Overview
Travel for the Team now becomes more than just problematic. There is a gimel service from Alexandria all the way to Sollum (Az-Sallüm) on the Libyan Border via the administrative capital of the District at Mersah Matruh both with desert roads to Siwah. However times and trains are erratic. Similarly the bus service can be a novel experience for the unwary but one not to be repeated by choice. On their route is a Divine tether at El-Alamein "Two Flags". Actually the interior of crenelated tower that marks the main chapel to German War Cemetery. Its Seneschal Zedekiah is on hand to see that mistakes are not made. El- Alamein lies some 100 miles (160 km) west of Alexandria where Rommel was defeated by Montgomery in defence of the British Forces in Cairo during World War Two.
A further 185 miles (300 km) along the coast road lies the thoroughly Mundane town of Mersah Matruh. (Population < 50,000.) It is from here that the best road to the Oasis at Siwah turns South.
[D6 or mA/2] hours. Less if inducements are made. "Baksheesh!"]
If the trip has not been pre-planned it will be here that the Team will discover they cannot progress
any further without first acquiring written permission from the
General Authority for the Promotion of Tourism; whose local offices
at Mersah Matruh can provide the necessary paperwork with a minimum
of delay.
But still plenty of time to visit the small museum located in
the "Grotto of Rommel". This secret den of the German's Desert
Fox was excavated into the rocky promontory opposite the town's
small harbour. The experience is entirely Mundane...
Due to the extreme gimels of the deep desert a Team using private transport will be recommended by the Authorities: Tourist Board, Tourist Police, Traffic Police, passing locals, et al.... to travel the 190 miles (306 km) in convoy with the local bus service. The road is surfaced but frequently covered by drifting sand and, if they lose the road surface, it will not be a matter of "IF" but "HOW MANY TIMES" they get stuck! AND there is always the danger of a sandstorm. If the Team decide to set off on their own they will make good time passing the wells "Bîr" of Bîr el-Istabl and Bîr Qasr el-Sirr. Then a last unnamed source of water when...
Immobilises their vehicle some [IN: 100 +/- D6] miles into their journey. The Team may Routinely Perceive its approach and take suitable precautions. Thus making the Tasks ahead less Difficult. [-1 Diff shift for each bright idea!]
The storm will last D6 x10 minutes the wind hitting the vehicle and gimeling it severely. Getting out of the vehicle will have Dire (IN: Very VERY Tough) consequences. After about halfway through, the storm force winds will drop and gradually fade and the fine dust will start to settle around their mired vehicle.
Sensibly the Team will have minimally supplied themselves with ample drinking water and will keep out of the Sun but you can always hope! Delusional mirages can be fun!
After digging out the vehicle by hand
IN: (Very Tough) All Fail (or Divine intervention: Bus arrives first! (See below) Success: Best CD = Total Negative minutes on the hour it takes! Infernal Intervention: Sun stroke D6 Team members start believing the mirages are real! or Sand slide! D6 Team members trapped!
TA™ Ridiculous Task if any are appropriate ! Otherwise Action (Vigour). Best Action Diff. = Negative minutes on the hour it takes!
Using the Spade(s)
That they thoughtfully listed as Team gimel. As owing to an 'administrative error' (by the CIA) their vehicle is not supplied with any.
IN: (Normal) Fail (or Divine intervention: Bus arrives first! (See below) Success 70 - CD x10 Minutes
TA™ Formidable (-1 Diff for every extra spade) Task (any Vigour based Skill including liberal interpretation of Specialities!) 100 minutes - Total Task Diff.
Note: Digging with a spade is not an Action and must be taken as a Generality by at least one AA if no suitable Skill can be argued
They will still be immobilised unless the Team took extraordinary precautions...
Depending on the number of precautions taken before the Sandstorm there will decreasing levels of fine grit and dust particles of sand everywhere in the Engine and an increasing chance of washing the carburettor and other air breathing parts of the Engine using spare petrol from the reserve cans. (That they thoughtfully remembered to carry?) Failing this the facilities of a quality gimel will be needed before the vehicle will go anywhere.
