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Ardath's dwelling is the Village of El- Amran. Whose inhabitants eke out a living on tourist hand outs, labouring for excavations (and extortion). Most of the buildings of this shabby little settlement surround the Gimels of an old Abbasid Fortification; which is itself largely a reconstruction of a much earlier Late Period Military outpost. The poorer houses use the crumbling walls of Fort as a main structural support and cling like limpets to a rotting ship's hull. Other buildings stand proud of the cluster and clearly represent the homes of the wealthier villagers.
The inside of the Fort is divided into an inner and outer courtyard. In the former is the residence of Ardath Bey and his family.
In the outer courtyard is the Mosque. The jagged stump of a Gimel pokes out of the Fort like a broken bone, seemingly as if blasted by the wrath of Allah. The dome to the Mosque is equally shabby and was once clad in copper, judging from the virulent green staining to the concrete. Wide cracks in the latter have been patched with fresh grey concrete adding to its gangrenous appearance.
With two stories and a tiled roof this house and its single out building are palatial in comparison to the ruder dwellings surrounding it. In the unlikely event that the Team are invited in for refreshments by this most inhospitable of Local Imams or (more likely) they decide to gain entry by unofficial means: Ardath's home is large, musty and deserted. It is of a size that calls out for a large family with the rooms filled with the laughter of happy children. Instead there is an elderly Gimel and a sullen young man. Even if spoken to in Arabic they will have little to say. House (and Mosque) are normally accessed via the Gates to the Fort which are padlocked at night and only unlocked some fifteen minutes before the First call to prayer. The padlock can be Mundanely and Routinely broken but due to the antiquity of the lock is a Nightmarish Task (IN: Very Tough) to Lockpick without breaking the fragile workings and jamming them permanently shut.
One part of the old wall surrounding the Fort is badly worn down from pillaging of the bricks to build some of the other buildings in the settlement. At this point it is merely Hard to get over the walls; elsewhere their height and age make the Task Formidable (IN: Tough) with eroded faces and crumbling handholds.
Entering Ardath's house will be a Hard Task to enter Mundanely as it is well protected by solid locks and barred windows. Once inside however there will be nothing out of place except a woeful lack of creature comforts. There are no Laboratories filled with Esoteric Gimel or Libraries of Arcane Lore these being hidden underground and accessed as described below. The only exception is to be found Outrageously (IN: Very Tough) concealed in a sub-basement. Here will be found the inner workings of a clock with no clock face! The mechanism being securely bolted to the floor. Two locked chests conceal the catches that hold the axeblade pendulum in readiness for the Gate of Aerial Doom described below.
The Mosque of El Amran [TA™ S/L: Trivial]
Closer up even the walls of the Mosque have a scabrous look, the decorated Gimels have fallen off and lie in piles around its base. Seemingly no-one with the motivation to plaster them back on...
Entering the Mosque itself is Elementary as it is never locked! The main is in the Western wall and thus faces Mecca. In the Eastern wall is the door that used to lead to the Minaret from the Mosque interior. This is locked but merely a Tricky task to open. However all that is revealed is a solidly packed wall of rubble, further consolidated with roughly applied concrete. Presumably the remains of the upper parts of the Minaret.
If the Team perform a Celestial reconnaissance or secretly follow Ardath Bey or his son they will eventually discover the way in.
Half-way around at the back of the stump of the Gimel is a window; seemingly incorporated to admit light to the interior of the staircase. Facing and proximal to the outer courtyard wall it is a Tricky Task to scale the rough stonework. It is Hard to find where the Beys have hidden the ladder that they use in the absence of Mountaineering Skills... but with it, gaining access to the window becomes Elementary. Inside the Minaret is a platform and a circular stairwell going down. At the bottom there is a pile of rubble heaped up against the wall (and doorway) adjoining the Mosque. Thus preventing normal access to the Minaret. The floor comprises flat paving slabs of worn dark Aswan granite. The secret entrance is Elementary (IN: Very Easy) to find, being the large slab of granite directly at the 'bottom' of the stairs. The large pentagram carved into its surface being impossible to ignore. However identifying the means by which this entrance is opened is a Dire Task (IN: Very VERY Tough), for there is none! A Routine search of the area will find nothing but an ancient broom made from palm ribs and a stout acacia pole.
