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The Kings Tomb



Author: Alan Jones
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8306/index.html
Requirements: 5-8 player characters of levels 4-6

This adventure is set in Nithia one of the Emirates Of Ylaruam but it can be set in any Egyptian style campaign. The PCs are hired by Haroon, a sage from Cinsa-Men-Noo to investigate a possible ancient tomb reported to him by some caravan guides. A number of medium level undead occupy the tomb and protect its treasures.

Introductiona
“Wanted, careful and brave adventurers. Haroon ibn Jaffar Awazin, fabled sage, pays well for information regarding ancient Nithian relics and scrolls.”
The PCs see the faded scroll pinned up outside a scruffy, nondescript shop in a narrow aalley off of the main market square in Cinsa-Men-Noo. If the PCs enter the shop they see chests stuffed wiath scrolls, small statues of ancient gods, display cases with fragile urns and necklaces of gold and lapis and rolls of carpets, faded and worn but with intricate patterns that draw the eye. As they look around, a squat dark skinned man pushes through a curtained doorway and waddles across the room towards them.
“See anything you like?” he says, his ring encrusted hand, with its podgy fingers scratches a scant beard.
If the PCs take an interest in any of the items Haroon will either say. “Oh that’s not for sale, that is one of my favourites” or “That has been sold already, what a shame” or “I’m sorry that is being shipped to a museum in Thyatis tomorrow.” There is nothing the PCs can do to persuade the fat man to sell them anything.
If the PCs mention the scroll pinned up outside his shop, Haroon’s eyes light up and he plunges his hand into a chest of scrolls, rummaging around till he comes up with one that looks very recent.
“I know it doesn’t look like much” he says rolling the scroll out upon a mummy case, “But some very reliable caravan guides noticed an opening, high up a cliff face after the last big sand storm. That valley” he points at a narrow wadi with his fat forefinger, “Has been pretty much worked out but this could be a new find. “
If the PCs look interested he will explain that he is interested in jewellery, statues and non magical scrolls. These he will buy from the PCs, anything else they find is theirs. If the PCs agree to the terms he will give them the scroll and a voucher authorising them to excavate the tomb before wishing them luck.
If the PCs are uninterested or try to haggle, he will scowl, roll up the scroll and stuff it back in the box while muttering something about ‘ignorant peasant time wasters.’ If the PCs return later to try and steal the scroll, no matter how hard they look through the box they cannot find it again.