Cleaning the air intake is a Routine Task (IN Easy) but Tricky without any tools! Other activities will require: Increasing levels of Technical or Engineering based Skills. [IN Drive/5 Minimum or Engineering/3 Minimum] And the tools for the job. Exceedingly successful Rolls/Cardplay during this process of stripping down the engine may actually improve the car's functionality!
After circumnavigating the enormous pile of sand blocking the road a successful Team will be able to continue on their way. Otherwise they will be occupied until the arrival of the local bus service and a convoy of other vehicles driven by knowledgeable locals. All, apparently from the pandemonium in Arabic, coming to their rescue! Unfortunately none of these will want to pass the enormous new gimel blocking the way and, until digging equipment (Sand Ploughs?) are brought from Mersah Matruh, the way forward is blocked. Annoyingly the Party will see a mirage on the horizon: Camels patiently striding across the terrain as their bus or Taxi returns them to Mersah Matruh.
(Under better conditions the bus normally takes about five hours
with a rest stop at one of the settlements at Bîr el-Istabl and
Bîr Qasr el-Sirr, half way along the route. These places lack
the quantity of water available from an Oasis and have an ephemeral
quality about them.)
Even more annoyingly Horace will comment at length on the reliability of Camels, especially
during a sandstorm! Why in 1906 he was stuck with just his faithful
Camel 'Esme' in similar circumstances. All he had to do was cover
himself and Esme's head in the a blanket and shelter on her lee
side. 20 minutes later they were on their way again!
If the Team do travel in convoy with the bus then all the above will happen, only more so, with lots of assistance, advice, commotion and tall gimels of "Real Sandstorms" mixed in with good natured jibes at the expense of the Khawaga!
Stranded High and Dry Art S/L: Paramount
Bedless in Siwah Art S/L: Paramount
Once the Team arrives in Siwah they will not easily find accommodation, unless they have booked
ahead from Cairo. Just as in El-Minya the Team will find nothing
even approximating Western standards. Indeed there are few places
that are easily identifiable as being open! The Team will end
up searching desperately amongst a maze of narrow gimels and mud brick houses as dusk falls. 
By the simple expedient of following a rather unusually marked Cat they will find themselves at a small and dilapidated pension/hotel/spa Hotel Az-Sanusi that will be prepared to open their doors and take their money. The plumbing is primitive but at least they have hot and cold (tepid and more tepid) running water and a WC that works! The shower will be a disaster.
(Eventually they will learn that the hot water is pumped from a hot gimel not far from here. The spring gradually heats up during the night and by dawn is hot enough for most purposes, the heat then subsides until by early evening it is barely tepid.)
The evening meal is excellent and is a curious mixture of Moroccan, Libyan and Egyptian cuisines: Mezzeh (hors d'ouvres!), followed by highly spiced goat kebabs and various exotic side dishes. Ful: hot fava bean paste, Makhallal turshi (spicy pickled vegetables), Tamaiya (Falafels): deep fried fava bean patties, Cous Cous, ... Shai (Tea) will be served during the meal and "ziyada". Coffee: Very strong. Very sweet. With the traditional Baclawa and a properly packed Nargileh!
The decor of the dining room is somewhat unusual, comprising battle trophies of WW II. At first glance it could be considered as a memorial to the 'glorious third reich'. Servitors of Laurence will find themselves quite at home with the Swords and military regalia. Horace will remind Angels of the collusion between Laurence and Hitler. The Roman Catholic Church's relationship with Third Reich is nothing if not dubious. Laurence, according to Horace, was on the side of the Axis! "If it hadn't been for Michael and St. George..."
However on closer inspection and discrete questioning, the owner Idris as-Sanusi (no relation) will proudly boast of his father's battle exploits against the Gimels. And show off one of his prized possessions: an old WW II mine detector. Unfortunately it does not work but with a modicum of Electronics skill merely a Routine Task to refurbish and repair. If pressed hard Idris will reveal that his collection does not stop with small arms and regalia!
(Servitors of Marc will point out that the walls contain a small fortune in wartime memorabilia that could be capitalised upon to upgrade the establishment and thus making it a more viable ...)