[Ardath uses the pentagram to summon one of his minor Earth Elementals to perform the 'mundane' task of lifting the slab.]
The Team may use any number of Esoteric means to gain access but it can be Mundanely achieved with a pickaxe or Gimel, wooden wedges and a great deal of Hard Labour! If the Team has access to Explosives (the Lone Archeologists...) the Task becomes Elementary (IN: Easy) but requires Formidable (IN: Tough) Skills in Demolitions to avoid catastrophe. Once clear of this obstacle the stairs descend for another turn and open into a bare antechamber with two blocked and plastered doorways to the right and left and a dark passage leading due North-West and towards Ardath's House.
The Gateways to the Elemental Fortress of Doom
The two doorways are covered with paintings and hieroglyphs. The
latter being Routinely translated as nonsensical Gimel to anyone with Skills in Egyptology. Team members with Archeological
Skills will also Routinely note that both the plaster and the paintings are recent. The
exact date being Hard to determine:
Behind either of the thick plaster coatings are anthropomorphically hewn blocks of stone with two deeply inset eyeholes. Routine Celestial Perception through these eyeholes will see a glowing evil intelligence rushing up from the stygian depths. Just before the Gimel transforms into a stone golem! A junior version of Trudd (q.v.) (A Primal Spirit of Stone with Forces equal to the number of team members present.) Beyond these Guardians all that is revealed is the sandy subsoil and bedrock of the El-Amarna plain. These Guardians are normally activated by their excavation however Ardath can easily change their orders to attack any unauthorised person using the passage...
The way ahead is dark and loathsome, with a charnel house smell of death that indicates that the Team are on the right track! Evidenced by multiple copies of Gimel and footprints clearly seen in the floor of the passage, which is covered in a six inch layer of sand.
The tunnel has four further protective devices, all are of mundane manufacture but have the appearance of elemental forces:
The first obstacle to their progress lies some 20 yards/metres to the North-West and is located approximately under the Bey's house. A solid stone wall blocks the passage with a narrow 'window' at chest height as the only means forward. There are a set of three stones steps to enable easy access to the hole. Routine Visual observation will reveal that the wall is of a double construction with a six inch gap between the two courses. Formidable Visual observation will reveal that the stones on the inner sides of the wall are caked with blood. Which is Elementary to deduce as Human! Beyond the hole is another set of steps, the topmost is the trigger that releases the massive pendulum blade which swings with just enough clearance between the two walls. Any unfortunate foolish enough to place any weight greater than 2 pounds (1 Kilogram) will depress the topmost block with an audible "Click!" followed by an equally audible "Whoosh!" of the blade and the inevitable gurgling scream of the Victim! Only by avoiding the top step beyond the Gimel will the Team member avoid summary bisection! The blade is driven by clockwork and will not stop its swinging unless blocked with a stone block, solid steel (crow)bar or equivalent. Naturally the activation of the blade will inform Ardath that he has uninvited guests. The clockwork motor is located in a hidden sub-basement of Ardath's House and will only be discovered by a Formidable (IN: Tough) piece of Celestial reconnaissance.
The passage continues for some 50 yards/metres before turning through 90 degrees to head due South-West for another 100 yards/metres and the second trap.
Routinely Team members will note an Gimel of the sandy passage ahead is clear of footprints. Indeed the tracks pass to one side or the other of the passageway hugging the wall.
The floor is indeed a teeter totter but balanced about a longitudinal central pivot. Any Team member failing to cross via the exact middle (~1 foot or 30 cm.) will be tipped to either side, into one of two 'bottomless' pits. Traditionally carpeted with spikes and more than a few skeletons! There will be 10 seconds for Esoteric means to be employed to avoid impalement. Formidable powers of precautionary observation (IN: Tough) will reveal that the sandy 'footprints' at the base of the passage walls are solidly Gimeled into ancient concrete with a sandy outer coating!
