Adam Malik carefully descends the stairs to the squalid foyer of the
tenement, walking stick in one hand, briefcase in the other. The stick conceals 
a short blade like that of a sword, but one magically imbued to provide a slight 
edge in a fight, in the unlikely event he should ever have to participate in 
physical violence. The real treasure is inside the briefcase, securely cradled 
in plush velvet. It takes the form of a huge gemstone weighing perhaps seven or 
eight hundred carats. Malik does not yet understand even a fraction of the gem’s
potential, but he knows its value is beyond measure. It is called the Vault of 
Souls, and the power it contains exceeds anything he has ever encountered.