NEFERTITI
of the Kushite Pharaohs. This royal house is
overdrive
HIGH OCTANE ACTION
IN ANCIENT EGYPT
By Fraser Ronald
Layout and Graphic Design
by Rob Wakefield
Original Art by Kieron OGorman
Editing by Scott Vandervalk
With due thanks to Cam Banks
and Rob Donoghue for
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying
and
Kirin Robinson for Old School Hack
WHAT IS THIS?
Welcome to a sneak peek/quickstart for Nefertiti
Overdrive. This product is intended to introduce
you to Nefertiti Overdrive in advance of a
crowd-funding drive to bring the actual game
to life. This product provides condensed rules,
pre-generated characters and an introductory
adventure. It has minimal art and no maps. The
crowd-funding campaign is intended to raise
enough money so that the final product has
more art and maps, as well as to pay for editing
and graphic design.
In Nefertiti Overdrive, you are the greatest
heroes of the 25th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt.
You have assembled from across the Old World,
your fate leading you to Thebes and the service
means that the GM controls the world and the
threatened both by the powerful Assyrian
Empire perhaps the greatest military force of
the age and an upstart pretender from Lower
Egypt, intent on taking the Double Crown of
United Egypt. Can you the legendary warriors
of this age protect the royal house from
conquerors and traitors? Can fists, steel, and will
triumph over naked aggression?
If you enjoy this product and are interested in
learning more, you can find further information
both at the Swords Edge Publishing website
under the tag nefertiti-overdrive and at its
Kickstarter page. The initial Kickstarter for this
game wasnt successful so I took the lessons
I learned from that and applied them to the
second attempt. This product is part of that
project, trying to get the word out before I pull
the crowd-funding trigger for a second time.
In the adventure, where a map would be useful,
a suggestion as to where you might find a
suitable map is included. The links provided
were viable at the time of publication, but it
is entirely possible that the destination image
will disappear. I apologize in advance for any
inconvenience this might cause.
SO YOU KNOW
These are terms used throughout the rules, so
Ill define them here for you.
A Player is someone in the real world either
acting as the Game Master or controlling a
character in the adventure the Game Master is
facilitating.
A Game Master (called a GM) is a player
who facilitates an adventure. This basically
narrative forces the player characters encounter.
A Character is a fictional construct created
using the rules of the system and representing
an individual within the fiction of the game.
A Player Character (or PC) is a character
controlled by a player. These are the players
representatives within the game their avatars.
A Non-Player Character (or NPC) is a
character controlled by the GM. The NPCs
populate the world in which the PCs act.
A Round is a discrete section of a scene in
which action resolution takes place. A round
encompasses the action that happens with one
throw of the dice. After all the dice have been
used, the next round begins.
A Scene is a set of actions or movements
revolving around a specific, short-term goal or
problem. A single fight is a scene.
A Session is a single sitting of gaming. A session
is a period in real-life rather than in the game.
An Adventure is a scenario or story that may
last a few sessions, but rarely longer than that.
Think of it as a story arc in a comic, an episode
in a TV show, or a single novel in a series.
A Campaign is an interlinked series of
adventures that tell a larger story.
CHARACTERS
Characters are built using Qualities that are
rated by die type ranging from d6 to d10.
A Quality is a short descriptor, which is
usually a single word or short phrase. Your
character is defined through Qualities of one
sort or another. Qualities provide dice and
bonuses for Conflict Resolution if the player
can convincingly explain how they apply to the
stated action or intention.
Qualities are categorized in Attributes.
Characters in Nefertiti Overdrive are defined by
four Attributes. These quickstart rules include
six pre-generated characters
Concept includes two Qualities related to the
role of the character in the game.
Elements include two Qualities describing the
characters skills, talents or outlook.
Traits include two of the following three
Qualities, which describe the characters natural
features and characteristics: Physical, Mental,
Social.
Drivers include two Qualities that motivate the
character to be heroic.
Each Attribute is measured by two die types.
The lower of the two is called the base die and
the higher of the two is called the max die.
When the player explains how an Attribute is
involved in the action covered by a Test, the
player may use the Attributes base die. When
the player uses an exciting description, provides
a detailed scene, or paints an incredible picture
with words that include the Attribute, the player
may use the Attributes max die.
LUCK
Twenty-four (24) tokens representing Luck are
set in a bowl or other receptacle in the centre
of the gaming area. Any player can provide
another player with a Luck token when that
player does something that entertains, amuses,
excites or otherwise impresses. Only one player
should provide a token at a time, so a player
should not receive multiple tokens for the same
action.
A player can use Luck to:
1) Add another Quality to a Test. A Luck token
allows a player to add another of a characters
Qualities from any Attribute usually, a Test
involves four Qualities. In order to get the
max die, the Attribute must be included in the
players exciting narrative, just as for the regular
use of an Attribute.
2) Re-roll a single die. A single die used in a
Test can be re-rolled using Luck. The higher of
the two results (the original or the re-roll) is
retained for the Test.
3) Remove d6 worth of Conditions. A single
Luck token can remove d6 worth of Conditions,
so either a Condition at d6 or lower, or reducing
a larger Condition by d6 (such as reducing a d10
Condition to d4). Multiple Luck tokens can be
used in this manner, each removing d6 worth of
Conditions.
When a player uses Luck, the player provides
that token to the GM. The GM can then later
use these spent Luck tokens to purchase dice for
the Threat Pool. The Threat Pool is a collection
of bonus dice the GM can use in any Test
though they are used once and then lost. The
GM increases the Threat Pool by purchasing any
die a player rolls with a result of 1, including
re-rolled dice. The GM purchases dice with
Luck, and the GM returns spent tokens to
the receptacle of available Luck. When a GM
purchases a PCs die, the die remains in the
players hand for use in the Test, while the GM
adds a die of the same type to the Threat Pool.
TESTS
When a character attempts something
that could lead to narratively important
consequences positive or negative the player
must undertake Conflict Resolution, which
is done through a Test. Every Test is against
a Challenge. The Player Characters set their
Qualities against the difficulties of the GMs
Challenge.
All dice explode, meaning that if a die rolls its
maximum (4 on a d4, 8 on a d8, etc), another
die of the same type is added to the characters
dice pool and rolled.
1) The GM sets the scene and explains the
Challenge(s) facing the PCs and sets out
the dice for the Challenge(s).
2) The players face off against whatever
Challenges are available. Multiple players
can Test against a single Challenge, as
discussed below.
3) The player explains how the character is
overcoming a Challenge. If the explanation
is detailed, exciting, and/or cinematic, the
player may use max dice for applicable
Attributes.
4) The player gathers the dice from applicable
Qualities, one die per Attribute therefore
a minimum of four dice. If an Attribute has
no applicable Quality, the player collects
a d4. The player will gather at least four
dice, one from each Attribute, and possibly
more, if Luck is used to add Qualities.
3
5) The GM gathers dice for the Challenge and
may include dice from the Threat Pool.
6) Each side rolls dice for the Test, and must
assign at least one die to Initiative, two
dice for Success and one die for Effect. If
the player or GM is using more than four
dice, extra dice can be added, but these
minimums must be met.
7) The GM sets the Initiative based on the
result on the die or sum of results on
dice used. The player(s) must exceed the
Initiative to win. The winner of Initiative
is the active character and the loser is the
passive character.
8) The passive character then sets the Success,
which is the result of the sum of the dice
used for Success. The active character must
exceed the Success in order to succeed. A
result 7 greater than the Success counts as
two Successes, 14 greater counts as three
Successes, etc.
9) The side active or passive with the
highest Effect die, by die type, imposes
a Condition on the opponent. The lower
Effect die is subtracted from the higher die
(example d10d8 is 108, so 2 or d2).
10) If the character has not accumulated
enough Successes, another round begins.
The number of Successes required is
based on the Challenges Rating, which is
generally between one and five.
CONDITIONS
A Condition imposes penalty dice to actions
and are created using Effect dice during Tests.
A Condition needs to logically follow from
the action that imposed it. For example, a
character in combat could receive a Condition
of Stunned, Broken Bones, or Bleeding Out
but couldnt logically be Enrapt, Gullible, or
Sleeping.
A Condition provides its penalty die to the
opposition in a Test. So were a PC in a Test
against a Challenge that had the Condition
Stunned d2, the PC would gain a bonus d2 to
his dice pool for their next Test roll.
Multiple Effect dice can be combined into a
larger die for a Condition. A die of equal or
one-type lower can be added to another die to
increase it one type. For example, a d8 or d10
