Bontu's Monument

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Bontu's Monument
Monument of Ambition
Information
Plane Amonkhet
Colors Black mana
Status Unknown
Part of Desert of the Glorified, Oashra Valley, Naktamun, Shefet
Scryfall Statistics

Bontu's Monument is a legendary artifact and sacred site dedicated to the god Bontu. This towering structure stands as a testament to ambition and ruthless self-interest. Within its shadow, countless initiates have competed for the god's favor and the promise of supremacy in the afterlife. The monument itself embodies Bontu's doctrine that only through sacrifice and betrayal can true glory be attained.

Description

“The worthy shall strive for greatness. Supremacy in life leads to supremacy in the afterlife."

— Monument Inscription

Bontu's Monument is a large stone monument in the shape of a crocodile head located in the Desert of the Glorified in the city of Naktamun on the plane of Amonkhet. A place both forbidden and forgotten to all, Samut discovered a glyph within it that she had not seen since her childhood; the symbol "Trespasser." At that moment, she realized the truth about Amonkhet and its perceived history: "The God-Pharaoh is the Great Trespasser."[1] Samut realized the God-Pharaoh was not a savior but the destroyer of the plane of Amonkhet. She realized he had altered the memory of the gods and the history of the plane.

During the Trial of Ambition, ten members of a crop would enter the monument, where they were made to compete rather than cooperate. It involved moving through several dark chambers full of traps and monsters, encouraging those taking part to sacrifice each other until they arrived at a clear water body full of poisonous snakes, whose only means of crossing involved sacrificing the heart of another. In the final chamber, Bontu informed the remaining initiates that there were three doors, and their starting position in the final Trial of Zeal would be determined by the door through which they exited. The initiates were forced to act quickly as swarms of flesh-eating scarab beetles entered the room. It was the initiate willing to put personal glory over friendship who would achieve the highest honor.[2]

Bontu's Monument is a visually stunning pyramid of alabaster and gold, topped with the gleaming likeness of the god. The sun's glare off the monument can be blinding at certain times of the day, which Bontu views as an appropriate symbol of her glory and a sign of the fate due to those who dare to look upward and covet her position. The entire edifice gives a sense of looming menace, amplified by the sinister, reptilian smile of the god's visage. Bontu's viziers inscribe the names of the initiates who truly excel at the Trial of Ambition onto the sides of her monument. These are Bontu's favorites, whom she will exalt alongside her when the God-Pharaoh returns and lifts her to her proper place by his side. The fact that only the very top of the monument has not yet been inscribed is seen as an indication that the God-Pharaoh's return cannot be far away. The inside of the monument is divided into many small chambers that present a series of tests to the initiates who enter for the Trial of Ambition. The chambers are lit by a golden gleam radiating upward from the floors, shimmering like treasure but casting ominous shadows everywhere. The shapes of these chambers can be altered to create obstacles and challenges by extending or retracting the massive stone columns that make up the floors and walls. Of course, columns can crush the unwary between them, and dodging these collisions is part of the test. An initiate who can maneuver competitors into the path of crashing columns while staying clear of them has a clear path to victory in the trial. Throughout the monument, gold-inlaid glyphs are carved into the walls. The writing spells out familiar parables extolling the virtues of cooperation and solidarity that every initiate learns in preparation for Oketra's trials. On a closer read, however, a dark twist becomes evident in each parable. While Oketra taught that the strength of a group covers the weaknesses of its members so that all shall fail or succeed together, Bontu's retellings subtly suggest that the strong can succeed only if the weak are eliminated. Since Bontu does not make her desires known, initiates sometimes make offerings to her in hopes of winning her favor. Those who hope to triumph in competition leave offerings of gold, alabaster, jewels, and other treasures, which Bontu's viziers collect - and then resell at a significant profit. Bontu refers to these offerings as dross, caring nothing for them or the initiates who leave them. Time spent offering prayers and making sacrifices could be better spent in the pursuit of glory.[3]

The Trial of Ambition

No formal training is required before initiates enter the Trial of Ambition. Only initiates who have earned cartouches in the first three trials are admitted to the fourth. Most importantly, Bontu's trial reunites members of a single crop, who might have undergone the earlier trials at a different rate. Ten members of one crop must enter the trial together, if possible, and the entire trial evokes imagery of the solidarity they demonstrated in their first trial together.

Now, however, they are put into direct competition with each other. They must demonstrate their willingness to succeed at any cost, even at the expense of others, to secure the best place in the afterlife. The trial takes place in a series of shifting chambers with rising and falling pillars, strongly reminiscent of Oketra's trial. Rather than encouraging the group to work together, however, these rooms present challenges that are most easily overcome at the cost of one or more members of the group.

For example, the weight of one initiate might open a gate so the rest of the group can escape from a terrible demon, but no escape is possible for the initiate holding the gate open. One initiate might have to wade into a pool of suffocating filth to turn a crank that lowers a bridge that the others can cross. As groups of initiates pass from one chamber to the next, their ranks thin and their resentment toward each other grows.

At last, they reach the final chamber, a tall, narrow room that extends to the top of the monument. Bontu herself greets them there and declares they have passed the Trial of Ambition — the only task remaining is to exit the monument. Three doors lead out of the chamber: one at ground level, one halfway up the long back wall, and a golden door at the apex. The initiates must decide which door they will use to exit — the most important choice of their lives so far.

An initiate's starting position in the Trial of Zeal depends entirely on which door they choose to exit from within Bontu's Monument. The higher the door, the greater the advantage — and the higher the chance of securing a place of honor in the afterlife. Exiting through the highest, golden door grants the best position: those who claim it might bypass the fiercest early battles altogether or enter the arena from high ground, giving them a decisive edge over those below. Their names are carved into the sides of Bontu's Monument, marking them as her chosen, destined to stand beside her when the God-Pharaoh returns.

By contrast, leaving through the lowest door puts initiates at a severe disadvantage. They might be forced immediately into deadly encounters with the strongest beasts, or pushed through narrow ravines where enemies strike from above — almost certain death and a lowly afterlife. There is one small mercy: if every initiate chooses the lowest door, they can leave together. But if any seize another path, those left behind are doomed.

The middle door offers a fair starting position: neither favored nor doomed, those who pass through it face their peers on equal footing, with a good chance at earning a place of respect in the afterlife. However, this door remains locked unless exactly one initiate takes the golden door above. The choice is clear — and cruel: someone must rise above the rest so the rest may pass with dignity.

The ascent to the golden door winds between walls hung with whips, scourges, and knives — not tools for killing, but for inflicting pain. The meaning is plain: only through ruthless betrayal and dominance can one reach the golden door, freeing the middle door for the others. If no one does, all must flee through the lowest door and face near-certain doom.

To ensure they act swiftly, Bontu seals their fate with a final test. As the initiates weigh their grim options, cracks in the chamber walls widen, and swarms of ravenous flesh-eating scarab beetles pour forth. If they hesitate too long, there will be no exit at all.[3]

Gallery

  • As seen in the desert
    As seen in the desert
  • As seen from a swamp
    As seen from a swamp

In-game references

Represented in:
Depicted in:

References

  1. ↑ Michael Yichao (May 10, 2017). "Trespass". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Ethan Fleischer (2017). Amonkhet Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ a b James Wyatt (July 2017) - The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Amonkhet, Viz Media.
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