If you try the adventure, why not send an email to jason@ufbs.co.uk and let us know what you thought of it. I will pass on any comments to the Author.
This very short scenario concerns the secrets of the Egyptian pyramids. It is very much in the Ravenloft vein, relying on heavy description and atmosphere, not combat. I do not think the system it was designed for is in print any more, thus I make no reference to specific dice rolls or combat details. Suffice to say it works best in a modern day setting in which the supernatural does not usually occur. I imagine it could be fitted into a CoC setting if it was beefed up in the mythos department.
The following background is factual, and can be found in any textbook on archaeology.
The pyramids of Egypt have puzzled archaeologists for many years. Constructed well over two thousand years before Christ, they appear to be evidence of a more highly advanced civilisation than might be readily explicable. Theories concerning their purpose and method of construction abound. Most of these acknowledge the basic premise that they are tombs of the Pharaohs. A little known fact is that, despite the presence of sarcophagi, in no pyramid anywhere in Egypt has a mummy or other body ever been found!
The simplistic explanation for this is simply to quote grave robbers. This does not stand up to scrutiny. Only in recent years have the mummies themselves been considered valuable, so why would ancient robbers bother to steal a dried up corpse? Indeed, in the Valley of the Kings, mummies are found even when the rest of the tomb has been stripped bare. Also, there are a few cases where the sarcophagus in the pyramid was still sealed, but was nonetheless empty. Where are the bodies that should be entombed in these structures? Looking at the diagram of a typical pyramid, we see that only a very small part of the inside is used for chambers. Isn't it reasonable to suggest that the bodies may be concealed in secret, as yet undiscovered, chambers? This theory remains unsubstantiated, since the pyramids have resisted all attempts by scientists to scan their interiors using X-rays, with successive scans returning different results each time. To this day, no-one has explained this strange phenomenon. There is evidently more to the pyramids even than meets the eye...
The original exposition for this adventure was simply to place the characters outside the pyramid with the following explanation.
Player A is daring adventurer type, Player B is the ubiquitous faithful assistant. Player A has recently bought at auction some artefacts that have just been unearthed. The hieroglyphs on these pieces detail the burial of one Hotep-aman with a great wealth of treasure, his entire household, and his ceremonial barge. Having visited the pyramid of Hotep-aman before, it is obvious to Player A that there is just no way all of that could be contained within the known chambers. Player A has also just gotten hold of a new piece of handheld equipment designed for use in surveying which uses ultrasound to determine the thickness of stone beneath its transducer. Using this, it should be a snap to find any hidden chambers within the pyramid. The two have arrived in secret (so any findings can be kept exclusive), armed with the scanner, rope, torches & prybars. They also have .38 snub pistols as defensive sidearms, a wise precaution in the desert. It is just getting dark as they stop their jeep on top of the dune, but no matter, it will be dark inside anyhow.
It is important to note that they are not armed with anything devastating, and they do not have extra ammunition, just six rounds each. This is deliberate, as it greatly enhances the effect of the enemies they come across later.
The pyramid is about 250ft high - only about 2/3 the size of the Great Pyramid at Giza. It is of similar age, though (about 2500BC). It is of standard construction for pyramids of the period, made of sandstone blocks, covered by sandy mortar, most of which has eroded away. The four faces are aligned exactly along the points of the compass, also a standard feature. The entrance is on the north face, at a height of 40'. The passageway is only 4' square, meaning one must shuffle in a crouched position. It dives at a 45 degree angle into the depths of the pyramid. It is dark, slippery with dust and intensely claustrophobic. At a depth of 20', the passage splits, one continues down, the other goes up at 45 degrees to the main chambers. The scanner measures 'Out of Range' in all of these passages. Note here that the scanner returns nonsense readings if it strikes a void at an angle, i.e. only horizontal or vertical scans are going to be valid. This restricts its use, and stops the players being too clever with it. There are no hieroglyphs or decorations inside the pyramid unless specifically stated.
When originally run, one of the characters was used to moving in these conditions, and the other could not keep up, no matter how hard he tried. This was useful for building an atmosphere of isolation. Also note that no-one knows they are here - another isolation trick. It is good to point out small details like the silence, the misting effects of dust particles in the torch beams, and noting that everything outside of the beams is totally dark.