can be added to a d10 to make d12. A d12 is
not increased to a d20
immediately, but increases DIE TYPES
to d12+d4, then (with d2
another d12) d12+d6, and
d4
then (with another d12)
d20. Conditions cannot be d6
increased beyond d20, but d8
a second Condition could d10
be created with leftover d12
Effect dice.
d12 + d4
See the Die Types chart for d12 + d6
a visual representation of
d20
the order of die types.
Chart 1: Die Type
Dice more than one-die type
apart (for example, a d6 and a d10) cannot be
combined, although the two dice could be used
to create two Conditions.
Rather than creating a new Condition, an
existing Condition may be increased by one die-
type by applying an Effect die of equal or greater
value. A Condition may only be increased by have deceptive trails, while navigating by map
CHALLENGE LEVEL TABLE
one die-type each round. might be complicated by unclear landmarks.
Conditions are the only way for Challenges LEVEL DIE TYPE EXAMPLE Rating indicates the number of Successes in a
to effect PCs. A PC cannot otherwise be Child could do Test required to overcome the Challenge. This
Rudimentary d2
damaged, although with enough Conditions this is the way for the GM to make Challenges more
applied a PC is unable to function, and is Average person demanding or to reflect multiple actors in a
practically removed from the scene. Remember, Basic d4 would usually single Challenge.
d6 worth of Conditions may be removed succeed
through the use of Luck.. Difficult for an AN EXAMPLE OF PLAY
Average d6
average adult For this example, the pre-generated character
MULTIPLE CHARACTERS You need a of the Spartan is on his way to the docks to rally
If multiple characters are involved in a Test, one Good d8 professional the troops when he is faced with a group of four
character takes the lead. Every other character for this Assyrian warriors.
can add one die from one of the characters A professional 1. From the Spartans Attributes, the player
Qualities for the lead character to use in the would have chooses Captain d8/d10 from Concepts,
Test. The use of the Qualitys max die requires a Great d10
difficulty with Perfect Soldier d8/d10 from Elements,
suitably detailed or cinematic narrative from the this task Physical d6/d8 from Traits, and Loyal to
providing player. Only the best the House of Kashta d6/d8 from Drivers.
could score She provides the narrative that these are
CHALLENGES Exceptional d12 enemies of the House invading the holy city
gold at these
The creation of Challenges is actually quite Olympics of Waset in a time of war, and the Spartan
easy and can generally be done on the fly with One for the will not allow them to stand between him
reference to the Challenge Level Table. Frightening d20 history books and his employer. The Spartan moves to
or scrolls a ready stance, with shield up, and spear
Challenges have five criteria: Difficulty, Threat, ready. Sizing up the four opponents, he
Environment, Complexity, and Rating. gets all relaxed, as though these guys are no
Difficulty indicates the level of effort this unfamiliar with this territory? If so, theyd likely big deal. He starts to smile as he casually
particular Challenge represents. How hard is it get a d4. If it was their home territory, it would saunters toward the enemy, lulling them
to accomplish? even be difficult for a professional to outwit into overconfidence. As they attack, he
Threat indicates how dangerous the Challenge them, and so they might get a d10. bears down on them, eyes mere slits over
is to the character. This need not be a physical Complexity indicates how many factors impact the top of his shield, smashing into them
threat, and so could be the possibility of the Test. In the case of a single individual with his shield and sweeping out with his
deception or even shame. soldier, most of the factors involved are already spear. That absolutely gets the max dice, so
covered Difficulty and Threat but with a the player is rolling 2d10 and 2d8.
Environment indicates how the surroundings
or mental atmosphere may affects Challenge. particularly devious or highly trained soldier,
Are the soldiers the characters are fighting the complexity is increased. A mountain might
5
2. The Challenge is the group of Assyrians
rather than four individually. The group
has 2d8 and 2d6 to roll Difficulty of d8
for a pack of poorly trained soldiers, Threat
of d8 for a hedge of iron-headed spears,
Environment of d6 for cluttered docks,
Complexity of d6 since four heads are
better than one, and a Rating of Mediocre
(2 Successes needed).
3. The player rolls a 1 and a 3 on the 2d8, and
a 4 and a 7 on her 2d10s. The GM puts a
Luck token in the container and adds the
d8 to the Threat Pool because it was a 1.
The GM rolls an 8 and a 3 on the 2d8 and 2
and 1 on the 2d6. The 8 on the d8 explodes,
and that comes up 1.
4. The GM sets the Initiative at 2 (1 from the
d8 plus 1 from the d6). The player uses her
3 on her d10 to win Initiative. The Spartan
is the active character for this round.
5. As the passive character, the GM sets the
Success. The target number for success is 11
(8 and 3 from her d8s), with the GM setting
aside a d6 for Effect (only die type are used
for Effect, not the die result). Theres no way
for the player to beat the Success, so she
combines 1 on the d8 and 4 from the d10
for a total of 5. The Spartan fails.
6. The Spartan has the largest Effect die with
a d10. Subtracting the Assyrians Effect die
of d6 leaves 4 (106), so the Spartans player
applies the Condition Off Balance at d4.
The player narrates the Spartan plowing
into the group, tripping them up with his
sweeping spear. Another player likes that
narrative for the Condition, and gives the
Spartans player a Luck token from the
container.
7. For the second round, the Spartan is using
the same dice pool, plus the d4 from the
Assyrians Condition Off Balance. The
player narrates this by saying that fired
up by a threat to the House of Kashta, the
Spartan releases a bellowing war cry to
intimidate the Assyrians. As a Captain, the
Spartan has drilled his men often on facing
multiple foes, and he knows the proper
strategy for this. He spins under one of
the Assyrians clumsy swing, sweeping out
with his shield while driving his spear at
the throat of another, putting all his weight
into the thrust. The GM considers this a
well and truly exciting narrative, and so the
player can use max dice.
8. The player rolls 1 and 10 on the d10s, 4
and 3 on the d8s and a 3 on the d4. A d10
explodes, while the GM adds another d10
to the Threat Pool (one of the players d10
was a 1), and puts another Luck token in
the container. The player rolls the bonus
d10, getting a 2.
9. The GM rolls a 1 and a 7 on the d8s, and 1
and 4 on the d6s. The GM sets the Initiative
at 1 from a d6, seeing the writing on the
wall. The player uses the 3 from the d4 to
win Initiative.
10. The passive character (the Assyrians) sets
Success at 11, leaving a d8 for Effect. Nice
try, but the player has 19 (2 and 10 from
d10s and 3 and 4 from d8s), leaving a d10
for Effect. The players Success result is
more than 7 higher than the set Success,
which means the Spartan achieves two
Successes, overcoming the Challenge. The
player narrates this as the shield smashing
into the side of one Assyrian, leaving him
gasping for air, while the second is on the
ground, blood streaming from this throat.
The two remaining Assyrians back up,
while the Spartan rises and head-butts
the gasping Assyrian dropping him to
the ground. The two other Assyrians flee,
leaving the Spartan with a captive.
11. The Spartans Effect die of d10 was higher
than the Assyrians d8, so the player
applies the Condition Groggy at d2 to
the unconscious, surviving Assyrian. The
Spartan has some questions for him.
PIVOTS
A Pivot is a goal toward which a character
strives. The player should consider it when
deciding what actions a character takes. Pivots
are unlikely to be met within a session, but if the
character moves toward the Pivot, that character
gains an Advancement for that session.
For example, the Spartan has the Pivot I can
never regain that which I leave behind. The
Spartans backstory includes exile from his
homeland and losing his family, so a scene in
which the Spartan become melancholy due to
interactions with a family or perhaps reunites a
parent with children would hit or move toward
that Pivot.
At the end of each session, a player may improve
her character by any Advancements created
by moving towards (or hitting) a Pivot. Each
Advancement allows one attempt at increasing
one of the four Attributes A character may gain
a maximum of three Advancements per session.
The attempt has the player roll the characters
lowest die a d6 for the pre-generated
characters against the GM rolling the die
to which the player wishes to advance the
Attribute. The players roll must exceed the roll
of the GM.
The max die is increased if it is two die-types
greater than the base die or less. So, if the
Attribute is d6/d10, which is two die types
greater (d8, d10), the max die is increased.
Only if the max die is more than two die-types
greater than the base die can the player increase
the base die. So, if the Quality is d6/d10,
Advancement must be applied to the max die,
but if the Quality is d6/d12, the Advancement
must be applied to the base die.
After d12, the situation is a bit different. After
d12, the Quality increases by adding another die
that is not actually used in Tests. So, if one were
to advance from d12, it would be to d12+d4.
In a Test, the Quality would still only provide
a d12. The Advancement attempt is also still
only against a d12. The +d4 is really only an
accounting measure. The Advancement would
continue through d12+d6, and then to d20
(d12+d8 being effectively 20).
As an example, if the Spartan hit a Pivot, and
the player decided he wanted to increase the
Spartans Traits, the max die would be increased
(less than two die types greater than the base
die). The player is attempting to increase the die
to d10, which means the GM rolls a d10 while

