Giant Treasures
It's Giant Week, and that means that today's treasures are larger than life. Rather than spread out your wealth amongst lots of coins and gems, why not consolidate into one big block of value? Consider, for example, these massive treasures that would not only be the pride of any hoard, but could easily be a treasure hoard all to themselves.
1. Polished Dragon Skeleton. This massive skeleton once belonged to a mighty and powerful blue dragon, though the creature's name has been lost to the mists of time. Its skeleton has been carefully preserved, the bones polished and glossed, and it is bound together with wires, posed standing on its hind legs, its wings outspread, its face turned downward with mouth open in a vicious snarl.
2. Massive Bronze Statue. This solid bronze statue stands nearly twenty feet tall, and depicts a mighty warrior in breastplate, holding a double-bladed axe defiantly in both hands. A small plaque at the base of the statue denotes her as Xylia, a warrior queen known for her bravery and courage. While the statue would prove valuable even if hacked up and sold for scrap metal, to the right collector it could be worth a fortune.
3. Vat of Fine Spirits. This large brass vat is fairly valuable in and of itself as a piece of distilling equipment, but the true value is what is inside: it is filled with a fine and very expensive dwarven whiskey, known for its subtle flavors and rich texture. Though the spirits still need some time to mature, they will one day be worth a small fortune.
4. Jewel Encrusted Mosaic. This mosaic, set into the side of a wall, is made not with ceramic or stone tiles, but instead from hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of gems. Together, they form a sparkling picture of a young shepherd tending his flock in an idyllic meadow. If removed, the gems prove to be of relatively low quality and little value, though if kept in one piece, the mosaic makes a truly unique and one of a kind art object.
5. One-Ton Gold Trade Bar. Nearly the size of a large dog, this bar of gold is truly massive. Its edges are slightly rounded, and the top bears a stamp with the life-sized image of a monarch's head, as well as the seal of both the royal family and the specific bank that minted the titanic brick of currency. One of only three ever made, the bar was created specifically to pay a massive military debt that the monarch amassed during a particularly costly war.
6. Man-Sized Illustrated Tome. This book is nearly eight feet tall and twelve feet wide when fully opened. It sits on a copper stand, which, itself, is worth a fair amount, although nothing by comparison to the book itself. A religious text, the book is carefully illustrated on each page, featuring hand-drawn color depictions of each scene and parable in the book. Quite old, the book must be handled with extreme care to avoid damage.
7. Silver Stage Coach. Made entirely of gleaming, polished silver, this magnificent stagecoach is fully functional, nearly every surface covered with detailed engravings and embellishments, making it appear to be wrapped and entangled in silvery rose vines. Even the wheels are made of pure silver, though the interior is paneled with elm and has luxurious and comfortable seats with plush cushions and velvet curtains, providing a smooth and enjoyable ride.
8. Sprawling Clockwork Machine. This complex mechanical marvel is large enough to fill a small room, and is comprised of all kinds of gleaming steel and brass cogs, bars, and other pieces of complex and delicate machinery. The thing's purpose is difficult to discern. It serves as a clock, but at the same time also seems to be an orrery of sorts, tracking the movements of various celestial bodies and the alignments of certain planes.
9. One One-Thousandth Scale Atlas. This rather impractical map covers the entire globe in painstaking detail, but at one one-thousandth scale, it is somewhat unwieldy to use. Thankfully, the atlas is mildly magical, allowing it to be folded down to the relatively portable size of two feet by two feet and three feet thick. The same magic also allows it to be relatively easily opened to the relevant area, though unfolding it to cover even a single square mile requires unfolding it to fill a full five-foot square.
10. Adamantine Door. This thick double door is made from pure adamantine, and polished and gleaming. It is nearly a foot thick, eight feet tall, and six feet wide. It is fitted so that it can easily be barred, the bar also made of adamantine, and features a superb lock. Although the door itself is nearly impenetrable, it can potentially be removed from the frame to which it is attached and installed elsewhere.