From: Forsaken Alchemists Abode
Lore: The Mercenary Treasure Hunter is a daring and cunning individual, driven by the allure of riches and the thrill of adventure. Word has spread of an abandoned laboratory, once belonging to the enigmatic alchemist Arion the Unbound, said to be filled with valuable artifacts and magical items of immense power.
Rumors and legends tell of a particular treasure called the Aetheric Resonator, an ancient and powerful device capable of manipulating ethereal energies and opening gateways to other planes. The Resonator’s immense potential has made it the stuff of dreams for treasure hunters, rogues, and unscrupulous individuals seeking untold wealth or leverage in the black markets.
The Mercenary Treasure Hunter is determined to claim the Aetheric Resonator and any other valuable relics that lie within the forsaken abode. Despite the dangers and traps left behind by Arion, the promise of unimaginable wealth and power serves as an irresistible call to adventure for the mercenary’s audacious spirit.
Specific Tier One Stats for the Mercenary Treasure Hunter:
- Cost: The Mercenary may have invested resources in gathering information, purchasing equipment, or hiring a team of skilled individuals to aid in the quest.
- Skills: The Mercenary is likely proficient in skills such as stealth, perception, investigation, and possibly combat skills, making them well-suited for treasure hunting and exploration.
- Requirements: The quest demands physical prowess, cunning, and the willingness to face perilous situations in pursuit of the priceless relics.
- Tags: Treasure Hunter, Rogue, Mercenary, Opportunistic Recovery, Black Market Intrigue, Greed-Driven Pursuit, Relic Smuggling, Rival Hunters, Vault Cracking, Artifact Appraisal, Contract-Based Exploration, Trap Negotiation, Alchemical Spoils
Instructions: The quest begins with the Mercenary gathering information about the abandoned laboratory and the Aetheric Resonator. They may seek out rumors in shady taverns, consult local underworld contacts, or even intercept valuable intel from rival treasure hunters.
Once armed with knowledge about the laboratory’s location and the potential dangers it holds, the Mercenary assembles a team of skilled individuals to aid in the expedition. The team may include lockpickers, trap experts, magical savants, or fellow mercenaries skilled in combat.
Reward: The main reward for the Mercenary Treasure Hunter is the possibility of acquiring valuable artifacts and magical items, including the coveted Aetheric Resonator. These treasures can be sold on the black markets for vast sums of gold or used for personal gain, securing the Mercenary’s place among the elite or notorious figures in their world.
Additionally, the Mercenary’s reputation as a successful treasure hunter may attract further job opportunities, partnerships with powerful figures, or even exclusive access to more lucrative and dangerous quests.
Difficulties: The quest is laden with difficulties. The abandoned laboratory is replete with treacherous traps, dangerous guardians, and magical wards left behind by Arion to protect his secrets. The Mercenary and their team must navigate these obstacles with caution and cunning.
Other treasure hunters or rival mercenaries might be pursuing the same goal, leading to competition, conflict, and the potential for betrayal or sabotage. The dangers of the laboratory and the ever-present risk of being outmaneuvered by adversaries make the quest a dangerous and high-stakes endeavor.
Problems: One of the main problems the Mercenary may encounter is the ethical dilemma of selling powerful artifacts on the black markets. Such items could fall into the wrong hands, leading to dire consequences for the world. The Mercenary must decide whether to keep such artifacts for personal use or find a way to protect society from their potential misuse.
Additionally, the laboratory itself may be unstable or infested with dangerous creatures. Solving complex puzzles and deciphering ancient inscriptions may prove to be a time-consuming challenge.
Who to Ask for More Information — To gather more information about the abandoned laboratory and the Aetheric Resonator, the Mercenary can approach various sources, including:
- Thieves’ guilds or criminal networks known for dealing in valuable artifacts.
- Adventurers or treasure hunters who have attempted to explore the laboratory before.
- Reclusive sages or historians with knowledge of Arion’s history and artifacts.
Environments: The quest takes the Mercenary Treasure Hunter through diverse environments. They might navigate through bustling city streets, shady taverns, and underground criminal hideouts to gather information and recruit skilled individuals.
The journey to the abandoned laboratory may involve traversing dense forests, crossing treacherous mountain passes, or venturing into perilous underground tunnels. The laboratory itself will present an array of challenges and puzzles, likely set within ancient ruins or hidden chambers filled with the remnants of Arion’s experiments and creations.
The Mercenary must remain vigilant and adaptable, for the path to the Aetheric Resonator and other treasures is fraught with danger and mystery. The reward of unimaginable wealth and power awaits those bold enough to claim it from the forsaken abode.
Mood setting excerpt from:
The Sable Ledger of Broken Vaults
Chapter VII: “Ash Under Gold – The Folly of Greed and Gears”
“To those who seek the Resonator, heed now the tales that escaped the blackened halls…”
The scent of scorched parchment lingers between these brittle pages, as if the book itself recalls the heat of what was lost. In the candlelit vaults of the Forsaken Alchemist’s Abode, where fire once danced in flasks and ambition brewed in glass lungs, the echoes of avarice remain, shivering through the very mortar.
Here begins the account of Roen Laskir, a mercenary once branded “Goldblooded” for his uncanny knack of finding profit in peril. His was a path not paved by nobility or prophecy, but by hunger—hunger for coin, for legacy, for the glint of power untouched.
It is said Roen’s boot first touched the threshold of Arion’s abandoned sanctum at the blood-hour—when twin moons eclipsed and shadows crept backwards against the sun. The entrance was buried beneath shattered stone and twisted bramble, concealed by illusions that whispered lies in seven tongues. He brought with him a cadre of the finest filchers and bonebreakers he could hire—none of whom made it past the third lock.
The first chamber they called the Whispering Conduit. Windless, sealed, and dry—yet every step conjured murmurs of past intruders. Their own footsteps betrayed them. One touch of an incorrect glyph, and iron vines sprang from walls with the scream of shrieking steel, dragging one man into the stones. Roen didn’t flinch. He mapped the pattern in his mind and pressed forward.
The second trial was the Vault of Swallowed Light. An obsidian hallway so black it devoured flame. Here, illusions layered illusion—phantasms of treasure chests, of fleeing rivals, of dying lovers crying for aid. To act on impulse was to fall prey to razorwire illusions that cut as deep as truth. Roen bound his eyes and walked blind, trusting only the dry breeze left by his own motion, stepping over ancient pressure plates by intuition alone. He was the only one to reach the end.
The final barrier—the Aetheric Chamber—hummed with power. The Resonator, shaped like a spoked gyroscope of glass and brass, floated within a field of cascading starlight. But even as Roen reached for it, a figure emerged from the fractured shimmer: a reflection of himself, aged and twisted, wielding a jagged mirror-edge blade.
“Take it,” the reflection growled, “and be unmade.”
Roen fought his future with everything he was. Steel rang against false prophecy, spells ricocheted off memory. But he lost—not to the blade, but to the vision. As he lay broken beside the Resonator, he laughed.
He left it untouched.
Three days later, alone and limping, he returned to the city. Not rich. Not famed. But alive—and burdened with a secret none dared believe.
The Aetheric Resonator does not simply open gates. It tears the veil. And some doors, once unlatched, do not close.
Moral of the passage: In vaults built by the mad and brilliant, the greatest treasure may be restraint.
Quest: The Mercenary Treasure Hunter
Guide-Manager’s Notes: Greetings, brave players, and welcome to the thrilling quest of “The Mercenary Treasure Hunter.” In this adventure, you will embody daring treasure hunters or skilled rogues, driven by the promise of unimaginable wealth and power hidden within the abandoned laboratory. The legendary Aetheric Resonator, a device of immense potential, awaits your bold exploration, but beware of the treacherous traps and guardians left behind by Arion the Unbound.
- Step 1: Gather Intel:
- The quest begins in a bustling city, where players must gather information about the abandoned laboratory and the Aetheric Resonator. Interact with contacts in the criminal underworld, visit shady taverns, or seek out rival treasure hunters for valuable intel.
- Step 2: Recruit a Team:
- With valuable information in hand, players must assemble a team of skilled individuals. Look for experts in lockpicking, trap disarming, arcane knowledge, and combat to aid in the expedition.
- Step 3: Journey to the Laboratory:
- Equipped with valuable intel and a competent team, players venture into the wilderness, facing dense forests, perilous mountains, and possibly encounters with dangerous creatures.
- Step 4: Overcome Natural Obstacles:
- During the journey, players encounter natural obstacles like landslides, rickety bridges, or dangerous wildlife. Use survival skills and teamwork to overcome these challenges.
- Step 5: Outwit Competitors:
- As players approach the laboratory, they may encounter rival treasure hunters or mercenary groups seeking the same prize. Outsmart and outmaneuver competitors to secure an advantage.
- Step 6: Infiltrate the Laboratory:
- Use stealth and cunning to bypass magical wards and enter the laboratory undetected. Employ the skills of the team members to disable traps and unlock hidden passages.
- Step 7: Solve Puzzles and Riddles:
- Inside the laboratory, players encounter complex puzzles and riddles designed by Arion. Use intellect and teamwork to solve these challenges and progress deeper into the lair.
- Step 8: Face the Guardians:
- Players confront remnants of Arion’s creations, including alchemical homunculi, spectral guardians, or clockwork automatons. Engage in combat or find clever ways to bypass these dangerous foes.
- Step 9: Uncover Hidden Chambers:
- Explore forgotten chambers and hidden alcoves within the laboratory to find valuable artifacts, rare alchemical ingredients, and, of course, the elusive Aetheric Resonator.
- Step 10: Navigate Unstable Magic:
- As players interact with the Etherializer Glove and the Phantasmal Mirror, they experience the magic’s unpredictability. Illusions from the mirror and ethereal phases from the glove present additional challenges.
- Step 11: Confront Ethical Dilemmas:
- Upon finding powerful artifacts, players face ethical choices. Decide whether to sell them on the black markets for immense wealth or use them responsibly for noble purposes.
- Step 12: Escape with the Treasures:
- With valuable relics secured, players must escape the laboratory’s dangers and competitors. Navigate back through the treacherous wilderness, with rival treasure hunters on their heels.
- Step 13: Return and Reap the Rewards:
- Back in civilization, players can sell artifacts for vast sums of gold or use them to gain influence and power. Revel in their success as renowned treasure hunters or rogues.
- Step 14: Handle the Consequences:
- The quest’s success may attract attention from powerful figures or rival factions. Players must navigate the consequences of their actions, be they positive or negative.
- Step 15: Seek New Adventures:
- With newfound wealth and fame, players might seek new challenges and adventures or delve deeper into the mysteries of the world’s forgotten secrets.
Prepare yourselves, brave treasure hunters, for the dangers and rewards that await in the forsaken abode. May your wits, skills, and ambition lead you to claim the legendary Aetheric Resonator and rewrite your destiny in the annals of history!