Heart/Feather

Join the goddess Nephthys as she guides a soul through the afterlife, from embalming, to judgement by Osiris, to the weighing of their heart.

Scenes

Scene summaries may contain spoilers
1
You are the new apprentice of Nephthys, one of the mortuary goddesses of Egypt. You oversee a man named Sharek who has died and whose body is awaiting embalming. The body's organs have been removed, and the body is packed with salt for preservation. You speak to Sharek's Ba, his soul, and Nephthys tells him that you are there to lead Sharek through Duat, to Aaru, the Field of Reeds, where Sharek may find peace. But Sharek must prove himself worthy through various trials as he passes through the Duat.
2
You reach the first gate of the afterlife, which is guarded by a cobra. The cobra tells Sharek to recite the sacred words from the Book of the Dead, which should have been buried with him. These texts date back as far as 2300 BCE, and scribes are paid well to write the words on burial goods. Sharek had none of these. Perhaps he was from a poor family. The cobra threatens to eat Sharek, and Nephthys decides to intervene. She tells Sharek to run through the gate while she keeps the cobra occupied.
3
You've reached the second gate, where Sharek is addressed by a hippo that's stuck in the mud. It tells Sharek that he must dig it out, but Nephthys warns that a hippo's bite is deadly. Luckily, Sharek had been buried with Shabtis, statues made to help people in the afterlife. The Shabtis dig the hippo out of the mud, and Sharek is able to continue.
4
You've reached the final gate: a lake of fire and a giant crocodile! Sharek worries that you're in the wrong place because the crocodile looks like Ammit. Nephthys explains that Ammit is a demon that eats the hearts of any souls deemed unworthy of passing onto the Field of Reeds. Sharek begs Nephthys for help, so the goddess holds the crocodile's jaws open and tells Sharek to put his head inside. He finds a blue scarab beetle and pulls it out, then runs through the gate of flames.
5
You finally reach the Hall of Truth where Sharek will be judged by Osiris. Nephthys tells Sharek to look at the blue scarab if he needs it – it holds an inscription from the Book of the Dead. Sharek speaks to Osiris to plead his innocence, and reads the spell from the scarab. Osiris is convinced, and tells Nepthys to bring Sharek's heart to be weighed.
6
Osiris weighs Sharek's heart against the Feather of Truth. It balances! Osiris judges him worthy and Sharek is admitted to the Field of Reeds. You follow Sharek along with Nephthys as she points out the Lily Lake, which he must cross to reach the Field of Reeds. Everything lost at death will be restored to him there. But there are many other souls to greet and help with their journey.

Credits

Cast listings may contain spoilers
Cast
Cobra
Six to Start Ensemble
Hippo
Six to Start Ensemble
Nephthys
Six to Start Ensemble
Osiris
Six to Start Ensemble
Sharek
Six to Start Ensemble
Crew
Writer
Nadia Attia
Director
Ella Watts
Sound Designer
Matt Part