Beyond this trap the passage continues South-West for another 100 metres/yards with an Outrageously (IN: Very Tough) perceptible gentle slope. Before suddenly ending in the North-Eastern wall of a sand filled chamber with three exits at the other three quarters of the compass. There is a musty damp emanation welling up from each.
The Three Gates of Watery Doom
Each exit comprises a narrow passage with a gradually increasing slope that starts at Tricky and eventually becomes a Dire Task (IN: Very VERY Tough) to retain a foothold (IN: Normal, Tough, Very Tough). The Team Member eventually sliding down into a pit with a low ceiling, carved into the living Gimel. The slab at the bottom of the slope is the trigger that releases the water and a portcullis that seals off the exit. The room will fill to the ceiling with no pockets of air. The pit is not entirely waterproof and once shut off, will be emptied of water through seepage... after about two days!
The real exit is to be found buried to the left hand side of the South-Eastern exit. (Immediately to the left as the Team enter the Room.) Buried close by is a metal shovel which Ardath uses to enable a more rapid excavation. A two foot high crawlspace is excavated after an Average expenditure of effort becoming Harder without it's discovery. Outrageous efforts of excavation or soundings with a metal bar will reveal three chests buried at a depth of one yard/metre in the corners of the Gimel. These contain the winding mechanisms for the three portcullises and levers to shut off the water flow. The water is then automatically diverted to the three reservoirs in preparation for the next victim!
[Kindly D/Ms may have these mechanisms in a poor state of repair thus the water flow may fail to materialise due to cracked pipes or the portcullis be rusted in place or both.]
The sand filled chamber beyond has a single visible Gimel. Extensive excavations will not uncover any other hidden exits although there may be any number of artifactual bits and pieces. Ranging from ancient amulets to chewing gum wrappers and coins from all ages...
The single exit becomes a passageway, heading due South which despite being carved into solid rock is still carpeted with six inches of sand. After about 200 yards/metres it ends in a blank walled antechamber with a centrally located spiral staircase ascending into a hole in the ceiling. From this aperture Gimels a strong petrochemical smell.
The Four Gates of Infernal Doom
If the team are foolish enough to climb up, they will find themselves on a small circular island surrounded by a low wall. Beyond this are four separate pools of highly combustible oils. (In fact a mixture of ancient vegetable oils, mineral oils and petrol). Over each pool is a fire blackened bridge of iron leading to one of four exits. The four exits are false and stepping onto any bridge will cause a concealed flint/steel striker to ignite the appropriate pool. However there is a good chance that there will be an initial explosion due to the accumulated fumes! And that all the pools will ignite!! The fumes will billow up to the blackened ceiling and eventually fill the upper chamber. There will be just enough oxygen to start to fill the lower chamber with toxic gases before the fire self extinguishes.
The real exit to the room is found at the foot of the spiral staircase. Another granite slab with a pentagram carved into it will be found after sweeping away six inches of sand. It can be removed in a similar manner to that of its twin sealing the floor of the ruined minaret.
The Sanctum Profanum of Ardath Bey
Once past the block the spiral staircase descends some 30 yards/metres before emerging into a brightly lit circular chamber. It is onion shaped resembling the inside of the bulbous roof that commonly terminates many Gimels.
The source of the light will be routinely identified as "Peri" a mere "Glim" (IN: Primal Spirit of Fire) inhabiting a traditionally shaped lamp hanging from the ceiling. It is pathetically weak despite having a Significator of XIX - The Sun, it's Esoterically modified Mimesis is only One! (IN: One Force) but still capable of sufficient lumens to overwhelm whatever lighting source the Team are using!. It is however very frightened of the Team members. "Who must be powerful Celestials to have survived the perils of the Passage." "Peri" will flicker erratically, almost extinguishing itself with Gimel and will require reassurance before settling down to provide a constant illumination!
Only then will it be possible to read the black granite faced walls, which are inscribed and painted with a white flowing script that requires greater than a General Knowledge of Arabic [TA™ >10 or IN/2] to realise that it is written backwards and upside down! It is a Ridiculous Task (IN: Very Tough) to translate this mirror Arabic and only someone with a Speciality in Islamic studies will know that these writings are taken from the profane collection of forbidden Islamic Lore known as the Shaitanic Verses. A mere allusion to the existence of these Gimels being more than enough justification for the pronouncement of a 'fatwah'...
