Central Question Exercise (college work)

Image by: Chrisdelachal Found in WikiCommons

Central Question Exercise- College Assignment

(This is based off of a book that I have in progress... Temporarily titled "Secrets of the Tomb"... look for more posts on this book coming soon!!!)

Central Question: Can a group led by the once high priest, Anuk Sabe', help Tut change his fate?

Obstacles:

1. A spy is within the group trying to help Tut, this spy loves to outwit the groups attempts to keep Tut safe.

2. The group is seen as outcasts in Egypt and are hunted (by the ones that want to overthrow/ kill Tut.

3. The secret group now suspects two of the people that are the closest to Tut for the many attempted murders. (Aye, Tut's grand vizier (or personal counselor); and Horemheb, the Commander in Chief of Egypt's armies and supposed protector of Tut)

Creative ending:

Aye decides to send a slave into Pharaoh Tutankhamun's room in the middle of the night to pour poison down his throat while Tut sleeps.

Tut tosses and turns in his bed as he tries to sleep after a bad nightmare. Even the items that decorate his room cast disturbing shadows on the floor and walls. A few feet from his bed a tall and heavy flower pot stands filled by lilies from the nearby Nile. Though they were placed there by his wife, the shadow that it places on the floor reminds him of the field where an unknown man tried to smother him while Tut inspected the year's crop. The moon filters through the curtains hanging in the windows to his room; it shines a reflection on the opposite wall that reminds him of the spot on the Nile shore where someone had attempted to drown him. A wooden chime hangs over his bed; as it twirls the clop, clop sound reminds Tut of the race where his horses got spooked and nearly trampled him. As Tut shuts his eyes tight and shakes his head to get rid of the disturbing images he wishes for a way to escape the never ending death threats… however another sound has suddenly catches his attention.

As the slave nears Tut's bedroom door he stumbles on an ornate floor rug outside the door. The slave clatters into the pot sitting on the nearest pedestal. No guards made a sound to silence the slave or warn him of the penalties of waking the Pharaoh. As a matter of fact it did not sound as if there were any guards posted by his door tonight. Surprised, and knowing that he did not request assistance from any of the servants, Tut decides to lie still and wait for the servant to enter.

The servant enters cautiously; carrying a plain wooden bowl as if it holds his own life. Knowing that the servant would, under normal circumstances, give the required announcement of his presence before approaching the Pharaoh, Tut is now a little worried. The Pharaoh partially closes his eyes and peeks at the approaching servant through his thick black eyelashes. As the servant reaches the bed he reaches out for Tut's mouth to prepare to pour in the contents of the bowl. The smell coming from the liquid immediately tells Tut that the contents of the bowl are poison.

Feeling adrenaline pumping through him, he realizes he once again is facing the possibility of his own death. With his left hand balled into a fist he strikes the servant hard in his ear causing the servant to lose his balance. Frowning in concentration and anger, he throws the thin sheet off of his body. Tut quickly rolls out of his bed and flings himself on the servant. As they roll around on the floor, each struggling to gain control of the other, Tut's one free hand finds the servant's mouth and holds it closed so he can not cry for help.

Tut knows that the servant is only a few years older than himself and much stronger so he will have to act fast if he is to overcome the attacker. As they roll near the ornate vase holding the potted lilies, Tut suddenly reaches out and pulls it down onto the servant's head. The heavy vase bounces off with a loud thud and rolls away to reveal the servant's head. Because the servant had turned his face away from the blow there was no blood; only dazed the servant groggily turns to face the Pharaoh once more.

Knowing he has little time Tut quickly decides on his plan and grabs the head of the servant in both of his hands. Shaking slightly, the Pharaoh smacks the servant's head hard on the floor with a sickening crack. As blood pools on the floor Tut knows that the young servant is headed toward the afterlife… And with no time to spare Tut undresses and puts his own clothes on the servant.

Throwing the servant's garb on himself Tut grabs the now empty bowl and tries to sneak down the hall to escape the palace, however just around the corner Tut finds Aye standing in wait for him.

"Is the deed done?"

"Yes, Grand Vizier, the young pharaoh lies dead on the floor of his chamber." Tut lied without meeting the Vizier's gaze.

"Good, go and inform the funerary service that the young pharaoh is ready to be prepared for the afterlife."

Tut nods in obedience and walks off to the safety of a normal life.

