Diamonds in the Great Crater: Prelude to War
by Sean MeaneyA Discovery in the Great Crater
Prince Kol stared down at the corpse.
"You found that in the Crater?" Kol whispered a spell of Analysis and discerned the ring was a ring of invisibility. And now the sack filled with rocks he had been collecting. Diamonds. He scraped one against the one on his pendant and watched the newcomer scratch his pendant as though it were glass.
"Yes..." Even now the Ogre seemed more concerned that he would soon be dead. Always Kill the Messenger. Not this time.
"Were there any other Dwarves?" The Ogre shook his head. No - but he didnt have to have seen more. There would have been more.
Kol held up the Rocks.
"See these? Have your Tribe find me More and I will make you a General. The Ogre Winced.
"I said make you a General...Not Dead." The Ogre Smiled at the surprise. Kol smiled back and looked at his Guards - they seemed confused by the Smile.
"Throw him out - but dont Kill him." The Trolls grabbed the Ogre and dragged him out.
Diamonds in the Great Crater...Kol stared at the twenty pounds of Rough Diamond in the sack and did a calculation in his head. At least a million in cut Diamond. Kol Wondered how much in Diamond there could be in the Whole of the Crater. The Idea of sitting on a Diamond Throne popped into Kol's head.
DM Briefing: Many Trillions of Carats of Hard Diamonds (132,042,253,521,126gp) are found in the Great Crater. The Discovery will result in a shift in the Wealth of the Principality on a global scale causing a World War when it is learned by the Empire of Thyatis that the Great Crater is sitting on wealth that could buy and sell the future of The Thyatian Empire for Millenia to come and crash its current economy. Once the Secret is out - the DM will need to begin Mobilization of Thyatian Troops once the Secret of the Diamonds leaks out. In the mean time a Hundred Ogres begin mining a hundred pounds of Diamond a day (thats 10,000,000gp/day).
Calculations:
1 x 10,000gp BECMI Diamond = 1/10th of a pound
Diamond is 1/142 ounces/carat
3,000,000,000,000 carates x 1/142 ounce = 21,126,760,563 ounces
1 ounce = 0.0625 lb
=1,320,422,535lb
The value and quantity of trillions of carats of impact diamonds in a crater:
13,204,225,352 becmi Diamonds = 132,042,253,521,126gp
Source: Russia admits to having 'trillions of carats' worth of diamonds hidden in an asteroid crater
1. A Delivery to Monsterland
"The task is a simple one..." The Merchant of House Hallonica is very interested in your services.
"You will escort the Caravan to Kolland west of the Great Crater." The Mission seems a little irregular. Eight hundred Wagons guarded by Two thousand Mercenaries. hauling Wines and other goods of Darokin to Prince Kol of the Great Crater. It seems to be a huge and costly purchase for a bunch of dirt poor humanoinds sitting in a caldera.
"Your true mission will be to look around in the Crater - This humanoid Prince paid in rough Diamonds - I want to know where he got them and how much more he has." That was more like it - the wheel within the wheel.
DM Briefing: The Adventurers are sent to the Great Crater as guards on a huge Caravan shipment eight miles long. Their real mission is to snoop around the Great Crater and find out where Prince Kol gets his Diamonds. Of course the job as caravan guards wont be easy - an army of bandits and humanoid raiders not under Kol's Authority have got wind of it - their thousand warrior strong horde intends to lay siege to the caravan as it enters Monsterland.
AC1020, Sviftmont 23: The Diamond Throne
Location: Thyatis City, EoT.
Description: This evening as all two hundred Senators of the Thyatian Empire retire to their private residences they find a gift waiting for them. A Fine Silver engraved Firkin which bears the name of the Senator and a Valuation of the Contents by the Darokin Merchant Guild bearing the Seal of the Merchant Guild of the Republic of Darokin. Inside the Firkin are gems described by the inscription as Diamonds - to the value of twenty million gold coins. And the Words 'For the Purchase of One Senate Vote - The Permanent Vacation of the Thyatian Imperial Throne in place of Direct Senate Governance.'
What this Means: Prince Kol has arranged the purchase of the Thyatian Imperial Throne. Kol pays each of the 200 Thyatian Senators a single Firkin of Diamonds (20,000,000gp each - a sum total of four billion gold pieces) to remove the Emperor from the throne so the Empire of Thyatis can be governed by the Senate. For Prince Kol it is a means to an Ends that will disable the Thyatian Empire and focus its attention inwards.
AC1020, Sviftmont 24: The Silence is Deafening
Location: Thyatis City, EoT.
Description: Today the Senate of Thyatis is uncharacteristically silent. The occurrence is so unusual that word gets to the Emperor Eusbius who puts in an appearance. Unable to get an explanation from any of the Senators Eusbius is about to depart when he notices a black diamond on the floor of the Senate forum. As Eusbius holds the diamond aloft and looks about he realizes that they are looking at him with an utter look of horror – as though he had just caught them in an act of Treason.
Eusbius notices Senator Angelarian Canolocarius is writing in a ledger and has not noticed the Diamond the Emperor is holding aloft. Emperor Eusbius Speaks the Senator’s name causing him to apologise and look up but as he catches sight of the Black Diamond being held aloft by the Emperor he falls silent mid sentence and turns pale.
What this Means: The Emperor of Thyatis has caught all of his Senators in some Conspiracy of Silence. Eusbius knows the Black Diamond he is holding aloft is at the heart of the Conspiracy.