This article contains content from pre-release sources that may or may not be reflective of canon upon release. This article therefore likely contains spoilers.
Back at the cell's hideout, the Descendants are greeted by Gavin Banks, who congratulates them on the successful recovery of the third piece of what he calls the "Rings of Seth". Meanwhile, the technician meticulously examines the new artifact, cross-referencing it with the Brotherhood's database to identify any additional connections between these Rings and the Assassins of the past.
According to Banks, if the vampire was at the British Museum, this Zixuan Long surely knows something more than the Brotherhood, yet not so much as to have an insurmountable advantage. To maintain equilibrium or regain lost ground, the Assassins must act swiftly.
The technician eventually discovers a match: the Ring of Seth recovered at the museum (also known as the Ring of Sand) has come into contact with members of the Brotherhood back in 1923, in Egypt's Valley of the Kings—the same location where the sarcophagus was reportedly unearthed in 1932.
Gavin Banks urges the Descendants to return to the Animus promptly. This might offer them an opportunity to gain an advantage over Dr. Long.
In 1922, following a temporary halt in excavations due to the Great War, the British archaeologist Howard Carter made a momentous discovery. He unearthed the tomb of the 18th DynastyPharaohTutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. What Carter was unaware of, however, was that the patron funding his research, Lord Carnarvon, held a covert allegiance to the British Rite of the Templar Order.
A year later, laborers at the excavation site made an astonishing find. They discovered a secondary tunnel branching off from the main structure, delving deeper into the earth and unveiling an entirely new network of chambers and passageways. At the end of this labyrinthine complex stood a wall adorned with intricate hieroglyphs recounting tales of the godSeth and other figures shrouded in mystery.
Much of the interior walls of the complex resembled a catacomb, with exposed burial sites and a solitary sarcophagus positioned prominently before a staircase leading to the inscribed wall. The significance of this discovery was still largely unknown to the laborers: it was an IsuVault housing a guardian empowered by a Piece of Eden. It was little wonder that the Templars swiftly mobilized to seize control of the site.
You know that Templar agents have already infiltrated the crew of archaeologist Howard Carter to secure any Isu artifacts or secrets uncovered during the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb last year. The rumors about a strange frieze depicting the god Seth holding items similar to Isu Artifacts found in a deeper level of the tomb seem to be confirmed by the presence on site of Lord Carnarvon, who hurried here all the way from England.
Your mission is clear: infiltrate the dig site, gather intelligence on any significant discoveries, and above all, prevent the Templars from obtaining any Precursor technology.
The Witnesses must penetrate the labyrinthine tunnels of the tomb to witness the Templars' discovery firsthand. The location is inaccessible to the public and surrounded by British Armyguards at its perimeter. However, they are not alone in their endeavor. Lord Carnarvon and a substantial contingent of Templar agents arrived at the site two days ago.
As you step out of the vehicle, the warm desert breeze embraces you. It's a comforting welcome after your journey from the banks of the Nile. From your vantage point, you can survey the dig site nestled in the Valley of the Kings, keeping a safe distance. The entirety of the site has been cordoned off from the public, press, and local authorities under the guise of "safety reasons." Guards are stationed at the perimeter of the site and at the entrance to each tomb.
Suddenly, as you watch the access to Tutankhamun's tomb, you notice something unusual. Lord Carnarvon, the Templar patron behind the archaeological mission, is being dragged away, clearly bleeding from a neck wound. The air echoes with distant gunshots and anguished cries coming from within the tomb itself. The British soldiers guarding the perimeter snap into action, while Templar agents emerge from their tents, converging on the area like a swarm. A palpable sense of danger hangs in the air, tinged with an unsettling aura of the unknown. Despite the risks, one certainty remains: you must venture into the heart of the dig site and thwart the Templars' pursuit of the Pieces of Eden at all costs.
Challenges
British Army: The Witnesses must sneak into the dig site, evading detection by the British soldiers stationed on the perimeter.
Templar Agents: The Witnesses must sneak into the tomb without being caught by the Templar agents actively patrolling it.
Alarm Traps: The Templars have set up traps in the secondary tunnel leading to the Isu Vault. The Witnesses will have to disarm or avoid these to proceed undetected.
Weaknesses
Convenient Disguise (minor): Witnesses can disguise themselves as Templar agents or British soldiers to bypass patrolling guards. In this case, all Stealth and Social checks made to overcome the British Army and Templar Agents Challenge have 1 Free Raise.
Fireworks (minor): The vehicles used by the excavation team are loaded with spare petrol cans. The Witnesses can utilize the canisters to engineer an explosion, serving as a diversion, in which case they overcome either the British Army or Templar Agents Challenges, or both depending on the situation.
Alternative Access (minor): Once inside the perimeter, the Witnesses can seek information regarding the excavations. In this case, they may discover that the excavators have found a second access tunnel leading to the Isu Vault. This tunnel is unsafe—and therefore unused—but is not patrolled. It can be accessed from the nearby tomb of Ramesses VI. If the Witnesses decide to access the tunnel from there, they overcome the Templar Agents and Alarm Traps Challenges. However, the Reader might decide to add a different Challenge related to the unsafe tunnel passage.
Tracking the trail of blood and footprints left by Lord Carnarvon and his entourage, the Witnesses finally arrive at the entrance of the secondary tunnel, which descends deeper into the earth towards the hidden chambers surrounding the Isu Vault. There, a ferocious battle rages between armed Templar agents trying to access the Vault and a fantastical army of monstrous guardians.
As they make progress into the underground complex, any of the Witnesses possessing the necessary expertise discern a peculiar anomaly in the tomb's layout. Contrary to the typical Egyptian funerary provisions expected in such structures, there are no canopic jars and ushabtis, essential for the deceased's journey into the afterlife. This omission suggests that, despite appearances, the complex is not a tomb.
A surreal assemblage of horrors unfolds within the main chamber, orchestrated by a living mummy wielding a radiant, golden khopesh. Animated skeletons, armed with rusty weapons, emerge from graves embedded in the walls to encircle a group of Templars. Meanwhile, colossal snakes assail another contingent attempting to breach the wall. Swarms of carnivorous scarabs descend upon those vainly attempting to flee.
Amidst this chaotic scene, the mummy's piercing gaze locks onto your group. Its index finger ominously points in your direction as thunderous words in a long-forgotten language reverberate through the chamber. Simultaneously, several skeletons turn their empty eye sockets to fixate on your party. This cannot be good!
Special
Following the defeat of the mummy, chaos erupts as a grenade, thrown in panic by a Templar agent, detonates near the dry, inert corpse. The explosion reverberates through the chamber, triggering a chain reaction of crumbling rock and billowing dust. With the underground structure already teetering on the verge of collapse, the tremors intensify, signaling an imminent and potentially lethal threat to all those still trapped within its confines. All Witnesses must make a Reaction check while escaping the collapse.
Challenges
Templar Agents: Even amidst the chaos of battling unspeakable monsters, the fanatic Templar agents still perceive the Descendants as adversaries and seek to obstruct or assault them.
Illusions of Horror: Animated skeletons, swarms of carnivorous insects, sand ghosts, zombie hyenas, and a multitude of other terrifying monsters are nothing more than illusions conjured by the guardian mummy. However, the potency of these illusions is such that those who are unable to see through them remain in grave peril. The only means to confront this formidable threat is to pierce through the veil of deception and recognize the illusions for what they truly are. A Witness can make a Wits check with 1 Raise to see reality as it is and become immune to the mummy's monsters.
The Mummy Returns: The undead creature wields its khopesh with superhuman expertise and speed. Fighting it requires at least 2 separate Approach checks with 1 Raise. Also, on a failure, the Witness must make a Reaction check.
Weaknesses
Turn Tail (major): Given the otherworldly nature of the threat they are facing, the Witnesses may indeed opt to heed their instincts and hastily retreat from the depths of the underground complex. In this case, the Witnesses achieve the Survive the Guardians Key Objective.
As you emerge from the tunnel, a palpable tremor reverberates through the earth, signaling the impending collapse of the underground complex. Like a living entity, the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb exhales a billowing cloud of dust and sand, within which, for a fleeting moment, the sinister visage of the mummy seems to materialize, sneering malevolently. Before you can dwell on this unnerving sight, the bright headlights of the British army's vehicles illuminate the scene from a distance, prompting you to swiftly retreat into the comforting embrace of shadows. Soon, the artificial construct of the Simulation begins to unravel, gradually dissipating, and bringing you back to reality.
Images of monsters, killers, and the harrowing events of the past few days weigh heavily upon you as you settle into your seat on the flight from London to Cairo, making it a formidable struggle to find rest. Knowing that there will be no respite upon arrival, your thoughts turn to the urgent mission that lies ahead. Once you touch down in Cairo, there will be no time to waste. You will press onward, journeying south towards Luxor, eager to explore the untouched depths of the Valley of the Kings—a place you only "visited" in 1922 in the Simulation.
The following hooks can be used to play one or more Sequences occurring prior to the events depicted in "the Great Egyptian Discovery."
Mysterious Origins (Modern Day). The sarcophagus and the ring contained within it were loaned a few months ago to the British Museum from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. However, from both publicly available and hacked data, there appears to be no record of the site where the sarcophagus was found. Lumped together with Tutankhamun's latest collection of relics, it is plausible that the discovery was made in the 1920s; the accompanying documentation might still physically exist in the offices of the Cairo Museum—or perhaps someone has kept the site secret on purpose. Either way, a visit to Cairo could serve the Brotherhood well.
Spies in Cairo (Simulation). The Brotherhood has detected peculiar activities involving a Templar seneschal, Lord Carnarvon, who hastily departed for Cairo aboard a private plane, accompanied by a sizable contingent of Templar agents. It appears that significant developments are underway in Egypt. The Witnesses have been tasked with promptly reaching the Egyptian capital to track down the Templars. Their mission there is to spy on Lord Carnarvon, gathering intelligence on his activities and intentions, and intervening only if deemed essential.
Medjay Guardians (Simulation). As the Witnesses make their journey towards the Valley of the Kings, they encounter a band of Medjays on horseback, donned in black robes and heavily armed. The Medjays confront the Assassins, delivering a stern warning: "None shall pass into the sacred confines of King Tutankhamun's Tomb. None shall uncover what lies hidden beneath its ancient stones."
The following hooks can be used to play one or more Sequences occurring prior to the events depicted in "Fulfill Your Destiny."
A Spanner in the Works (Modern Day). Following the PCs' intrusion, Abstergo intervenes to stop them before they can reach the Valley of the Kings. While the Descendants head to Heathrow to catch their flight, a group of Abstergo agents, led by the formidable Black Cross, Juhani Otso Berg (see the Black Cross Sequence Hook, on page 97 [The Mansion Massacre]), intercepts them. The Descendants find themselves vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Their only viable option is to make a swift escape, utilizing every resource and skill at their disposal.
Fragile Alliance (Modern Day). At the last moment, the Black Cross recognizes the urgency of stopping Dr. Long. He approaches the Descendants with an offer – a temporary alliance to stop Long's plans. With his assistance, the PCs will have a smoother journey to Luxor in Egypt, significantly reducing the risk of encountering further problems with Abstergo. However, this offer is not without its own set of risks.
