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Secrets of the Pharaoh

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William Witt
Aug Member 2023

William Witt

Posts: 12,465 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
With the release of Menaphos being literally hours away, I thought I'd share a theory I've had for a while now; we'll see very soon if I'm right (and I'm suspecting, with what we've seen in the promotional material, that I might be).

Just what do we know about the Pharaoh, presumed ruler of the entire desert outside Al Kharid?

Jex, one of the priests of Icthlarin in Sophanem, has this to say about him:

"The Pharaoh of Menaphos is a greedy, cruel man whose lack of restraint is beyond even Crondis's help. Excuse me, I should not have spoken that way. It is unwise to speak ill of one's betters."

Straightforward so far. I don't think anyone who's seen the promos would say he looks like a nice guy.

But... There may be more to him than that.

In Do No Evil (I'll note that completion of ALL desert quests is a requirement for meeting the Pharaoh), Mizaru has this to say:

"Fifty years ago, the progressive young Pharaoh of Menaphos proposed an alliance with Al Kharid, in the hopes of bringing prosperity to the desert. He was a worshipper of Apmeken. Amascut was furious. Without war there could be no destruction on the scale that she desired. She cursed the pharaoh and hunted down Apmeken."

What does it mean that she "cursed" the pharaoh? The dialogue doesn't really elaborate past that point.

But what I want to suggest... is that it's the same Pharaoh. Note how a specific span of years was mentioned - Fifty years, and the fact the Pharaoh in Mizaru's story is described as being "young". Depending on how old the current Pharaoh is, he might be the same guy. But how does Jex's description of him square with the Pharaoh described here?

In the videos for the upcoming update, we know there are corrupted souls under Menaphos - thralls of the Devourer - who'll be Slayer targets. But other material shown seems to show similar green seams of corruption on the four lesser desert gods, and... let's not forget that slightly creepy trailer Jagex released of the Pharaoh.
The Asgarnian ale must flow.

05-Jun-2017 09:03:09

William Witt
Aug Member 2023

William Witt

Posts: 12,465 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Pharaoh who, as I'm sure you've all noticed, is covered head to toe in armor. I want to suggest that when the Devourer "cursed" the progressive young Apmeken worshipping Pharaoh, she actually corrupted him into one of her thralls - or perhaps, to avoid the dull "he's just a puppet" route, she somehow twisted his personality.

More support for the idea that this is the same Pharaoh can be found in the first Road to Menaphos video. When speaking of the Pharaoh, Mod Joe says "Some people have said that he is just a puppet of Amascut. Others have said he genuinely does want peace between Menaphos and Al Kharid."

Wanting peace between Menaphos and Al Kharid... That sounds like the description in Do No Evil...

So basically, I'm fairly confident by this point that there's at least some truth to my theory. But even if I'm wrong, this should be a blast. Now, when do we get to meet King Vallance...?
The Asgarnian ale must flow.

05-Jun-2017 09:03:17 - Last edited on 05-Jun-2017 09:19:47 by William Witt

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