The Judge's Shackle
The Judge's Shackle
“Justice is a cage, and the jailer is its first prisoner.”
— Hook · investigation
“You have spent years listening to the secrets of others across your bar. Now, a secret of your own has taken root: the location of the Iron Grotto and the chained archdevil Thariel. If you can strike the right bargain, you will never have to scrub a floor again.”
— Hook · investigation
The fire in your tavern hearth burns low as the last patrons linger over their ales. A scarred veteran and a hooded scholar lean close, whispering of a buried archdevil and a boon that could turn a barkeep into a king.
The Protagonist
The tavern owner (the PC) decides to pursue the legend after overheard conversations provide the final clue to the Grotto's entrance.
Rumours
d4 · table- 01The Iron Grotto beneath the Silver Peaks holds a devil who can rewrite any contract.
- 02Thariel the Fallen Judge was cast down by Asmodeus for showing mercy.
- 03The chains that bind the archdevil are made of pure, solidified Law.
- 04Whispers in the tavern say the archdevil is so weak he will trade a boon for a single drop of wine.
If the PC attempts to cheat the devil, the resulting combat or the devil's death will unleash a demonic apocalypse upon the region, starting with the protagonist's own tavern.
Background Lore
Centuries ago, a rift to the Abyss threatened to consume this region. The celestial and infernal hosts struck a temporary accord to seal it. Thariel, a high ranking jurist of the Nine Hells, was chosen to be the eternal seal. He was bound by the Chains of Stasis to ensure the rift remained closed and its inhabitant remained asleep.
Thariel is an archdevil imprisoned by his peers for heresy. He remains trapped in a subterranean vault, desperate for release and willing to grant high-level boons to any mortal who can break his bindings or offer a soul-debt.
