Encounter 8: Return the Birthright

When the PCs reach Greyhawk, it is assumed that they will go to Auldon and present him with the necklace. If they attempt to sell it independently, they will be unable to find a legitimate jeweler that will accept so valuable a piece without proof of ownership. Attempts to fence it are very dangerous given the power of the Thieves Guild in Greyhawk and their homicidal reaction to unauthorized activity. Let the PCs know that they would be lucky to be able to give it away and live.   When the PCs reach Auldons home, they will again be greeted by Jemar and shown to Auldons office.   The first thing you notice entering Auldons study is that his fine wooden desk is missing. The wall of bookshelves remains, but the shelves look more barren. Only one of the chairs you used when last here remain, and Auldon is sitting in it with his back to you, gazing hopefully out the window. The other chairs have been replaced with two wooden benches. At the sound of your arrival, Auldon turns to greet you with an enormous smile. "So, you've returned! Were you successful? What have you got for me?"   Auldon will ask the PCs to put all of the goods they found at the mine on the faded carpet between them so he can appraise them.   The Necklace of the Forlorn Cavern is worth 20,000 gold orbs, the masterwork long sword is worth 315 gold orbs, and the Thunderstone is worth 30 gold orbs. After the goods have been appraised, Auldon will ask the PCs to tell him the tale of their journey. After hearing the story Auldon will tell the PCs that he has no claim on the sword or thunderstone if they try to give it to him. If none of the PCs is cursed, he will thank them, offer the services of the Brendigund Family if he can be of service in the future, bid them farewell, and summon Jemar to show them out once their story is complete. The items should be sitting on the floor during this conversation, and the tale should take long enough that if any of the PCs has been affected by the curse of the necklace, it will return to them. If this happens Auldon will almost immediately notice and react.   "What! Where did the necklace go?!" What kind of deception is this? Explain yourselves." Auldon has leapt to his feet with an almost comical combination of shock and betrayal on his face.   If the PC with the necklace does not reveal that they have it, they are stuck in the same situation as if they never went to see Auldon, although some other PC will likely reveal the truth. Once the PCs give Auldon the necklace a second time he will ask them to wait and have tea with him, time enough for the necklace to disappear again. At this point, he will realize that necklace is cursed somehow and be a little irritated with the PCs, but still grateful. He will tell them that he has a friend who is a priest of Fharalanghn, and can break the curse, but the cost of the priests services, 95 gp, will take the last of his available cash.   Auldon will send Jemar for his friend, Wugut, the priest of Fharlanghn. Once the spell is cast, Auldon will immediately pick up the necklace and put it in his vest, thereby becoming subject to its curse. He will then thank the PCs, let them know they can call upon him in the future if his humble house can be of service and send them on their way.