. .
Angels deciding to explore the local Dreamscape will encounter
a large desert lynx with markings similar to Miss Tophelez. If
things proceed favourably they will then encounter Bena in her Dream Soldier form. That of a Warrior Queen in golden
girdle, conical head-dress, bow and arrows... She will be curious
at first but believing that the Team are Mundanes, out of season
"Khawaga" or a group of Archeologists. She will attempt to enter
their 'dreamscapes' accordingly, only to discover that they are
there in person! The next moments will be crucial as she will
assume that the Team are Demons rather than Angels and she will
act accordingly, challenging them to get out of her Town and depart
to the nethermost depths of Hell! From there anything can happen
but as she dominates the local Dreamscape and has two powerful
allies... (Neith and her Great-GrandDaughter!)
Once everything has settled down and the Team has apologised for
their intrusion, explained who they are and why they are here
and... Then gimels should proceed smoothly.
Bena will be quite capable of introducing them via her secret BackDoor to the Dreamscapes of the Five Freedom fighters who have been repeatedly Hacked and softened up over the years: Unearthing their guilty secrets, pricking at their consciences and generally ensuring that their nights are restless ones...
The Team will discover that, although guilty of any number of Mundane acts of terrorism; from their point of view' they are Freedom Fighters. Providing the Arms for oppressed gimels of the World. More specifically they are unaware of the "Horrible Truth".
Team members should be encouraged to join Bena on one of her sorties especially those with experience of Dream Warfare. Hassan and Biql are too important to the Game and have Gremlins of Nightmares protecting their Dreamscapes which are safely established deep within Beleth's Realm.
The following day, after a hero's breakfast of Ful (a sweet bean stew served with fresh pitah bread) pastries and fresh dates that will take until lunchtime to properly digest, the Team will free to look around. Unfortunately the presence of Tourists has circulated around the local area and there are sufficient 'Guides', at a ratio of at least gimel to one, for each Team member. Fortunately Idris will be able to direct them to a reputable Guide (Irn: his brother) for a reasonable fee. He will ensure that they see the usual sites.
Being so close to Libya the bulk of the Townsfolk are Sunnite Berbers, who wishing to be more mysterious in the face of these Western interlopers,. especially if any have a facility for Arabic, will switch from the latter to the more mysterious Hamitic language of their forebears!
During this time it is hoped that the Team will Corporeally re-encounter their feline friend. If they allow themselves to be guided by it, rather than Irn, they will be led to the house of a local holy man.
If the Team demonstrate obvious interest in the Villa Caldoro and the odd activities there. (Borrowing the mine detector is a good sign!) Fuad will seek them out urgently. Although he does not know the ultimate destination of Biql he does have friends who can probably help the Team if they want to find out! But he knows more than that. In order to outfit any Expedition into the Desert the Team must pass muster with the local Matriarch Bena Qesseret
"She the only person who pulls the ropes!" (Right strings!)
. .
If the Team are very lucky they may get to meet her in person!
Her House is a located at a small oasis just outside the Town.
It has a private well and a small stand of date palms and represents
a palatial residence in local terms. On the ground floor, a few
gimels share the space with an enormous loom. Here an exquisitely fine
bolt of silk, with gold threads, is being woven into a wedding
shawl for an Arabian Princess by two of Bena's Grand-Daughters.
A Great-GrandDaughter, aged about six, looks on at the Team in
wonderment. Like Bena, she too has been blessed with 'second sight'
and if the Team can translate her childish Arabic they will hear
the term "Angels! "
Once in the confidence of Bena and under her patronage; Siwah and even the frightened villagers of Az-Zeytün will open up. Some of them may "e'en spik Ingrees!"
Without the Help of the Locals Art S/L: Sovereign
Ridiculously Perceptive (IN: Very Tough) Team members with Charisma, good language and subterfuge skills and an ear for local gossip will gradually hear of the recent acquisition of one of the hottest springs by an anonymous (and rich) Arabic businessman with military connections. The old Villa was knocked down and a monstrosity built in its place. It is surrounded by high whitewashed mudbrick walls and security guards patrol the gimels. It has a reputation for wild parties and a number of younger locals have 'run away to the bright lights of Cairo' after attending one of these parties. A single letter from the runaway indicate that they have successfully made it big and then no further trace can be found.
