Guild Instructions
- Interested parties must report to Clerk Thistle for soul-signature verification and contract locking.
- As this quest involves a religious artifact of Actarism, all party members must undergo a brief alignment scan to ensure the mirror is not corrupted by hostile intent during transit.
- The recovery of the mirror is the primary objective; any secondary historical items found must be reported for guild appraisal and lineage taxation.
Money Reward
- 850 Silver Pieces to be awarded upon the delivery of the mirror to the local temple.
Uncommon Magical Rewards
- One Vial of Ink of Remembrance (used for etching runes of insight).
- Two Harmonic Chanting Bells (small brass bells that can stabilize magical vibrations).
The Objective
- Locate and retrieve the Mirror of Role Reflection. The artifact was last seen in a secluded meditation garden within the ruins of a cliffside temple. The site was recently abandoned after a localized mana storm disrupted the peace, leaving the mirror unattended.
Difficulties
- The temple ruins are located in a Normal Area, but the specific meditation chambers are considered Unsafe, meaning Armor Class is halved.
- The cliffside path is subject to heavy mist and erratic steam vents from the thermal springs below.
- Presence of light-sensitive predators that react to the shimmering reflections of the mirror.
Problems
- The mirror is a sentient artifact and may project “Echoing Reflections” that cause disorientation or momentary detachment from reality.
- Local scavengers have been seen circling the temple entrance, likely seeking the Astral Silver frame for its raw metal value.
- Reports of a “rule breaker” in the area suggest that someone is manipulating the local ley lines to hide the temple entrance from standard sight.
Who to Ask for More Information
- High Priestess Valerius at the Temple of Actara.
- Elder Scribe Marrow at the Guild’s Historical Annex.
Potential Environments
- Secluded Meditation Gardens
- Crumbling Cliffside Temples
- Cascading Thermal Springs
- Overgrown Stone Arches
Tags
- Retrieval, Religious, Actarism-Lore, Tier-1-Contract, Unsafe-Area, Illusion-Hazard, Social-Insight, Sentient-Artifact, Astral-Silver, Meditation-Chambers, Cosmic-Balance, Reflection-Gaze
Registration Process
Upon arriving at the registration desk, Clerk Thistle requires each member of the party to place their dominant hand upon the copper-inlaid stone slab. This process synchronizes your soul signature with the guild’s steam-driven archives. Because this is an Actarist artifact, a secondary alignment scan is performed; a soft, golden light washes over the party to ensure no one carries a “corrupted resonance” that might agitate the sentient mirror. Once cleared, Thistle stamps the ledger with a heavy mechanical seal, officially locking the contract to your party.
Guild Warnings and Preparation
The clerk provides several stern warnings and logistical directives:
- Mental Fortitude: Thistle warns that the Mirror of Role Reflection is not a passive object. It will show you things you may not wish to see. If your mind is not centered, the “Echoing Reflections” can cause severe disorientation.
- The Unsafe Zone: You are reminded that the temple chambers are designated as an Unsafe Area. Your Armor Class will be cut in half. The clerk suggests relying on your Mind’s Eye to spot threats before they engage, rather than counting on your armor to deflect blows.
- Preparation: The clerk explains that the cliffside path is notoriously slick and plagued by thermal vents. You will need high-friction climbing gear and perhaps some scented oils to mask your scent from the light-sensitive predators mentioned in the posting.
Distance and Duration
- Distance: The temple ruins are located approximately 32 miles North-West of the metropolis, nestled high in the “Silent Bluffs.”
- Duration: Travel via a small, wind-driven airship or a fast-moving zeppelin will take about 4 hours. If traveling by land across the rocky foothills, expect a journey of at least 10 to 12 hours. The guild expects a return within three in-world days.
Additional Information
The clerk mentions that the mirror has been silent since the mana storm. If the party finds it glowing with a sharp, jagged light rather than a soft shimmer, it means the artifact is “distressed.” You are advised to use the Harmonic Chanting Bells (provided as a potential reward) to soothe the item’s vibrations before attempting to transport it.
The Writ of Questing
To ensure the party is properly outfitted for the cliffside ascent, Clerk Thistle issues a Writ of Questing.
- Purpose: This is a promissory note that can be taken to authorized guild outfitters or general merchants. It allows the party to secure mundane gear they lack—such as pitons, specialized ropes, rations, or thick cloaks—without paying silver upfront.
- Nature of the Note: This is an advance, not a gift. Every item obtained through the writ is logged as a debt against the party’s account. The total value will be deducted from the 850 Silver Piece reward upon successful completion of the quest. If the party fails, they remain legally and spiritually responsible for the silver value of the gear used.
Mood setting excerpt from:
Tome Title: The Verses of the Astral Loom
Chapter Number: XXXIII
Chapter Title: The Vigil of the Silvered Soul
Behold the glass that drinks the morning sun,
And holds the ghosts of deeds that we have done,
For in the frame of silver, cold and deep,
The secrets of the cosmic dance shall sleep.
