The Curse of the Merchant's Ring
The Curse of the Merchant's Ring
The party discovers that the ring in their possession carries a dark curse tied to a murdered merchant in Candlewood. They must navigate tavern intrigue, interrogate suspects in the market district, and uncover the truth about the ring's origin before the curse's anniversary claiming midnight—when the killer strikes again. A mystery where clues lead to a shocking revelation: the ring's curse demands a final victim to break its bonds.
Read Aloud
You sit in the Copper Kettle, a smoky tavern in Candlewood's Market District, when the silver ring on your finger—the one you claimed from that merchant's corpse three days ago—begins to warm. Not the pleasant warmth of a hand by firelight, but a sickly, pulsing heat that makes your skin prickle. Around the tavern, patrons shift uneasily; one woman clutches a holy symbol. The barkeep's eyes flick toward you, then away. A young boy rushes past your table, whisper-screaming about "the dead merchant's curse" to his friend. Your chest tightens—you know nothing of curses, but you know you need answers before tonight's midnight bell.
Description
The Copper Kettle is a two-story half-timbered tavern with a high hearth and sawdust-covered floors stained with ale and worse. Oil lamps cast long shadows. Patrons include dock workers, merchants, and a few suspicious figures in cloaks. The barkeep, a broad man named Petyr, stands behind the bar with a nervous expression. A rumor board on the wall shows a wanted poster: "Aldric Vance, Merchant of Candlewood—MURDERED. Ring missing. Reward for information: 50 gp." The ring pulses again, audible as a faint, high-pitched whine that only you can hear.
DM Notes
This scene establishes the mystery and the curse's deadline (midnight). The party should feel the weight of public knowledge and suspicion. The ring's heat is a mechanical cue—use it as a compass pointing toward clues. If a player attempts to remove the ring, they find it won't slide off their finger; a DC 13 Strength check allows temporary removal, but the ring reappears on the party member within 1d4 rounds, burning hotter. Allow players to ask Petyr (Tavern Keeper) what he knows. He will reluctantly share that Vance was found in his apartment three days ago, throat cut, and the ring was missing from his study. Petyr has Insight (DC 12) to notice if players seem hostile; he'll clam up and call for the city guard if threatened. Introduce the idea that someone in Candlewood killed Vance, and the curse is hunting for the killer—or the ring itself attracts danger.
Read Aloud
The Vance residence looms at the edge of Candlewood's noble district, a three-story stone house with darkened windows. You knock, and a hollow-eyed woman in mourning black answers the door—Isabelle Vance, the widow. She stiffens when she sees the ring on your finger. Her hand trembles. "That... that was Aldric's," she whispers, her voice cracking. She ushers you inside quickly, glancing down the street as if afraid of being watched. The air in the house smells of grief: extinguished candles and old wine. She sits across from you in a shadowed parlor, wringing her hands. "If you have that ring, then you know something. The constables have found nothing. But I know who wanted my husband dead—I just cannot prove it."
Description
The Vance estate is appointed with the trappings of merchant wealth: heavy oak furniture, tapestries from distant lands, a library with ledgers and correspondence. Isabelle is in her late thirties, with sharp features and intelligent eyes, now reddened from grief. A DC 12 Insight check reveals she is withholding something. The study where Aldric died is upstairs, its door sealed with wax by the constabulary. Isabelle can provide three leads: (1) Varos, a rival merchant who had a contract dispute with Aldric; (2) Thorne, a mysterious figure who visited Aldric the night of his death; (3) A coded ledger Aldric kept, hidden in the library, which she found after his death but cannot decipher. The ring grows warm during her mention of Thorne, warmer than before.
DM Notes
Isabelle is a key NPC for mystery revelation. She provides red herrings and one genuine clue (Thorne). If the party asks about the coded ledger, she will fetch it (it requires a DC 14 Intelligence check or help from a contact to decode—Thorne's name appears in it, along with dates and the phrase "the ring must choose"). If the party attempts to enter the sealed study, they may if they succeed a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check to avoid alerting neighbors; inside, they find bloodstains, a broken desk, and a leather journal containing Aldric's final entry: "He knows what the ring is. He demands I give it to him, or Isabelle will pay. I refuse. If I do not survive the night, know that I cursed the ring with my dying breath. Let it burn in the hands of whoever takes it until the truth is revealed." Isabelle does not know about this final journal entry.
Read Aloud
As you leave the Vance estate and head toward the Market Square to investigate your leads, a figure steps from the shadows of an alley—a scarred man with a missing left eye and a knife hilt visible at his belt. "You have the ring," he says flatly. It's not a question. The ring on your finger flares with sudden, blistering heat. "I am Thorne. And you have something that belongs to me. Aldric Vance stole it. He paid for that theft with his life. Now the curse passes to whoever holds it." He moves closer, and his hand drifts toward his blade. "Give me the ring, and I will tell you how to break the curse. Refuse, and you will die screaming at midnight when the curse claims its second victim."
