Wield Ancient Artifacts

"He could scarcely tear his eyes from it, and as he looked at its glistening surfaces he almost fancied it was transparent, with half-formed worlds of wonder within. Into his mind floated pictures of alien orbs with great stone towers, and other orbs with titan mountains and no mark of life, and still remoter spaces where only a stirring in vague blacknesses told of the presence of consciousness and will."
   –H.P. Lovecraft, The Haunter of the Dark

You had a good feeling about this jewel-encrusted piece of a scarab statuette when you bought it last night in Cairo. You had simply trusted that the merchant’s exorbitant price had been an honest indication of the artifact’s value. Now, you feel like a fool in the bright light of day at the abandoned dig site. The “jewels” look more like cheap, colorful glass, and doubt creeps in. Searching the ruined altar, you find the single brick with the stylized scarab carved into its corner, carefully break it open, and smile with satisfaction as an ornately enameled half-scarab tumbles to the ground. Gingerly, you take a deep breath and bring the two scarab pieces together. Instantly, with a thunderous crack and a burst of heat, the two pieces shatter outwards from your grasp. The air before you shimmers, and a circular hole now hangs like a window in midair. Bracing yourself, you step towards the portal, forcing your feet forward with the knowledge that this may be the only way to stop Nephren-Ka from rising again.

In Omens of the Pharaoh, an expansion for Elder Sign, the ancient despot, Nephren-Ka, seeks to return to his terrible reign over the land of Egypt and beyond. The Dark Pharaoh’s past deeds were so unspeakably horrendous that the survivors of his regime have tried to purge human history of any records of his rule. Mysterious Relics filled with eldritch power are among the only clues that the investigators have found in their search to stop Nephren-Ka. Will these artifacts be enough to keep these otherworldly threats at bay?

You can join in the fight against Nephren-Ka soon—make sure to pre-order your copy at your local retailer or online through our website today!

Power from Long Past

Though the expedition around Dashur has unearthed some truly horrible creatures, the means to defeat these denizens of another time may also lie within those very ruins. You might find Relics—powerful items that can give your investigators the edge to push back against the darkness that heralds the return of Nephren-Ka. Relics in Omens of the Pharaoh feature refresh icons that allow you to discard the Relic in order to add dice to your pool before you roll. For example, an unlucky player may find themselves faced with desperately trying to complete the Book of the Dead adventure with only two green dice remaining and The Dark Demon standing in the way of their success. 

A player in possession of the powerful Sphinx Idol could discard that Relic to pull their two discarded green dice back into the pool. If they also happen to have unearthed the Pharaonic Mask, you could spend its power to pull the red and yellow dice into your pool.

Some of these Relics must be combined to unleash their full potential. Bring the Eye of Light and the Eye of Darkness together, and investigators can spend trophies to use these two Relics instead of discarding the cards, lending them extraordinary power as they take on the forces of the Dark Pharaoh. 

Whatever Relics your team has at their disposal, you must make sure that you're taking full advantage of their power to battle against the Dark Pharaoh’s ancient menace. The strength of the Relics may have aided those who stood against Nephren-Ka in the past, and now they may mean the difference between life or death for the world.

Other Threats Among the Ruins

Though these Relics possess great power, the investigators will need to draw upon every resource at their disposal if they have any hope of defeating Nephren-Ka and the horrific creatures that herald his return. As Nephren-Ka readies himself for his bloody reign, other fell beings have managed to force their way into our world as the fabric of reality wears thin. The Dark Pharaoh will not be the only threat to slither up from the depths of the dusty ruins.

Alongside Nephren-Ka, the Haunter of the Dark, another of the terrible Aspects of Nyarlathotep, has emerged from some long sealed sepulcher amongst the sands of Dashur. In order to ward off the Haunter’s push to spread the influence of Nyarlathotep in our world, the investigators will need to give up one of their precious Relics each night at midnight… or face the consequences. With Relics being discarded in an attempt to buy time, the investigators will need to leverage the strength of new Allies like Professor Ezra Graves and Olive McBride in their battle against this particular threat.

Bring the power of the arcane Relics to bear in the desperate struggle to seal away this invasion by pre-ordering your copy of Omens of the Pharaoh (SL20) at your local retailer or on our website today!