578 The Emerald Locket (Patreon)

Traveler! Maria Rutter, a powerful mage lost her children and then her life in a spectacular clash with an evil wizard. Being the wielder of the coveted tome, the Ethereal Codex, she used its forbidden power to encapsulate her soul in an emerald locket to achieve a form of immortality that her colleagues frowned upon. The locket was hidden away in a vault. They considered it dangerous to non-mages as it would possess them.

Now, centuries later, the emerald locket's vault has been negligently abandoned and unearthed by lowly mercenaries and tombrobbers. Several individuals have tried to explore the place unsuccessfully. At least the magical traps and guardians set up by the covenant remain active to this day. Should the characters explore the location and establish contact with Maria Rutter's captive spirit, it may redirect them to exact her revenge against the evil wizard or his descendants. Still, the covenant shall seek the characters out because of their untimely intrusion into their vault.

This is a level 2 adventure with a bit of role-playing, dungeon-crawling in a dangerous vault, and the opportunity to acquire a powerful artifact and upset a mage's covenant. Here's a low-def preview of this illustration:

Here's a close-up of the nave-like chamber where the covenant hid the emerald locket. No one can reach before first dealing with the arcane guardians that protect the place.

Outside the vault, a group of mercenaries camps before returning to the city. They tried to explore the place but an explosive runes trap killed two of them. Their leader, Rok, has seen enough and will not risk his life further; or that of his friends.

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