Finally, the troof (YMMV) on Amascut's curse

[death_gone_mad]

Yay! Canon! Accessible canon!

I have complained in the past that one of the most important sources on Amascut's backstory was inaccessible to me since, well, I am too cheap to pay for a runescape membership especially since I don't give myself the time to actually play the game. So I have been relying on other players to bring that aspect of canon to me.

I am talking specifically about Neite, a cat that wanders around Sophanem, and after A Tail of Two Cats, the world. She's important to Amascut's backstory because she was one of Amascut's last chief priestesses and she was present at Amascut's 'fall'. Anyway, some kind soul has posted Neite's dialog during A Tail of Two Cats on the wikia, so here it is incase the copyright bugaboo revisits the wikia and causes the deletion of the dialog and transcript pages.


Numbered points are dialog options, bulleted items are the actual conversation.

1. What's new?
   • Player: What's new?
   • Neite: When you get to my age, very little seems new anymore.
   • Player: What age are you?
   • Neite: You should never ask a lady her age!
   • Player: But you're not... I mean...
2. Where's Bob?
   • Player: Hey, Neite, where's Bob?
   • Neite: Out gallivanting, hunting noobs in the Wilderness. You know what he's like.
   • Player: So why aren't you out there with him?
   • Neite: I like to roam as next as the next cat, but, every so often, I do like to come home.
   • Player: So, you and Bob haven't had an argument?
   • Neite: Who told you that?
   • Player: Umm...nobody.
3. What are you doing?
   • Player: What are you doing, then?
   • Neite: I'm hunting frogs and locusts.
   • Player: Why? Do they taste good?
   • Neite: Wayuckk! No, I would never debase myself to eat such filth.
   • Player: I see you're a cat of taste then.
   • Neite: I am a cat of high breeding. My family tree dates back to days before any sultan or king of RuneScape.
   1. Whose cat are you then?
      • Player: Whose cat are you then?
      • Neite: I am my own cat. I'm not owned by anyone, although I do permit the high priest of Icthlarin to feed me.
      • Player: So what's he like then?
      • Neite: The old high priest was a vindictive and cranky old man. If he ever didn't get his way, he would make everyone suffer until someone crumbled and gave into his will. I must say that I respected that in him. The new high priest used to be a bit of a wet towel. He was very unsure of himself and had little respect from the people of the town.
      • Player: You're speaking in past tense.
      • Neite: Yes, well, since the townspeople have returned, they've a lot more confidence in him and I think he may have gained some more self-belief.
   2. What do you do with the frogs and locusts?
      • Player: What do you do with the frogs and locusts?
      • Neite: What do you mean by 'do'?
      • Player: Well, seeing as you're hunting them, I thought you'd eat them too.
      • Neite: No, no, I just hunt them, play with them for a bit and then kill them.
      • Player: Isn't that a little evil?
      • Neite: What's evil about a little destruction?
      • Player: What isn't? You destroy and take away life. What good is there in that?
      • Neite: Hssss. Life can come from destruction too. Take a volcano; It will destroy all life that surrounds it, but it will also fertilise and enrich the surrounding earth. From that earth, more life will spring forth than there was in the first place.
        1. Your ideas disgust me...
           • Player: Your ideas disgust me. I don't want to talk with you anymore.
           • Neite: Hiss!! Suit yourself, human.
        2. I can see where you're coming from...
           • Player: I can see where you're coming from, but how do you compare killing frogs to a volcano? A volcano has no choice whether it explodes or not, but I think you do.
           • Neite: I disagree. It's in my nature to prey on smaller, pathetic life forms in the same way as it is in the volcanoes^[sic] nature to explode.
             1. I must say, I strongly disagree with your views.
                • Player: I must say, I strongly disagree with your views.
                • Neite: what you choose to believe in is the illusion of choice?
                • Player: It's not an illusion.
                • Neite: I suppose you've never heard of the phrase, 'that's the nature of the beast'? Or maybe you were too busy pretending to decide to breathe.
                • Player: Oh, get away from me.
             2. You know, you remind me of someone.
                • Player: You know, you remind me of someone.
                • Neite: Who? Someone glamourous, I'd bet, or perhaps regal.
                • Player: Neither! i was thinking you reminded me of The Devourer.
                • Neite: Hisss!!! What? Hiss!!!
                  1. I've had enough of your company.
                     • Player: I've had enough of your company. Goodbye.
