Wavy sword.

Vipera

Relics

Vipera is a double-edged “wavy” longsword with a leather-wrapped hilt and a snake-head pummel. The blade appears to slowly undulate when left on its own, the wavy edges slowly moving just out of sight. The origins of the of the blade are unknown, though legend says it was recovered by a European knight during the Second Crusade in 1145 A.D, and some believe it may been forged by an ancient cult of Aapep, an evil Egyptian god associated with snakes.  When held, the sword begins to glisten as though it has been dipped in a thin, viscous liquid.

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A tenement in New York City.

Episode 8: Night of Ruin

Episodes

A gala celebrating the new Eye of Kilquato exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art ended in screams, blood, and destruction as a group of would-be thieves used the event as a cover to steal rare Egyptian artifacts. The Wardens, who were the guests-of-honor at the event, managed to stop the heist. They killed all but one of the attackers in a brutal gunfight that saw numerous Egyptian artifacts damaged or destroyed. Continue reading Episode 8: Night of Ruin →

“You and I are very much alike. Archaeology is our religion, yet we have both fallen from the pure faith. Our methods have not differed as much as you pretend. I am but a shadowy reflection of you. It would take only a nudge to make you like me. To push you out of the light.” – Belloq, Raiders of the Lost Ark

Episode 7: The Gala

Episodes

The Wardens have suffered another tragedy. Archibald Buchanan died while fighting monstrous fishmen who were released from the hold of the H.M.S. Centuraus, a ghost ship that smashed into New York Harbor. The fishmen were destroyed, but not before they completed a ritual designed to summon … something.

The heroes defeated the fishmen, burning down the warehouse the horrors had taken refuge in. It was in this fight that Archibald died. The heroes fled the warehouse in their Packard Super 8 limousine, driven by the former mercenary McGinnis, one hand on the wheel, the other holding his guts in.

They tried to ignore the long shows cast by the raging fire behind them that would consume four warehouses and close down a portion of the docks for a week.

It was enough that they had survived and that the horrors inside the warehouse had been destroyed. Let the police and firemen deal with the more mundane threats.

They had done enough.

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“Archibald Buchanan was an average student, but an exceptional colleague. He was a brave soul who could fly like the wind. His end came far too soon, and I for one shall miss him terribly. To Archibald!” — Sir Arthur Boundless

The Serpentine Bookmark

Relics

The Serpentine Bookmark was found in a book offering a high-level discussion of Ancient Greek mysticism within the library of the Wardens’ New York City headquarters.

The bookmark is made of sterling silver and takes the form of a stylized serpent. It’s jaw’s grasp some sort of stylized, bejeweled ornament — perhaps a lantern?  Its sinuous body lies flat against the pages of whatever book it is placed in, but seems to shift ever so slightly when one’s attention is drawn away from it. The coils of the snake appear to undulate with every sideways glance. It could be a trick of the light. Could be… but maybe not.

Necklace of Kilquato

The Necklace of Kilquato

Relics

The Necklace of Kilquato was found in a secret niche in a stone archway near the lair of a crocodile cult in the Brazilian Amazon in 1937. The cult’s power was derived from the Eye of Kilquato, a magical gem that granted the ability to command certain species of reptiles (most notably crocodiles).

The Wardens recovered the necklace, and brought it back to New York City where it entered their private collection. The Eye was given over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Continue reading The Necklace of Kilquato →

Alistair Sebastian Cadwalader Martindrake III

Characters, Player Characters
  • Millionaire,  fencer, and dabbler in the occult.

Alistair Sebastian Codwalader Martindrake is a scion of both the Cadwalader and Martindrake families, some of the founders of what later became the states of Connecticut and New York. He was a student of Sir Arthur Boundless at Yale, and classmates with Archibald Buchanan and Rikard Greystone.

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