Temple of the Sun: Report

Detective disguised as an Egyptian guard
by Drew Walden

Eight detectives teamed up in this week's adventure in ancient Thebes. The scarab amulet of Seti I was stolen from his tomb in ancient times, and the Detectives traveled back in time to 1112 BCE to investigate. Our team was off the page more often than on, with a train with a human face, a mummy-disguised detective leaping from a sarcophagus, a stolen starbowl, a shadowmage rescue, and a fire-water sheep spouting water bridges over lakes of fire.

In spite of the train, this was an Egyptian adventure. The city of Thebes will not be the same after all the sneaking and hiding, the guards pouring into the streets searching for the strange visitors from the Pharaoh.

All roads led eventually into the Duat. The underworld may not have been ready for this highly creative crew--certainly the 42 gods and goddesses gathered in the Hall of Judgment were in for a colorful visit.

It was a week full of some very skilled sneaking and great fun! Our most nerve-wracking moment may have been the meeting with Amenhotep, the High Priest of the Temple of Amon-Re. The Detectives discovered just how important a little backstory is--and researching the current Pharaoh you're supposed to be serving is highly advised.

It all turned out well in the end. The errant sun god was sent packing, along with Apep the serpent of chaos. The amulet of Khepri was returned to Seti I and he took his place in the Sun Barge of the Blessed Ones.

What did we learn from the week? One can get very, very far with only minimal magic.

The loveliest moment came at the very end. Each story begins and ends with a dream--and this week, the final dream was one of a winged scarab taking the Detectives for a ride. Just as I finished, one of the detectives looked down and found a tiny black beetle on the ground in front of us. Naturally, it became part of the dream.

For the detectives who were skeptical that the scarab is related to our beetles here in Maine, here is an article from National Geographic. Visit the Dragon's Eye Ventures Facebook page for some wonderful photos of our games, the Detectives' wonderful artwork and scarab amulets.