This room is about 20' square, and 8' high. It is in the dead centre of the pyramid at just below ground level. It is assumed that when originally built, the ascending passage was concealed, making this the first room a prospective robber found. It is thought it contained some small treasures to try to make the robbers think that they had found the loot, thereby making them leave. It is now completely bare except for a cartouche on the far wall holding hieroglyphs.
The hieroglyphs are only partly understood by the reader, for whatever reason. Words in brackets indicate those whose meanings are in some doubt. They read as follows: 'Here lies Hotep-aman, (Advisor) to Chepheren. His soul rests (in the keeping) of the jackal. Death will slay with his wings whoever disturbs (this shrine).'
Chepheren is one of the Pharaohs buried(?) at Giza. The scanner reads 'Out of Range' on all walls. Observant characters will notice sand clogged holes, a couple of inches square in each corner. These are drainage holes, although the characters have no way of knowing that.
Just above the passage to the Queen's Chamber, the passage expands into the relatively grand dimensions of 15' high, and 10' wide. The ceiling of the grand gallery is stepped up so that in the centre, it is nearly 20' high. The scanner records a rock depth of 15' left and right over a 8' span of the middle of the gallery. To see what I mean, refer to the diagram of the secret areas and the side on view of the pyramid. It is detecting the pair of steps going up from areas 4 & 5. To further clarify, the Grand Gallery starts under area 6, and finishes above area 1. By this same token, area 14 is almost immediately above the Kings chamber, whilst areas 8 & 10 are midway between the King's and Queen's. If you think it's hard to describe, you should try drawing it!
This chamber is 30' square. The ceiling goes up to a point at about 20'. The room is bare except for an enormous granite sarcophagus, almost 8' long and 5' wide that dominates the centre of the floor. The sarcophagus has no lid, but it evidently had one once. The only other point of interest in this room is the ceiling itself. Radiating from the point, going to each corner, are four huge granite beams. They probably weigh fifty tonnes each, a monument to the sheer effort put in by the builders. Anyone who takes the time to give these any study will just have to wonder why on earth such heavy duty support is needed. They actually support the weight of the standing water directly above in secret area 14. The scanner reads 'Out of Range' in all directions except down (reading the Queen's chamber about 20' below). The height of the ceiling here makes upward measurements improbable, but if it is managed, the readings will constantly vary due to the water in area 14. This is reminiscent of the results of early X-ray scanners, and should be noted.
This is a smaller version of the King's chamber, about 20' square. It also has a granite sarcophagus, about 6' long and 4' wide. The lid is still in place. The most immediately noticeable feature, however, is the man size statue of Anubis, Egyptian god of the dead, which stands on the other side of the sarcophagus facing the entrance. The statue is carved directly out of the wall, like a bas-relief, and is therefore totally immovable. It has the body of a man, dressed in typical ancient Egyptian leather armour. The head and neck are that of a Jackal, with a cobra headdress. The right hand holds a crook, which is also a bas-relief on the wall, and unmovable. The left arm is held out in a 'halt' gesture. Although no join is visible, this arm projects too far from the statue to have been carved from the same piece of stone as the rest of the statue. Only make this clear if the players appear to be ignoring the thing. The lid of the sarcophagus may be removed with some difficulty. Careful examination of its interior will reveal four fine seams across the bottom. It would appear that the bottom is made of five separate 1' blocks. The seams are too fine even for a knife blade to penetrate. The scanner can detect many features in this room. In the bottom of the sarcophagus, it will record a depth here of 6'. Secret area 3 can be measured at 10' depth. Areas 4 & 5 can both be measured at 5' depth. See map for exact locations of these measurements. The stairs to area 6 can also be measured for a few feet at 10' depth, until they go above ceiling level. There are two narrow channels 2' below the floor. These go left and right from the sarcophagus to the wall. Between the sarcophagus and the statue, a 4' wide tunnel is detectable at a depth of 3'.
The arm of the statue is the trigger for a secret mechanism, but must be pulled down with real determination to make it work. The arm does not move more than a quarter of an inch before it triggers. When it does, there is a loud, muffled clang from behind the wall. The floor trembles as there is a sound of hundreds of ropes running, counterweights falling and wheels turning. It culminates with five deafening bangs and dust rises from the sarcophagus as the bottom drops down to form steps.