"Secrets of the Tomb" Character Descriptions

Public Domain on Wikicommons

Character Description: Tut

(Fictional Story of King Tut)

Short Name: Tut

adopted name: Tutankhamun (living image of amun)

Born Name or Nomens: Tutankhaten (Living image of aten)

Throne Name or prenomens: Nebkheperure (Lord of manifestations is Re)

Epithet: Heqaiunushema (ruler of Heliopolis)

{use adopted and prenomen when announcing later}

[Aten is the disk of the sun

Re is the sun god

Amun is the the father of the gods, god of what cannot be seen, and ruler of wind and air.]

Physical Description: Black hair, Dark Tan colored skin, short and slender

Born at 1343 bc He started his rule at age 9 and ruled from 1334-1325.

His parents (heretics) Abolished all the other gods and forbade their worship. They ruled that everyone should only worship the sun disk aten. coreagent Smenkhare ruled for three years with his father until father died and priests asked smen if he would switch and upon a no they killed him. Tut was 6 when his father started working with the coreagent and 9 when he was crowned.Tut did not agree with this worship. Marries Ankhamun a year after crowned. They abandon el-Amarna and return to Thebes after three (age 12) more years rule. During the next three years tut asks the temples of the old gods to be rebuilt and he changes his name. The whole time he is striving to overcome the coreagent (aye) who wants the thrown for himself

Character Guidelines: [Name: King Tut]

{Nomens}Born Name: Tutankhaten (Living image of Aten)

Adopted name: Tutankhamun (Living image of Amun)

Epithet: Heqaiunushema (Ruler of Heliopolis)

{Prenomens}Throne Name: Nebkheperure (Lord of Manifestations is Re)

Born: 1342 BC Ruled: 1334 BC Died: 1325 BC

Wife: Ankhesenpaaten- Ankhesenamun

Children: 2 (still born girls) Buried: Valley of the Kings

Short Description: Black hair, dark skin, short, slender. Tut was 6 yrs old when his father Akhenaten dies. Tut's older brother Smenkhare becomes pharaoh after officiating his fathers ceremony. The Priests approach him at some point about changing back to many religions. When Smenkhare declines he disappears. (poison or voluntary leave?) 3yrs.

Tut is named successor and officiates Smenkhare's ceremony. Tut was 8 when he became king. Tut marries Ankhesenpaaten a year later. Tut is approached, moves, and changes name each within a year of each other He restores the temples from 1344-1341. Ruled for 9 yrs.

What is his purpose in the story? Tut is the protagonist in the story… Trying to find out why he has such an early death.

What Traits can I attach to him?

How can I make each trait more unique or memorable?

How am I avoiding cliché?

How can a minor character irritate him?

How can he help him in a unique way?

What plot possibilities- a twist, revolution, a setup, a premonition, a mood shift- does the character have to offer? Twist: Tut really was not dead… there is a dummy in the tomb and Tut went elsewhere. Perhaps he had something to do with Smenkhare's disappearance. Buried in Aye's Temple? Arrow in leg, crack in back of Skull. (This mummy is the scapegoat. A servant that looks similar to him and tut finds him trying to poison him an shoots him in the leg to stop him running and hits him on the back of the head with a pot)

Character Description : Ankhesenamun (Tut’s Wife)

(In progress... )

Short Name: Ankhamun

Born name: Ankhesenpaaten

Adopted Name: Ankhesenamun

After she married Tut the two became unseperateable. They went hunting together and played senet and jakel and hounds. Tut warnes her aye is planning on killing him so he has to escape. She tells him she will cover for him and make sure the (servant) is buried instead. she becomes afraid for her life and asks the hittite king Suppiluliumas to send one of his many sons to her aid to marry. after writing back to make sure this is real the king sends his youngest son Zannanza. Zann is killed at the egyptian boarder. the 70 days moarning are up and she is out of time... she reluctantly agrees to marry aye and then escapes soon after to go find tut.

Minor Character Guidelines: [Name: Ankhesenpaaten]

{Nomens}Born Name: Ankhesenpaaten (she who lives through the Aten

Adopted name: Ankhesenamun (she who lives through Amun)

Born: 1346 Died: 1324

Husband: Her father Akhenaten, her brother Smenkhkare and then her brother Tut, and Aye all to legitimize their claim to the thrown

Children: 2 stillborn girls

Buried: ?????

Short Description:

What is her purpose in the story?

What traits can I attach to her?

How can I make each trait more unique or memorable?

How am I avoiding cliché?

How can the minor character irritate the protagonist?

How can she help him in a unique way? She knows about Aye's plan to keep him from being king so marries him so he can be, or tut marries her so she won't have to marry Aye.

