Daggerheart Desert Campaign

Artifacts and Important Objects

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Version: 1.0
Canon through: August 27, 2026

Outline

Cinderheart Objects

Cinderheart Seal

A major ritual object recovered through the Catacombs of Ashur-Ka. It is visually established as a crafted seal or medallion with a central setting that can hold the Burning Jewel.

The party gave the Seal to Neshet, who intended to consult a knowledgeable contact. That contact had disappeared while investigating the Cinderquartz mine.

The Seal has been depicted both with and without its central gem, making the distinction between the Seal and Burning Jewel visually explicit.

Burning Jewel

A fiery gem used as a key. When placed against or within the rune-marked surface pillar, it activates the buried seal and opens the Swallowed Stair.

The Burning Jewel can be removed after activation and is associated with the Cinderheart Seal’s central setting.

Ashur-Ka’s Vessel

A red vessel or vase etched with magic and gold, placed upon an altar covered in glowing golden runes. It contains the imprisoned fire djinn Ashur-Ka.

The vessel’s visual and ritual importance make it more than ordinary pottery, though no separate proper name has been established.

Recipes and Transformative Substances

’Iiskir Elixir

A legendary elixir described by rumor as a cure-all, source of restored youth, grant of power, love potion, or some other transformative formula. Its actual effect is unknown.

Altennis copied only part of the restricted recipe before being caught.

Known ingredients:

  • About two Ratl of water from the Well of Anubis.
  • Flower of the Najm Plant.
  • Bark of the Qurfa Tree.
  • At least one missing ingredient.
  • Uncopied brewing instructions.

The restricted scroll and Altennis’s framing make the recipe both an alchemical mystery and an espionage hook.

Oil of Anubis

A sacred or ritual oil intended to let mortals descend into the Bowels of Anubis without suffering the water’s ordinary agonizing and harmful effects.

The planned progression is:

  1. Contact the Priesthood of Anubis.
  2. Prove the party’s purpose is just.
  3. Investigate the lost temple.
  4. Recover knowledge or an unusual ingredient.
  5. Have the priesthood prepare the oil or teach the party.
  6. Descend into the Bowels and seek Amun.

Most ingredients should be obtainable without becoming full adventures. One difficult ingredient may come from an ancient mummified wyrm.

Rare Materials

Nullium

An anti-magic ore mined in the Pharaoh’s Teeth. It can be used to create anti-magic tools, weapons, restraints, or devices.

Its origin, rarity, lawful status, and relationship to divine power remain unresolved. It may be an ordinary strategic resource, forbidden priestly material, or evidence of a technology older than current gods.

Cinderquartz

A newly appearing magical quartz produced by a mine that previously yielded ordinary resources. It has enough power to animate or form humanoid shard creatures and may interact with the Cinderheart Seal.

Its source, stability, value, and long-term effects are the central mysteries of The Quartz Below.

Salt

One of the mines’ most precious outputs. Salt is economically important, physically necessary, symbolically tied to preservation and thirst, and reflected in adversaries such as the Ash-Salt Dead.

Vessels and Constructed Bodies

Intrepid

The rebuilt body of a deceased sentient Clank, now serving as a mobile vessel for magically miniaturized abductees. Intrepid is simultaneously a body, home, protective artifact, community space, and player character.

The body’s visual design uses heavy retro-industrial construction, a 1960s-style mechanical head, integrated viewing ports, visible pistons, and repaired materials.

Old-World Objects

Rod of Seven Parts

The “completed rod” used by the previous heroes in their final attempt to stop Vecna’s Ritual of Remaking. The plan was sound and nearly succeeded before coordination failed.

Syl’s Energy Shortbow

A custom magical bow used by Sylcaryn. Inspired by the old D&D cartoon, it could produce unusual effects, including teleporting a struck creature to an adjacent space.

Puzzle Objects

Portraits of King Sabet

Four portraits used in a tomb riddle:

  • Innocent.
  • Heir.
  • Conqueror.
  • Prisoner.

A later symbolic set uses Dawn, Day, Dusk, and Night. Skeletal versions were also developed as visual variants.

Rune-Marked Surface Pillar

The desert pillar that receives the Burning Jewel and opens the buried stair. A visual variation depicts the pillar after the jewel has been removed.

Glowing Sphere

A magical light source developed for dungeon imagery. It provides localized illumination without introducing modern or external lighting.

Superseded or Placeholder Concepts

“THING”

An early placeholder name for the item sought in the temple to summon or free a fire djinn. Later development connected the objective to the Cinderheart Seal, Burning Jewel, Ashur-Ka’s vessel, and the djinn’s release. “THING” is no longer a useful in-world name.

Intrepid’s Failing Artifact

An early character hook said Intrepid knew of an artifact capable of replacing a failing object upon which “their society” depended. The revised origin establishes that the inhabitants came from many unrelated communities, so the original explanation is superseded.

The basic idea of a failing device or necessary replacement may be reused later, but it is not current fact without revision.