The Adventure Description

The Journey To The King’s Tomb
The valley lies just off of the main caravan route that winds its way from Cinsa-Men-Noo to the border with the Soderfjord Jarldoms and beyond to Castellan., about a day’s journey by camel. The journey will be uneventful as the caravan route is well travelled and dangerous beasts tend to keep away.
The Valley Of The Tombs
As you enter the valley, down a well used track, you begin to notice piles of dusty soil and blocks of stone beside openings in steep walls of the wadi. These are tombs that have already be explored and emptied by previous exploration parties and are marked as such on the map.
If the PCs explore any of these openings they will find they are blocked off after a few dozen yards.
You soon reach the end of the wadi, the track starts to zigzag up the steep north slope. High (c75’) up the west face of the valley you can see a small opening in the rock. The face of the cliff is almost vertical and offers little in the way of hand holds. The stone is quite soft and crumbly.
The cliff is difficult to climb due to the soft sandstone. A 10% penalty to all thieves trying to climb the rock unless the thief states that they are hammering in metal spikes every 6 feet or so.
The Tomb
All passages within the tomb are 10’ by 10’. All walls are whitewashed and many are painted with scenes from daily life. The floor is laid with sandstone slabs rich in mica which glitter as the PCs light sources shine upon the crystals. Doors are stone and are sealed with wax and cord unless otherwise stated.
The Entrance Passage
The entrance is a low (3’), narrow (4’) tunnel. It appears to have been crudely dug and is neither straight nor level.
PCs will have to progress on hands and knees, which leads to a -3 to their initiative rolls.
After 40’ the rough tunnel emerges into a 10’ wide, 10’ high tunnel of far higher quality workmanship. On the floor is a broken stone slab, a pick and a shovel. The walls are whitewashed and painted with processional scenes.
The Hunting Chamber (1)
This large side chamber has walls decorated with scenes of hunting. A man, slightly larger than the rest, riding in a chariot hunts puma and gazelle. Around the top of the room runs a frieze of hieroglyphic writing. Above the empty wall sconces there are patches of soot, while below the northern one there is a sooty hand print.
The text reads. ‘Menoptep has the arm of bear, the eye of an eagle and the heart of a lion.’
Pulling on the sconce with the sooty hand print opens the secret door.
Hiding in the shadows is a gelatinous cube. On it’s travels it has picked up a few bones, bits of stone and a shovel.
The Procession Of Life (2)
This large side chamber has a very vivid set of wall paintings. At the south west corner there is a painting of a young child wearing a strange tall crown. Further round the crowned figure is older and is leading an army into battle, trampling his enemy under the feet of his horses. Further round he is sitting on a throne flanked by two beautiful women, each wearing a similar but smaller crown. Near the south eastern corner he is directing the building of a tomb, possibly this one, at his side is a jackel with golden collar. Finally you see a coffin being carried in procession, the crown resting on top of it.
Like the previous room this has numerous sooty sconces and a line of text running around the top of the walls.
The text reads ‘Menoptep ruled us well. He was brave in battle, wise of counsel and brought riches and happiness to his subjects.’
If the PCs try pulling on any of the sconces in a search for hidden doors a column of mist will appear in the centre of the room, a phantom.
If the phantom is killed a small pearl and ruby earring falls to the floor. Carved into the largest central facet of the ruby is the head of a jackal. Those with ancient history, mysticism or ceremony skills will be able to identify the symbol as that of the Immortal Pflarr.
If the eye of the jackal is pressed with the ruby a small compartment opens which contains a ivory scroll tube. Inside the tube is a fragile papyrus scroll containing the following spells:
Animate Dead, Protection From Normal Missiles, Levitate.
Tomb Of The Workers (3)
As you pull open the door a great sigh is heard and air rushes past you into the room stirring up the fine dust within. Through the cloud of dust you see a horde of skeletons, wearing rags and carrying picks, spades and hammers moving towards you.
The walls of the chamber are scared with the marks of pick and shovel. The floor is covered with a scattering of platinum and copper coins. Two other stone doors leave the room, one to the north the other in the south wall.
For each round the PCs search they will be able to collect 1d10pp and 1d100cp up to a maximum of 100pp and 1000cp
Papyrus Room (4)
This room has been decorated with images of reed beds and large white wading birds. Naked women are harvesting the reads with iron scythes. In the centre of the room is a 3’ high gilded statue on a sandstone plinth. It appears to bear a striking likeness to one of the women in the fields. In one hand she holds a sheath of reeds in the other a scythe.
The statue is no more than a statue. It is solid copper covered in gold leaf. Value 700gp weight 1000cn).
Empty Room (5)
This room is empty and apparently unfinished. The walls have been lime washed but have been left undecorated.
Small Treasure Room (6)
This small square room has plain whitewashed walls. A sturdy iron trunk stands in the north east corner.
As the PCs approach the chest a pillar of mist appears before the chest, another phantom.
The chest is locked and trapped with a poison needle on the lock (Type B) PCs get a +2 to their saving throws due to the age of the poison. The chest contains the following items. 250gp, 1000cp and seven potions in glass vials:
Invulnerability, blending, elemental form, strength, defence x2, invisibility.
There is a chance that these potions have been corrupted over time. Roll percentage dice.
1-10% Poison
11-40% No effect

