The Blood Jewel
By: Nip
Despite what Laughing Man may tell you, he is not actually the primary source of Wolf’s Queen staggering power, and near-encyclopedic knowledge of magical theories and threats that are still utterly enigmatic to the rest of us.
"Yea, I think it’s a bit much to expect Laughing Man to actually explain anything to anyone."
• Frosty
"Hardy har har. Very funny. Many many ha ha’s were had."
• Laughing Man
The source of her knowledge is actually a troll-ish size draconic memory gem called the Blood Jewel. The jewel is red in color with darker red and silvery swirls constantly on the move within it. Whether those swirls are a visual manifestation of the memories contained within, or simply an aesthetic thing is anyone’s guess. I was blessed with the opportunity to see the jewel up close, and it is truly mesmerizing to look at. It is warm to the touch and seems to hum with a life all its own. If you ever get the chance to see it, sit in silence and you will hear soft, cheerful singing.
“One lives in hope of becoming a memory.”
• Wolf Queen
"You going cryptic on us?"
• Bull
"I’m not trying to, but I felt that quote is fitting. The thing to remember is that the knowledge inside the jewel is the memories of real people who really lived, and thanks to the careful recordings of an unknown dragon, those people live on through their memories for eternity. When I access the jewel, I feel like I’m actually there, learning from people no different than you or I who have long since turned to dust. I have always been a massive history buff, so to hear, see, and feel history through the mind of someone who actually lived during that time is…indescribable. It has actually served as a significant source of inspiration for many of the newer buildings in Altarraum, most noticeably in Schwangau. Ok, getting off the stage now. Back to you, Nip"
• Wolf Queen
The jewel is kept in a heavily guarded chamber deep beneath Schwangau. That chamber is connected to miles and miles of underground tunnels designed to confuse the ever loving frag out of anyone who tries to explore them without a guide (Read: Wolf Queen). Imagine the Paris catacombs, remove all of the bones and the overwhelming creep factor, and you won’t be too far off. The tunnels are lousy with dead ends, false starts, trap doors, fake walls and doors to nowhere. The walls, floors, and ceilings are also liberally sprinkled with magical sigils to prevent uninvited guests from astrally projecting into the tunnels.
"Also completely nerfs the astral walking ability of a certain theatrical elf. He found that out the hard way, and although I feel a little bit bad about it, it was still pretty funny."
• Wolf Queen
"Ok, you have to tell me that story."
• Frosty
"Message me in private. I’ll tell you all about it."
• Wolf Queen
[spoiler]While Nip was mostly correct in his description of the Schwangau tunnels, he did leave a few things out. Firstly, only the tunnels directly beneath Neuschwanstein Castle are off-limits and heavily guarded. The rest of the tunnels are, for the most part, open to the public. While the primary purpose of these tunnels is smuggling people and supplies in and out of the city (never forget that Altarraum is a kingdom built by shadowrunners), a small section is heavily decorated every year around Samhain and used as a haunted house to entertain the masses. The tunnels were used by many of Schwangau’s citizens to escape the city during the Samhain Massacre.
One of the escape tunnels was booby trapped by members of Alamos 20K during the massacre, and that section is still sealed off to this day. All entrances to that section are sealed off with thick plascrete walls inscribed with the same sigils used in the tunnels beneath the castle. No one knows what the queen is trying to keep out…or keep in, or why.
[/spoiler]