The seeker walks where mist and thermal breath,
Conceal the narrow line ‘tween life and death,
For when the cliffs begin to sigh and groan,
The weight of every choice is made your own.
Beware the eye that looks but does not see,
The shadows cast by what you yet may be,
For when the mirror ripples like the lake,
The spirit’s very foundations shall shake.
Your shields shall fail like leaves upon the gale,
When entering the chambers of the veil,
For where the mind is stripped of its disguise,
The strength of iron falls before the eyes.
The predator shall hunger for the glow,
Of truths the shallow heart can never know,
So still the resonance and calm the hum,
Before the echoes of the past become—
The chains that bind the soul to what is lost,
The reckoning of every heavy cost,
For only those who face their inner light,
Shall walk the bluffs and survive the night.
Guide Manager’s Notes:
This quest is a fantastic way to lean into the psychological and philosophical depth of Saṃsāra. It is not just a “smash and grab”; it is a “think and reflect” mission that challenges the players to consider their characters’ pasts while navigating a physically demanding environment. Since we are dealing with a sentient artifact in an Unsafe Area, the tension comes from both the external predators and the internal visions. Here is a breakdown of how to move your party through this journey.
- Step 1: The Moral Audit. Start at the Guild. When Clerk Thistle performs the alignment scan, use it as a roleplay hook. Ask the players to describe one “choice” their character has made recently. The golden light of the scan reacts to these memories, flickering or glowing brighter based on their internal state. This sets the tone that their history matters.
- Step 2: Choosing the Path. The journey to the Silent Bluffs offers a choice: a fast zeppelin ride or a rugged land trek. The zeppelin is safer but costs more in Silver from their potential reward. The land trek involves navigating Normal areas where predators might lurk. Let the party debate the cost-benefit of their silver versus their safety.
- Step 3: The Ascent of the Silent Bluffs. Once they arrive at the base of the cliffs, the environment shifts to jagged stone and thick thermal mist. Use the “Mind’s Eye” to have players spot the erratic steam vents. A failed check means taking damage from a sudden burst of elemental heat, and remember—there are no short rests to recover that HP.
- Step 4: The Unsafe Threshold. As they step into the overgrown stone arches of the temple, announce the drop in Armor Class. The players should feel exposed. Describe the way the silence of the temple feels “heavy,” as if the ruins themselves are waiting for them to speak.
- Step 5: The Stalking Shadows. Introduce the light-sensitive predators. These creatures don’t attack the party directly at first; they are attracted to the magic lanterns or any shiny gear. The party has to manage their light sources carefully—too much light brings predators, too little light makes the thermal vents impossible to see.
- Step 6: The Rule Breaker’s Illusion. The party finds a courtyard that seems perfectly intact, but it is a “false construct” created by the rule breaker mentioned in the quest notes. Use a Mind’s Eye active “identify” check. Success reveals the crumbling reality beneath the illusion. Failure might lead them to walk onto a floor that isn’t actually there.
- Step 7: The Garden of Echoes. When they reach the meditation garden, the Mirror of Role Reflection is visible on a stone plinth, but it is projecting “Echoing Reflections.” Each player sees a past version of themselves walking through the garden. This is a “disorientation hazard.” They must make a mental save or become “Rolebound,” momentarily losing track of which version of themselves is the present one.
- Step 8: Soothing the Mirror. The mirror is vibrating with a jagged, discordant light due to the mana storm. If they just grab it, the 2d4 pain interval starts immediately and is intensified by the artifact’s distress. They need to use the Harmonic Chanting Bells to stabilize the vibrations. This requires a Performance or Religion check to match the mirror’s frequency.
- Step 9: The Scavenger Ambush. Just as the mirror is stabilized, the scavengers move in. They’ve been waiting for the party to do the hard work. This is a high-stakes combat encounter where AC is halved. Remind the players they can use the mirror’s “Reflection Gaze” once in this fight to force the lead scavenger to hesitate by showing them the consequences of their greed.
- Step 10: The Weight of Truth. Once the scavengers are dealt with, the party has to transport the mirror back. Whoever carries it (unless in a lead-lined box) begins to experience “Perspective Insight” involuntarily. They see the “different versions” of their teammates’ choices. This is a great moment for inter-party roleplay on the return trip.
- Step 11: The Temple Payout. Upon returning to the Temple of Actara, High Priestess Valerius audits the mirror’s state. If the party used the bells and handled it with reverence, she might grant them a small “Mana Boost” as an extra blessing.
- Step 12: Settling the Debt. Finally, the party returns to Clerk Thistle. He tallies up the silver, deducts the cost of the gear used from the Writ of Questing, and pays out the remainder. The players walk away with their rewards and perhaps a much deeper understanding of their own place in the cosmic dance.