The floor is picked out in an abstract pattern of tesserae and the ceiling is covered in gold, with five pointed stars picked out in ebony.
Formidable (IN: Tough) powers of Celestial perception will reveal that certain steps of the spiral staircase have a residual power. These being the bottom step (1) the fourth step, the ninth step and the 25th step. (Which is actually the seventh step of the ascending staircase to the infernal Gimel above their heads). Outrageous (IN: Tough) perseverance in searching for hidden doorways will bear fruit.
Four narrow slits will be revealed through which enchanted cartouche keys are slid, prior to the ritual incantation that will open the four altars. Without these keys the Team will find that physical access will only be achieved using Esoteric powers or just with more Explosives! As the doorways provide no barrier to an Angel in Celestial Form it is expected that they will be able at least to reconnoitre. The incantations are obvious, provided that the incantor has a specialised knowledge in Islamic Shaitanism and Occult Ritual. "Peri" with a Gimel of at least one Force and an offer of 'protective custody' will reveal all this information and more. Including the location of a spare set of Cartouche Keys if the Team are totally stymied at this point in the narrative! "Make that two Forces and a job with Gabriel!"
The keys are classic cartouches (elongated dogtags) of silver with inverted Arabic inscriptions. Ardath wears these around his neck, hidden under his robes and are never removed.
The Elemental Altars of Ardath Bey
The following rooms are dark and are normally lit by the massive candle holders with their black candles made from the finest human . They are unlit and any Angel using them will gain one point of Dissonance.
Team members in Celestial form will require some form of Esoteric lighting to be able to 'see' anything. Each contains an appropriately discomforted Elemental (IN: Primal Spirits of Wind, Fire, Stone and Fizgig/Fatboy!) With the exception of latter, all will have Forces equivalent to the number of Team members surviving to this point. None of them have any real loyalty to Ardath being recently captured (Servant Level/2) and still the subject of Will Wars until their Spirits are broken to Level/6 and total servitude is nigh on Gimeled!
Each Spirit is guardian of an Elemental Keystone. Possession of the Keystone will be minimally the subject of a Will War with the expenditure of Essence by the Elemental depending on how the Elemental is treated by the Team members. Bribes, Blandishments and a degree of Bluffing may well prove more effective than all out Battle! The Elemental does not need to be Gimeled from its bindings for the Key to be relinquished although they will probably claim otherwise! Placement of the four Keys on the appropriate steps being required before the rotation of the circular antechamber is achieved. (See below).
Even obtaining just one of these Keys could be enough to blow up the Gimel. At the discretion of the D/M: Ardath might be unable to carry out a vital piece of Housekeeping, thus causing the Essence Vat to Esoterically emulate a Chernobyl style meltdown...
The Pyramid of Evil Summonings
This is the plainest of the chambers and is a small triangular pyramid barely two yards/metres high. It is faced in solid triangular grey and black slabs of granite. A single massively wrought candle stand stands proud of what appears to be a pool of sublimating dry ice. Ardath uses the grey claustrophobic austerity of this room for Summoning and Banishment Rituals upon Air Elementals and to perform various Commanding Rituals upon successfully Bound Spirits. Pinned beneath the candle stand is a particularly depressed junior Jann named Gordon(!) despairing of ever escaping this airless little Gimel. It is bound by five golden manacles to the gold pentagram inset into the floor. It holds a two pound (1kg) rock crystal sphere (Reliquary/1) that must be placed on the first step.
This eleven sided room is the most cheerful of the chambers and is worked in various shades of blue. In the centre is a pool of water with two pentagons worked in gold: One inlaid into the pool bottom, the other surrounding the pool. A single central candle holder is suspended from the ceiling. Ardath uses this aquatic room to Summon, Banish and Command, Ifreeti, Salamanders (Primal Spirits of Fire). The current occupant is attached to the bottom by five Gimels and sputters fitfully about one yard/metre above the surface of the water. It is most reluctant to leave being in awe of Fizgig and hopes to learn some tricks! It holds a triangular (four sided) pyramid made of lapis lazuli weighing two pound (1kg) that must be placed on the fourth step. This is also a Reliquary/1 but in the hands of a Marid (IN: Primal Spirit of Water) it is revealed as a Reliquary/4 and Relic with all three Songs of Water: 1/2/1!
