On The Presentation of Face of Lost Companions

Creo (Intellego) Imaginem 15 (6 Build Points)

Pen 0, 1/day

R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind

This enchantment is commonly activated following the triggering of a fatal trap. It creates an illusion of an ochre-red version of the deceased individual's face, coming out of a wall near to the trap. One widely-known version has the image shout in an ancient language, which if translated means: "Such is the fate of those who disturb the kings in their homes!." This talisman is designed to scare rather than injure, and need not be defended against.

More sinister enchantments might instead enslave the trapped person's ghost as a tomb-guardian.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 legible words and moving image, +1 requisite to perceive the face; +5 maintain concentration)

On Lowering the Waters

Rego Aquam 28 (12 Build Points) Pen 16, 1/day

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind

Many tombs contain magical water which acts as a living thing, straining to drown intruders. This unnatural liquid is generated by a talisman, but is effectively a water elemental, as described in Realms of Power: Magic. This talisman controls a Might 15 water elemental using the guideline given in Chapter 8 of that book; when triggered, it commands the dormant elemental to attack. The talisman has an Ease Factor of 12 if characters attempt to avoid its effects; for example, trick the elemental into accepting a new command.

(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +8 Penetration 16)

More, or less, dangerous versions of any of these traps are described in treasure seeker manuals. In each trap listed here, an example of how it may be overcome is described, but characters can easily come up with their own.

Labyrinth

Build Cost 4

The tomb contains a confusing maze of branching tunnels, empty rooms, and identical passages. Retracing one's steps is easy (Intelligence + Concentration against an Ease Factor of 6), but takes three times as long as the time taken to penetrate the labyrinth.

Prison Room

Build Cost 7

A chamber with no other exits, often containing treasures or inscriptions. Upon entering, there is a delay as the mechanism engages, and characters have a chance to hear the workings on a Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 6. If noone succeeds this roll, the door drops, sealing the characters in. The door is far too heavy to lift by mundane means. Needless to say, any treasures are painted wood and inscriptions nonsensical (or taunting).

Rock Fall

Build Cost 9

Rockfall traps do impact damage, which is described on page 181 of ArM5. The damage a character suffers varies with the weight of material which lands upon them.

A section of ceiling collapses to allow several boulders to roll out and fall on those climbing the slope. Characters jumping free should make a Quickness + Athletics – Encumbrance stress roll against an Ease Factor 9, or suffer +10 damage from a tumbling boulder.

Larger rockfalls, with higher Build costs, are common.

An avalanche that covers the character with stones does +24 Damage, and may cause suffocation (see page 180 of the core book for Air Deprivation rules).

A group of rocks that, in total, weigh more than the character do +21 damage

A group of rocks that, in total, weigh about the same as a character do +18 damage.

For smaller rockfalls, a rule of thumb is +1 damage per 10 pounds of rocks.

This damage may be increased, by making the falling objects more dangerous than rocks (spiked metal balls, for example) or decreased, by making the falling objects softer (sand, the bones of earlier treasure hunters, the bodies of the characters left to guard the horses.)

Medicinal Powders

Build Cost 12

The ancient Egyptians were well versed in alchemical and medicinal powders and pastes. This trap consists of an exceptionally finely powdered poison in a room or corridor sealed by a door. The movement of air caused by opening the door swirls the dust into the air, and the movement of the characters creates drafts that spread it further. The touch of this powder sears the skin and inflicts a disfiguring Medium Wound unless a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9 is successful. Other powders could inflict different wounds, inflict Fatigue levels through choking or vomiting, inflict temporary blindness or paralysis, or even be highly flammable.

Projectiles

Build cost varies

If a character triggers a projectile trap, and does not escape it via player character actions in that combat round, then calculate Damage as (Stress die + Weapon Damage Modifier from page 177 of the core rules), which the character may soak. A character may be targeted by multiple projectiles (roll for each projectile and add the results) or by machines which throw with astonishing force (+1 to +5 damage, by human Strength equivalence). Many projectiles are poisoned (See page 180 in ArM5).