Desert Room (7)
This 30’ square chamber has walls painted with images of the desert. The sun burns down from a clear blue sky onto endless fields of sand dunes. In the far distance you catch a glimpse of an oasis.
As you enter three ogre skeletons arise from the shadows. They are armed with large swords and shields with vicious spiked rims.
If PCs search the room they find a cunningly painted chest that is almost perfectly camouflaged. It is trapped. On opening it gives off a cloud of gas that causes all within range to loose 1d6 points of strength for 4+1d4 hours. There are 1000sp and 250gp in the chest.
Ransacked Room (8)
This room appears to have been ransacked. The floor is littered with broken wooden chest, dismembered mummies and broken stone sarcophagi. One heavily desiccated body, probably a tomb raider, has scrawled in the stone floor some Ylari characters.
If PCs can read the writing it says no more than two words ‘curse ka’.
Unfinished Room (9)
This room has plain stone walls with a light grey lime wash applied to them. The outlines of figures have been sketched on the walls in various poses but none have been painted in. An iron bound chest is against the north wall below the sketches of two large figures, possibly meant to represent the dead king and his queen.
The chest has two traps. On opening the chest a 10’ cube pit trap opens in front of it. The pit has spikes in the bottom tipped with type B poison. The PCs get a +2 to saving throws due to the age of the poison. As the chest is opened two ghouls approach from the shadowy dead-ended passage south of this chamber. They may have once worn rich clothes but all that remains are tattered rags.
The chest contains a model of a boat. It is finely crafted from beaten copper, silver and gold. It has many small clay figures as crew. (Value 3000gp, weight 1000cn).
Mosaic Room (10)
This large side chamber has a fine mosaic floor, unusual for Nithian tombs perhaps showing some influence from an outside culture. The mosaic depicts a man in royal garb and crown hunting animals from a chariot. A number of large clay urns stand against the north wall.
All the urns contain nothing but mouldy meat.
Cleric’s Chamber (11)
As soon as the first two characters enter this chamber through the heavy stone door it will slam shut behind them. Those characters immediately behind need to make a dexterity check. If they succeed then they may choose whether to enter or not. If they fail they will be knocked out of the room taking 1d4 points of damage.
As the door slams behind you all goes dark. 2 continual darkness spells have been cast at level 5 within this room. All you can hear is the thumping of your heart, the panting breath of your companions and the grinding of stone upon stone.
Ahead of you, you hear the shuffle of feet upon the stone floor. Suddenly the room lights up and in front of you stand two mummies. One is armed with a vicious looking flail, the other is unarmed. Both wear the remains of rich robes similar to those seen in the wall paintings in other rooms. Behind them are two stone sarcophagi.
The flail is a cursed flail +2. Anyone who uses it must make a saving through vs. spells or become a mummy in 2d4 days. At first the victim’s skin turns grey and flaky. The victim will want to wrap bandages around the affected parts. Next eyes sink into their sockets and turn black. Next hair falls out while nails grow and become yellowed and talon like. Finally the victim dies and awakens at sunset the following day as a mummy. To remove the curse the victim must seek out a good aligned cleric of at least level 12 who must cast remove curse, remove disease, bless, protection from evil and cureall upon the victim.
The mummies are undead clerics of level 5 and will cast spells as a cleric of this level.
If the sarcophagi are searched the following items are found:
2000gp, an ivory scroll tube (Scroll Of Spell Catching (1st to 4th level spells), a small bottle of Oil of Attractiveness (wrongly labelled as Oil of Cloaking), a small bone key.
Harvest Room (12)
This room has been decorated with scenes of harvest. Grain is being scythed and winnowed on the west wall. Grapes are being picked and crushed on the north wall. Roots are being dug in the scenes on the south wall. The largest and most ornate scene is reserved for the east wall where a feats has been laid with the king presiding over it. In front of the painting is a row of ten tall terracotta urns.
As you enter the room three ghouls emerge from the south each carrying a huge scythe. They can attack from 10’ away for 1d10 damage. On a natural 20 they will knock the PC to the floor unless a dexterity check is made.
In total the clay urns contain 5000ep, 3000gp, 2000sp, 4000cp hidden amongst mouldy grain and sour wine. None of the treasure is immediately visible. The contents has to be tipped onto the floor first.
The Antechamber (14)
This room contains the bodies of four or five humans. Parts of the bodies are missing. They appear to have tried to defend themselves against something as their weapons are broken and notched while one wall has been melted. A mage would recognise the damage as that caused by a lightning bolt. They appear to have been dead for several years.
The Ka’s Chamber (13)
At the foot of the stairs is a large locked stone door with a tiny keyhole. It is not possible to see through the keyhole nor is it possible to pick the lock. Knock spells will work. As you insert the small bone key into the lock the door vanishes taking the key with it. Inside you see a room lined with gold. The floor, the walls and the ceiling are covered in gold. At first the reflected light blinds you. Once your eyes adjust to the light you see a large mummy standing in the centre of the chamber. In the corners stand statues. Each a duplicate of the mummy, wearing the strange tall crown with arms crossed across the chest. Against the south wall is a large ebony chest.
As soon as you enter the room the mummy moves towards you.
PCs need to save vs. spells or be paralysed.
The Ka can only be hit by magic weapons (blunt magic weapons do only ½ damage).
Electricity does no damage.
On a successful strike the Ka curses the victim (save vs. spells needed to avoid curse).
The Ka is turned as a vampire.
If the PCs kill the Ka …
There is a blinding flash of light followed by a heavy creaking, crashing sound from outside the room. This is the opening to the tomb shattering and falling to the valley floor.
The flash the PCs saw was the ‘soul’ of the Ka occupying one of the statues. If the PCs check the statues for magic then there is only a 10% + PCs Level chance of detecting the soul of the Ka within the statue.
The chest contains the following items.
A pouch of gems (4 Jasper, 6 Opal, 3 Ruby, 2 Amber, 6 Topaz)
A crown (Haroon will pay up to 15000 for this others will only pay 5000)
5000gp

