The Curse of the Hope Diamond

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Sun May 16, 2004 9:02 am

We all should know the story of the Hope.

According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue diamond when it was plucked (i.e. stolen) from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. The legend is said to begin with a theft. Several centuries ago, a man named Tavernier made a trip to India. While there, he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the diamond). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse.

Now for the twist and adventure ideas. No the legend doesn't state this, but oh well, makes a good twist and game hook. Sita will grant 3 wishes to those who return Her diamond to Her statue. But it does say the curse will be lifted. The Smithsonian does not have the real cursed diamond, neither did King Louis XIV and King Louis XV, nor was it ever cut. The real Hope is in the family of a player, or they find it in a trunk in the attic of a dead relatives house with a note giving the curse and legend behind it written in 16th/17th century French upon Irish linon. :twisted:

muhahahaha!!! :demon:

Locating the statue will be a problem. But, it can be done.

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Wed May 19, 2004 10:56 pm

I am looking for input!!! Otherwise I wouldn't bother posting! GOOD, BAD, INDIFFERENT, OR WHATEVER!

And I thought up this game for normal characters, not mages or psychic. This is not a power game, this is a think it out game. With cobras, tigers, apes, a lost Indian city, traps, a Mummy Imortialis, plane crash, an elephant grave yard, a Sphinx, and the biggest threat of them all: Geico squirrels. :lol:

Chuck Lang · Unread post by **Chuck Lang** » Thu May 20, 2004 7:51 am

You could use my adventurous professor O.C.C. (with the skill program modifications people recommended).

Seriously though, let me stew on this one at work and maybe I can come up with a few seggestions; your post sounds like an awesome idea btw.

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Thu May 20, 2004 2:53 pm

This is a starter game for those who like playing humans, level 1-2, to be for sure.

The players have to stop in China to catch a plane to India. With several ideas on which way to go about this part.

Uh, plane crashes because of highjackers [air pirates] who are going to crash into India's capital building. The players will have to stop them, but they don't know how to fly the plane but manage to fly it and get lost in India them selves. (And they are the only ppl on the plane who are not highjackers...5 highjackers bought out the rest of the tickets on the plane. The highjackers have knives which were hidden on 2 wheel chares) (The highjackers have cut the communication wires.) They crash the plane themselves, but they survive. Lost, they will find an elephant grave yard the first day out, a lost city the 5th day (which turns out to be the place that they need to be.) But they have no way of knowing it, they run into a road when they get 3 days away from the city and a bus is coming. The bus driver knows of no such place as the letter tells. But will happily take them to the village (which is all of 1 mile away) where they can get a bath and food. There aren't any phones in the village. But there are some Peace Corp there, who do have a ham radio, and have heard of a local legends about a city by the name that is on the letter. Which links them right back to the lost city. There is a Wiccan in the group who has a deck of tarot cards, he will offer to read them for free. There's also a psy healer there too. They get a chance to relax some, and stock up on power bars and gateraid before heading back out. The bus will not be back for 3 months, so. (The bus carries it's gas by the 50 gal. drum. So, they are litterally stuck in the middle of nowheres!) But the good news is they have solar and wind powered generaters there. And the jungle will have grown vines in the path they made.

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 10:35 pm

The spear of destony and the lost ark is cool for game hooks, haven't had any characters interested in the holy grail, but have had them look for the scrolls of Jesus of the Crist. And the true library of Alexanderia.

Then again, that group was working for the knights templar and the freemasons.

Chuck Lang · Unread post by **Chuck Lang** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 9:38 am

pblackcrow wrote:...but have had them look for the scrolls of Jesus of the Crist. And the true library of Alexanderia.

Too late.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3707641.stm

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 11:04 am

Uh no, I'm refurring to the other library...deep with in the desart that housed copies of everything and it's all just a cover for what is hidden in the basement. A mages guilds library and the guardians to go with it.

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:36 am

gwa1965 wrote:looking for lost artifacts, hmmmm...

how about jack the ripper's knife,
amelia earhart's plane,
hitler's brain,
the tomb of dracula,
the caldron of tituba (one of the accused during the salem witch trials),
or nixon's heart (really hard to find)

LOL! Funny, but true!

pblackcrow · Unread post by **pblackcrow** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 12:04 pm

Atramentus wrote:So Pblackcrow, what sort of other supernatural elements might you use in this game? Particularly in the temple?

A lot of little ones. Like the spirits of the elephonts do not take kindly to evil or selfish people being in the elephant grave yard. 1 word about ivory sells and the bones animate and tell them to leave now.

Jesterzzn · Unread post by **Jesterzzn** » Mon May 02, 2005 7:14 pm

ash_wednesday wrote:
gwa1965 wrote:looking for lost artifacts, hmmmm...

how about jack the ripper's knife,
amelia earhart's plane,
hitler's brain,
the tomb of dracula,
the caldron of tituba (one of the accused during the salem witch trials),
or nixon's heart (really hard to find)
How about the pistol that was used to shoot pope john paul II back in the 80's. Because of the event it went through or the amount of evil that was used...it could be cursed. Maybe some NPC villian is trying to find it or something...I'm thinking of using it in my game..if I get enough players to play....

Play in one of the Palladium Game Rooms, and I would gladly join that campaign.

Gallahan · Unread post by **Gallahan** » Tue May 03, 2005 1:11 am

I went to the Smithsonian while in 2nd grade. I saw the Hope (Blue) Diamond in person and remember asking my father why/how a diamond would be cursed. It didn't make sense. But... there was "something" about that diamond. You could lose yourself into it... It was so big. So priceless. And right there, inches away, just out of reach beyond the impenetrable glass.

Scientists now envision entire planets made of diamonds. In fact, some believe that huge diamonds the size of Mt. Everest might comprise chunks of the moons of the outer planets like Saturn and Jupiter. Imagine losing yourself in something that immense. Imagine the sinister intelligences and horrors that might lurk in those depths... Maybe the objects of some science fiction styled horror campaigns that take place perhaps a century from now as we cross the threshold into the resource-rich solar system. Diamonds, and some forms of horror... are forever.

Chai
:eek: