The Ring of Focus
A common practice amongst Krai-Jan mages was to enhance a young caster's abilities at the beginning of their training with a personal magic item. These were commonly called an apaqa, or a convergence. The student would suddenly have far more power than they had before and be capable of far more advanced spells more quickly than magic users from other traditions at the same point in their training.
The use of an apaqa was seen as a compromise between lengthy training in schools of magic and apprenticeships where a student could learn from a practicing caster with the help of the apaqa. Magic schools still existed in the Empire but were expensive and turned out intellectuals and sages rather than pragmatic magic users, a situation that the Krai-Jan government hoped to control and limit.
These tendencies made Krai-Jan casters extremely powerful in battle but like all who are more powerful than they are wise or disciplined, the casters often did not have the kind of control or endurance necessary for longer or nuanced uses of their magic.
The Krai-Jan casters serving in the military were known for tremendous battle-winning spells of great power and magnificence but were much less effective over the course of a long fight.
As Achshad Nezzek began his training, it was obvious to his parents that they would not be able to afford one of the magical schools, whose style and training they preferred. Instead Achshad was introduced to a family friend, Sabrik Malarus, who had gone to a school of magic and served as an advisor to Nehvodim's Raznam.
Achshad was gifted with his own apaqa: a ring. Though his powers were enhanced almost immediately Sabrik took what extra time he could to train Achshad in patience and discipline. Sabrik's method paid off and Achshad was able to develop his endurance to match the ability the ring granted him.
Achshad continued to wear his apaqa when he became Raznam of Letheradim. Soon thereafter, however, he took his own apprentice, a young man named Hadon Pemtai. Achshad reckoned correctly that as the threat of the Traazorite rebellion grew he would have less time to teach his charge properly.
Not having an apaqa to give Hadon Achshad gifted his own to the young man. And though Achshad lost some ability that the ring had granted him, being free of its artificial power made Achshad feel free and in control of himself.
Hadon was a great student, but his training was cut woefully short by the Traazorite attack. As Achshad set out to save his citizens from an inevitable Traazorite victory, he selected Hadon to escape with the others to help guide and lead them. Hadon refused to leave his teacher, and was killed fighting alongside him at the front of the phalanx.
The effects of the Ring of Focus can be seen by subscribing to the Loremaster level of World of Faelon!
