The Locket and the Ledger
c. 100 ADW
Lieutenant Darnik De Roche of the City Watch of Grand hires the Adventurer's Guild to recover a brass-and-glass locket—a keepsake from his late wife—stolen by a westbound caravan fleeing into the desert toward New Arcanum. Tracking the caravan, the party ambushes a patrol of soulbound Thrall Grunt outriders, scouts a broken-down wagon, and confronts the soul broker Cassius. The locket proves to be collateral for a soul contract that would turn its owner into a thrall if not reclaimed in time, opening a new arc into how New Arcanum's soul contracts operate. Cassius, who prizes sentiment over gold, would rather bargain a Writ of Exchange than fight, and Darnik quietly pays extra to recover other trinkets he knows to be soul-contract collateral.
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Legendary Characters
- AurelianA charismatic demigod who collects mortal souls through Faustian "soul contracts," granting people their heart's desire in exchange for a small keepsake of sentimental value. Unbeknownst to the mark, forfeiting that token severs their anchor to their own soul, letting Aurelian claim them as a thrall—a flawless, emotionless soldier with glowing golden eyes who cannot speak his name or break their bond without their throat searing with divine golden light. His elite agents, the Soul Brokers, broker these deals and bank the collateral in the vaults of New Arcanum, and ordinary magic such as remove curse cannot undo his contracts. Biscuit was the first of his thralls to be uncovered by the Adventurer's Guild.
- CassiusAn arrogant but craven soul broker in the service of Aurelian, charged with escorting a caravan of stolen soul-contract collateral west from Kingdom Grand toward New Arcanum. Dressed in fine merchant's clothes and never without his ledger, he prizes keepsakes far above coin—"Sentiment is the only currency that appreciates"—and, quick to flee and quicker to haggle, would sooner bargain a Writ of Exchange than trade blows, taking up his whip and hand crossbow only when cornered. The keepsakes recovered from his broken-down caravan are what set the guild's agents on the road to New Arcanum.
- Darnik De RocheA human Lieutenant and Quartermaster with the City Watch of Grand. He has red hair and blue eyes, and wears a blue tabard with the sigil of Grand over a breastplate, and carries a halberd. He is kind but has an anxious manner, speaking quickly and seeming unsure of his command, though he is respected by his troops. He is very confident in his skills with numbers and record-keeping.
Legendary Items & Artifacts
- Brass LocketA brass-and-glass locket holding a pressed orchid, given to Lieutenant Darnik De Roche by his late wife. Though it appears to be a simple sentimental keepsake, it is collateral for a soul contract; if it is not reclaimed in time, its owner is turned into a thrall compelled to serve the contract's holder. It was recovered from the soul broker Cassius's caravan.
Locations
- New ArcanumA magical metropolis rising from the heart of the Western Wastes that, in the century after the Dead Wars, became the seat of power for the Arcane Registry and its nation. Perfectly circular, it is a city of towering spires and gravity-defying floating platforms, with airships passing overhead and a great floating black obelisk at its center. A shimmering protective dome cools the entire city, granting relief from the desert heat to travelers who reach its gates. It is connected to other major world powers via teleportation gates, and about a week's wagon travel from Kingdom Grand along a well-marked but perilous trade route. Its Adventurers Guild is led by Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, who joins the other guildmasters against Holt.
- Western WastesThe vast, scorching desert west of Kingdom Grand, with the arcane metropolis of New Arcanum rising at its heart. Most travelers avoid it, braving its heat, unpredictable weather, and unusual magical phenomena only to reach the city; the two are linked by a well-marked trade route that runs about a week by wagon. Sandstorms can swallow the horizon without warning, and the sands themselves grow crystals of solidified arcane power that warp magic around them—aging or teleporting those who pass, spoiling food, turning water to wine, and detonating for force damage when shattered. Life clusters at rare oases, where palms, figs, and desert grasses flourish around the larger crystal formations, and where burrowing predators such as Giant Scorpions lie in wait.
Military Units and Creatures
- Soul BrokerAn elite agent of the demigod Aurelian, charged with brokering his soul contracts—trading mortals their heart's desire for a keepsake of sentimental value—and with overseeing the thralls and caravans that carry the forfeited collateral to the vaults of New Arcanum. Soul brokers are negotiators before all else, valuing sentiment over gold. Cassius is one such broker.
- Thrall GruntA soulbound humanoid enslaved by one of Aurelian's soul contracts, serving as muscle and mounted outriders for a Soul Broker's caravan. Thralls speak in a flat monotone, show no pain or fear, and press forward relentlessly, their eyes flashing with golden light. They have advantage on saves against being charmed and are immune to fear, but cannot act against their contract—if one tries to speak its master's name or reveal contract terms, its throat sears with divine golden light. They fight with a mace and heavy crossbow.