7

the player rolls a d6. The player is trying to roll
higher than what the GM rolls. If the player rolls
equal or lower than the GMs result, the die is
not increased.
THE PRE-GENERATED
CHARACTERS
The characters presented here were part of the
inspiration for this game. It was the idea of these
characters undertaking an adventure together
that led to the creation of Nefertiti Overdrive.
The Princess is a child of the royal blood,
counsellor to Pharaoh and a natural-born
leader.
The Etruscan is the loyal bodyguard and
surrogate father of the Princess.
The Spartan is the perfect warrior, exiled from
his homeland and certain he will die in a
foreign land.
The Amazon is barbarian royalty,
born to horse and bow, and
better than any man she knows
except, perhaps, the Spartan.
The Monk is a wandering
philosopher with deadly fists and a
clowns levity hiding a past tragedy.
The Serpent is an assassin, from the streets
of Waset, linked by oath to a goddess of death.
NEFERTITI
overdrive:
Rumours of War
A Quickstart Adventure for
Nefertiti Overdrive by Fraser Ronald
This adventure is a prequel to the adventures
presented in Nefertiti Overdrive. Pre-generated
characters are provided and while it is not
necessary to use them, the adventure scenes are
keyed to those characters. Similar characters
with similar skills and motivations would serve
the adventure just as well, so if your players
would like to build their own characters, it
would be best if you make their Pivots similar to
those of the pre-gens. Unfortunately, character
creation is not covered in this quickstart, though
rules for character creation are included in the
full version of Nefertiti Overdrive.
Deviation from the scenes as presented is
expected, but if youre familiar with the purpose
of each scene and the Challenges that might
arise, you can easily modify the action as the
PCs progress. Think of the adventure as a
template or suggested topics rather than a script.
Each scene includes a map suggestion, a
mechanics volume, a purpose, suggested PC
spotlights, possible Pivots to be achieved,
a description of the situation, and likely
Challenges the characters will face.
This quickstart product does not include
maps for the adventure. During the playtest
process, the GM usually drafted a quick sketch
if the players requested a map. However, each
scene includes a map section that provides
a suggestion for searching for useful maps if
you feel you would like to have an illustration
or map prepared. Each map section will also
include a link to an existing map which could be
used in the scene.
The volume describes the amount of mechanics
this scene will likely require. A loud scene
is very mechanics heavy, with lots of dice
hitting the table. A volume of 5 indicates that
there are ways to achieve the purpose of the
scene without using dice. Quiet means the
scene is designed to be a simple role-playing
opportunity without dice. Given that no module
survives contact with the players, these are
guidelines only. You can use the Challenges
provided as templates for any mechanical
interaction not covered in the listed scenes.
The purpose of each scene tells you what
the PCs are meant to achieve or gain. Each
scene is intended to move the story forward, important that if the PCs dont encounter a THE STORY
provide information, or support one of the particular scene, that another opportunity to
Nefertiti Overdrive is set at the fall of the 25th
PCs narrative. Some of the purposes are pretty hit the Pivots is provided. If the players seems
Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, which would place
important to the completion of the adventure, to have missed the possibility of hitting a Pivot
it about 656 Before the Common Era (BCE). Of
but no scene is necessary. If the players find a in a scene, the GM can certainly mention the
course, at the time, the royal family would not
way to achieve the purpose without hitting the possibility.
refer to themselves as the 25th Dynasty. Theyd
scene, thats completely fine. The description gives a brief synopsis of the probably call themselves the Royal House.
Spotlight tells you how certain PCs have the scene, the surroundings, some of the NPCs
The royal family of this period was not
opportunity to shine in that particular scene. involved, and how the PCs might enter and/or
Egyptian, but rather Kushite (also known as
In general, this is based on the characters exit the scene.
Nubian, and in modern times, Sudanese). The
Concepts, though sometimes it is linked to Challenges that might occur in the scene are Kushite royal house conquered a divided Egypt,
particular skills a character might have. indicated. These Challenges can be adapted for made it whole again, revived many ancient
The text includes suggested Pivots that other scenes or even moved around if the PCs traditions, and then found themselves after
characters might hit or move towards in this do not encounter the scripted scenes.
scene. Scenes are built to hit Pivots, so it is
9
almost 100 years of rule ousted by a challenger as the Judges of Amit. The decision has been
from Lower (Northern) Egypt backed by the made to end the Princess life in the Land of
Assyrians the periods military superpower. the Dead and destroy her body and those of
This story takes place during the war between her companions in the hopes that not even
the Kushite dynasty and the Lower Egyptian her shade will be able to provide inspiration or
dynast and his Assyrian allies. guidance to the Pharaoh.
The adventure takes place in and around the These guys are hardcore.
ancient Egyptian religious capital of Thebes
known to the Egyptians as Waset. It begins with
a crossing of the Nile. To the Egyptians, the
East side of the Nile was the Land of the Living,
while the West side was the Land of the Dead.
Across the Nile from Thebes are the Valley of
the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. These
are the burial places of the rulers of Egypt since
the time of the grandfather of Tutankhamun
(King Tut).
The Princess the primary counsellor of her
cousin, the Pharaoh continues to uphold her
religious duties. The war has gone poorly, and
the Princess has crossed into the Land of the
Dead to seek inspiration from the gods and
the ancient rulers of Egypt. It is a holy day, a
propitious time to seek commune with the
dead, and she travels to the Shrine of Horus.
Unfortunately, this journey has not been kept a
secret, and fearing for her safety, her bodyguard,
the Etruscan, has sought out the Spartan, leader
of an elite mercenary unit, to help provide
protection.
The Princess has been targeted by a cabal of
nobles and courtiers looking to curry favour
with the new dynasty coming from the North
with their Assyrian allies. None of this cabal is
actually willing to shed royal blood personally,
so they have turned to a cult of assassins known
The Princess
CONCEPT
d6/d8 Leader, Royalty