Build Cost: 15

Thin wires strung across a passageway at neck height. These are generally very difficult to see (Perception + Awareness against an Ease Factor of 15), and inflict +9 damage on anyone walking into them; most armor does not provide its Protection against this damage. Head wires are particularly dangerous when combined with other traps: for example, an easilyspotted pit which must be jumped over, with head wires strung on the other side so that the victim jumps into them. In this situation, the damage is increased to +18, and this combination trap has a Build Cost of 21

Dead Drop

Build Cost 18

A character has a chance to spot the trigger, a slightly less-worn paving stone; this requires a Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 12. Failure opens a gaping hole beneath the unfortunate's feet onto a ten pace drop to a stone surface (+30 damage).

Build cost varies

A character who hits the ground in a pit suffers falling damage (as per page 181 of ArM5). Further, if the floor of the pit is designed to cause extra harm, then add the closest Weapon Damage modifier to the Damage modifier is added to the falling damage before Soak.

For example, a character falls into a 20 feet deep pit lined with sharpened stakes. The Damage Total is stress die + 20 (for the fall) +5 (the stakes are treated as short spears). This is resisted with a roll of stress die + Soak total. Storyguides wanting pits which are more dangerous may add to the Damage as a sort of Attack advantage, reflecting the architect knowing exactly where the character would fall.

have magical protections, but these are bought as Enchanted Items (see earlier). Most mechanical traps require manual resetting; some are designed to operate just once.

Feature	Build Point Cost
Non-damaging, delay or	3
scare tactics Minor injury (maximum +10 damage), or im prisonment	6
Serious injury (maximum +15 damage)	9
Often fatal (at least +20 damage)	12

Traps can be avoided in a number of different ways: spotting the pressure plate before triggering it; leaping out of the way of the swinging blade; figuring out the puzzle of which bricks to press; resisting the venomous needle; and so on. Each character has an opportunity to react to the challenge presented by the trap, as discussed earlier. The ease of avoiding a trap modifies the Build Point cost.

Details	Build Point Modifier
Simple to avoid (Ease Factor 3)	0
Easy to avoid (Ease Factor 6)	+1
Average to avoid (Ease Factor 9)	+3
Hard to avoid (Ease Factor 12)	+6
Very hard to avoid (Ease Factor 15)	+9

Vis

In an undisturbed tomb, vis might have been left with other grave goods, for the deceased to use in the next world; this is especially true if the honored dead was a magician in life. Vis is useful for an akh, since it can ameliorate the penalty for high Might scores on Study Totals for Transformation. Vis as a grave good should be paid for as a vis stock if the tomb subsequently becomes the home of a character.

Tombs may also be sources of vis, particularly those that have a supernatural aura of some description. Corpus is the most common flavor of vis found in tombs, although any Art is possible.

Most of the Hooks and Boons in Ars Magica Fifth Edition (pages 72 – 74) and in Covenants (pages 6 – 27) are suitable for a tomb, although some may require interpretation by the troupe. A tomb with the Wealth Boon is one with all its grave goods still intact; this Boon may be Unknown if the treasure room remains undiscovered by its inhabitants. In Nubia, all tombs should purchase the Seclusion Boon due to the superstitious avoidance of all things to do with the dead.

The tomb of the most famous of Egypt's queens, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, who was the last pharaoh of Egypt. She believed herself to be a reincarnation of the goddess Isis, and lived in opulence as her court indulged her in this delusion. She raised the ire of Rome by allying with Marcus Antonius in opposition to Caesar's heir Octavian Augustus. Following her legendary death by the venom of a sacred asp, Cleopatra's body was prepared for burial in the same manner as her illustrious ancestors.

and are believed to have been buried with her. In reality, everyone has been looking in the wrong place; Cleopatra was interred, not in a pyramid, but in a walled compound at Taposiris Magna, an isolated bay west of Alexandria and far from any trade routes. An enchantment keeps the tomb from being discovered by the casual visitor (see later). There are only a handful of individuals who know of its location; one is a jinniyya called Nahrou, whose Magic Might protected her from the concealing enchantment.