                     • Neite: Pah! The Wanderer! Keh! Do you know who you remind me of?
                     • Player: Goodbye, little cat.
                  2. It's kind of ironic, isn't it?
                     • Player: It's kind of ironic, isn't it?
                     • Neite: What is?
                     • Player: Well, the fact that you are in direct conflict with a deity that really seems quite matched to your beliefs. Not to mention you work for or with a half-dog god.
                     • Neite: Don't mock me. I do that to seek vengeance.
                     • Player: What did you say?
                     • Neite: Hiss, nothing.
                     • Player: You're seeking revenge on the Wanderer?
                     • Neite: It's a long story.
                       1. Maybe we can talk about it another time.
                          • Player: Maybe we can talk about it another time.
                          • Neite: I have no real wish to discuss it with you.
                          • Player: Fine, maybe we won't discuss it, then.
                       2. I have time; will you tell me?
                          • Player: I have time; will you tell me?
                          • Neite: Hmm... Maybe... Why not? Do you know what The Wanderer's true form is?
                          • Player: Yes. She has dark skin, red hair and red eyes.
                          • Neite: No, that's not her true form. She has only taken to adopting a form similar to this recently, although she's has many forms since we rose up against her.
                          • Player: Who's we?
                          • Neite: Her acolytes and her priestesses.
                          • Player: Were all her priestesses and acolytes cats then?
                          • Neite: No; I wasn't always a cat.
                          • Player: You weren't?
                          • Neite: No, I used to be human. In fact, I was one of her chief priestesses...but that was before we rose up.
                          • Player: Why did you do that?
                          • Neite: The Devourer was so in love with death and destruction that she even started destroying her own worshippers. We tolerated this until she even started to destroy her own temples and clergy.
                          • Player: So what did you do?
                          • Neite: The last of her priestesses gathered and cursed her. Unfortunately she also cast a spell of her own, condemning us to an eternity of walkin RuneScape in her form.
                          • Player: So she's a cat then?
                          • Neite: She's as much a cat as Icthlarin is a dog.
                          • Player: What curse did you cast upon her?
                          • Neite: We cursed her so her name would be forgotten, that any corporeal body she adopted would soon cast her out and never again would she gather willing worshippers.
                          • Player: Why didn't you just destroy her outright, there and then?
                          • Neite: We could have, but at that point, our thirst for destruction was well sated.
                          • Player: Your curse seems not to have worked as well as you'd planned. She is still remembered, she can still adopt a form and she can still recruit supporters.
                          • Neite: Hmm... She is not remembered; only her foul deeds are. As for adopting a form, I believe the next time you come across her, she will have been forced to find a new host.
                          • Player: She is still able to recruit followers.
                          • Neite: Well, the quality of help she has been forced to take has been quite poor recently; you failed in the simple task of retrieving a jar for her.
                          • Player: Excuse me! I had to fight through hordes of mummies, scarabs, fiendish traps and more to get that jar. Besides that, my extra-ordinary level of willpower won out.
                          • Neite: I'm sure your cat did most of the hard work.
                          • Player: So why is the Wanderer still scared of cats then?
                          • Neite: Well, because the few remaining of us still possess some degree of the powers she gave us.
                          • Player: So are there many of you left?
                          • Neite: I refuse to answer that; the less people know about this; the safer I am. Recently I have noticed that The Devourer has focused her attentions more on cats. I think she might believe of all of her original followers die, the curse will lift.
                          • Player: Surely all she has to do is to wait until you all die of natural causes?
                          • Neite: It is not in Icthlarin's best interest to let us die, so we will never die of natural causes.
                          • Player: Oh! It must become a bit of a drag just hanging around.
