The Tarot of Arcanum
The Bone Shop's Cabinet of Curiosities
Worldanvil February 24 Challenge The Bone Garden's main attraction is a cabinet of curiosities that is Rerosha's pride and joy. Rerosha has stuffed the polished ebony cabinet with the shop's most valuable items. The cabinet stands behind Rerosha's counter and is magically protected. The 21 objects detailed below are not for sale. However, if a player helps Rerosha, she could be convinced to part with one of them or at least do a swap.Description
This ancient deck of tarot cards is contained within a tattered and dirty box. Nothing to look at at first glance. The deck only contains 13 cards, but Rerosha knows they are imbued with powerful, chaotical spells. She will not sell it to people she likes. Rerosha keeps it displayed in the cabinet for a rainy day, and the sucker who will buy it from her. Rerosha thought this would be a good item to fob off the mage, Lymmle Wist, who had been pressing her to sell The Eye of Tempestar to him.
Rarity
The Deck of Many Things is a legendary wondrous item. Usually found in a box or pouch, this deck contains a number of cards made of ivory or vellum. When a character draws a card from the deck, its magic immediately takes effect.
Each card has a different effect: amazing and great or immensely destructive. The cards are split about 50/50 between good and awful, and it is widely regarded as one of the most powerful artefacts in Dungeons & Dragons.
History
Rerosha remembers her mentor, the witch Balanzar, telling her never to touch the deck as it was extremely dangerous. Balanzar was given the deck for safekeeping by the famous adventurer Verity Mackoy five years ago.
Verity found the deck in what she thought was the lair of a young dragon. Verity assumed this was one of the ancient lairs of J'mon Sa Ord himself! Balanzar always thought this was very farfetched.
Verity promised Balanzar she would return with more amazing artefacts for sale and left the next day to continue exploring the Rumedan Desert around Ank'harel. Verity never came back, and shortly after Balanzar passed away, Rerosha inherited the deck and a (treasure) map of the desert.
The players can buy the map from Rerosha for 300 gold. Rerosha does not believe the map is valuable and will likely be a hoax. Its price could be reduced with some haggling.
Significance
Players should not have easy access to this deck. As we are all aware, it can ruin a campaign very quickly, but its appeal is undeniable. If players complete several quests for Rerosha, she might part with the deck as a thank you.
Players could, for example, help her uncle, the powerful mage Caraval, clear his name. See The Anklet of the Innocent.
The Deck of Many Things usually costs 50, 000 golds but Rerosha will be unaware of its true value, and she would gift it to anyone who saves her life or reunites her with her uncle.
Properties
The Exandrian Deck of Many Things Matt Mercer used in Vox Machina had 13 cards. This deck will have the same cards:
Sun: The card puller gains 50,000 experience points and a wonderous item appears in their hands.
Moon: The card puller can cast the Wish spell 1d3 times.
Star: One ability score of the card puller's choice increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
Throne: The card puller gains expertise in the Persuasion skill and the rightful ownership of a monster-infested keep somewhere in the world.
Key: A rare or rarer magic weapon which the card puller is proficient appears in their hands.
Knight: A 4th-level fighter the same race as the card puller appears within 30 feet of them and acts as a loyal follower.
The Void: The card puller's soul is drawn from their body and is contained in an object somewhere guarded by a powerful entity.
Flames: A powerful devil becomes the card puller's enemy.
Skull: An avatar of death appears and fights the card puller until either is killed. If the avatar kills the card puller, nothing can resurrect them. Anyone who intervenes summons their own avatar of death.
Ruin: All forms of wealth, other than magic items, are lost to the card puller, including property, businesses, buildings, and land.
Euryale: The card puller suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws, which can only be removed by a deity.
Rogue: A random person becomes hostile towards the card puller.
Jester: The card puller gains 10,000 experience points and can draw two additional cards beyond their declared draws.
Secret History
Verity Mackoy's story links directly to the sidequest: 'The Lair of J'mon Sa Ord'. The players would have met their fellow boarder, Leila Bardet. Verity and Leila used to be a team but parted company after falling out 6 years ago.
Leila is now back in Ank'harel, retracing the steps of her one-time lover and friend, Verity.
The quest could be delivered in two ways:
- either through Rerosha at the Bone Garden and the treasure map
- directly by talking to Leila Bardet at The Lizzard's Breath Inn as she is looking to gather up a team
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