Description
The alley is narrow, lined with barrels and refuse, offering limited escape routes. Thorne is lean and predatory, with scars running down one side of his face and a cold, steady gaze. Behind him, the alley extends deeper into shadow; ahead, it opens onto Market Square. The ring's heat is almost unbearable now, creating a faint magical aura visible only in peripheral vision (dim light reveals it as a sickly purple haze). Thorne does not appear immediately hostile, but his body language suggests he will strike if the party tries to flee with the ring.
DM Notes
This is a branching encounter. Thorne can be negotiated with (DC 13 Charisma check), intimidated (DC 14, but he will attack if the party fails), or fought. If negotiation succeeds, Thorne reveals: he cursed the ring years ago using forbidden magic to bind a merchant thief (Aldric). The curse demands the ring be passed through the hands of the guilty; only the true killer of Aldric—or a sacrifice made in the killer's name—can break it. Thorne does not kill Aldric; a third party did (revealed in Scene 4). If combat erupts, use the Thorne stat block (Encounter 1). After combat or negotiation, the party gains the crucial clue: "The curse will break only when the ring's new master chooses to sacrifice something precious—blood, freedom, or truth."
Read Aloud
You arrive at the Candlewood Guard House, a stone building near the market's edge, and request an audience with the local constable. Captain Meredith, a grizzled woman with steel-gray hair and a sergeant's bearing, sits across from you at a scarred desk. She is tense, her jaw tight. When you present the ring and your questions, her face goes pale. She stands abruptly, walks to a corner of her office, and turns to face you with an expression of mingled guilt and defiance. "That ring should have been destroyed," she says quietly. "Aldric Vance was murdered by someone powerful. Someone I could not touch without destroying Candlewood's fragile peace. My own daughter-in-law's brother." She pauses, her voice dropping. "Varos the merchant. He and Aldric fought over a shipping contract worth a fortune. Varos hired a cutthroat, a man named Kess. I knew the truth, but I could not arrest Varos without undoing my family—his family. So I sealed the investigation." She meets your eyes. "I failed as a constable. But if you are here, then justice is stirring. What will you do?"
Description
The Guard House is austere: stone walls, a few cells visible through barred doors, and a main office with maps of Candlewood's districts. Captain Meredith is in her fifties, weathered and honest despite her moral compromise. Her tone is confessional, suggesting she has carried this guilt for three days. If the party presses her, she will reveal that Kess fled Candlewood the morning after Aldric's death. However, Varos remains in the city, likely unaware that his involvement has been discovered. Meredith offers a choice: the party can pursue Varos themselves, turn him over to the constabulary, or use him as bait to draw out the deeper magic of the curse.
DM Notes
This scene resolves the murder mystery but opens a moral quandary: should the party allow Varos to face justice, or punish him themselves? The ring's curse is tied to Aldric's death; confronting Varos may trigger a magical backlash (the curse attempting to protect itself). This scene should take 5-10 minutes of roleplay. Meredith provides the location of Varos's warehouse on the docks and warns that he employs hired muscle. The party may decide to arrest him, negotiate, or force a confrontation. The choice affects how the curse breaks (see Conclusion for variations).
Monsters
Tactics
Thorne does not seek to kill the party—he wants the ring. He will begin combat with a Shortsword attack against the nearest party member. If reduced below 10 HP, he will attempt to disengage and escape deeper into the alley, using knowledge of Candlewood's side streets. If the party proves overwhelmingly strong, he will surrender and provide information. He is cunning and will use the alley's terrain to his advantage: barrels and refuse can be used to create difficult terrain (DC 10 Acrobatics to avoid). Thorne has a potion of healing in his belt (restores 2d4+2 HP), which he will use if at 5 HP or lower. He does not employ Prestidigitation or Minor Illusion in combat, only his Shortsword.
Terrain
A narrow alley (15 feet wide) with barrels, refuse piles, and walls on either side. Three barrels in the center can be used as cover (half-cover, AC +2) or overturned to create difficult terrain. The alley extends 40 feet forward and 20 feet backward; moving more than 30 feet forward is entering unknown territory (Perception DC 12 to spot an exit). The ground is wet and slippery; on a failed DC 10 Dexterity save, a creature moving more than 20 feet in one turn falls prone.
