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Originally Posted by kcdusk
Why a focus on the cup of christ? In a T2K world, it feels like the cup would be worthless? Feels more like a Dan Brown novel than apocalyptic.
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I totally get where you're coming from, KC. I too prefer a T2k rooted firmly in reality. The location of Templar riches in Chwarszczany, Poland is based on real-life local folklore. There really is a Templar commandery there, and it is a reputed location of a hidden treasure trove. The cup in my module, however, is not necessarily
the Holy Grail. This is from a sidebar on p 7:
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Originally Posted by The Poisoned Chalice
Amongst the treasure is a carefully wrapped golden chalice. Amidst the linen that surrounds it is a piece of parchment with a faded legend in Latin that reads, Calicem Cristi (the Cup of Christ). Could this truly be the actual Holy Grail? Legend has it that anyone who drinks from the cup that Christ used at the Last Supper will have eternal life. This claim is difficult to verify scientifically, but faith is a powerful thing and many people dream of living forever. Regardless of whether or not the Grail has any supernatural powers, its symbolic value is immense. As a sacred relic recognized by all of Christendom, the Cup of Christ possesses a broader appeal than the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, making the Grail a powerful rallying symbol for whoever possesses it. Whether or not the chalice is indeed the fabled Holy Grail is entirely up to the Referee.
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The Grail in the story could be a counterfeit relic, like the Shroud of Turin. It could just be a fancy golden cup in a treasure hoard. So, whether or not the chalice in the module is the Holy Grail is basically moot. What's important, plot-wise, is that the chalice
could be the legendary Cup of Christ. It's a McGuffin, a hook to set up a conflict between the PCs and various potential antagonists (the module provides three).
Only one of the three featured antagonists in the module is after the treasure for its potential symbolic power- he believes that possessing a legendary Christian relic will help legitimize the Fourth Reich he dreams of building. Maybe he secretly wishes that it has some supernatural power (again, that is up to the Referee). The other featured antagonists simply want the treasure for its monetary value.
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Originally Posted by The Poisoned Chalice
In pre-war dollars, this treasure would be worth over $10,000,000 by weight alone (given its age and historical significance, it would be worth even more to the right people). Even in the ruined global economy of mid-to-late 2000, this treasure has immense monetary value. Whoever possesses it would be very wealthy by any conventional standard. With this wealth, PCs could buy a ship (or even an airplane!) to take them home, or set up their very own fiefdom in the region. One piece of the treasure, a simple golden chalice, could have an even greater symbolic value. However, such a substantial treasure will be challenging to move and/or hide, and possessing it places a very big bull’s eye on the PCs’ backs.
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It's not a particularly large module, so I shouldn't give away any more for free.
I do hope that you pick up the module and give it a look. I think you'll find that it's worth the $1.99 US.
As a neat aside, Chris Lites (writer of much of the 4e material) told me that he almost used the Holy Grail instead of the Spear of Destiny in
Urban Operations.
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