Malack and the Mummy Minions

[KillingAScarab]

Yet another Malack thread, but at least there's some alliteration in the title.

Back in I Guess You Had to Be There, specifically in the 3rd panel, Nale and Sabine walk in on a discussion in progress about the mummies Malack raised (through the use of his staff). It isn't entirely clear to me what Malack's relationship with the undead is. After the more recent comics, the exchange has me wondering about this aspect of Malack. He's normally against the creation of undead? Perhaps it is mummies specifically? We now know he's a vampire, and his earlier "children" would have been, too. He just turned Durkon into one, so he has no problem with creating vampires.

He worships a death god, whom he believes may have gifted Malack with the naturally mummified corpses to use. He plans to use the empires of Blood, Sweat and Tears to kill thousands of people a day in sacrifice to Nergal. Could he somehow believe undeath is an abomination to Nergal which prevents his deity from becoming more powerful? If so, why would he animate the mummies? How does he reconcile this with his own exsistence?

Perhaps he only has a problem with mindless undead? A distinction is made between them and his "willing service" in Calm, Orderly and Efficient, but that's in reference to Tarquin, not Nergal. How would he react to meeting a non-vampire intelligent undead? Such as a ghoul or a lich? What about Xykon, who raises zombies all the time?

I suppose the question which underpins all of those would be is Malack nuanced, or simply a hypocrite when it comes to undeath? I would like to know what people think about this.

[Kish]

Yet another Malack thread, but at least there's some alliteration in the title.

Back in I Guess You Had to Be There, specifically in the 3rd panel, Nale and Sabine walk in on a discussion in progress about the mummies Malack raised (through the use of his staff). It isn't entirely clear to me what Malack's relationship with the undead is. After the more recent comics, the exchange has me wondering about this aspect of Malack. He's normally against the creation of undead?

Rich clarified when we got the Big Reveal that the phrasing there was meant to be misleading without the knowledge of what Malack is. He's normally against using undead as slaves.

[Warren Dew]

Yet another Malack thread, but at least there's some alliteration in the title.

Good post, and good answer from Kish.

The title should have been "Malack's Mindless Mummy Minions", though.

[KillingAScarab]

Thanks for the heads-up, Kish. I found the relevant post, thanks to ThePhantasm's Index of the Giant's Comments. It wasn't even in a comic discussion thread as I had feared it would be. Those get too long too fast for me to ever hope to review them.

Looks like Malack would absolutely loathe the approach taken by Xykon and Redcloak. As for Tsukiko... I don't want to think about that.

Also, curses! I knew I could have fit another M in the title.

[Charity322]

Seeing as the original question has been answered, it reminded me of a question I had about the mummies. Why do they randomly repeat words that the people around them say? Is that normal mummy behaviour?

[Rorrik]

I don't think the original question has been fully answered. Yes, we found out that Malack is opposed to mindless undead, but that doesn't explain the mummies quite. What is his reason for being opposed that he is willing to make an exception if Nergal "provides an abundance of a scarce resource"?

At first shake I'd say it is because he is undead himself and doesn't like the idea of someone like himself being mindless and enslaved, but to me that doesn't explain the exception he makes. But I can do no better than that.

As to the mummies repeating things, I'd say it is a sign of their servitude, that they repeat because they must serve their master. Their actions come from him.

[Cirrylius]

Yes, we found out that Malack is opposed to mindless undead, but that doesn't explain the mummies quite. What is his reason for being opposed that he is willing to make an exception if Nergal "provides an abundance of a scarce resource"?

Personally, I feel his opinion is more The Dead Are People Too. It's just that having a bunch of subservient undead corpses show up just as there are a crapload of traps to spring would strike a Cleric as Divine Providence, IMO.

[Forum Explorer]

I think Mummies are actually intelligent undead, so animating them and then keeping them enslaved bothered him.

[KillingAScarab]

Edit: And two more posts sprung up while I was typing. Perhaps I'll amend this tomorrow.

Seeing as the original question has been answered, it reminded me of a question I had about the mummies. Why do they randomly repeat words that the people around them say? Is that normal mummy behaviour?

So, I just remembered that standard mummies aren't actually mindless. They do have an intelligence score. Clearly that's why I didn't put another M-word in the thread title. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Anyway, my guess is that zombies already are known for shambling around only saying, "brains." The mummies are a step up, having a better vocabulary. Having them parroting what they hear served a purpose in The Pit of Despair. They weren't picky, as Sabine wasn't the one controlling them, and they also parroted Tarquin and Haley just before they were destroyed. Roy also perceives they were being directly controlled, which explains why they didn't attack him or ever voice thoughts of their own.

I don't think the original question has been fully answered. Yes, we found out that Malack is opposed to mindless undead, but that doesn't explain the mummies quite. What is his reason for being opposed that he is willing to make an exception if Nergal "provides an abundance of a scarce resource"?

At first shake I'd say it is because he is undead himself and doesn't like the idea of someone like himself being mindless and enslaved, but to me that doesn't explain the exception he makes. But I can do no better than that.

From what The Giant wrote, it was specifically, "casual creation of of undead to use as canon fodder," Malack was against. Perhaps he thought he might treat them "right" and their need was great enough? The ends could justify the means? He did feel something at the loss of the first mummy. Maybe he will have a reaction upon learning the other five were destroyed, and Roy will be right under Nale on his enemies list.

[Finagle]

Seeing as the original question has been answered, it reminded me of a question I had about the mummies. Why do they randomly repeat words that the people around them say? Is that normal mummy behaviour?

So that they could cause Vaarsuvius to freak out and run off. That's all.

[Zmeoaice]

I think Mummies are actually intelligent undead, so animating them and then keeping them enslaved bothered him.

I don't think they were intelligent. They are just like zombies, although they have been mummified from the desert dryness.

[rodneyAnonymous]

I don't think they were intelligent. They are just like zombies, although they have been mummified from the desert dryness.

Mummies are very dumb but not mindless zombies. SRD entry says 6 INT. They can speak Common.