ELEMENTS
d6/d10 Inspired, Hand of Amun-Ra

TRAITS
d6/d10 Social, Mental

DRIVERS
d6/d8 Empowered by the plight of her people; Dedicated to her dynasty

PIVOTS
I will protect my people and the honour of my house.
I am the servant of the gods.

STORY
You are a daughter of the late Pharaoh Khunefertumre1, and hold two important political and religious offices: the Divine Adoratrice of
Amun and the Gods Hand. You assist your great aunt2 who is the Gods Wife of Amun the High Priestess of Amun-Ra and the most
powerful position a woman may hold in Kemet3.

1
Also known as King Taharqa of Kush
2
The daughter of the Princess grandfather
3
Ancient Egypt
The Etruscan
CONCEPT
d6/d8 Protector, Surrogate Father

ELEMENTS
d6/d10 Everything Is a Weapon, Well-travelled

TRAITS
d6/d8 Physical, Mental

DRIVERS
d6/d10 Empowered by threats to the Princess; Dedicated to honour

PIVOTS
My life for hers.
Through me, the Princess will learn what honour truly is.

STORY
Loss drove you away from Alba Longa, the capital of the powerful Etruscan Kingdom. Your life as a mercenary ended when the House
of Kashta proved honourable. You might still receive coin, but you are loyal to the royal family and would not betray them for any
bounty. You knew the Princess as a child, and your protectiveness of her was noted. You have served as her guard and, in your heart,
her surrogate father.
The Spartan
CONCEPT
d6/d8 Captain, Political Exile

ELEMENTS
d6/d10 Perfect Soldier, Stoic

TRAITS
d6/d8 Physical, Social

DRIVERS
d6/d10 Dedicated to those he leads; Loyal to the House of Kashta

PIVOT
I will lead from the front - first into battle, last to leave.
I can never regain that which I leave behind.

STORY
You were once a general and warrior among the Spartans, but found Spartan life monotonous, and after seeing the riches and culture of
Athens, you wished more for your family. Your eldest son was six, and would soon be taken from you and your wife to begin his training
as a warrior. You wished to flee Sparta to save your son from the brutality you had endured, but your wife was a true Spartan, and she
rejected you, betraying you. You were exiled from Sparta. You now expect to die in a foreign land in foreign pay. But you will die as a
consummate warrior, and will not let any soldier die in your place. You wear a cloak of weary cynicism to hide your real affection for
your troops. You cannot forget that you will never embrace your wife and children again.
The Amazon
CONCEPT
d6/d8 Scout, Healer

ELEMENTS
d6/d10 Mythic Archer, Nomadic Barbarian

TRAITS
d6/d10 Physical, Mental

DRIVERS
d6/d8 Empowered by alleviating suffering; Dedicated to proving her martial worth

PIVOTS
I shall prove that I am indeed a worthy queen of a warrior tribe.
No man is my better.

STORY
The second daughter of a great Scythian Queen, your tribe the Issayk Alta celebrated you as the perfect warrior and believed you
would be your mothers heir. Your eldest sister a quiet and reserved half-sister from a different father supported you for queen.
Unfortunately, your elder sisters first consort dominated her entirely, an especially heinous situation among the Issayk Alta tribe. She
never took another consort, and when the Queen died, your elder sister took the crown. You had the support of the tribe, and slew both
your elder sisters father and her consort in honour duels. Enraged by this, she used her position to banish you. You would not raise arms
against your sister, and chose to exile yourself from your homeland instead.
The Monk
CONCEPT
d6/d8 Deadly Clown, Kind Philosopher

ELEMENTS
d6/d10 Lightning Fists, Father Confessor

TRAITS
d6/d10 Social, Physical

DRIVERS
d6/d8 Empowered by looking death in the face and laughing at it; Still waters run deep

PIVOTS
None will suffer while I can strike.
I am a guide on the road to redemption.

STORY
You once lived as a jester and play companion to the young child of a powerful house far to the east. When enemies destroyed that family,
you gave your life trying to save the young scion, though you failed. The Monkey God came to you and gave you back your life, though
you pleaded to allow the child to live. There was some purpose to his choosing you over the child, and while seeking that purpose you
also sought death to stare it in the face and laugh at it, showing that you are truly without fear. You have become inseparable from the
Serpent, as you can see in her eyes that she knows true evil, and has turned away from it. You are also sure that no one else can make her
laugh.
The Serpent
CONCEPT
d6/d10 Assassin, Child of the Streets

ELEMENTS
d6/d8 Fangs of the Serpent, A Shadow

TRAITS
d6/d8 Mental, Physical

DRIVERS
d6/d10 Empowered by seeing evil prosper; Protector of innocents

PIVOT
I have seen evil and serve justice.
Laughter has more value than gold.

