Tomb Thursday P44: A Veil Tale

Greetings, fellow sand surfers! We’re back after a week-long break to give poor ol’ DM Ben a chance to guzzle some potions of healing after a recent hernia surgery. We’re happy to report that all hit points were restored, so let’s get to it!

We’re always on the hunt to expand our desert universe of miniatures, so imagine our glee when you see what we completed from our Pile of Opportunity this week. And remember, all sales are final. 😉

Let’s start with EC3D Designs and this slick Ornamental Camel with Tent! This wandering shelter is from their epic Empire of the Scorching Sands Kickstarter. It’s one of our all-time favorites, and we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if we ultimately 3D-printed and painted every STL from it. And how often can we say that in this beloved hobby of ours?

We actually 3D-printed both of today’s featured RPG miniatures on our trusted Prusa Mini FDM printer (a great place to start in the hobby), and they turned out great. We turned to the brilliant brushwork of resident painter Kimmy Utah to get this wandering camel table-ready. We loved how she used a variety of colors to bring to life, and it definitely says, “Camel coming through,” to us.

If we got a slick, new camel with a terrific tent on top, there certainly must be some mysterious dude inside it, right? Welp, for our newest NPC, we’re turning to EC3D Designs’ Everyday Folk Kickstarter. This charming chap is technically labeled a Human Alchemist, but we think he fits the classic wandering merchant profile to the letter.

Once again, we leaned on Kimmy Utah to bring our newest desert NPC to life! Now, he certainly could be your Human Alchemist character, but if you don’t have that class currently in a game, then why not pass him to your DM to use as an NPC? Even better, if one of your players is using a disguise kit for a mission, that big ol’ beard look is perfect.

Here’s a quick shot so you can see the nifty details on the back of each miniature. So good! That cloak just tugs at our heartstrings.

We’ll keep it simple with this NPC salesman and have him simply go by the name of Kaelen Al-Sarab. Fun fact: Al-Sarab means “the mirage.” DM Ben is going to have him appear on the horizon right after the players either finish a big Wandering Monster fight or once a violent sandstorm passes through.

Here are some items he could be selling:

• Mirage Water (50 gp): A glowing blue vial of enchanted oasis water. Drinking it instantly cures one level of exhaustion caused by desert heat and provides the benefits of a Lesser Restoration spell.
• Potion of Sandscaping (150 gp): A thick, gritty potion. When consumed, the user can cast Mold Earth at will for 1 hour, but it only works on loose sand or dirt—perfect for digging out buried ruins or creating quick trench cover.
• Djinn’s Breath (250 gp): A swirling, smoky potion. When broken or thrown, it creates a 15-foot cube of dense fog (like the Fog Cloud spell) that smells strongly of cinnamon and ozone.
• Sun-Glass Goggles (25 gp): Made from smoked, dark volcanic glass and leather. Wearing them grants advantage on saving throws against being blinded by bright light or sandstorms.
• Silt-Filter Scarf (10 gp): A beautifully woven, patterned scarf. When worn over the mouth and nose, the wearer is immune to the suffocating effects of inhaled dust, spores, or fine desert sand.
• The Ever-Cool Canteen (100 gp): A clay waterskin wrapped in enchanted blue silk (matching his robe!). Any liquid poured into it stays ice-cold, regardless of the external temperature, and it never evaporates.
• Scarab of Direction (300 gp): A small, mechanical brass scarab. When placed on flat sand and given a drop of blood, it springs to life, points its head toward the nearest source of fresh water within 5 miles, and then goes dormant again.
• Dust of the Sunken City (150 gp per pinch): A sparkling silver dust found deep within desert tombs. Throwing it into the air reveals the faint, shimmering magical outlines of secret doors or hidden traps within a 30-foot radius.

Now, who can loan us a couple of gold so we can buy a couple of these beauties from ol’ Al-Sarab? 😉

Until next time!