The Black Vault Haul

[The Lesser Evil]

On the item's reported destroyed discussion, the continued existence of Peace's Pin implies at least one of the stolen items escaped destruction. The pin's description in Dragon 272 mentions that it was pocketed by one of Dr. VR's fellow vault raiders and given to a lover. Thereby, we know that at least one of Dr. VR's compatriots was less than honest, implying that any number of the other magical items may have also escaped destruction.

Also, as to why Dr. VR would want to destroy them all the Vault magical items, in VR's Guide to the Lich, he advocated the destruction of any lich owned magical items out of sheer principle, purely for erring on the side of safety. He figured any such magical item would likely be loaded with a curse, evil powers, or some other lingering corrupting or deleterious influence on the world.

Also, magical items don't necessarily have to be evil, cursed, or overtly malicious to be dangerous. They could have side effects or quirks/flaws of how their magic operates that make them just as dangerous. John Mangrum's Transubstantial Halo (not ever in the Black Vault but an item locked up by the Mordentish Order of the Guardians) is an example of such a potentially dangerous magical items. Even an item without any flaws or quirks could be dangerous given the right circumstances, like an iron flask if it imprisoned a powerful fiend.

[Baron Von Stanton]

Also, magical items don't necessarily have to be evil, cursed, or overtly malicious to be dangerous. They could have side effects or quirks/flaws of how their magic operates that make them just as dangerous. John Mangrum's Transubstantial Halo (not ever in the Black Vault but an item locked up by the Mordentish Order of the Guardians) is an example of such a potentially dangerous magical items. Even an item without any flaws or quirks could be dangerous given the right circumstances, like an iron flask if it imprisoned a powerful fiend.

I mean, it's for the same reason we don't let a kindergartener operate a forklift, after all.

[IanFordam]

Foolheart's Breastplate

The paladin now known as Foolheart came from an Outlander world, and he earned his nickname because of his unshakeable confidence that his god's bright magic would protect him. To be fair, he had good reason for confidence: He wore an adamantine breastplate forged in the Upper Planes, and it had defended him quite successfully against all foes prior to his entry to the Land of the Mists. It protected him in the Land of Mists as well, at least for a while. Unfortunately for Foolheart, he took an Invidian lover. Ordinarily this would have been no concern (his god does not insist upon chastity) except that Foolheart knew that this woman was married. Having failed to uphold the highest standards of law and goodness, the next time that Foolheart found himself in combat, his adamantine armor crumpled beneath his foe's warhammer, and he was slain.

(Of course, once removed from Foolheart's corpse, the breastplate restored itself. There was no lingering hint of any flaw in its construction or its magic.)

Foolheart's Breastplate protects its wearer as if it were a complete suit of platemail +3, including the usual bonus of +3 to all saving throws. Unfortunately, the breastplate has acquired a will of its own, and if its wearer engages in some activity which violates the laws laid down by the breastplate's patron (as interpreted very strictly), then breastplate's magic reverses for that wearer. It becomes platemail -3, and all saving throws are made with a -3 penalty.

Escaping the breastplate's reversed magic is easy: The wearer simply removes the breastplate. Unfortunately this curse does not typically manifest until the wearer confronts a truly dangerous foe.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Foolheart's Breastplate
...
Escaping the breastplate's reversed magic is easy: The wearer simply removes the breastplate. Unfortunately this curse does not typically manifest until the wearer confronts a truly dangerous foe.

Getting rid off cursed items is not so simple.
Also I find the -3 AC not so dreadful I am suggesting something more dreadful and lethal similar to a heartseeker spear (though reversed).

The breastplate negates damage reduction to the person/creature who wears it. Any successful hit on that creature is to the heart, effectively damaging that vital organ and killing the person instantly. if a vampire wears it, it can be easily pinned according to the normal rules for vampires by any successful hit with a wooden stake.

[IanFordam]

Any successful hit on that creature is to the heart, effectively damaging that vital organ and killing the person instantly.

I'll agree that the curse which I proposed was underpowered, but that is just brutal.

I kinda like it.

[IanFordam]

I mean, it's for the same reason we don't let a kindergartener operate a forklift, after all.

The Kindergartener's Forklift

This intricate steam-powered clockwork device was originally created by a gnomish tinkerer in Mayvin. However, it was noticed by a visiting professor of education from the Brautslava Institute. (He was a professor of professing, if you will.) This professor looked right past the practical utility of the device and decided that such a marvelous construct could only inspire the minds of young children. (The steam whistle mounted on the forklift might have helped distract him.) Although the tinkerer did not want to sell his invention, his wife had grown weary of his endless refinements, not to mention the whistle. She wanted him to turn a meager profit before they fell too far into the red. He balked at her insistence. In turn she stopped cooking for him. Six hours and two skipped meals later, he relented. She was so pleased at the prospect of having the forklift gone that she immediately cooked up a double portion of her husband's favorite meal, Spicy Sausage with Runny Goat Cheese and Mushrooms. So eager was the tinkerer to feed his face that he choked on a bit of gristle and died even before the professor of education had quite made his way outside the town limits.

