Crispy™ Indiana Jones style Macguffins -- historical relics, mysteries and stuff

[Stella Brando]

There was a statue of Athena in Troy, which made the city impregnable. It had to be stolen before the city could fall. Later it was removed to Rome, then Constantinople, making each city undefeatable for a time.

Who knows where it could be in modern times? New York? Maybe an adventuring party could steal it -- thus making 9/11 possible?





Do you guy know of anymore quirky historical stuff like this, which could be used in a pulp adventure?

Thread rated 'Crispy' because he's old enough to remember this stuff.

 

[KateMicucci]

obvious one

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Lance

 

[Erebus]

Rome had the Sibylline Books, which held many prophecies and were consulted in times of great crisis (one of those times was right after the defeat at Cannae against Hannibal).

And also a sacred shield, fallen from the sky during the reign of Numa, that reputedly made it invincible. Eleven copies were made to make sure the real one wouldn't be stolen.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

This thread will be awesome.

There's also Durandal, a heavenly/sacred sword given to Roland by Charlemagne. It's been reputedly been stuck in stone in Spain: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2...-the-precipice-of-rocamadour-for-9-centuries/

 

[Stella Brando]

The tombs of Alexander, Cleopatra and Genghis Khan were never found. Alexander was supposed to have Achilles' armour, also.

There's an old story about soviet historians digging up Timur the Lame. The Russians were then invaded by Hitler, and they were unable to check him until Tamil was interred in the cold earth again.

 

[deuxhero]

WEG printed a supplement covering interwar Japan. Lots of classic Shinto artifacts to take. Maybe do something crazy like have the Taisho Japanese government not be evil and someone else wants to use the artifact for evil.