Set item layout:

Key of Crooks Sanctum

wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This key is a simple golden key with a skull-shaped handle. The skull has hollow eyes. The key is worn and tarnished by time and use, but it still radiates faintly with magical power.

Portal

Once per day, when using the key to open a door, you can instead open a portal to a demiplane. This demiplane is a small pocket dimension, always connected to the key, that contains any items or creatures left there by you or previous owners of the key.
If a creature inside the demiplane closes the portal, the door reverts to its normal function. The only way to reopen the portal from the outside is by using the key again. However, a creature inside the demiplane can reopen the portal at any time by using the door handle. If a creature enters the demiplane with the key and dies there, the key remains in the demiplane and the portal becomes sealed, unless a spell is used to locate and reopen it.

The inside of the demiplane

The demiplane is a 30-foot cube made of wood or stone, as described by the spell. The walls, floor, and ceiling are rough and plain, with no windows or doors. The only way in or out is through the portal created by the key.
The demiplane is dimly lit by a few torches or lanterns that are attached to the walls. The air is stale and dusty, and the temperature is slightly cold. The demiplane is silent, except for the occasional creaking of the wood or stone.

Create printable cards for Key of Crooks Sanctum

Credits

This item was made as a welcome gift for my Patreon subscriber, Jono - Aratos, who had the original idea for the item.

Lore

The Crooks were a notorious group of criminals who operated in various cities and kingdoms across the world. They specialized in stealing, spying, blackmailing, and killing for hire. They were feared and respected by both the law and the underworld. They had a strict code of honor and loyalty among themselves, and a ruthless attitude towards their enemies.

The Crooks were also avid collectors of rare and valuable items, especially magic items. They amassed a huge fortune of gold, gems, artifacts, and secrets over the years. They needed a secure and discreet way to store and protect their treasures, as well as a place to rest and plan their operations.
The Keys of the Crooks Sanctum were created by the founder and leader of the Crooks, a mysterious figure known only as the Master. The Master was a genius and a visionary, who had a deep understanding of magic, artifice, and planar lore. He devised a way to create keys that could open portals to demiplanes, using a combination of arcane and divine magic, alchemy, and engineering.
The Master gathered a team of skilled and loyal craftsmen, mages, priests, and rogues to help him with his project. He also acquired rare and expensive materials and components, such as precious metals, rare gems, and exotic materials from other planes of existence. He used his connections and influence to obtain these resources, sometimes through legal means, but usually through illegal means.
The Master and his team worked in secret for many years, experimenting and refining their methods and designs. They faced many challenges and dangers along the way, such as magical mishaps, planar anomalies, rival factions, and curious authorities.
The Master eventually succeeded in creating the first Key of the Crooks Sanctum. He tested it himself, opening a portal to a demiplane that he had designed according to his preferences and needs. He was amazed and delighted by his creation, and decided to share it with his trusted followers. He gave them each a key of their own, and taught them how to use it and maintain it.
The Master also created more keys for himself, each one opening a different demiplane with a different purpose. He used some of them for storing his treasures and secrets, some of them for conducting his experiments and researches, some of them for entertaining his guests and allies, and some of them for punishing his enemies and rivals.
The Master continued to improve his keys over time, making them more powerful and versatile. He created two types of keys: lesser and greater. The lesser keys were simpler and easier to make, but had limited features and functions. The greater keys were more complex and difficult to make, but had more features and functions.
The Master gave some of the lesser keys to his most loyal and capable members of the Crooks, who used them for their own purposes. He kept most of the greater keys for himself, or gave them to his closest friends and allies. He also hid some of the keys in secret locations or entrusted them to trusted guardians.
The lesser keys are more common than the greater keys, but still very rare. There are only a few dozen lesser keys in existence, and most of them are still in the possession of the Crooks or their descendants. The greater keys are extremely rare. There are only a handful of greater keys in existence, and most of them are lost or hidden.
If a key is lost or stolen, someone else can potentially access the demiplane and steal or destroy the contents there, or use it as their own demiplane. The demiplane may also contain traps, wards, or guardians left by the previous owners of the key, or hostile creatures or objects that were brought there by accident or on purpose.

Tags:lorepatreonstorage