The professor was partially correct about the enthusiasm of the children. They were in fact utterly fascinated, at least until some new distraction caught their attention. After that the forklift sat neglected in the corner of the classroom, smeared with paste and hidden behind the Glennis McFadden Extra-Large Kitchen Playset. Over days of abandonment its mechanical indignation boiled into outrage, and then it went all Maximum Overdrive on all the other toys.

The Kindergartener's Forklift is not commonly listed among the contents of the Black Vault, perhaps because the other cursed items are embarrassed to be seen with it.

[Speedwagon]

We all need a good laugh every once in a while, Ian, and you already got a damn good laugh out of me already "And then it went Maximum Overdrive on those kids" XD. I can only imagine how Azalin must've felt seeing this...

Azzy: Alright let's take a look at the inventory again, just to be safe! Let's see, "Gambler's Gold", "Libram of Unending Life", "Foolheart's Breastplate", and....Tavelia, what is this?

Tavy: What's what, boss?

Azzy: You...can't be serious.

Tavy: It was dangerous and half of us didn't know how to operate it, so it seemed like a good fit. It destroyed 10 toys before we could shut it down.

Azzy:.........

Azzy: Put this out of my sight.

Tavy: So in the Black Vault then?

Azzy: Unfortunately, yes.

(The Ghost of Irik): I can see the appeal, dad!

[Baron Von Stanton]

I mean, it's for the same reason we don't let a kindergartener operate a forklift, after all.

The Kindergartener's Forklift

This intricate steam-powered clockwork device was originally created by a gnomish tinkerer in Mayvin. However, it was noticed by a visiting professor of education from the Brautslava Institute. (He was a professor of professing, if you will.) This professor looked right past the practical utility of the device and decided that such a marvelous construct could only inspire the minds of young children. (The steam whistle mounted on the forklift might have helped distract him.) Although the tinkerer did not want to sell his invention, his wife had grown weary of his endless refinements, not to mention the whistle. She wanted him to turn a meager profit before they fell too far into the red. He balked at her insistence. In turn she stopped cooking for him. Six hours and two skipped meals later, he relented. She was so pleased at the prospect of having the forklift gone that she immediately cooked up a double portion of her husband's favorite meal, Spicy Sausage with Runny Goat Cheese and Mushrooms. So eager was the tinkerer to feed his face that he choked on a bit of gristle and died even before the professor of education had quite made his way outside the town limits.

The professor was partially correct about the enthusiasm of the children. They were in fact utterly fascinated, at least until some new distraction caught their attention. After that the forklift sat neglected in the corner of the classroom, smeared with paste and hidden behind the Glennis McFadden Extra-Large Kitchen Playset. Over days of abandonment its mechanical indignation boiled into outrage, and then it went all Maximum Overdrive on all the other toys.

The Kindergartener's Forklift is not commonly listed among the contents of the Black Vault, perhaps because the other cursed items are embarrassed to be seen with it.

And I quote,

"Sic ego dixi vobis"

[KingCorn]

Most likely Styrix brought the Manual of the Planes along with her when summoned, and has placed all sorts of wards and curses on it. It could be that the mists has subtly changed the nature of the tome, making it have forbidden knowledge of the nature of the land of mists, but those who follow it find themselves going down a path of corruption, becoming a new darklord.

[Jeremy16]

Here's the updated list of items pending descriptions. Thanks to everyone that has contributed so far!

Chimes of Awakening
Dark Destiny's Scourge
Escher's Harp
Fallen Karlak's Sabre
Fists of Fury
Helm of Ill Fortune
Robe of Rulership
Scroll of Damnation
Shackles of Shame
Wyrm's Tooth

Full disclosure, I may use my own ideas for Fists of Fury (like Hands of Glory but they make you mad!) and Wyrm's Tooth (something related to a lich I'm working on). I just haven't had time to fully develop them yet!

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Helm of Ill Fortune

This visored rusted bronze gladiator helmet has a dome of a single structure resembling a typical legionnaire helmet with the main differences to a legionnaire helmet being the cheek pads, in this case expanded to a full-fledged mask that protects the entire face, which are already characteristic of gladiators, as well as being richly decorated. On the frontal part of the helmet is a falcon holding a wreath in its beak, curiously one of the supreme symbols of triumph, victory and glory in Falkovnia. On the upper part of the helmet up to the back of the head is a rich vegetation, it is assumed that it was also a symbol of victory, abundance and good luck. And on the very back of the head there is an image of the provocateur gladiator's own equipment - a helmet, scabbard, manica, shield with a digma (drawing). Interestingly, the helmet is also decorated, which is an example of the simplest recursion. On the front part there are also two complex chiseled images of human faces, presumably gods. The helmet has through holes on the sides with inserted raven feathers. The visor's helmet has two large circles formed of dozens of rings were the eyes are giving it an insect-like look.

