Shard of the Accursed - Keys from the Golden Vault

Shard of the Accursed. An Adventure for 8th-Level Characters A mysterious shard made of obsidian places a curse on everyone who bears it. When the shard comes into the characters' possession, they must break its curse by returning the shard to the ancient tomb it came from. But a dangerous crime syndicate controls the tomb and its riches, and the criminals won't take kindly to the characters' intrusion. This adventure isn't a typical heist; rather, it's a reverse heist. Instead of retrieving a valuable item, the characters are tasked with returning one to its proper place. An unearthed tomb holds the key to saving a nearby town, as adventurers are about to discover Adventure Background Long ago, a giant named Xeluan was attacked by his ruthless kin and left to die. After a group of heroes found him and nursed him back to health, the grateful giant pledged his life in their service. Xeluan and his heroic friends went on to perform great deeds. When earthquakes and volcanic eruptions threatened to destroy the heroes' homeland, Xeluan carved a citadel into a mountainside, creating a refuge for the heroes and their people. The giant harnessed earth magic to create a protective ward around the settlement, but the devastation proved unstoppable. As the mountain crumbled and volcanic rifts threatened to engulf those he loved, Xeluan lifted the sanctuary above his shoulders and made a final, desperate sacrifice. He wove his life energy into the magic protecting the citadel, allowing it to withstand the onslaught. In doing so, Xeluan sacrificed his life to save thousands. After the calamity, the heroes looked for the giant amid the changed landscape. They found his petrified body buried beneath the citadel, still holding it aloft. When all efforts to restore him failed, the heroes built a mausoleum around Xeluan's body to honor his sacrifice. The heroes lived prosperous lives, and afterward, their bodies were interred in Xeluan's tomb. When the last hero died, the tomb wa...