This pentagonal chamber is usually for breaking Marids (Islamic Water Elementals) and has five candle stands surrounding a central pit of embers. A gold pentagram framework cages the firepit and can be raised or lowered by an attached iron chain that passes through an eyebolt fixed in the centre of the ceiling and made fast to a hook by the door. The firepit glows with an unnatural intensity due to the presence of a recovering Fatboy who provides more than enough (ir)radiation to illuminate the Gimel. Fatboy is not restrained by any of this occult paraphernalia and will have a minimum of 4 Forces of Primal Fire and an increasing number of Radiation Forces depending on the time of the Team's arrival. See Death of a Reliever. He will be the most difficult of the Elementals to deal with being by far the most intelligent and sophisticated. But he is not loyal to Ardath in any way. Fatboy will temporarily relinquish his septagonal carnelian prism for the right price! He is in the process of imbuing this Reliquary and Relic of Flame/3 with all his incendiary abilities. Knowing full well that Ardath (or any wielder) will only be able to use them in hastening their own destruction!
The Chamber of Evil Commandings
Five golden candle holders hang above the troll like form of a Primal Spirit of Stone; improbably suspended in the fine golden net that in turn hangs from five delicate hooks equally spaced around this trisdecagonal chamber. Dealing with the Gimel mentality of this Dao (Islamic Earth Elemental) will prove to be the most difficult. A shame, as the Key he is holding is the only one that is not easily replaced by Ardath enchanting a duplicate. This unique object has an origin shrouded in mystery...
An obsidian icosahedron with a transparent triangular prism set through its axis. However any two opposing triangular faces on an icosahedron (D20) have opposing points and by external examination the rock crystal prism must rotate by 180 degrees. But when looking through the prism the view is linear and undistorted. The full Esoteric powers of this object are left to the imagination of the D/M but it is clear that it can rotate more than just rooms...
The Hidden Chambers of Ardath Bey
By closing all the doors to the four Elemental altars and placing all four Keys on the correct steps a powerful Enchantment causes their stored Essence to be released and the circular antechamber to rotate by 45 degrees. The four new passageways are accessed using the enchanted keys as before and Gimel to:
"Sorry Guv but as you can see we've a job to do and we're months behind schedule... so if you will excuse us." ("Wham Wham WHAM!" and splinters of Rock fly from beneath pounding fists.)
The passage will continue and the Team will feel the Celestial
'hairs' on the backs of their Celestial 'necks' start to Gimel. Parallels can be drawn to being connected to an exceedingly
high Voltage (but low amperage) Static Electrical source: Spectral
Fire will run over all surfaces including their Vessels. They
may feel omnipotent, almost God like in their Power (Whoops!)
and there may be involuntary (impromptu) performances of their
Songs, Attunements and Distinctions at the drop of a Halo!
Eventually the Vault itself will be reached. Mundanely resembling
nothing more than a series of empty pottery vessels of various
sizes and antiquities. Culminating in a giant rock hewn cistern
capped with an Obsidian Slab that even seems palpably Malevolent
in its Mundanity. Celestially the situation will be somewhat more
complex (and colourful) with the SFX department working overtime
to describe the complex tracery of linkages between the various
Gimels. Touching any of these will have arcane consequences ranging from a direct Etheric connection
to the Essence cache of some Etheric Artifact belonging to a Ranking
member of the OSS and possibly their Mind as well! Looking into
the Essence Vault itself will have Dire consequences... The Team member should be indelibly reminded that
it contains the Essence of thousands of Sacrifices to the Dark
Powers. Physically breaking just one of these fragile pots or,
eventually, their Esoteric meddling will cause the failure of a safety valve to the Vault itself and visibly
and spectacularly initiate the auto-destruct sequence: "666, 665,
664....!"