When originally run, the players tried pulling the arm first. Only after detecting all the secret areas did they try attacking it with more force. This is the ideal situation, but be aware that some players might ignore the statue altogether if it doesn't seem to move first time. Don't miss the chance to describe all the mechanisms working in such a way as to make them think they've triggered a trap! The original players nearly broke their necks trying to escape down the narrow corridor together!
This dusty tunnel is identical to the other corridors in the pyramid encountered so far. It ends 10' beyond the Anubis statue at a solid slab of stone. The scanner, as well as just tapping it will reveal that is very thin, and be easily smashed with a prybar. Beyond this are the secret areas.
All of the secret areas are perfectly dust free and new looking. The air is cool and fresh, as if the place is ventilated, but no draughts can be detected. These areas have none of the claustrophobic qualities of the previous rooms, but rather the cold echoing atmosphere one finds in a church. Everything from now on is in incredibly good condition - Almost new, in fact. There is no logical explanation for this, and do not attempt to give one to the players.
This corridor measures 15' wide by 50' long and is 20' high. The floor is of black marble slabs, all highly polished. Pillars line the walls, casting unusual shadows in the torchlight. The corridor continues round at each end into areas 4 & 5.
The floor across the middle of this area is of black and white marble slabs, set in a check pattern. There is a narrow (1") groove on each wall directly above the tiles at a height of about 6'. This groove was used to support a scaffold during the construction of the area, since the tiles are a faux-floor over a 20' pit. The tiles will collapse under the slightest pressure. It is entirely up to the individual DM to determine the consequences of falling into this pit. Once the tiles have collapsed, the area description is as for area 5.
This area was originally identical to area 4, but at some time over the last 4500 years, the tiles have collapsed under their own weight. The pit is littered with debris of fallen tiles. Over the pit are two 1" grooves in each wall - One at floor level (where the tiles fitted) the other 6' above. Since there is no anchor point in this room to secure the rope, these grooves offer the only hand and footholds for traversing the pit. On the other side of the pit, a normal sized door leads to a steep set of steps that lead up into the darkness.
The original players came up with an interesting method for crossing the pit safely. They used the curved ends of the prybars jammed into the top groove as a handle, which was far safer than relying on the strength of their fingers alone.
This vaulted corridor is floored with black and white marble. The walls are covered in hieroglyphs that seem to describe it huge detail the life and death of Hotep-aman. Archways at each end lead to areas 7 & 8.
Note that the statues in areas 7 & 8 will be spotted through the archways. See those descriptions for a scare opportunity.
These chambers are of polished black marble. In the centre of each is a statue of an Egyptian warrior, dressed in black leather armour and holding a large scimitar. They are life size, and disturbingly lifelike, especially in the poor light. Closer examination will reveal it to be an ordinary stone statue that has been painted. The armour and scimitars are real, and may be removed if the statue is broken to allow it.
These are long vaulted halls, with pillars along each side. Behind the pillars are wooden mummy cases. If prised open, each contains a rather poorly preserved mummy. Their wrappings are brown, and they look emaciated, even for mummies. A point only to be specified if asked for is that, unlike a normal mummy, the arms and legs are not bound together. There are forty mummies in each hall - Eighty in total - Hotep-aman's entire household. They are totally inanimate.
Remember the old films when the body topples out of the cupboard. Well, the mummy coming out of the mummy case can be just as effective. It's amazing how a corpse can take on a life of its own at close quarters. Emphasise the cloying, musty smell. The sound of a mummy hitting the ground is kind of like that of a block of balsawood. i.e. A muffled hollow 'clonk'.
Similar to areas 7 & 8, except the statues in the centre of the room are of Anubis commanding the intruders to stop. Again, they are realistically painted stone statues dressed in real leather armour. The crook held in the hand of each may be removed without damaging the statue. Through archways, wide steps lead upwards. From these rooms, a faint ambient green light can be seen emanating from up the stairs somewhere.
The floor of this hall is like white glass. In the middle of one wall is a large (15') statue of Isis, one of the Egyptian Goddesses and consort of Osiris. The green light, which is dim, but does provide enough light to see by, is coming through the two archways either side of the statue. The view of what is in that room makes any other details of this room unimportant.