STORY
As a young girl, alone on the streets, you learned violence as a way to protect yourself. You thought yourself willing to do anything, no
matter how vile. Then you faced true evil and realized that while you had anger in your heart, you were not a bad person. It was too late.
You had sold your soul to Set. Now, you must send 100 dark souls to be eaten by the Ammit the Devourer of Souls to free your own.
You will only send the souls of the truly damned, and you can see the blackness of a heart when you touch a mortal with one of your
blades. You and the Monk share a familial bond as you know he has seen into your heart and found something wholesome there. And he
makes you laugh.
The Ambush VOLUME Loud: expect the dice to hit the table.
MAPS PURPOSE
The fight takes place outside of the shrine itself. This sets the adventure in motion, as well as giving a narrative reason why the PCs gel as a group
Due to the lack of tactical mechanics and the they will prove themselves in combat
abstract nature of combat, a map shouldnt be
necessary, however, for an image of a shrine, SPOTLIGHT
try an image search for Egyptian shrine or The Etruscan as Protector: the Princess is the target of the assassins, and everything else is
Egyptian altar. A good artists rendition can be diversionary the murder of the Princess is the primary goal of the attack.
found at: http://bit.ly/1w0thK3
PIVOTS
Etruscan: My life for hers. It is expected the Etruscan will put himself in harms way to protect the Princess
The Spartan: I will lead from the front - first into battle, last to leave. The Spartan should throw himself into combat, both as an example for his
soldiers and because thats what he does. Hes a Spartan!

DESCRIPTION
This scene starts off the adventure with a bang. The Princess procession has not yet reached the Shrine of Horus when it is attacked. The group is
passing through a narrow passage in the rocks before reaching the secluded shrine. It is the perfect place for an ambush, and one can expect the
characters to be on edge and watchful.
It would be good to allow the Etruscan to discern the threat, or perhaps allow the Amazon, who is a scout, to do so. There is no need for a Challenge,
just let the Etruscan (or whichever character) spot a dark-robed figure, with a black mask on its face and a dagger in its hand on the defile above the
group. Theres not just one, but a bunch of them. In general, a group of four assassins per PC should provide some excitement, but shouldnt be too
great of a threat to the PCs, but thats okay, because the point of this scene is to get the adventure going and clue the players in to how awesome their
characters are.
If you want to add some risk, make each character face a group of six assassins. It is still likely the PCs will triumph, though things might be close.
Although Meriptah is there leading the assault, he doesnt actually take part, and once he sees the fight going poorly, hes going to run, so the PCs
wont even know he was there. If they investigate later, you can tell them someone else was there but left in a hurry.
CHALLENGES
Assassin (individual) Assassins (4) Assassins (6)
Difficulty: d6, somewhat trained Difficulty: d8, bravery in numbers Difficulty: d10, trained and numerous
Threat: d6, whatever it takes Threat: d8, many blades Threat: d10, forest of daggers
Environment: d8, prepared ground Environment: d8, prepared ground Environment: d8, prepared ground
Complexity: d6, paid assassin Complexity: d8, experience together Complexity: d8, experience together
Rating: Minor (1 success) Rating: Major (3) Rating: Massive (4)
Q&A VOLUME Loud: expect the dice to hit the table.
MAPS PURPOSE
This will likely take place at the site of the The survivors of the ambush can provide the PCs with information to help move the plot forward.
ambush.
SPOTLIGHT
The Serpent as Assassin: the Serpent knows the ways of assassins and can see the truth behind a
fog of lies. She will be able to piece together much of the assassins purpose just from their actions
in the attack.
PIVOTS
Princess: I will protect my people and the honour of my house. The Princess needs to learn who has targeted her in this time of war to protect
her subjects.

DESCRIPTION
At the end of the ambush scene, there should be a lot of bodies lying around. It would be good to remind the players that some of these NPCs can be
alive if the players decide this is how they would like to resolve the previous scene. It provides the opportunity for a scene in which the PCs question
the survivors of the fight.
There should not be any real threat in this questioning, as the Challenge is pretty paltry. Still, dice will do what dice will do. It is important that even
if this scene goes completely sour and the players learn nothing, that there should be an alternative method for imparting the location of the meeting
place. This might be tracking Meriptah, or one of Ahmoses agents might inform the PCs of a suspected den of assassins. Ahmose is the Right Hand
Scribe of the Pharaoh and master intelligencer, and so is an ally of the royal house while Meriptah is the Count of Juka, a courtier whom the Princess
would not be surprised to learn is a traitor (Ahmose nters the adventure in Ahmose the Spymaster, while Meriptah does not make an appearance
until the Cave, although lots of NPCs talk about him.)
It is important to stress that when NPCs are removed from a scene because the PCs overcame the Challenge, it does not necessarily mean the NPCs
are dead. They can be, but the decision rests with the player. The Monks player might decide that the NPCs he bests are unconscious, while its likely
the Spartan doesnt leave too many opponents breathing.
CHALLENGES
Questioning the Captives Each of the three Successes provides one piece of 2) They received their assignment from
Difficulty: d8, trained to resist information: Meriptah, whom the Princess knows as
Threat: d8, deception 1) They were sent to kill the Princess, though Count (Nomarch) Meriptah of the sepat/
Environment: d4, the place of their defeat they dont know why. province of Juka (Djewqa).
Complexity: d6, experienced at evasion 3) They were to assemble at the Broken
Rating: Major (3) Villa, a rather well-known locale north of
Thebes.
The Place of Meeting
MAPS
An image search for caravanserai should
provide useful images. Most caravanserai layouts
are medieval, though you may find a basic
drawing of a more ancient style at:
http://bit.ly/1w0thK3ii
A medieval layout can be found at:
http://bit.ly/1ipGfhMiii
PIVOTS
Amazon: I shall prove that I am indeed a worthy queen of a warrior tribe. A true queen shows mercy, and given her role as Healer; the Amazon should
advocate for the safety of these captives.
VOLUME Quiet: you shouldnt expect the dice to hit the table.
PURPOSE
The scene provides more information for the PCs as well as emphasizing the malevolence of the
opposition.
SPOTLIGHT
The Serpent as Child of the Streets: as one who has survived the streets and prospered, the Serpent
can speak to these captives and quickly gain their trust.
The Amazon as Healer: these people are suffering, and the Amazon can help alleviate their pain
and aid in their recovery.

