Full Item Description
The Delver’s Salvation is a simple gold chain about 24" long. A small 2" long, ¼" thick oak twig held by a five-prong gold clasp is attached to the chain.  Both the chain and the attached twig are non-descript and plain looking.

History
There was once a mage-scholar that enjoyed studying old and ancient texts.  His study and research took up a great portion of his time.  This passion allowed little time for exploring the ruins and lairs his research uncovered.  A mage tower he’d discovered referenced in three different text proved interesting enough for him to hire a mercenary company to search the ruins for him.

His instructions were simple, "For your fee, I ask that you locate the tower."  He hands the company leader a map with the area to search clearly marked.  "I wish to have returned to me all written text, scrolls and tomes you can find.  Everything else you find is yours to do with as you please."  The deal was struck and the group agreed to return within two months.

Three months passed and the anxious mage became concerned that there was no word from the company.  He decided to commission a second group of mercenaries with the same task.  Again he gave his instructions and a map.  Again, three months passed without word from the company.  He suspected the second group met with disaster as well.

"How can I ensure the next commission does not fail?" he pondered.  He sits at his desk and pens a couple dozen ideas.  Over the next few weeks, he studies the page and narrows his ideas until he comes to a revelation.  "I got it!" he says and the quill scratches across the parchment as he commits the solution to paper.

He journeys to a local city and speaks with a local goldsmith.  "I need two dozen gold necklaces, identically made.  I will also need two dozen clasps that are able to securely hold a quarter inch diameter oak twig."  They agree to a price and a delivery date.  The mage then hires a forester to locate and harvest a number of oak branches that need to be delivered to the goldsmith in two days.

A week later, with the finished necklaces, the twigs he desired securely attached, he travels back to his castle to complete the required enchantments.  Six weeks later, he sent word to that he was commissioning another expedition.  The men arrived, a dozen in all, to take on the task.

After instructing the men of their task, he placed a necklace around each mans neck.  "If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, simply break the twig attached to this necklace.  If you are seriously injured or killed then one of your companions must break the twig for you.  In either case, you will be instantly returned to my personal chapel located within this castle.  A healer will be ready to assist anyone needing attention."  The men left promising to return within two months.

A month later, the mage was informed that two of the company returned.  He rushed to his chapel to find a badly injured soldier being tended to.  The other man was dead.  A few minutes later, another pair returned, both seriously injured.  Within another ten minutes, the remaining men, most of the injured and another dead, arrived back in the chapel.

"A lich with an undead army of skeletons and zombies attacked us as we were filling our sacks with books and scrolls", the leader of the group informed the mage.  He pointed to a pair of sacks lying on the floor next to the injured men being tended to by a pair of healers.  "We managed to bring these back."

The grateful mage had his staff quarter the men in the guest rooms until they were back on their feet.  A service was held for the deceased and they were buried in the castles cemetery.  The mage set about planning the next commission to return to the ruined tower.  "The next group must be better equipped", he thought as he carried the two sacks of books and scrolls to his library.

Magic/Cursed Properties
The Delvers Salvation is a single use magical necklace.  Breaking the twig releases the stored magical energy, instantly returning the wearer to a designated location set during the enchantment process.  The twig can be replaced and the necklace once again enchanted by the mage.  The materials for construction of the necklace and twig are not important.  The enchantment is what gives the necklace its power.  The primary purpose of the Delvers Salvation is as an emergency escape from a life-threatening situation.  It can also be use to return a commissioned group back to the designated location upon completion of a task or quest. 

The necklace can be enchanted by a powerful mage or priest and can be used by anyone.  The necklace itself will very rarely be found randomly although the instructions for construction and enchantment can be found in a scroll or tome.

One other little note: If after a set time frame, the group or individual who was given a necklace does not return, the mage or priest can discern the necklaces location and magically cause the twig to break therefore returning the wearer to the designated location.  I can think of a few humorous situations that would surprise both the mage and/or the wearer of the necklace if that were to happen.

Additional Ideas (0)

Please register to add an idea. It only takes a moment.