The city of Seyune is famed for its culture and artists. Finely craved statues line the avenues and roads while numerous galleries and museums house the work of great artists before. The nobility and the rich spent their time amassing collectons of artefacts, as a sign of their power and prosperity. And at one particular auction, a painting by the supposedly famous Antino is up for grabs. It is a scene of a wave-lashed cliff, with the oceans whipped into frenzy by a storm, expertly painted with intricate details. The rich are going crazy for this piece of art; fortunes worthing at least a few merchant fleets are poured into the auction. There are even a few out of town strangers bidding for the painting too…what is its allure?
- If one examine the painting closely, the artist used more than just brush strokes to define his art. Many of the strokes that make up the cliff of the mountain, for example, are actually many tiny runes drawn tightly together. There seems to be some form of writings hidden within the painting, and this has attracted the attention of a few scholars, sages and wizards. Rumours abound as to what the artist was trying to get across in the painting – some says it is a powerful spell, others have the belief that it contains the direction to a cache of treasure. With Antio dead for years, no one can be sure; and when the auction house perished in a fire (which some said was accidentally caused by thieves trying to break in), many assume the painting and its secrets were lost too. However, the painting was found intact, unharmed – and that is when the entire city goes crazy about it.
- The painting is actually but one in a collection; when the rest are gathered and placed together, it forms a ‘mural’ about 2 metres tall by 1.5 metres wide. It would then become a portal, and anyone who steps through it will find himself at the scene depicted – a stormy sky, ocean lashed into a frenzy and a pounding rain falling to the earth. Behind him is a thin tower reaching into the skys above. This was, supposedly, the home of the Muses, and mortals who win their favour will be gifted with the ability to create enchanting pieces of work. The price is that once the artist is dead, his soul will returned here, to be tormented, till another person willingly takes up the gift. Antio’s soul is housed there, and he would be employing every trick he could to get people to takes his place (he can works minor magic through his works of art which can be seemed by others)
- A cabal of sorcerers are particularly interested in the painting, for within the stormy seas Antio had drawn a fearsome sea creature, with seven heads, great grey fins and bigger than a ship. On each of the seven head is painted a sigil, and the cabal could identify two of those, but no the rest. Among their ranks are tales of Symbols of Power which were used to enhance their magical spells, and out of seven, five was lost. Two of those were drawn on the head of the hydra. The sorcerers intend to get their hands on the painting at all costs but as not to attract attention, decide against using magic or force to get it. However, one night when thieves break into the auction hall and took off with the painting, the sorcerers approach the adventurers for help – they have located the location of the painting, for they have placed a mark on it if such an event could happen. However, as not to alert their rivals, they dare not risk hunting down the thieves and entrust the task to the adventurers. The sorcerers could very well hide their real intent regarding the painting, and may even try to silence the adventurers when they return.
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