What plot possibilities- a twist, revolution, a setup, a premonition, a mood shift- does the character have to offer? Asked Hittite King Shuppiluliuma to send his son Zannanza to marry her so she will not have to marry Aye. When Tut kills his intended killer he calls her into his room to explain how he knew and where he is going… said it would look suspicious if she left and did not stay to mourn his supposed body so she stays behind. Rejoins him later? She is 21 when tut "dies" He is 17.

Minor Character Guidelines: [Name: Amenhotep IV]

{Nomens}Born Name: Amenhoteb (Amun is pleased)

Adopted name: Akhenaten (Servent of the Aten)

Epithet: ?????

{Prenomens}Throne Name: Neferkheperure (Beautiful are the manifestations of Re)

Born:???? Ruled:1353 Died: 1331

Wives: Nefertiti, Merytaten,Kia,Mekytated, Ankhesenpaaten

Children: Merytaten, Mekytaten, Ankhesenpaaten-tesherit, Merytaten-tasherit and two others??? Buried: Akhetaten (el-Amarna), later moved (?) to Valley of the Kings

Short Description: Tut's father.

What is his purpose in the story? Made Aten (sun) the sole god of Egypt. Art Became more about everyday things instead of traditional workings. Statues were made more lifelike and exaggerated at times. All old temples destroyed and he built a new town called Akhenaten (el-Amarna).

What Traits can I attach to him? Radicalist… won't listen to reason, thinks everything he says is true no matter what everyone else thinks. Over bearing and dominant.

How can I make each trait more unique or memorable? Stretch his reactions to the extreme.

How am I avoiding cliché?

How can the minor character irritate the protagonist? Not let him learn the ways of the pharaohs, co reagent Aye tells him about a priests premonition about Tut's kingship and Akhenaten tries to inhibit him from becoming so.

How can he help him in a unique way? Giving him this free time to help the priests set their plan into motion.

What plot possibilities- a twist, revolution, a setup, a premonition, a mood shift- does the character have to offer? Akhenaten is very moody and will snap at the drop of a hat… probably dies of a heart attack. Has his Co Reagent Smenkhkare take the thrown instead of Tut when he already knows the prophecy.

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Minor Character Guidelines: [Name: Aye]

{Nomens}Born Name: Aye

Adopted name: none

Epithet: It-Nejer ("Father of the God")

{Prenomens}Throne Name: Kheperkheperure ("Everlasting are the Manifestations of Re")

Born:???? Ruled: 1325 BC Died: 1321 B.C.

Wives: Tiy II, Ankhesenamun

Children: ??

Buried: Tomb KV 23, Valley of the Kings

Short Description: Father of Akhenaten's chief wife Nefertiti and Vizier to Tut

What is his purpose in the story? To keep Tut in line.

What traits can I attach to him? Stuffy, knowitall, shifty

How can I make each trait more unique or memorable?

How am I avoiding cliché?

How can the minor character irritate the protagonist? Constantly going over his head, and holding over his head the fact that he has been vizier longer than he has ruled

How can he help him in a unique way? In the beginning help Tut get acclimated to being pharaoh

What plot possibilities- a twist, revolution, a setup, a premonition, a mood shift- does the character have to offer? Has a hand in trying to Kill Tut… warns Akhenaten that the priests have had a premonition. Then forces Tut's wife to marry him, to outmaneuver Horemheb the Commander of the Egyptian army who had been designated as the idnw or the Deputy of the Lord of the Two Lands by Tut. Horemheb was presumed to be the heir and successor should Tut die but Aye got to it first by forcing Tut's wife to marry him. After Tut's wife finished talking w/ Tut and he 'left' Aye approached her about marrying him, she said no and then wrote away to the Hittite king, Aye then blackmailed her into marrying him

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Minor Character Guidelines: [Name: Smenkhkare]

{Nomens}Born Name: Smenkhkare (Vigorous is the soul of Re)

Epithet: Djeserkheperu (Holy of Manifestations)

{Prenomens}Throne Name: Ankhkheperure (Living are the Manifestations of Re

Born: ????? Ruled: 1331 Died: 1334

Wives:

Children:

Buried:

Short Description: 3 years as coregent under Akhenaten (his brother) ruled as pharaoh from 13

What is his purpose in the story? Akhenaten did not want tut to become pharaoh so he found a way to get Smenkhkare (his brother) to be coregent with him and therefore take his place when he died

What traits can I attach to him? Layed back…Does not want to be pharoah

How can I make each trait more unique or memorable?

How am I avoiding cliché?

How can the minor character irritate the protagonist?

How can he help him in a unique way? Give tut the idea of leaving if he finds out people are trying to kill him.

