Seylons Hidden Relics - Master Plot

Overview

Seylon Vane was not only a grief-stricken father who built Seylon's Tower to resurrect his daughter, but also a renowned magical item craftsman and former Hogwarts professor. Before his descent into madness, he created several extraordinarily powerful magical items—so dangerous that he chose to hide them away to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

The Relics

Seylon crafted seven powerful rings of Power, hidden across the globe:

1. Ring of Dominion — Egypt, hidden beneath an ancient tomb near Luxor
2. Ring of Veiled Truth — New York, concealed within a site connected to MACUSA
3. Ring of Arcane Recall — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4. Ring of Temporal Echo — Russia, location unknown
5. Ring of Wild Communion — China, location unknown
6. Ring of Unyielding Ward — Frostwell Village, Russia (retrieved by the party in Session 8)
7. Ring of Agonizing Deceit — Yucatan, Mexico, hidden in a cenote beneath Mayan ruins

Note: Greece also appears in Seylon's notes as a hiding location, but the specific ring and site are unclear.

Theo's Role

Theo Turner was Seylon's close friend and confidant, possibly a fellow professor or magical researcher. When Seylon began creating these dangerous items, Theo advocated for their destruction, fearing they were too powerful and could corrupt those who wielded them.

Seylon disagreed—he believed the items were too magnificent, too revolutionary to simply unmake. The compromise: Seylon would hide them away, making them nearly impossible to find and retrieve. Theo helped him design the protections and select the hiding places.

Frostwell Village

History

Four hundred years ago (circa 1605), Seylon entrusted a small community of wizarding families with guarding the Ring of Unyielding Ward. He established them in what is now Frostwell Village, providing them with resources and instructions to protect the Circle of Eight—a magical obelisk formation that serves as an elevator to an ancient dungeon beneath the ice.

Notably, Seylon did not build the dungeon—it predates him by millennia. He discovered it and repurposed it, using its ancient throne room and adding his own protections (including a cursed decoy ring) to guard his creation.

Current State

• The Guardian Tradition: The village has maintained its duty for generations, though the specifics have become mythologized over time
• Lost Knowledge: The current generation (including Oleg Mirnov and Katya Mirnova) doesn't know exactly what they're guarding, only that they must guard it
• Sacred Duty: Most villagers take the responsibility very seriously, treating it as their ancestral purpose
• The Stories: Local legends have transformed Seylon into an almost angelic figure who blessed them with this holy duty
• The Circle of Eight: Located about a 10-minute walk from the village, the guardians have protected it but never been able to activate it

The Prophecy

The village elders pass down a prophecy (half-true, embellished over time):

"When the stars align in winter's grip, A seeker shall come from distant halls, To claim what Seylon bid us keep. For good or ill, the guardian falls. The relic wakes, the choice is made— New dawn or endless shade."

The prophecy is vague about whether the "seeker" will be good or evil, which has created anxiety and vigilance among the guardians.

The Circle of Eight & Ancient Dungeon

The Circle:

• Eight towering obelisks in a perfect circle, ~10 minute walk from village
• Carved from black stone veined with silver
• Each represents an element in the cycle: Dawn → Growth → Sun → Harvest → Dusk → Decay → Moon → Rebirth
• Must be activated in correct sequence to descend
• Serves as a magical elevator platform

The Ancient Throne Room:

• Predates Seylon by millennia—he discovered and repurposed it
• Stairs descend, turning left into a N-S throne hall
• North end: Stone throne flanked by two purple flame braziers
• South end: Stone altar with riddle
• West end: Ring chamber with cursed decoy
• Secret door behind throne (riddle + passphrase: "From frost we came, to frost return")

Seylon's Protections:

• Cursed Decoy Ring: Floats above a pool in the ring chamber. When worn, causes shadow attacks and uncontrollable shapeshifting until it falls off
• Secret Door Puzzle: Riddle on altar reveals location and passphrase
• The Real Ring: Hidden in cave beyond secret door, above a frozen pool
• Cave Collapse: Taking the ring triggers a cave-in; escape through small tunnel

The Death Eater Plot

The Conspiracy

A cell of former Death Eaters has been researching ways to bring back Lord Voldemort. Their investigation led them to rumors about Seylon's Secrets, particularly one said to have power over death itself.

The Truth: None of Seylon's Secrets can actually resurrect the dead. The Death Eaters are operating on incomplete information and false hope. However, the relics are extremely powerful and could help them rise to power again.

Their Strategy

1. Intelligence Gathering: They've been researching Seylon's history and tracking down any information about his hidden items
2. Manipulation of Primrose Calloway: They're writing to her pretending to be Harry Potter, asking her to investigate Seylon's Tower and retrieve the relic for them
3. Parallel Search: Multiple agents searching for relics:
   • The wizard who died in Icespider Hollow
   • Nyx (infiltrated Frostwell Village, killed Oleg Mirnov, manipulated the party into opening the Circle of Eight)
4. Death Eater Initiates: Sent to ambush the party when they emerged from the dungeon (defeated/captured by Tobias Crane and Ministry Aurors)