Salvaging the Soul

Quest Summary:

High Chairman Winnie Kennard seeks individuals to travel to the ruins of the Albany Institute of History & Art to recover any artwork or artistic materials that have survived the Fall. The journey is dangerous—the ruins are unstable, looters and altered roam the city, and rumors speak of an experimental automaton still active in the museum’s lower levels.

Winnie emphasizes that this is not just about collecting valuables—it’s about preserving the soul of humanity.

Hook / Quest Start:

The party notices a curious posting on Camp Hope’s job board. The parchment was faded but elegant, hinting at someone with an eye for beauty and a touch of sentimentality. The request stood out among the usual mercenary calls and supply runs: a call to recover lost art.

When they arrive at her office, Winnie greets them personally after being seen in by an assistant. Her office is a quiet space cluttered with half-finished paintings, salvaged frames, and the smell of old oil and turpentine. She carefully interviews them, ensuring they're not Church of Hope zealots or looters just looking to profit.

Once satisfied, she offers them the job:

She stares at you a moment then says, "I can't save the world, but maybe I can preserve a piece of it. There's still beauty buried out there. Will you find it for me?"

She offers 50 credits per intact piece of artwork, with bonuses for anything of clear cultural or historical value.

Primary Objectives:

1. Travel to the Albany Institute of History & Art in the ruins of Albany.
2. Recover any surviving artwork or artistic tools, especially:
3. Paintings, sketches, or sculptures.
4. Rare pigments or historic brushes/tools.
5. Museum catalogs or records.
6. Return the items safely to Winfrith Kennard

Themes

1. Preservation vs. Destruction

In a world torn apart by conflict, scarcity, or religious extremism (e.g. Church of Hope zealots), Winnie’s quest to recover art reflects a desire to preserve culture in the face of ruin. It questions what’s worth saving when civilization crumbles—technology, power, or beauty?

2. Beauty in Ruin

There’s a poignant sense of hope tied to the idea that beauty still exists, even if buried, forgotten, or decaying. The party isn't just recovering objects—they're unearthing stories, memories, and emotional anchors in a world that feels increasingly numb or utilitarian.

3. Subjectivity of Value

By offering payment for "intact" or "culturally significant" artwork, the adventure invites characters to consider:

• What makes something valuable?
• Who decides what’s worth preserving?
• Is a child's drawing worth as much as a lost masterwork?
  This opens space for tension between personal and societal definitions of meaning.

4. Resistance Through Art

Winnie’s quiet rebellion against looters and zealots is not through arms, but through art. This suggests a theme of soft resistance—that in a world obsessed with survival, finding and holding onto beauty is itself a revolutionary act.

5. Memory and Identity

Each piece of art tells a story about the world before. Recovering them isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about reconstructing identity—for individuals, for communities, for the world.

DM Information

• Quest Type: Exploration | Retrieval | Moral Decision-Making | Light Horror
• Level Range: Recommended for characters Level 3–6
• System: Ultra Modern Redux Version 1.2

Plot type

Adventure

Related Characters

• Winfrith Kennard

Related Organizations

• Town Watch

Related Locations

• Albany Institute of History and Art

You step in the dusky office and are instantly struck by the scent of old paper, dried ink, and something faintly floral—lavender or perhaps something rarer. The clutter of books and curling parchment forms uneven towers around the room, competing for space with jars of brushes, pigments, and carefully labeled vials. Behind the desk, seated in a heavy chair with carved arms, is High Chairman Winfrith. Her sharp silver hair is bound in a low knot, and her gaze, as piercing as a hawk’s, lifts slowly from the codex she’s annotating in dense, looping script. Her gloved hand gestures to the seat across from her without ceremony. “So,” she says, voice calm but weighty, “you’ve come to volunteer.” There’s no question in her tone. Just the faintest trace of amusement—like she already knows how this ends.