DESCRIPTION
This is the Broken Villa. This was once a caravanserai for the route north from Thebes, but shifting sands and poor management have left it a ruin.
Rumours sprouted a few years back that it is haunted, and the locals take that kind of thing seriously. This little fiction has served the Judges of Amit
well. They have used it as a prison and a safehouse, and once they took Meriptahs coin, the headquarters for the attempt on the Princess life.
Although they needed to confer with the Judges, Meriptah and his confederates rarely attended the Broken Villa and preferred to meet elsewhere.
The cabal was quite put off with the blood rituals in which the Judges dabbled. The Judges maintained captives, and sacrificed them to call on dark
forces to blight their weapons and cover the assassins in shadows of protection. After the failure of the attempt on the Princess, the Judges had
enough sense to abandon the Broken Villa. They did not think to remove the captives at the villa, so if the PCs investigate this place of meeting, they
will find a handful of prisoners in poor condition.

CHALLENGES
There is no Challenge in this scene; the captives 1) They heard their captors speak of Meriptah 3) Meriptah is seeking an alliance with a
will be more than willing to tell all that they as their paymaster, though they spoke of courtier known as Ahmose. The captives
know. If the Serpent is in play, the captives him with some contempt. know of a grand scribe named Ahmose,
penniless beggars, itinerant labourers, prostitutes 2) The Judges have a secret hand signal by but the PCs know him as the Right
and street urchins gravitate to one whom they which they can identify one another. The Hand Scribe of the Pharaoh and master
sense understands their community. They do captives can teach the PCs this hand signal. intelligencer of the dynasty.
not known much, but can provide the following This can be useful in later adventures against
information: the Judges or the PCs can use it to infiltrate
the Cave (see The Cave).
Ahmose the Spymaster VOLUME Loud: expect the dice to hit the table.
MAPS PURPOSE
You can try searching Ancient Egyptian villa or This scene emphasizes the precarious nature of the nobilitys loyalty and how alone the Princess
Ancient Egyptian home for images and layouts. truly is.
A good one for Ahmoses villa can be found at
http://bit.ly/1uHP2Meiv or perhaps http://bit.
SPOTLIGHT
ly/1rdoYZ4v The Princess as Royalty: as a leading figure in the dynasty and the most important counsellor
of the Pharaoh, the Princess should expect loyalty. Any hint that Ahmose is acting for his own
benefit is an affront to the Princess.
The Spartan as Political Exile: the Spartan knows only too well how quickly one can lose political
support and how lost one is without it.
PIVOTS
Etruscan: Through me, the Princess will learn what honour truly is. In comparison to the nobles and officials of the court, the Etruscan is the one
that is truly honourable.
DESCRIPTION
Ahmose the Spymaster is the Right Hand Scribe of the Pharaoh and the royal familys master intelligencer basically the Pharaohs second most
important counsellor after the Princess. The information gleaned in the Place of Meeting may bring the PCs to Ahmoses impressive villa. The
Spymaster will meet the PCs if the Princess is with them. He truthfully denies that Meriptah has approached him, but suggests that Meriptah could
be linked to Parenfer, the Seer of Isis an important office in the religious hierarchy, with political influence. Parenfer has opposed Ahmose in the
past, however Parenfer has made many social calls to Meriptahs villa, and they support each other in court.
Ahmose should point out to the Princess that she can trust no one. Those who have attached themselves to her royal house do so for their own profit,
and if they see advantage in supporting the Northern Pretender, they will likely switch sides. The Etruscan is the counterpoint to this and someone
needs to mention it. Although not an Egyptian or a Kushite, the Etruscan has proven his loyalty. The Spartan likely agrees with both the nobles of
the court are self-serving, but there are always those whose loyalty cannot be bought. While the PCs may simply accept what Ahmose is saying and
derive their own opinions, they can also attempt to discern his honesty.

CHALLENGES
Ahmoses Honesty Each of the three successes provides one piece of 3) He is biased against Parenfer because of
Difficulty: d10, hes a politician deception is his information: the courtiers antagonism and opposition.
breath 1) He is being honest about Meriptah. He has This may be clouding his judgement.
Threat: d10, he could lead them into a trap not been approached and this is the truth.
Environment: d10, at home
Complexity: d10, devious manipulator 2) He has suspicions about Parenfer but no
Rating: Major (3) proof.
The Scythian
MAPS
This will happen in the streets of Waset. You can
just freehand a map if you really need one, but
there is a Persian street scene that might set the
mood at http://bit.ly/1sIZovUvi
VOLUME Loud: expect the dice to hit the table.
PURPOSE
Provides a chance for a peek at one characters backstory while also providing some skull kicking
time.
SPOTLIGHT
The Amazon as Mythic Archer: the Scythian is here to taunt the Amazon, but she should best him
with her amazing archery.
The Spartan as Captain: no one messes with his soldiers. No. One.

PIVOTS
Amazon: No man is my better. The Scythian makes it plain he doesnt think much of women warriors. The Amazon shall prove him wrong.

DESCRIPTION
Kagu, a Scythian noble who is a mercenary for the Assyrians, leads a group of his tribesmen to attack the PCs when they leave Ahmoses villa. This
ambush is not planned by Meriptah nor the Judges. Kagu is a mercenary in the pay of the Assyrians sent to scout out Thebes. He went a few steps
further. Once Kagu learned of the Amazons presence, he took his mercenaries and hunted her down. He has a grudge. She made him look bad in the
past, and he now makes a point of singling her out, calling her by name, and saying that he has come to make her his slave. After he has subjugated
her, he will send her tresses to her sisters consort, whom he refers to as King of the Issayk Alta a degenerate people with women who do not know
their place.
The Amazon likely doesnt even know who this guy is. Shes beaten down more than one egomaniac. She isnt keeping score. Her lack of recognition
will feed his anger.
While the Amazon should face off against Kagu, the others can each handle four Scythians, which should not prove too great a challenge. If four
assassins proved no problem, try six mercenaries as these guys arent quite as tough as the assassins.
If the Amazon is not a PC, this scene can still be useful as an action scene in between two scenes with interpersonal interactions. Who doesnt enjoy
a good fight? It also points that the Assyrians have many agents in Waset, assassins and soldiers.
CHALLENGES
Kagu, the Scythian Scythian Mercenaries (4) Scythian Mercenaries (6)
Difficulty: d10, warrior prince Difficulty: d8, bravery in numbers Difficulty: d10, overwhelming force
Threat: d12, master of the double axe Threat: d8, iron swords of the horse lords Threat: d10, field of blades
Environment: d6, uncertain ground Environment: d6, uncertain ground Environment: d6, uncertain ground
Complexity: d12, a professional soldier Complexity: d8, served in many campaigns Complexity: d8, served in many campaigns
Rating: Major (3) together together
Rating: Mediocre (2) Rating: Major (3)
The Scapegoat VOLUME 5: dice wont necessarily hit the table
MAPS PURPOSE
Like Ahomses villa, good search terms for This scene provides more information to the PCs and shows that even the people on their side
Parenfers villa would be Ancient Egyptian may sometimes lead them wrong.
villa or Ancient Egyptian home. An image and
layout of a nobles villa can be found at
SPOTLIGHT
http://bit.ly/1pklxyCvii The Princess as Royalty: the Princess rules the nobles of the court, and so Parenfer is as much her
courtier as her cousins.
A map that conforms to these images can be
found at http://bit.ly/1l8VNG0viii The Monk as Kind Philosopher: the Monks nature likely makes him the best choice to question
Parenfer, putting him at ease.
PIVOTS
The Serpent: I have seen evil and serve justice. At the conclusion of questioning, it should be clear Parenfer is not an evil man, and the Serpent should
advocate for him as an innocent.
The Monk: I will see the Serpent redeemed. The Monk will support his friend as she speaks for justice, making the Monk both proud and hopeful.

