Purpose and Context

The Interrogation Chambers of Khepresh, shrouded in secrecy and accessible only to the Inquisitors and the High Priests, serve as the epicenter of truth extraction and justice. These annals aim to document the procedures, notable cases, and the underlying philosophy that governs the use of these chambers.

Structure and Design

The Interrogation Chambers are located deep within the bowels of Khepresh, ensuring privacy and security. The chambers are constructed with soundproof sandstone walls where the cracks are compacted with clay, which dimly lit by torches cast flickering shadows owing much to it's grisly complexion. The main chamber features stone tables, sturdy and unyielding, flanked by various instruments designed for persuasion and revelation.

Adjacent to the main chamber are smaller rooms for holding and observing detainees. Each room is equipped with a bed, basic amenities, and naked bars which allow the detainee to easily here what awaits him but never being able to see. The atmosphere is deliberately austere, meant to shock and discomfort those held within.

Procedures and Protocols

The process within the Interrogation Chambers is guided by a strict code of conduct, emphasizing both efficacy and ethical considerations. Inquisitors are trained extensively in the arts of persuasion, psychological manipulation, and when necessary, physical coercion:

a) Initial Assessment: The detainee is brought to the holding room, where they are assessed by the attending Inquisitor. This assessment includes a preliminary interview to gauge the detainee's mental and physical state.

b) Phase One - Psychological Pressure: The detainee is subjected to prolonged periods of isolation, disrupted only by sporadic questioning sessions. This phase aims to break down mental defenses.

c) Phase Two - Intense Questioning: Direct and relentless questioning is employed, often in conjunction with psychological tactics such as sleep deprivation and sensory manipulation.

d) Phase Three - Physical Coercion: As a last resort, physical methods are used. These methods are carefully regulated to avoid permanent harm while maximizing the extraction of truthful information.

e) Resolution: Once the desired information is obtained, the detainee's fate is decided by the Inquisitors and High Priests. Possible outcomes include release, further detainment, or execution, depending on the severity of the detainee's actions and the value of the information provided.

Notable Cases:

Case of Neferu the Scribe:

1) Charges: Espionage and treason against the Pharaoh.

2) Outcome: After three days of intense psychological pressure and minimal physical coercion, Neferu confessed to passing sensitive information to a revolutionary cell that plagued the Kha'labal at that time. He was executed the following day, his body left in the desert as a warning to others.

Case of Meret the Merchant:

1) Charges: Smuggling and corruption.

2) Outcome: Meret withstood seven days of interrogation, ultimately revealing a network of corrupt officials. She was spared execution in exchange for her cooperation and placed under house arrest, her business confiscated by the state.

Case of Ubis the Priest:

1) Charges: Heresy and conspiracy.

2) Outcome: Ubis proved to be a resilient subject, requiring extensive physical coercion. After twelve days, he admitted to plotting against the High Priests, influenced by a radical sect. He was executed publicly to dissuade further dissent.

Philosophy and Justification

The use of the Interrogation Chambers, while harsh, is deemed necessary for the preservation of order and the safety of Ankrahmun. The underlying philosophy is that the needs of the many outweigh the rights of the individual. By extracting vital information, the Inquisitors protect the kingdom from internal and external threats. The ethical considerations are not overlooked. Inquisitors undergo rigorous moral training, emphasizing the importance of restraint and the sanctity of life. Physical coercion is employed only when absolutely necessary, and every effort is made to rehabilitate detainees rather than simply punish them.

Today, my duty as the scribe of the Interrogation Chambers weighed heavily upon me. The corridors echoed with the sound of dread and whispers of secrets waiting to be unearthed. These chambers, carved deep within the confines of Khepresh, serve as the arena where truth and lies battle under the ghast torchlight.

The first prisoner brought before Inquisitor Senusret was a gaunt man, accused of treason against Pharaoh Ranoh II. His eyes, hollow and pleading, met mine briefly as he was shackled to the cold, stone chair. The air humming with trepidation. The interrogator's tools, gleaming and meticulously arranged on the wooden table, seemed almost benign in their stillness.

Senusret began with calm, measured questions, his voice a sharp contrast to the prisoner's desperate gasps. The man claimed innocence, his voice trembling. But as the hours dragged on, and the persuasive methods grew more severe, the chamber seemed to pulse with the rhythmic thud of heartbeat - mine included.

I recorded each word, each cry, with a steady hand, my heart heavy with the weight of the task. The man's confessions, real or fabricated, were panted out in gasping breaths. Names, places, secrets that could shatter lives and alliances were whispered in a desperate attempt to end the torment.

Midway through the session, a silence fell over the room, broken only by the patter of sand grains falling from the ceiling. The man's strength was waning, and his voice became a raspy whisper. In that moment, I realized the duality of my role - not just a recorder of events, but a keeper of the deepest, darkest corners of human desperation and survival.

As night fell and the torches burned low, the man was dragged away, his fate uncertain. I sat alone, the chamber now eerily silent, my parchment filled with the echoes of a broken spirit. I could not help but ponder the morality of my task - bearing witness to the unraveling of a human soul, knowing that these records could shape the future of Khepresh, for better or for worse.

Tomorrow, the cycle will begin anew. Different faces, different stories, but the same unrelenting quest for truth. I can only hope that, in the end, my writings will serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, even in its most fragile state. Until then, I remain the silent observer in the shadows, chronicling the whispers of the damned.

Akil, 

Scribe of the Interrogation Chambers