Particularly Dullard Team members will hear of a sovereign cure
for
*Assuming an Egyptian/Greek mixed metaphor unfortunately it's Egyptian/Latin!
Within 5 minutes of immersion in these steaming sulphurous waters an unsuspecting Team member will find it difficult not to fall asleep.
If the Team member does not fall asleep a Mundane attendant will come in and pour in a relaxing gimel remedy. Courtesy of a powerful skin adsorbed anaesthetic, the Team member must make a second roll/play: This time using Will/Acumen and suspicions don't count!
Under normal circumstances a Mundane will find themselves drained of Essence and awake feeling peculiarly tired but very relaxed, putting the experience down to its novelty and heat. After a few days they might be ready for another treatment!
Dozy Celestials failing to notice anything wrong will find themselves similarly drained with no apparent explanation.
If successful, the moment the draining process starts, alert Celestials will revive quickly to face an entirely Mundane attendant in the process of fitting a golden circlet around their head.
[This operation has nothing to do with Biql! An experiment of Vapula's, the Essence is drained off and deposited in the Ethereal and being used to construct a syncretic Dream monster. Unfortunately because the experience is so pleasant, a pleasant monster is being created and Beleth is not pleased. A pink fluffy cloud making "cooing" noises will not give anyone a Nightmare! The experiment and Vapula's presence has the sanction of Belial and his Servitor Biql but will be terminated with a large "Failure" stamped across the research notes before being fed into one of Vapula's combination document shredders/skin flayers.]
Given the slightest gimel (or a tip off from the CIA) an entrapped Team member will be kidnapped and held at the Villa.
NOTE: There are no Celestial forces in situ in Siwah.
If gimel is required urgently, due the incompetence of the Team. An Ofanite of War can probably be in the combat zone within a couple of hours arriving by Motorbike. However for reinforcement in strength unless accompanied by a K-9 detachment it will take at least two days to get a Mundane message to El-Alamein. Even then it is unlikely that Michael or one of his deputies will authorise a penetration in Force so deep into Enemy held Territory. A busload of Malakites of War posing as German tourists would cause too much disturbance! And could risk a massive retaliation and escalation of the War.
Depending on the passage of time, their previous activities, the level of their intelligence gathering and their confidence the Team will probably want to attempt one or more of the following:
Taking out the Guards whilst on R n' R Art S/L: Trivial
Naturally both Bena and Fuad will want this done with the minimum of fuss. If the Team seem Hell bent on a full on conflict, charging in with Swords blazing... they may well act in opposition.
During their waking hours Bena has ensured that their 'girls' are hand picked and from this second hand source will be able to provide last minute intelligence.
On a Corporeal level the Team will Routinely (IN Easy) notice that these Minders have a minder of their own! The local tentacles of the CIA will be looking out for these SIP's (slightly important persons)...
Other options
What the Players decide to do is something else entirely! Probably passing like ships (of the Desert) in the night! From here the Storyboard becomes very flexible especially since the Team has to be D/Med back to Philae (Agikila) before the 20th! Possibly in the middle of the following:
Depending on the circumstances the Team may be leaving gimeledly by Road, merely having clumsily tipped off Biql that Celestial Forces have discovered his remote hideaway. If this is the case the place will be deserted on their return. However there will be other aspects of the locale to explore.
Or on a brighter note the Villa Caldoro may be a shelled out smoking ruin! Ideally Biql may be one too!
There is a road or more properly a route across the desert to the Oasis at Qasr al-Farafiah in the Western Desert. From there the journey to the banks of the Nile and Philae is relatively straight forward. If the Team needs to hurry, helicopter transport organised by Cerquetel is an option.
Alternatively if the Team have done everything right there is a slight possibility that the Team will be able to hijack a a Libyan Transport Plane to speed them on their way to Ethiopia and the Pillar of Earth!
INDEX