DESCRIPTION
Following the lead from Ahmose, the PCs have come to question Parenfer. He also lives in a villa not far from that of Ahmose. He will welcome the
PCs, especially if they have the Princess among them. Otherwise, a runner has brought an introduction from Ahmose, which Parenfer will honour,
but it makes him highly suspicious.
While Parenfer has certainly been caught up in a web not of his own making, he is not disloyal. Certainly, he is foolish and ambitious, but how many
courtiers are not? He provided assistance to Meriptah to bring men into the city, to provide them with lodgings, and to seek information about the
Princess and her doings. It was he, through his religious office, who learned of the Princess intent to seek inspiration at the Shrine of Horus, so in
a way, he was at fault for the ambush. He will admit to all this and more because he now needs the PCs assistance since his family is now at risk (as
related in The Note, below).

Questioning Parenfer
Difficulty: d10, though honest, hes a politician,
so why believe him
Threat: d4, he is no threat to the PCs
Environment: d4, he has lost his family and so he
has lost his bearings (see The Note for more)
Complexity: d10, the PCs likely expect deception
Rating: Major (3)
CHALLENGES
Parenfer will provide this information anyway,
but the Challenge will satisfy the PCs that he
speaks the truth:
1) He told Meriptah about the Princess journey
to the Shrine of Horus.
2) When he learned of Meriptahs scheme, he
backed away from supporting the nomarch.
Meriptah is a blasphemer who denigrates
Amun.
3) Parenfer received a summons to meet
Meriptah at the steps of the temple to
Amun, but the nomarch did not arrive.
When Parenfer returned, his family were
gone and he found a note waiting for him
(upon a pottery shard see The Note).
The Note VOLUME Quiet: you shouldnt expect the dice to hit the table.
MAPS PURPOSE
This scene is in the same area as The Scapegoat, This scene provides some role-playing opportunities and a chance for the players to catch their
so you can use that map. breath and plan.

SPOTLIGHT
The Etruscan as Protector: if the planning involves danger, and it is obviously a trap, the Etruscan
should try to stop the Princess from going. As the Protector, he is strongly motivated to protect
these innocents.

PIVOTS
The Spartan: I can never regain that which I leave behind. The loss of family should hit the Spartan hard, and he knows how to solve this situation. Kill
everyone and get the family back.

DESCRIPTION
The note is written in ink on a pottery shard. Parenfer or the Princess can verify that it seems to be Meriptahs writing. The note demands that
Parenfer bring the PCs to a market in the Carters Quarter that night. Meriptah will release his wife and children to him there. If Parenfer does not
bring the PCs, he and his family will be killed. Parenfer will beg for the aid of the PCs. He describes his young children they are the same age as the
Spartans children when he left them.
Should the PCs agree to willingly subject themselves to this trap, Parenfer will be concerned about the PCs violently retrieving his family, but in the
end, he will defer to their decision.
The PCs might question Parenfers sincerity. If they undertook a Challenge to verify Parenfers honesty in The Scapegoat, you can let them know that
the success in that scene has carried over into this one. Should they have accepted Parenfers earlier statements in The Scapegoat, but question his
honesty now, you can run the Challenge from that scene, but give it a Rating of Minor (1 success). Parenfer is being sincere; Meriptah has taken his
family or at least that is what Parenfer believes.
There should be no question among the PCs that Parenfers family needs rescuing. It is possible that the PCs will be suspicious, but roll so poorly that
they do not gain any successes either in The Scapegoat or in this scene. Should that happen, have Ahmose or some other NPC (perhaps the Princess
niece Netiqret, the Princess heir as Gods Hand) sends word that they have information important to the PCs. This NPC will let the PCs know that
Meriptah and some thugs were seen with a woman and children believed to be Parenfers family, near the Carters Quarter. The NPC fears something
foul will befall the family, and that cannot happen.
Whatever the parents crime if there is indeed even a crime the children are innocent. There is no way the Monk or the Serpent will allow these
innocents to be abandoned. Frankly, no matter the PCs feelings toward Parenfer, none of them should be willing to allow innocents especially
children to suffer. They need to get in there and be big goddamn heroes.
The Hostages
MAPS
Images or maps of street scenes for Ancient
Egypt are difficult to find; however, if you search
for Amarna or Model Amarna you can find
some reproductions of what an Egyptian city
would look like. The following has multiple
images that might help: http://bit.ly/1l8VNG0ix
VOLUME Loud: expect the dice to hit the table.
PURPOSE
Provides the chance for the PCs to be heroic saving innocents, and allows for characters who have
not had a spotlight to do so.
SPOTLIGHT
If some characters have not yet hit a spotlight due to changes in the adventure, give them a unique
foe that will allow them to have a nemesis in the fight.

PIVOTS
Monk: None will suffer while I can strike. The Monk should not allow innocent children to suffer, no matter how many heads he has to crack
in the process.

DESCRIPTION
The Carters Quarter is a bit of a ghetto it is not a nice place. The buildings are squat tenements, close together and of uncertain stability. There
are few if any lights in the quarter, and the tenements cut off most of whatever ambient light the stars and moon might provide. This is a place of
winding alleys, dead-ends, and ruins. It is unusually quiet and seems all but abandoned. Sure, its after sundown, but there are always people out and
about for entertainment or business. Tonight, though, the residents sense the storm brewing and hide indoors.
This is a trap, and the assassins will leap out of the darkness at the PCs. There are no surprise rules, and besides, the PCs are legendary warriors and
heroes. No one gets the jump on them. The fight commences! Each PC should face a group of six assassins. When the PCs are about to triumph (of
course theyll triumph) an Assyrian and two local toughs will come out of a winery on the edge of the market with the wife and two children at knife
point. The Assyrian calls out to the assassins that he is taking the family to the Cave. Dont let that Assyrian escape! The toughs will be likely brushed
aside as the PCs attacks the Assyrians. The local toughs are narrative window-dressing, and are not part of the Challenges.
After the fight is over, the PCs can question any survivors. Success will lead to this information: 1) the Cave is an old, collapsed temple in the Land of
the Dead (near the Valley of the Kings); 2) Meriptah is waiting at the Cave along with the Captain; and 3) the Captain is not a Judge, but is a master
strategist.