                          • Neite: Spite sustains me.
                          • Player: Gulp! I hope I never get on your bad side.
4. Whose cat are you then?
   • Player: Whose cat are you then?
   • Neite: I am my own cat. I'm not owned by anyone, although I do permit the high priest of Icthlarin to feed me.
   • Player: So what's he like then?
   • Neite: The old high priest was a vindictive and cranky old man. If he ever didn't get his way, he would make everyone suffer until someone crumbled and gave into his will. I must say that I respected that in him. the new high priest used to be a bit of a wet towel. He was very unsure of himself and had little respect from the people of the town.
   • Player: You're speaking in past tense.
   • Neite: Yes, well, since the townspeople have returned, they've a lot more confidence in him and I think he may have gained some more self-belief.
5. What's your name?
   • Player: What's your name?
   • Neite: I sssshouldn't talk to strangers.
   • Player: Well, my name is PLAYERNAME and I'm pleased to meet you. So, now I'm not a stranger anymore, what's your name?
   • Neite: Purrr... Nice to meet you, PLAYERNAME. My name is Neite.
   • Player: Have you ever heard of a cat called Bob?
   • Neite: A large black cat, purrr?
   • Player: Yes, that's the one. You know him, then?
   • Neite: I don't know if you could ever get to know that cat. He is a bit of an enigma...always wandering but no one knows what he's looking for. He's quite a handsome beast though.
   • Player: Oh, I see, romance is in the air is it?
   • Neite: Well life here in the desert can be a lonely existence, even with all my busy work...and he is the most eligible bachelor around. When I hear about him, it makes my whisker tingle...But, to be honest, he worries me.
   • Player: In what way?
   • Neite: Well, I pride myself on the knowledge of the family lines in cats. Obviously, Bob features quite heavily in most cats' family trees, but he himself has none!
   • Player: What do you mean?
   • Neite: I mean, nobody is sure where he came from. Not even the Sssphinx^[sic] knows.It's just one of those mysteries. There are even ancient drawings and ssstories^[sic] that talk of a warrior known as 'Robert' and his ssstruggles^[sic] against the dragon-kin^[sic]. He fought with a ferocious black panther who could swallow houses in one gulp.
   • Player: Dragon-kin^[sic]? What are they?
   • Neite: The kin? Well mostly it's just stories. Some say they were the first - the true ancient race of this world. They were supposed to have harnessed the power of dragons, making the wild creatures do their bidding. Somehow they manipulated the dragons' eggs and made them their own! Then the ssstories^[sic] just end as if they disappeared into sssmoke^[sic].
   • Player: Fascinating...
   • Neite: Well, like I say, they are just stories. Probably some tale a gnomish mother invented to keep her little tykes from running off into the forest alone!
   • Player: Well, if you ever hear anything more concrete, will you let me know? These dragon-kin^[sic] sound worth investigating, even if it's just a story.
   • Neite: It would be my pleasure. I don't like riddles at the best of times! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some washing to do.
6. Are you one of the Sphinx's friends?
   • Player: Are you one of the Sphinx's friends?
   • Neite: The Sphinx has no friends. She is too wrapped up in preserving her own immortality for friends.
   • Player: So you don't like her then?
   • Neite: Nothing of the sorts. I have nothing but respect for her.
   • Player: Why is that?
   • Neite: Because her immortality is based on the fact that she keeps us cats safe, so her whole existence is dedicated to protecting us.
   • Player: That doesn't seem like much of a life.
   • Neite: True; life shouldn't be hoarded, but lived...but don't tell her that; otherwise I'd have to be on the lookout for a new guardian.
7. Can you tell me about the Sect of Scabaras?
   • Player: Do you know anything about the Sect of Scabaras?
   • Neite: Hah! Those insane earth burrowers! They got their comeuppance!
   • Player: What happened to them?
   • Neite: They thought they could undermine the mighty Elidinis so she buried them. They have never been seen around here since.
     1. Where did she bury the sect?
        • Player: Where did she bury the sect?
        • Neite: Under herself.
        • Player: What do you mean 'under herself'?
        • Neite: Pah! Stupid human. I don't know why I bother to talk to you.
     2. What do you mean by 'undermine'?
        • Player: What do you mean by 'undermine'?
        • Neite: To dig under.
        • Player: How do you dig under a goddess?
        • Neite: I don't know. I'm not stupid enough to try.
8. Cooch-ee-cooch-ee-coo
   • Player: Cooch-ee-cooch-ee-coo
   • Neite: Oh, stop being so condescending, you silly human, or I'll rip your face off.
   • Player: Easy there, tiger! I was only trying to be nice.
   • Neite: Hiss!!