The Garden

Fifteen foot high walls enclose an opulent temple to Isis. An impressive pylon gate is the only entrance; it is decorated with images of Isis, along with cows, cats, lionesses, vultures, and hippopotamuses, representing the Egyptian goddesses. Within the walls is a lush garden of both edible and medicinal herbs.

Dates and bananas grow in the garden along with smaller amounts of other fruits;

Traps, regardless of their type, impose their effects last in the combat round. All characters therefore have the opportunity to react to the trap, as described earlier. Some traps do not cause damage in the same round they trigger: for example a room that begins to fill with water may give the characters several minutes in which to find ways of saving themselves, as the water level rises.

Perception Checks and Traps

A Perception + Awareness roll may allow a character to be aware that a trap is in place without triggering it. This allows the character multiple combat rounds in which to overcome the trap. For example, if the character becomes aware that there is a crossbow behind a tapestry, she can take as much time as she likes coming up with ways to prevent it hurting anyone. It also allows magi to use formulaic or ritual magic to disable the trap.

The Ease Factor for spotting a trigger

to avoid the trap is modified by the lighting conditions. The Ease Factors for Awareness rolls presented here assume torches and lanterns. Characters able to supply perfect lighting conditions (such as through a spell) decrease the Ease Factor by 3; those using a single flame such as a candle should add 3 to the Ease Factor. Characters foolish enough to risk tombs in near darkness — such as from a distant light or open door — have a +6 increase to such Ease Factors.

Evading Traps

Characters using the optional Combat rules in the Lords of Men supplement may prefer to use the Evasion Combat Statistic, described on page 125, to determine if characters dodge attacks from traps. To do this, assume the trap's Attack total is stress die + Intelligence of the trap setter + Profession of the trap setter. Traps that involve weapon-like components also add the Attack modifier of a similar weapon.

these, and the insects they attract, are enough to feed several families of mongooses that call the regio home. Over the centuries, Warping has caused occasional members of these families to become Magic Animals, and these now rule the rival clans like royals.

The pool in the center of the temple complex is the entrance to a Faerie regio of level 3. Once a year on the eve of the anniversary of Cleopatra's death (12 August), hordes of asps emerge from the regio entrance and spill forth into the temple grounds, each with a small Faerie Might. These do battle with the families of mongooses which dwell within the compound. The bodies that are left behind provide the temple with one of its sources of vis, but these are usually consumed rapidly by the few magical mongooses for the purpose of Transformation.

Anyone intending to remain here for any time might seek a permanent solution to the annual inundation by venomous snakes; however, the regio can only easily be accessed on that one night every year. At other times, a Regio Sight roll against an Ease Factor of 23 is required (ArM5, page 189). What is inside the regio is left for the storyguide to develop.

The Temple

The temple stands opposite the entrance across a lush garden. Its roof is supported by columns carved to resemble handmaidens. There are four different faces represented on these statues, each one repeated many times. Inside, the temple walls are covered with inscriptions in Koine Greek and Ancient Egyptian detailing spells of midwifery and healing. Some of these inscriptions can be studied as texts on the Arts of Learned Magicians; they are not precisely the same Arts, and the Quality given is that available to a 13th century magician. The temple contains two mighty statues of the lioness-headed goddess Sekhmet, bows drawn. If the name of Cleopatra is not intoned the statues shoot upon anyone in the temple, loosing a fiery arrow each per round.

