Curse of Gold

There is something undeniably enthralling within the sheen of gold. An enrapturing beauty emanates from the precious metal, as if it can whisper gentle comfort into even the most addled of minds. So great is its allure that countless souls have taken extreme measures in their quests to obtain more: wars have been waged, friends have been betrayed, and souls have been sold. In sheer contrast to the grace of gold, it has inspired evils beyond number. This is no coincidence. Aeons ago, when Baelonmor was but a fledgling world, the most beautiful of metals was afflicted with a dreadful curse.

When the ancient Fire Giants, who created all metals and gems, forged the first gold, it was an elegant but mundane material. Many appreciated its quality, but few were willing to betray their morals in pursuit of it. That was until the malevolent deity Sarundel conspired to pervert its beauty. As the God of the Condemned, Sarundel was eager to increase the number of souls bound beneath their rule. They had much experience with what caused mortals to forsake their morals and so was apt to devise a temptation that would spell the undoing of many more weak-willed souls. Cleverly, the fell deity placed a barely perceptible curse upon gold. This foul magic would infest the mind, convincing its victim that gold was their only friend, and that everything else was their foe. Due to its inconspicuousness, the rest of the Baelonmori Pantheon did not notice Sarundel's subterfuge until the curse had seeped too deep to be easily removed.

Across the mortal realms, a newfound fascination with gold wracked the world. Near everyone had developed an insatiable lust for its sheen, and mayhem erupted. Although the Gods rushed to warn their acolytes of the cruel Sarundel's trickery, the damage had been done. Military campaigns marched across nations, ransacking every coin they could find, with many of them devolving into self-destructive melees. Bandits roved the land, and pirates sailed the seas, and the commonfolk were left without salvation. The situation called for drastic measures.

For millennia, the truth of the remedy was unknown, for the Gods knew that the truth would enrage the mortals. The divine turned their attention to the Dragons. They were not creations of the Pantheon, but were instead birthed by Primal Magic in a bygone age, and so the Gods saw them as an acceptable sacrifice. Immediately, the Dragons developed a new and ravenous hunger. Their stomachs howled for a single delicacy: gold. At once, the marauding gangs had their avaricious crusades devastated, as colossal wyrms descended from the sky and unleashed volleys of elemental magic. Scarce few folk could contend with a fully-grown Dragon, and so they relinquished their wealth and fled. Despite the success of this manoeuvre, the Gods did not revoke the curse upon the wyrms; it would serve as a potent reminder to all who were tempted by excessive wealth.

The Curse of Gold still endures, but is far less impactful courtesy of general awareness of its presence. Regardless, there is no shortage of people who are willing to go to great lengths in the pursuit of wealth. Sarundel, in their wicked wisdom, anticipated such dispositions. They secured vast troves of gold before enacting their plot, gifting it to their malign Sons so that they could one day use it to tempt greedy souls. This plan has achieved success countless times. It is thought that the vast majority of souls sold to the infernal underworld were traded for gold. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for vicious foes who vied against one another in pursuit of treasure to meet once more in Sarundel without either one ever having made a fiendish bargain.