“Tomb raiders: they get everywhere. The Guardian Mummy of the Tomb of Kings in Sophanem is bored of dealing with them, and has created an area for budding ‘archeologists’ to distract them from actually finding his master’s tomb.
Pyramid Plunder is a Thieving-based game, in which you enter a pyramid in order to steal its riches. There are eight chambers with increasingly valuable treasures to be plundered, but the ancient Guardian of the tomb is a cunning beast and has hidden as many traps as he could find.” (Taken directly from Runescape.com)
Jagex has released yet another mini-game this month, this one thieving-based. It is located deep in the desert, specifically the city of Sophanem. Because of this, you need to have at least started the quest “Icthlarin’s Little Helper” to gain access to this game. It is suggested that to reach this mini-game you should ride a flying carpet to Pollnivneach, and from there on to Sophanem. At least level 21 thieving is required, though to gain the full benefits of this mini-game, you need level 91. It is also recommended that you take some food and anti-poison with you, as some traps can prove to be lethal.
If you are sure you are prepared, then head over to the Pyramid of Jalsavrah. The great pyramid has four entrances, but only one is the correct way in. You will know when you have found the correct one if you see a Guardian Mummy inside the chamber you enter. Talk to the mummy and it will explain to you how the game works and what you can do with the items you obtain while playing. When you think you are ready, select the option ‘I know what I’m doing – Let’s get on with it.’ You will then be teleported to the first chamber.
In a time span of 5 minutes, you can search any of the urns, chests, and sarcophagi that are scattered throughout each room. Each urn, chest, and sarcophagus requires a check against your thieving level. The lower your thieving level, the more likely you are to take damage from a trap in the object. Each chamber requires successively higher thieving level to enter. For the first you only need level 21, the second, 31, third, 41, and so on, until you reach the eighth and final chamber, of which you need level 91 thieving to enter. The further you go and the more chambers you enter, the rarer the artifacts you can acquire become. The first few chambers, you can at best find a stone artifact. In the final couple, however, you may have the luck of obtaining several gold objects.
At the end of your 5 minute time span, you will be teleported outside the pyramid. To cash in your artifacts for gold pieces, head over to the agility pyramid and talk to Simon Templeton. He will purchase your relics for a fair price.
Please note, if you gain access to the last chamber, you have a chance of uncovering the greatest treasure of all: the jeweled golden scepter, formerly owned by an ancient king. This staff can be used to teleport to three locations: Jalsavrah, the mini-game pyramid, Jaleustrophos, the agility pyramid, and finally Jaldraocht, the pyramid in which you obtain the Ancient Magicks. The scepter holds a maximum of 3 teleports, of which you can renew with a small payment to the Guardian Mummy. You will need 24 pottery or ivory artifacts, 12 stone artifacts, or 6 gold artifacts to recharge the staff.
It’s always good to have a mini-game based on a specific skill, and this one is great. You can improve your thieving level, and at the same time gain a fairly good cash reward. The only downside to this game is its location. It’s a pain to travel all the way into the far depths of the desert, and this made me shy away from participating in it in the first place. Hopefully Jagex’s next mini-game will have the same quality, but have it a bit more accessible.