Four handmaidens, all dedicated priestesses of Isis, sacrificed their lives to guard Cleopatra in the afterlife. Their ghosts haunt the temple, and their faces adorn its statues. Each one was a powerful sorceress in life and retains some of this power after death. One is skilled in spells of healing, another in lifeshriveling and destructive magic. The third has the power of transmutation and transformation; the last is expert with spells of enchantment and control.

The Tomb

The underground tomb is reached through an inclined passage entered through the temple. The first section levels off so that it its ceiling is level with the ground; this region is trapped with a soporific poison (see later). The turn in the corridor is also trapped, but this pit is only triggered on the way out (again, see later). The tomb, directly underneath the statue of Isis in the temple above, is blocked by a door sealed with a curse. Inside, Cleopatra's body lies draped with a fine net made of pure gold. This is inside a painted wooden coffin carved to resemble the great queen, which in turn is inside a golden sarcophagus, which is itself within a stone sepulcher. The body is surrounded by the statues of four goddesses, with the heads of a vulture, a lioness, a crocodile, and an asp.

There is a hidden entrance on the rear wall of the tomb that leads to a short corridor and a second door. Above this door is another curse. Inside is uncountable wealth, the trea-

sury of Ptolomaic Egypt, buried with its last pharaoh. This wealth represents a legendary source of income, over ten thousand Mythic Pounds worth of gold, gemstones, and ivory. This chamber is trapped, potentially burying this fabulous wealth under tons of sand just after the characters get a view of it.

Details of Cleopatra's Tomb

Magic aura: 6

Boons: Wealth (Resources, Major); Aura (Site, Minor), Edifice (Fortifications, Minor), Seclusion (Site, Minor) Vivid Environment (Site, Minor)

Hooks: Regio (Site, Major); Crumbling (Fortifications, Minor); Guardians (Surroundings, Minor), Legendary Site (Surroundings, Minor), Dwindling Resources (Resources, Minor)

Resources: Curses (38 Build Points). Enchantments (76 Build Points). Library: Inscription detailing the later history of Roman Egypt (summa on Area Lore: Egypt in Koine Greek, Level 5, Quality 9), inscription on medicinal herbs (tractatus on Medicine in Demotic, Quality 10), inscription on healing spells (tractatus on Learned Magician Form of Salutem in Demotic, Quality 11), inscription on magical wards (summa on the Learned Magician Technique of Tueor in Demotic, Level 10, Quality 7), eight inscribed formulae for pharmaceutical theriacs (in Demotic, 5 Build Points each, see Art & Academe page 77), inscribed creation myth of ancient Egyptians (tractatus on Faerie Lore in Demotic, Quality 7), diaries of the queen's handmaidens written on crumbling papyrus roll (three tractatus on Charm, Etiquette, and Intrigue in Koine Greek of Quality 5) (141 Build Points). Specialists: Four ghostly priestesses (each has the equivalent of one Hermetic Technique at a score of 20); five mongoose 'monarchs' (Leadership 5) (105 Build Points). Traps (45 Build Points). Vis Sources: 5 pawns of Animal per year (in bodies of slain asps), 2 pawns of Aquam per year (from pool in oasis), 3 pawns of Herbam per year (from exotic fruit), 1 pawn of Ignem per year (shard of pottery exposed to a Destroying Uraeus), 3 pawns of Terram per year (an item worth at least 10 Mythic Pounds that is left within the treasure chamber chamber for at least a year)(70 Build Points). Vis Stocks: 10 pawns of Creo (in various unguents, pastes, and medicines), 5 pawns of Imaginem (in cosmetics and perfumes), 30 pawns of Terram (golden objects in treasure room) (9 Build Points)

484 Build Points total

Curses:

Those Romans who who shall seek to disturb my rest and defame my name, they shall be inflicted by boils. They shall sicken and medicine will give them no succor. They shall have no issue. A combination curse with three excoriations. It is triggered by anyone speaking Latin in the burial chamber. The curse of boils leaves its victims hideous but causes no actual harm (PeCo 20 effect; Pen 0, 1/day; Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Room); The sickening effect is a Lesser Malediction equivalent to the Fragile Constitution Flaw (PeCo 25); the curse of barrenness is the same as that mentioned earlier (PeCo 35) (32 Build Points)