So, the curses that Amascut's priestesses put on her are: Her name is forgotten, any corporeal form that she wears will eventually reject her, and she will never have willing worshippers. Her deeds will be remembered, though. However, it seems that Amascut has overcome these handicaps, as the people of the desert remember both her deeds and her name and she does have a few willing minions who are under no illusion about who she is. This may also be her motivation for her actions during Stolen Hearts and Diamond in the Rough. But who knows until more desert centered canon comes out.

Here I note that Neite is another name for Nit, the Egyptian goddess of the primordial waters, war, hunting, and weaving. She also protects the bodies of fallen warriors, much like Amascut was supposed to, and kind of what Neite and all cats in Runescape are supposed to do, at least against Amascut. Neite was sometimes depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, simular to Sekhmet, another war goddess, and of course Amascut herself, who is probably Sekhmet inspired. Neite seems to be a creative war goddess, where Sekhmet is a destructive war godess, though.

It's funny how the names of Egyptian dieties come up in Runescape. Heru and Apep have shown up as Amascut's lackeys, and Khnum (Egyptian Niete's consort, one of them at least) was contracted by Amascut (in her Lady Keli guise [which some players insist is a reference to Kali]) to kidnap Prince Ali in Stolen Hearts. Heru, ironically, is another name for Horus, who is probably the inspiration for Tumeken, Amascut's father. Or maybe Tumeken is Ra inspired. Who knows, the superficial difference between Ra and Horus seems to be how primordial Ra is and some players speculate that Tumeken may be one of the Elder Gods for his ability to father and create gods, something that the other gods haven't done (save for Elidinis, Amascut and Icthlarin's mother, technically)

Researching the Egyptian Neite and her primordial-ness made me think of Kali and the primordial-ness attributed to her, as the goddess of time, destroyer of all things, or the inaccessable Durga. And the weaving and creativity and warriorish-ness of Neite reminded me of Athena, another crafty warrior goddess. These goddesses of the hunt and warrior goddesses are neat, but they always seem to be wrapped up in so much mystery. It makes me wonder what was happening with the Indo-Europeans at the time of the Æsuric-Devic split. That seems like a magical time in the history of humanity, almost. If only I had a time machine.

Of course, these are not goddesses of marriage, or women who settled down, so, INSTANT MYSTERY!

Anyway, the change of heart with regard to potential copyright violation by the runescape wikia editors has also led to the dialog of the dead slayer master Catolax to be written up as well, and it contains the following Amascut related canon.

• Player: Could you tell me what was going on?
• Catolax: The crux of the matter is that you were working for Sumona, who is the Devourer.
• Player: I can't say I am happy to have helped her in her plans. She never struck me as a nice type.
• Catolax: Oh, but you didn't help her - she expected you to die. She did promise to reward you, however, so take advantage of that.
• Player: What about this twin sister then? Is she a deity too?
• Catolax: Twin sister? It was the Devourer too; she just wanted to watch when the banshee defeated you.
• Player: I presume that her being a deity is going to make it awkward for me, having riled her so much.
• Catolax: Her bargain isn't one she can wriggle out of easily, although sending you on Slayer tasks will be far from safe.
• Catolax: You'll also find that you forget her evil deeds when talking with her, such is the power she possesses.
• Player: The fake-sister thing explains why she burned that book and what the insectoids were doing there.
• Catolax: Indeed. Thank you for avenging me. It is as much as can be expected by a dead mortal who wishes revenge on an immortal deity.

This bit specifically justifies that area of effect aura of ignorance that I have written Amascut as wearing. And I wrote it in without knowing this particular part of canon. Yay me! Of course, there are clues about it. The player knows who Amascut is and what she is and what she has done, and that Sumona is just a disguise. But the player forgets all that when he is talking to Sumona, even over long distances through the Slayer Gems or the NPC Contact Spell. Such is the power that she possesses.

Note that the game's devs love playing with the idea of perspectives and the filters people will put on reality, so no NPC wil ever know or tell the absolute capital T TRUTH.