While shopping in an Arabic antiquities store, a curious item comes into view. It is a beautiful, but simple 8th-century dagger. The dagger, according to its supposed history was recovered from a tomb outside of Baghdad.
The owner of the store, Bazzeel Shimmir, drives a hard bargain and will not sell to investigators unless they show significant knowledge of Arabic history. “This is an important artefact, not a trinket or a letter opener,” he says. The investigators are allowed to examine the dagger, but without a detailed inspection, its true nature is not discernable. If the investigators want to find out the daggers true nature, they must buy it or steal it.
Possibilities
1 The dagger was owned by Abdul Al Hazred and was taken from his body after he was torn apart by an invisible monster in Damascus. The dagger was created from metal from a meteor, which fell from the sky. The extra-terrestrial nature of the metal makes it quite effective against mythos entities. The dagger has passed through the hands of many affluent Arabs before arriving here.
2 Al Hazred’s dagger was stolen from a Cthulhu-worshipping death cult from Iraq. They are hell-bent on retrieving it, and Mr Shimmir is not aware of this, nor is he involved in its theft. If the investigators procure the dagger, they can expect trouble from these fellows. Them and their shoggoth.
3 The dagger is a fake and Mr Shimmir has sold dozens like it. He specializes in forging supposedly ancient and rare esoteric artefacts and selling them to pseudo intellectuals and Middle Eastern aficionados. His reluctance to sell was a subterfuge to drive up the price. The Keeper should suggest the dagger glimmers with energy and power (which is actually the lighting and the high polish of the blade); Mr Shimmir steers the dagger’s supposed history to meet the investigators’ expectations.
© Kevin Kaier
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