As for anyone who shall break this seal, I shall cast the fear of myself into him. See earlier for details. This curse is written on a clay seal on the queen's treasure chamber (6 Build Points)

Enchantments:

The Shrouded Oasis: The walls of the compound of Cleopatra's tomb are enchanted with a ward identical to The Shrouded Glen (ArM5, page 152). Anyone researching a breakthrough in the enchantment of Hermetic Ritual effects can derive insight from this enchantment. This effect has a zero Penetration, so it is only good for repelling mundane treasure hunters. Non Hermetic effect (50 levels) (Ease Factor 19, 20 Build Points)

Two Statues of Sekhmet (enchantment as per Destroying Uraeuses, earlier) (Ease Factor 10, 16 Build Points)

The Djet: This twenty-foot-tall statue of the god Osiris is made of thirty individual pieces of green stone that cunningly fit together. If burning incense is placed within its hand, it will answer one question posed by the operator. The statue will only ever answer one question from each individual, and the questioner must be personally curious about the answer — it will not answer a question posed on behalf of another. Its knowledge seems unrivaled, but it only actually knows the answer if it is known to someone who is dead (this excludes all questions about the future), answering randomly if it does not know the answer. The statue is currently disassembled and scattered throughout the complex and it takes a certain amount of skill to fit it back together; furthermore, one piece is missing, and its whereabouts unknown. Instructions on its use are helpfully inscribed — in hieroglyphs — on the statue itself. Non Hermetic effect (100 levels) (40 Build Points)

Traps:

A section of the corridor is closed off by two heavy stone doors. When opened, there is a faint floral smell, and dust can be seen whirling in eddies in the shafts of sunlight let in from above. Within moments, the pharmaceutical powder reaches critical levels, and everyone still within the room must make a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9 or collapse into unconsciousness. The amount by which the roll was failed determines the number of minutes the character is unconscious. A horde of mongooses swarms through the ground level holes, and start to consume the bodies of the fallen; they are immune to the poison. The swarm initially a Light Wound to each person; this is increased in severity one step every two minutes. (Ease Factor 9, 12 Build Points)

There is a covered pit trap just before the door to the burial chamber. However, this trap is initially safe to walk on (and does not even appear to be a trap), but doing so sets a mechanism into motion that releases the pin holding the pivot of the trap's cover in place. This arming process takes about a minute from the point that the trap is triggered. Characters returning from the burial chamber are liable to fall for the trap, especially since they will not be expecting a trap here, having not encountered it on the way in. A character might hear the mechanism arming itself, requiring a Perception + Awareness roll, although this is very quiet and adds 3 to the base Ease Factor. Leaping off the pit cover as it pivots requires a Dexterity + Athletics – Encumbrance roll, if the character is moving cautiously on the return journey. Those fleeing from the fear curse in the burial chamber might find this much harder to avoid. The pit is twelve feet deep and lined with spikes; they must Soak +12 damage from the fall and +8 damage from each of up to four spikes. (roll a simple die: 1 – 2 = miss all spikes; 3 – 4 = penetrated by 1 spike; 5 – 6 = penetrated by 2 spikes; 7 – 8 = penetrated by 3 spikes; 9 – 10 = penetrated by 4 spikes). (treated as two traps; one inflicts a serious injury, the other a minor injury; Ease Factor 12, 21 Build Points)

The treasure chamber is boobytrapped; anyone stepping on the threshold will cause several tons of sand to flood in from the roof, burying the treasure. The purpose of the trap is to leave the treasure inaccessible and the flow of sand is fast, but can be outrun by those who have not yet entered the treasure chamber. A Perception + Awareness roll is needed to spot the trigger. (Ease Factor 15, 12 Build Points)