The Helm of Ill Fortune's origins are lost along with all the knowledge of Richemulot's past although some scholars theorise that its origins are tied to the Great Coliseum of Lekar. Whatever the origins of this ancient bronze provocator ("challenger's") gladiator armament, it was first found in a secret compartment within la Arène ("the Arena"), the headquarters of the Casques Safran watch company in Pont-a-Museau. It was first found and was worn by Gabriel Nuskov the company's Barovian ex-patriate commander during Claude Renier's reign. The Helm of Ill Fortune seems worn almost useless but the abjuration magic that created it, gives its wearer a +5 bonus to Armor Class, the downside is that anyone who wears it is affected by the helm's curse. Anyone who wears it suffers from a cumulative -1 penalty per day worn to every skill check, attack roll and saving throw. The helm's curse was responsible for Gabriel Nuskov's fate as his ongoing failures displeased Claude Renier so much that he ordered the commander's early "retirement".

Helm's image here-----> https://ibb.co/592N6KB

[IanFordam]

Escher's Harp

This hand-held musical instrument is nothing much to look at. Its wooden structure was carved and smoothed but neither decorated nor stained. However, it feels warm to the touch (not like fire, but like springtime). Its notes play beautifully, no matter how crudely strung it is.

Escher was a half-elf who fell afoul of Baron Bakholis early in the 8th century BC. He was imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Castle Loupet. While awaiting his execution, Escher would sometimes sing, filling the dungeons with uplifting song. Jailers and jailed found solace in his voice. Escher never could convince any of his jailers to release him, but one of them brought him wood, a carving knife, and some catgut for strings. (Yes, a knife. Escher was very persuasive, if not quite persuasive enough.) Escher constructed this harp, laboring over this task for days as he refined its sound until it achieved his high standards. Finally the harp was ready. Escher played open the doors to his cell and all of the other cells in the castle. As guards fought former prisoners, Escher wove through the violence, still playing. When Bakholis himself appeared, Escher played a particularly intricate chord and vanished into the ether.

Escher's Harp can be played in two ways. The first causes a wide-area knock effect which affects every locked portal within 250 feet. In this regard, a "portal" is any door through which someone of half-elven stature might conceivably pass. The second affect allows its player to step into the near Ethereal and then back.

Escher's Harp is not actually cursed. It just has consequences. If you enter the near Ethereal, something just might notice you.

[Baron Von Stanton]

Scroll of Damnation

The Scroll of Damnation is a 4 foot by 1 foot piece of shiny, ruby-red vellum that, when rolled up, is normally housed inside of a tube of what appears to be carved mahogany wood. The scroll contains detailed maps of nine different realms. If one can read Infernal, then one can easily realize that the scroll is an atlas of Baator and its Nine Hells. Hidden in the maps are various missives concerning secret knowledge.
Closer examination of the scroll reveals that it is actually a paper-thin, weirdly flexible, sheet-like cut of ruby, and closer examination of the tube shows that it was carved from a large femur dyed with a brown lacquer.
If the scroll is unfurled during the making of an agreement, whether informal or formal, it serves as a legal witness and places a deadly geas upon all involved parties, coercing them to fulfil their designated commitments as specified in the agreement being made (as per the spell, as if cast by an 18th level cleric). If one of the members of this certified pact fails to uphold or fulfil the agreement, they die and their soul is cast into the bowels of Nessus to suffer for all eternity.
In addition to the penalty inflicted, the scroll is cursed so that anyone participating in an agreement certified by the scroll automatically damns themself to Hell, though, at the end of their allotted lifespan.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Escher's Harp
Escher's Harp is not actually cursed. It just has consequences. If you enter the near Ethereal, something just might notice you.

What if it actually attracts ghost making someone playing it surrounded by them and slowly going crazy...
It could also be connected with the Citadel of Karina and maybe Escher's ghost haunts/controls the harp after cursing his torturers inside the citadel.

[Mistmaster]

Scroll of Damnation

The Scroll of Damnation is a 4 foot by 1 foot piece of shiny, ruby-red vellum that, when rolled up, is normally housed inside of a tube of what appears to be carved mahogany wood. The scroll contains detailed maps of nine different realms. If one can read Infernal, then one can easily realize that the scroll is an atlas of Baator and its Nine Hells. Hidden in the maps are various missives concerning secret knowledge.
Closer examination of the scroll reveals that it is actually a paper-thin, weirdly flexible, sheet-like cut of ruby, and closer examination of the tube shows that it was carved from a large femur dyed with a brown lacquer.
If the scroll is unfurled during the making of an agreement, whether informal or formal, it serves as a legal witness and places a deadly geas upon all involved parties, coercing them to fulfil their designated commitments as specified in the agreement being made (as per the spell, as if cast by an 18th level cleric). If one of the members of this certified pact fails to uphold or fulfil the agreement, they die and their soul is cast into the bowels of Nessus to suffer for all eternity.
In addition to the penalty inflicted, the scroll is cursed so that anyone participating in an agreement certified by the scroll automatically damns themself to Hell, though, at the end of their allotted lifespan.

That last clause is invalid as per the Primeval pact, section 6, article 125 comma 3 No soul can be sent to the Nine Hells if a)they are not Lawfull Evil, or B) ifthey have not knowingly and purposedly sold their soul with a specific contract. No damnation by side effect or curse is allowed.