Saturday, January 28, 2023

Several More Assorted Chambers in the Found Tombs of Arvakaten

Steps Going Down (#24/365)

"The corridor you have been following stops abruptly at a set of stone steps, cut into the rock, leading downwards, deeper into the tombs. Dare you venture downwards?"

Contents: These steps lead down to level 2 of the Found Tombs of Arvakaten. The fifth step is trapped; anyone stepping on it must Test their Luck to avoid a rusty bronze axe that swings out from the wall on a pendulum chain, causing the same damage as a Battle Axe (an Armour Roll is allowed). Once sprung, the trap will not reset, unless the Heroes do so (requires a successful Trap Knowledge Special Skill roll to reset the trap).

Bare Room (#25/365)

"This square chamber appears empty for the most part, though some dust and debris cover the floor."

Contents: If the Heroes search the rubble they will find two unlit torches, a pile of rags, and a tin mug.

Pit of Serpents (#26/365)

"This small chamber is devoid of decoration and contents. A single exit leads away from the wall opposite you."

Contents: The floor is trapped; anyone walking across it causes it collapse on hinges into a shallow pit full of a colony of Tomb Vipers - this requires a Test for Luck to avoid for everyone in the room. After one hour, the floor resets itself; sealing anything in the pit until the trap is triggered again. The snakes have small tunnels they can slither down that connect to a larger colony further underground.

Stats:

7 TOMB VIPERS, SKILL 11, STAMINA 14, Attacks: 7, Small Bite, Light Armour. (See Return to the Pit, pp. 205-206). Each successful hit of 2 STAMINA damage kills 1 Tomb Viper, reducing the overall SKILL and Attack scores by 1.

Scattered across the floor are several skeletons, 2-12 SP, and a rusty iron sword.

Shrine of the Sand God (#27/365)

"The floor of this small chamber is covered in sand; coarse, orange, and heaped here and there in ripples and miniature dunes. At the far end of the chamber is what looks like a simple altar; a plinth of stone upon which rests a bare alabaster goblet. The walls are covered in hieroglyphs, and, behind the altar, a depiction of a regal, bare-chested, bearded man, clad in a waist-cloth and wearing a tall nine-banded cylindrical crown, with a long staff in one hand."

Contents: This is a simple shrine to Assamarra, the Djaratian God of the Desert, and the hieroglyphics engraved into the walls reveal as much. Anyone who places a pinch of sand into the goblet on the altar and murmurs the appropriate words of religious respect will be blessed by Assamarra; the next time they venture into the desert they may ignore the first major hardship they face (this could range from heatstroke, sunstroke, or a lack of water, to a major sandstorm or the attack of a Giant Sandworm). 

Anyone foolish enough to touch or take the goblet will summon the shrine's guardian, a SAND DEVIL, which will attack immediately, unless one of the Heroes is a Desert Elf or Nomad Sufi and can placate it accordingly.

Stats:

1 SAND DEVIL, SKILL 10, STAMINA 7, Attacks: 1, Sandstorm (as per Large Claw), All hits only cause the Sand Devil 1 STAMINA damage, but water splashed on it will kill it instantly. (see Out of the Pit, p. 99-100)

The alabaster goblet is worth 20GP.

False Tomb (#28/365)

"This small octagonal chamber contains a Djaratian ceremonial sarcophagus, carved with hieroglyphs, and depicting a lord of some sort. A heap of grave goods lies moldering in a corner, covered in dust and cobwebs."

Contents: This is a false tomb; the grave goods are sticks of wicker furniture, empty pots and urns, and fraying sacks of containing sand and gravel. Anyone opening the sarcophagus by sliding the lid off the top of the tomb, reveals its occupant, a MUMMY, that will clamber out and attack the looters. In the tomb are two ancient Djaratian gold coins; these may be worth 10GP each to a collector.

Stats:

1 MUMMY, SKILL 9, STAMINA 12, Attacks: 2, Small Claw (see Out of the Pit, pp. 85-86). The Mummy is immune to all attacks, and will reanimate 20 minutes after being 'slain' and hunt its attackers down. It can only be permanently killed by fire or magical weapons or spells.

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