Assassins (6)
Difficulty: d10, trained and numerous
Threat: d10, forest of daggers
Environment: d8, prepared ground
Complexity: d8, experience together
Rating: Massive (4)
CHALLENGES
The Assyrian Kidnapper Questioning the Captives
Difficulty: d10, cold-blooded killer Difficulty: d8, trained to resist
Threat: d12, born to war Threat: d8, skilled at deception
Environment: d8, chosen ground Environment: d4, the place of their defeat
Complexity: d12, a professional soldier Complexity: d6, some experience at evasion
Rating: Major (3) Rating: Major (3)
The Family VOLUME Quiet: you shouldnt expect the dice to hit the table.
MAPS PURPOSE
This scene is in the same area as The Hostages, The scene provides a last moment of peace before the big fight.
so you can use that map.
SPOTLIGHT
The Monk as the Deadly Clown/Kind Philosopher. The Monk has the skills to put the family, who
have suffered, at ease.

PIVOTS
The Serpent: Laughter has more value than gold. The Serpent should cajole the Monk into entertaining the children, or congratulate him after,
reassuring him how important these small victories are.

DESCRIPTION
Lets assume that the PCs are successful and save the family. It is also hoped that Parenfer survived this encounter. He will be happily reunited with
his family, and there will be much hugging and breathless thanks. The children, as should be expected, are absolutely terrified. In truth, so are their
parents. Parenfer and his wife (Mekyaten) work hard to comfort their children, but they are as terrified as the youngsters, and are too distraught to
do so. The children pick up on this as children do and it increases their distress.
Sure, the PCs need to get going to the Cave, but what kind of heroes would they be if they left this family in distress? Its important to remember that
both the Monk and the Spartan have histories that should prime them to act in this circumstance. The players might need reminding.
The Monk is a clown, and so the perfect character to distract the children and make them forget their fears. The Serpent, as dark as she may be,
should see that this family needs comfort. She should also realise that her good friend, the Monk, is the one to do this. Point out the Pivot Laughter
has more value than gold. if the player seems uncertain how to move forward. The Spartan, as a father, should also have the skills needed to calm
the children, but he is maybe better at calming the parents while the Monk is pretty much built to make the kids laugh, and knows that is what they
need.
This is the last chance for the PCs to catch their breath and make their plans before they face the Cave. Parenfer has not been there, but he has met
the Captain, and he will warn the characters about this man. He knows little, but he sensed the Captain is a man of blood. He heard him speak, and
believes he is a foreigner, probably Assyrian. He seems to be the boss. That is all the help Parenfer can provide. His family needs him much more
than the PCs do.
If there are Pivots that need to be hit or a spotlight that needs to be shone, see if you can work it into this scene. Maybe the PCs dont see comfort and
care provided to those caught in the crossfire as important as beating villains into dust, but this is very heroic as well, and you should try to make
them feel heroic when they do. The gratitude should be in the eyes and voice of the parents, and something close to worship should emanate from
the children.
And then, its time to leap out of the frying pan and directly into the fire.
The Cave VOLUME Loud: expect the dice to hit the table.
MAPS PURPOSE
A search for Ancient Egypt temple layout The climax.
should pull up lots of good maps. I used:
http://bit.ly/1kTpoynx SPOTLIGHT
Again, if some characters have not yet hit a spotlight due to changes in the adventure, give them a
unique foe amongst the enemies below that will allow them to have a nemesis in the fight.

PIVOTS
The Princess: I am the servant of the gods. Remember, Meriptah is a blasphemer who denigrates Amun (see The Scapegoat), and the Princess must
see him defeated.
DESCRIPTION
The lair of the enemies of the Princess has been revealed. Its time to confront them in the Cave. This is little more than the main hall of a collapsed
temple buried deep in the sand near the Valley of the Kings. There will be master assassins watching the entrance one for each PC who attempt
to remain unseen. If the PCs do not take care, the assassins will attack them just as they enter the Cave, and the surprise will raise their Threat by one
die type (from d10 to d12); however, watchful PCs will be able to identify them.
Inside the temple there is one master assassin for each PC, as well as Meriptah and the Captain. Meriptah is not the boss. Hes also not the man with
the plan. He would like to think otherwise, but hes really just a minion. The Captain is an Assyrian warleader, and it was he who hired the Judges of
Ammit. He remains determined to get the Princess head.
If the PCs listen in, the Captain and Meriptah discuss the war. The Assyrians do not care if the royal house flees to Kush. In fact, they would prefer it.
The Captain is dismissive of Meriptah, especially when he states that the Saite dynast the Northern pretender wishes to crush the Kushites. The
Captain is not impressed with the Saite dynast, and he says quite clearly that the new pharaoh will do as he is told or the Assyrians will find someone
who will. But it would be best for all concerned if the Princess were removed. The Captain believes the Kushites will lose their nerve without her.
The assassins, the Captain and even Meriptah will have little to tell the PCs, if captured. The Captain, should he be left alive, will remain arrogant,
taunting the PCs, hoping they will kill him. He knows nothing of the Assyrian strategy or even the identity of the other traitor but he will assure
them there is another traitor.
CHALLENGES
Master Assassins The Captain Meriptah
Difficulty: d10, highly trained Difficulty: d10, warrior prince Difficulty: d6, paper lion
Threat: d10, only the finest steel Threat: d12, master of the double axe Threat: d8, some skill with his khopesh
Environment: d8, knows all the nooks and Environment: d6, everything is a weapon Environment: d8, he knows this place
crannies Complexity: d12, Assyrian warlord Complexity: d6, courtier rather than soldier
Complexity: d8, of one mind
Rating: Major (3) Rating: Mediocre (2)
Rating: Mediocre (2)
Denouement
The immediate threat of the Judges has been
removed. No one knows, though, who actually
leads them. There are more of the Judges out
there, and perhaps before the Assyrians reach
Thebes, the PCs will need to root out these
killers-for-profit.
If you wish to continue this adventure, one of
the captives could have information for the PCs,
leading them on the next step of their journey. hand, it is pretty easy to bridge this adventure
The adventures with the main game of Nefertiti
Overdrive, should that be funded in its
Kickstarter campaign, will take place just as
the Assyrians and their Lower Egyptian allies
reach Thebes. A tragedy befalls the Kushite
royal house, forcing the PCs to save a kidnapped
niece and seek a lost icon. If you are playing
this adventure with Nefertiti Overdrive in your
with the following two, perhaps with this
scenario taking place the day the Kushite royal
house was preparing to retreat south to Kush.
Meriptah could provide information on the
other traitor which he plans to exchange for his
life.

Links to Images and Maps

i
www.bibleorigins.net/TimnaHathorTemple.html
ii
www.biblewalks.com/Sites/Aroer.html
iii
www.medievalislamicgeography.com/caravanserais_pics/cs_in_use/cs_cutaway.jpg
iv
http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/construction/plumbing/Household-Sanitation/images/Fig-395-Palace-of-a-Governor-of-Ancient-
Egypt.jpg
v
http://www.perankhgroup.com/homegan.gif
vi
http://theairtightgarage.net/images/new/persianStreet2.jpg
vii
http://www.crystalinks.com/egypthomes.html
viii
http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/amarnahouse9.jpg
ix
http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/model_of_the_city
x
http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/art/plantemple.gif

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