Cold Case Grimoire
c. 100 ADW
Sage Elbera of the Arcane Conservatory urgently hires the Adventurer's Guild to recover a stolen ancient Grimoire of Tyre and Merrick that belonged to Arcane Registry founder Tyre and was expanded by the leader Merrick.
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Factions and Organizations
- Adventurer's GuildAlso known as Spear of Elina or Spear of the Goddess. A hundred years after the Dead Wars, the Guild has grown into a global hub for missions, with adventurers flocking to it from all over the world. It is currently led by Guild Master Master Thalin Fernstride in Kingdom Grand, with branches overseen by Guildmaster Teyla Coalmaker in Kdor, Elrin Veymar in Evenfell, and Alyndor "Aly" Marvale in New Arcanum. The Guild uses a ranking system, with new recruits earning a rank of Tin, Copper, or Brass; higher known ranks include Colbot, Steel, and Diamond. When Holt threatens to awaken He Who Slumbers, the four guilds unite their forces beneath Kingdom Grand.
- Arcane ConservatoryA magic school located in Kingdom Grand, housed in the Scriptorium. It is a stunning structure of brilliant blues and purples, built in the shape of a five-pointed star with a large tower in the center. Researchers from the Conservatory, such as Sage Elbera, work with the Adventurer's Guild to investigate and handle magical threats.
- Arcane RegistryAlso known as A.R. A faction that registers mages, wizards, and sorcerers, founded by figures like Tyre. It is involved in collecting magical artifacts and hoarding knowledge about them. Led by the dragonborn Ty in the reent years following the Dead Wars, though it had other brilliant leaders like Merrick in its past. They pose as a historic museum collection, but have had tensions with other groups, such as the Adventurer's Guild, over claims to artifacts. In Dead Wars III, they were known to be drawing raw energy from the fabric of existence. In the century following the Dead Wars, the Arcane Registry established its own nation in the western wastes, centered in the city of New Arcanum.
- Road Thieves GuildA notorious thieves' guild, also known as The Road, with its primary headquarters in the mining town of Red Hawk. They have an established command structure, with a Guild Master, Rath "The Gilded Maw", and a third-in-command, Brannik "The Ogre". The guild utilizes a network of young pickpockets in the city markets, who use a secret network of Hidden Tunnels to move about unseen. They are known to target specific valuable items, such as the Grand Grimoire of Grotesqueries and the Grimoire of Tyre and Merrick, trafficking them to buyers in other lands like Evenfell. Members are known for their cunning, expert parkour, and use of sneak attacks and cheap tricks like pocket sand.
Legendary Characters
- Brannik "The Ogre"A towering, bald half-orc and the third-in-command of the Road Thieves Guild. He is loud, crass, and loves to brawl, but is fiercely loyal to his leader, Rath, and protective of the guild's younger members. He wields a metal greatclub and wears Ogre Strength Gauntlets.
- Master Thalin FernstrideA towering Firbolg who serves as the Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in the century following the Dead Wars. He has long black hair braided down his back, piercing blue eyes, and dark green fur, and wears a forest green and white Gi. His personality is calm and measured, and he is known for giving inspiring speeches that relate adventuring to baking. He expects discipline and creativity from his guild members. As Holt's treachery unfolds, Thalin grows weary but resolute, coordinating the four great guilds against the threat beneath Kingdom Grand. After the tremors from the Elderdungeon crack the city's streets, he opens a fresh recruitment drive to replace the guild members lost in the fighting, and later leads the hunt for a saboteur hiding inside his own guild. Troubled by a caravan of strangely well-guarded stolen keepsakes bound west, he hand-picks a party and dispatches them across the Western Wastes to New Arcanum to work with his counterpart Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, convinced the thefts are somehow tied to Biscuit's fate.
- MerrickOne of the most brilliant leaders in the history of the Arcane Registry. He is known for having expanded upon the Grimoire of Tyre and Merrick.
- Sage ElberaA half-elf Elemental Researcher at the Arcane Conservatory. She wore a purple robe with a silver sash, had blue eyes, and wore her brown hair up in a bun. She was eager and direct, and loved to talk about elementals to the exclusion of all else. She hated Holt's attitude but admitted he knew a great deal about monsters and dungeons—until he murdered her in the dungeon beneath Kingdom Grand. Her final intelligence from beyond the grave led the guildmasters to Holt's Laboratory beneath the temple of Vitalia.
- TyreA founding member of the Arcane Registry. Tyre Castle was once his home, and he was the original author of the Grimoire of Tyre and Merrick.
Legendary Items & Artifacts
- Grimoire of Tyre and MerrickAn ancient and powerful book of magical secrets, originally penned by the Arcane Registry founder Tyre and later expanded upon by the brilliant leader Merrick. Its theft from the Arcane Conservatory was a matter of great urgency.
- The Cat's MeowAn uncommon wondrous item, this potion forms into a cat familiar when its liquid is poured onto the ground. The cat acts as if summoned by the 'find familiar' spell and remains until it takes any damage, at which point it disappears forever.
Locations
- EvenfellA kingdom once ruled by Queen Miriel Highlance. It fell to Skotos and was occupied by Augments in Dead Wars II. A century later, it is known as a land of white sands shimmering across the sea to the south of Kingdom Grand and has become a hub for collectors of rare and sometimes stolen artifacts. The city has black-sand beaches beneath stormy skies, high walls, a lighthouse with a stone bridge connecting to the city, docks, and a guild plaza. The streets are mostly quiet, with buildings that are mostly three stories and made of stone with red tiled roofs. The city is home to the Adventurers Guild of Evenfell, led by Elrin Veymar. The city has been experiencing a decline, with strange cultist activity and an eerie silence that sometimes falls over the streets. As Holt's war escalates, many citizens evacuate while mind-controlled adventurers defend the approach to the Great Dungeon Gate.