The whole of this 50' vaulted square room is coated with white marble slabs, intensifying the green light from above. In the middle of the room is a large pool of water, with steps leading down into it. In the middle of the water is the ceremonial barge. Aboard the barge, a golden sarcophagus can be seen. This contains the mummy of Hotep-aman. Overlooking the room from between the archways is a 25' statue of Osiris, Egyptian Judge of the Dead and God of Resurrection. Around the edges of the pool are the treasures. The value and descriptions of these treasures are down to the DM. Events will probably preclude detailed examination anyway. The light is emanating from the highest point of the ceiling. Suspended point downwards on a multitude of very fine gold chains, is a pyramid shaped green crystal, at least four feet along an edge! The crystal is directly above the barge and sarcophagus. The crystal seems to glow from within, in the same defocused way that an ultraviolet light does. This crystal is responsible for the preserved state of the secret rooms.
If any of the characters board the barge, or as soon as they start to leave this room, they automatically trigger the following events. The mummies in areas 9 & 10 will animate. Remember, the players will already have considered this eventuality. Most of the effectiveness of the encounter comes from 'that sinking feeling' they are going to experience when they realise they were right. It starts with the crystal, which will begin to pulse brighter and brighter until the room is ablaze. The next thing to happen is a sound. The sound of a piece of wood falling onto a marble floor some distance away. This will be followed by another, and another, then many. Then silence.
The players now have 80 mummies blocking the escape routes. They may go to check, but they will know as soon as they hear the cases opening. The mummies are slow, shuffling along stiffly with outstretched arms, but their numbers easily make up for lack of speed. Make sure you describe them in the way they would be seen in the poor light - A shuffling mass of shadowy forms. They attack by strangulation, and are unaffected by any attack that does not tear them limb from limb. A point blank gunshot will only knock one over temporarily. The players will probably realise that fighting isn't an option. If they don't, best of luck to them. The mummies will not enter the water, and become inactive if they fall in, the embalming fluids leeching out of the bandages and staining the water brown. Chances are the players will end up on the barge or in the water, surrounded by 80 silent, shuffling mummies, lit by the burning green crystal.
The players may try to run, but with eighty invulnerable assailants and a confined escape route, make sure they realise that it's impractical. As the smart player will have noticed by now, the source of the mummies' afterlife is the crystal above. The huge crystal may be impossible to shatter, but the fact that it is suspended by thin gold chains means that any attack that will conceivably cause it to move will start to snap these chains. If the crystal can be kept swaying, enough will snap so that its own weight will start to snap chains as well. Within minutes, it will fall.
This will pose a problem for the players, since it will fall into the pool, which is where they are pinned down. It will also smash the barge unless it is moved. It is well to simply assume that the falling crystal misses the players. The displacement of water its impact will cause cannot be so easily dismissed. The players should have some kind of dexterity save to avoid being washed either into the mummies - who are collapsing anyway with the crystal gone, or against the side of the boat. The wave will wash many now inert mummies into the pool, leaving the players swimming in brown mummy soup.
At this juncture, the impact of the crystal along with all the extra weight, causes one of the supports below the pool to crack, opening a large hole in the bottom. The water will drain quickly, irresistibly sucking the players down into a nightmare, suffocating rollercoaster. They rush through the king's chamber, the grand gallery, and down the narrow passageways, choking and swallowing water all the way until they are literally squirted out of the pyramid entrance, to land semi-conscious in the freshly formed moat around the pyramid. The night air is cool. The stars are bright and clear. All is silent except for the occasional thud of a sodden mummy landing nearby.
There are a few loose ends to cover. The treasures inside the pyramid are the property of the Egyptian people, not the players. Any money to be made will as likely be made from chat shows rather than sales. They will, of course, get first pick on buying any arifacts. The players will need to explain several things to the authorities. For instance, why they were in the pyramid without permission? Why did they cause so much damage? - The pyramid will have drained by the next day (remember the drainage holes in the false treasury?). Why do some of the mummies have gunshot wounds? Did they steal anything? The list continues...
The detail you go into is dependant on whether this is part of a campaign, or just a one off adventure. Originally, as soon as the players recovered their wits outside the pyramid, I cut to a press conference in the Cairo Hilton a fortnight later, and let newsmen and scientists ask questions, in part to clarify things in the minds of the players. The adventure ended as they walked off stage with a collective sigh of relief. In my book, that was as good an ending as any....