Monsters
Tactics
Varos is a coward and will attempt to flee immediately if combat erupts. His thugs (Bandits from the SRD) will fight to protect him or buy him time to escape. Varos himself will not engage in direct combat; instead, he will move toward a back exit (rear of the warehouse) and shout orders. The thugs use Scimitar and Light Crossbow attacks. If Varos escapes, the curse manifests—the ring flares with searing heat, forcing a DC 12 Constitution save or 7 (2d6) fire damage to the wearer. This signals that the curse demands the guilty party be apprehended. If the party captures or kills Varos, the ring cools significantly, but does not break—the curse requires a final act of sacrifice or justice to be fully broken (see Conclusion).
Terrain
A two-story warehouse with crates, barrels, and hanging ropes. The main floor is 60 feet long and 40 feet wide, with a raised platform in the back (5 feet high). Varos's office is in the platform, accessible by stairs or rope. Exits are front (where party enters), sides (locked, require DC 12 Strength to break), and back (Varos's escape route). Stacked crates provide half-cover. The warehouse is dimly lit by high windows, imposing disadvantage on Perception checks more than 30 feet away.
A silver ring engraved with archaic runes. While cursed, it grants no benefit and causes periodic searing pain (1d4 fire damage at random intervals). After the curse is broken (via sacrifice or justice in the Conclusion), it becomes a Ring of Protection, granting +1 to AC and saving throws. Value: 500 gp when cursed; 1,500 gp when broken.
A leather-bound ledger containing records of Varos's business dealings, including the contract dispute with Aldric Vance and proof of payment to Kess for assassination. If presented to Captain Meredith, it can be used as evidence against Varos and absolves Meredith of her moral compromise. Value: 0 gp (evidence), but 200 gp if sold to black-market collectors.
A vial of deep crimson liquid that restores 2d4+2 HP when consumed. Thorne carries this during the alley encounter; it can be looted if he is defeated. Value: 50 gp.
A leather journal hidden in the sealed study of the Vance estate. Contains Aldric's confession that he stole the ring from Thorne years ago, along with his dying curse: 'Let it burn in the hands of whoever takes it until the truth is revealed.' This journal is key to understanding the curse's origin. Value: 100 gp as a curiosity; invaluable for breaking the curse.
Captain Meredith can provide the constabulary's key, granting access to the study. Inside, the party finds Aldric's Secret Journal and 45 gp in loose coins on the desk. Value: 45 gp total.
Story Hooks
These items connect to the curse's resolution: the Ring of Protection can be used as proof of redemption in future adventures, or sold for funds to help Isabelle rebuild her business. Varos's Ledger can be used to clear Captain Meredith's name and establish the party as agents of justice in Candlewood, opening doors to further contracts. Aldric's Journal hints at darker magic in Candlewood—the fact that a merchant knew how to curse an object suggests the city harbors a cabal of sorcerers or witches, a thread for future sessions. Thorne's survival (if the party negotiated rather than fought) plants a seed for his return as an ally or rival in later adventures.
Conclusion
Wrap Up
As midnight approaches and the party has apprehended or negotiated with Varos, they stand at a crossroads. The ring's curse can be broken in three ways: (1) If the party brought Varos to justice and captured evidence of his guilt, the curse can be broken by having Varos publicly confess to Aldric's murder (or the hiring of it), transferring the blood-debt from Aldric to justice served. In this case, the ring cools completely, and its curse transforms into a blessing—it becomes a Ring of Protection. (2) If the party chose to execute justice themselves (killing Varos), they must sacrifice something precious: a spell slot, a cherished item, or a promise of future service to Thorne (who has been watching). In this case, the ring breaks its curse through the act of vengeance itself, but the party bears the moral weight of vigilante justice. (3) If Varos escaped, the curse will claim the wearer by midnight—unless they make a final blood sacrifice (DC 15 Constitution save to survive; failure means 10d6 fire damage). This last path is a race against time and forces an immediate decision with dire consequences. Regardless of path chosen, the session concludes with the party freed from the immediate curse's threat, though Candlewood's larger magical underworld remains unexplored.
Cliffhanger
As the curse breaks and the ring cools in the party's hands, a final vision flashes across their minds—a fragment of Aldric's last moment, but from an unfamiliar perspective. A figure cloaked in shadow stands over Aldric's dying body, not Varos or Kess, but someone else. A voice whispers: "The ring was never the prize. It was the key. And now it has found new bearers." The vision fades, leaving the party with the unsettling knowledge that Varos was merely a pawn, and the true architect of Aldric's death remains at large in Candlewood.
Next Session Hooks
- The mysterious shadowed figure from the curse vision—who is truly responsible for Aldric's death, and what did they want the ring for?
- Candlewood's hidden magical underworld—who taught Thorne to curse objects, and what other enchantments lie hidden in the city?
- Isabelle Vance's connection to the larger plot—did she know more about Aldric's theft of the ring, or is she too a pawn in someone's grand design?
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