The Journey Home
The journey back to Haroon is uneventful but slow, especially if the PCs want to bring back the statues. Haroon is pleased with the work and buys the statues off the PCs at a price between 1000 and 4000 gold each depending on how well the PCs haggle.
Appendix 1 - Monster Statistics
Loc Num. Monster AC Thac0. Max/Cur HP Move Attack 1 Attack 2 SvAs Mor. EXP.
1 1 Gelat. Cube 8 16 26 60 Touch 2d4 Paralysis F2 12 125
2 1 Phantom 0 10 45 180 Claw2 1d6+2 Entrancing Mist M10 11 3250
3 1 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 2 Skeleton 7 19 7 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 3 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 4 Skeleton 7 19 3 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 5 Skeleton 7 19 3 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 6 Skeleton 7 19 6 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 7 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 8 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 9 Skeleton 7 19 3 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 10 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 11 Skeleton 7 19 4 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 12 Skeleton 7 19 1 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 13 Skeleton 7 19 1 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 14 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 15 Skeleton 7 19 5 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 16 Skeleton 7 19 4 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 17 Skeleton 7 19 4 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 18 Skeleton 7 19 7 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
3 19 Skeleton 7 19 8 60 Tool 1d6 F1 12 10
4 1 Phantom 0 10 52 180 Claw2 1d6+2 Entrancing Mist M10 11 3250
7 1 Ogre Skele 7 16 19 60 BastardSword d8+2 Sheild d4+3 F4 12 125
7 2 Ogre Skele 7 16 19 60 BastardSword d8+2 Sheild d4+3 F4 12 125
7 3 Ogre Skele 7 16 17 60 BastardSword d8+2 Sheild d4+3 F4 12 125
9 1 Ghoul 6 17 11 90 Claw 1d3 Claw 1d3 Bite 1d3 F2 9 25
9 2 Ghoul 6 17 15 90 Claw 1d3 Claw 1d3 Bite 1d3 F2 9 25
11 1 Mummy 3 14 21 60 Flail (2d4+2) Spells C5 12 575
11 2 Mummy 3 14 23 60 Touch 1d12 Disease Spells C5 12 575
12 1 Ghoul 6 15 11 90 Scythe 1d10 F2 9 25
12 2 Ghoul 6 15 15 90 Scythe 1d10 F2 9 25
12 3 Ghoul 6 15 13 90 Scythe 1d10 F2 9 25
13 1 Ka 1 11 44 90 Touch Curse 2d10 C9 12 3250
Wandering Monsters
Loc Num. Monster AC Thac0. Max/Cur HP Move Attack 1 SvAs Mor. EXP.
W1 1 Wight 5 17 7 90 Touch Energy Drain F3 12 50
W1 2 Wight 5 17 7 90 Touch Energy Drain F3 12 50
W1 3 Wight 5 17 7 90 Touch Energy Drain F3 12 50
W2 1 Wychlamp 2/0 17 18 210 Discharge 1d4+1 M3 12 100
W2 2 Wychlamp 2/0 17 23 210 Discharge 1d4+1 M3 12 100
W2 3 Wychlamp 2/0 17 17 210 Discharge 1d4+1 M3 12 100
W3 1 Skeleton 7 19 7 60 Sword 1d6 F1 12 10
W3 2 Skeleton 7 19 7 60 Sword 1d6 F1 12 10
Appendix 2 - Treasure
Loc Treasure Description
2 Pearl and Ruby Earring 1000 gp
2 Scroll Tube + Scroll 0 gp
3 Loose Coins 510 gp
4 Statue 700 gp
6 Coins 260 gp
6 Potion - Invulnerability 0 gp
6 Potion - Blending 0 gp
6 Potion - Elemental Form 0 gp
6 Potion - Strength 0 gp
6 Potion - Defence 0 gp
6 Potion - Defence 0 gp
6 Potion - Invisibility 0 gp
7 Coins 350 gp
9 Ship 3000 gp
11 Coins 2000 gp
11 Scroll of Spell Catching 0 gp
11 Oil of Attractiveness 0 gp
12 Coins 5740 gp
13 Gems 24400 gp
13 Crown 15000 gp
13 Coins 5000 gp
13 Statues (4) 16000 gp
TOTAL 73960 Gold Pieces
Appendix 3 - Story & Role Playing Bonuses
500xp for the PC who works out a way (magical or mundane) of getting the statues down the cliff.

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