephren-Ka**
*The lightless temple beneath The Bent Pyramid has risen above the sands, and the insidious Nephren-Ka has returned, though he has yet to realize the full extent of his power.* **[ Show/Hide the Back ]**
**Nephren-Ka Awakens!**

Place a  Mystery token on The Bent Pyramid and place  3 Eldritch tokens on this sheet.

**Final Mystery**

As an encounter, if 3 Mysteries have been solved, an investigator on The Bent Pyramid may confront Nephren-Ka; he draws and resolves a Dark Pharaoh Special Encounter.

When there are  Clues on this sheet equal to half , the Final Mystery is solved and **investigators win the game**.

**The Dark Pharaoh**

* Investigators on The Pyramids or the Egypt side board cannot recover  Sanity as part of a Rest action.
* Each time  Doom would advance, discard  1 Eldritch token from this sheet instead. Then, if there are no Eldritch tokens on this sheet, **investigators lose the game**.
* **:** Each investigator may move 1 space toward The Bent Pyramid. Then each investigator that did not move loses  1 Sanity.

 **Dark Pharaoh Encounters**

## Lore

*In the shadowed annals of ancient Egypt, where the sands whispered secrets and the pyramids cradled forgotten mysteries, there arose a pharaoh whose name echoed through the corridors of time like a chilling wind. His name was Nephren-Ka, a ruler whose thirst for power reached beyond the realm of mortal understanding.*

*Nephren-Ka, adorned in regal splendor, walked a treacherous path bathed in the dim glow of forbidden knowledge. Beneath the veils of opulence and majesty, he harbored a sinister desire—an insatiable hunger for immortality that led him down a darkened corridor, away from the light of the sun and into the heart of unspeakable darkness.*

*Hidden deep within the labyrinthine chambers of his pyramid, Nephren-Ka delved into the forbidden arts, calling upon eldritch forces that slumbered in the abyss between worlds. The air within his unholy sanctum became thick with the stench of ancient malevolence, as he uttered incantations that no living soul was meant to comprehend.*

*With each sacrilegious ritual, Nephren-Ka's connection to the mortal coil waned, and an otherworldly pallor overcame his countenance. His eyes, once radiant with life, now mirrored the void of eternity. The whispers of the damned echoed in his ears, guiding him through the macabre dance of forgotten incantations that promised everlasting existence.*

*As the years unfurled like a tattered scroll, tales of Nephren-Ka's unholy pursuits spread fear among the people. Legends spoke of ghastly visions haunting the dreams of those who dared to gaze upon the ruins of his accursed pyramid. Unspeakable horrors were said to stir in the depths beneath the shifting sands, and the very air seemed to carry the weight of an ancient malevolence.*

*But even the mighty are not immune to the relentless march of time. Nephren-Ka's once-grand empire crumbled into the dust, swallowed by the same desolation that birthed his insatiable ambition. The remnants of his dark legacy lingered like a lingering curse, waiting to ensnare those who dared tread upon the ruins of his once-majestic kingdom.*

*And so, the legend of Nephren-Ka endures—a cautionary tale whispered in the dark corners of forgotten temples and within the haunted winds that sweep across the barren expanse of the Egyptian sands. The pharaoh who sought to defy the natural order, to transcend mortality, now stands as a spectral reminder of the abyss that awaits those who dare to grasp at the forbidden threads of eternity.*

## Rulings, clarifications, and reminders

* When Nephren-Ka's Reckoning effect occurs, if an investigator doesn't move, either by choice or is unable to (such as being already on The Bend Pyramid or has a Detained Condition), he will lose  1 Sanity.

## References

1. ↑ A character in the story *Imprisoned with the Pharaohs* by H.P. Lovecraft. For more information about this, see the Imprisoned with the Pharaohs page on  *The H.P. Lovecraft Wiki*.
2. ↑ Official answer from Nikki Valens for Reckoning on  *BoardGameGeek*.