_The eye sockets in a large, ornate death mask suddenly ignite with a golden radiance. With the creak of long-unused limbs, this towering figure in ancient armor raises a khopesh and scepter once more._ **Tomb Servants.** Ushabtis were placed in ancient tombs as servants for the tomb’s chief occupants in the afterlife. They are long-lasting constructs that can tend to physical work and maintenance inside sealed tombs where flesh-and-blood laborers couldn’t survive. **Slaughter Tomb Robbers.** Ushabtis are most commonly encountered in their roles as guardians—a function they fulfill very effectively. An ushabti is sometimes obvious from the blood of its victims, staining its form. Some tombs are littered with bones of tomb robbers an ushabti has dispatched. **Khopesh and Scepter.** Most ushabtis have human faces and proportions, with features resembling a death mask. When at rest, they stand or lie with arms folded across their chests, clutching their scepter and khopesh. Many variations have been found, however, including some that are completely inhuman, animal‑headed, or that have abstract or fanciful designs such as a sun sphere head or a body made entirely of papyrus scrolls. **Constructed Nature.** An ushabti doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.