What plot possibilities- a twist, revolution, a setup, a premonition, a mood shift- does the character have to offer? Tut will follow his example and leave his thrown when his life is threatened, to go live with his wife in peace.

Secrets of the Tomb

Secrets  Of The Tomb
 (Opening Attempt- will probably change)

Public Domain Image from WikiCommons

Prologue:

Our story begins on a hot afternoon in the Egyptian sand. Far across the Nile River is modern day Thebes, bustling with activity. The Valley of the Kings is also full of excitement for right in front of the tomb of Ramesses VI Archeologist Howard Carter and his team believes they have found the tomb of Tutankhamun Heqaiunushema Nebkheperure (which means Living image of Amun, ruler of heliopolis, lord of manifestations is Re). In other words, they believe they have found the tomb of King Tut!

As they dug the limestone chippings out of the downward sloping corridor, Carter realized that the tomb's layout was not like the layout of all the other pharaohs' tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Was this really Tutankhamun's tomb after all?

After about 30 ft of digging, they came upon a second stone sealed doorway. Cautiously Carter broke a small hole in the second doorway and pushed a rod through. Feeling nothing on the other side Carter made the hole bigger and peered in with a candle.

Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the dig anxiously waited behind Carter. Carter's face lit up with excitement at what he saw. He hurriedly dug out more of the entrance and Carter and his three acquaintances stepped inside the small room examining all of the glittering treasures piled inside. Mysteriously though, the walls here were blank with no hieroglyphic descriptions or paintings.

Realizing that the coffin was not in this small room and that this particular room must only be an antechamber, he then turned his attention toward the strange sealed door to his left. Two life-size statues of Tutankhamun guarded the sealed door as if to ward off intruders. As Carter slowly broke through the sealed doorway, he was faced with what looked like a solid wall of gold.

As he climbed inside the room, he found that this was the Pharaoh's burial chamber. This room was mysteriously the only one covered in hieroglyphics. The traditional paintings on the wall were apparently done in a hurry as random splashes of paint marred the wall. Carter found it odd that no one had ever cleaned it up. The large wall of gold was actually one of four shrines one inside the other which housed the carved, stone sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.

They found just two more rooms in the strange tomb both packed with treasures. However neither rooms were painted, which left the small tomb with an unfinished appearance… They also found evidence that Tutankhamen had died young and without warning. To this day, no one really knows how or why…

On a hot afternoon in the Egyptian sand, far across the Nile River is modern day Thebes, bustling with activity. The Valley of the Kings is also full of excitement for right in front of the tomb of Ramesses VI Archeologist Howard Carter and his team believes they have found the tomb of Tutankhamun Heqaiunushema Nebkheperure (which means Living image of Amun, ruler of heliopolis, lord of manifestations is Re). In other words, they believe they have found the tomb of King Tut!

As they dug the limestone chippings out of the downward sloping corridor, Carter realized that the tomb's layout was not like the layout of all the other pharaohs' tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Was this really Tutankhamun's tomb after all?

After about 30 ft of digging, they came upon a second stone sealed doorway. Cautiously Carter broke a small hole in the second doorway and pushed a rod through. Feeling nothing on the other side Carter made the hole bigger and peered in with a candle. Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the dig anxiously waited behind Carter. Carter's face lit up with excitement at what he saw. He hurriedly dug out more of the entrance and Carter and his three acquaintances stepped inside the small room examining all of the glittering treasures piled inside. Mysteriously though, the walls here were blank with no hieroglyphic descriptions or paintings.

Realizing that the coffin was not in this small room and that this particular room must only be an antechamber, he then turned his attention toward the strange sealed door to his left. Two life-size statues of Tutankhamun guarded the sealed door as if to ward off intruders. As Carter slowly broke through the sealed doorway, he was faced with what looked like a solid wall of gold.

As he climbed inside the room, he found that this was the Pharaoh's burial chamber. This room was mysteriously the only one covered in hieroglyphics. The traditional paintings on the wall were apparently done in a hurry as random splashes of paint marred the wall. Carter found it odd that no one had ever cleaned it up. The large wall of gold was actually one of four shrines one inside the other which housed the carved, stone sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.

They found just two more rooms in the strange tomb both packed with treasures. However neither rooms were painted, which left the small tomb with an unfinished appearance. Three years later, experts would find out that the reason for this. They found evidence that Tutankhamen had died young and without warning. To this day, no one really knows how or why… Or is this realy tutankhamen's real tomb? What really happened to the boy king? And why did his widowed wife only 22 at the time mysteriously disapear only three years after her husbands death? Her tomb has never been discovered...