Crystal Crown

Please be warned. This article contains a little bit of gore, bodily love and other, probably, unpleasent things. Proceed with caution.

Overview

The Crystal Crown is an artifact of unknown source. Some scholars of the University of Hulwar represent the opinion that it might be an elven artefact; some others say it was an artefact of the House of Longardir; some say, it was Garladan craft, resembling the Tower of Magic.

But all of them are neither right nor wrong.

History

The Crystal Crown was an artefact constructed by a woman under the influence of rage and vengeance. Her name was Karantha, a human woman and wife to a strong merchant and three lovely children. She was able to wield some weak magic, but it wasn't enough as they crossed the path of some Garladan slavers. They didn't stood a chance against their lightmagic and was catched, imprisoned and brought back to Chanvilesia and to the laboratories of the Tower of Magic.

Karantha and her family were stripped of their clothes and chained to one side of the laboratory. She witnessed her husband slowly dying while getting shot with different bolts of light, saw her children getting used as testsubjects for numerous poisonues, acidic, corrosive, and alchemic substanzes and liquids, slowly and painfully dying.

But she lived. She lived and was used as a testsubject for a vast variety of whips, chains, piercings, tattoos and the nearly bottomless libido of the two Garladans. Everytime they stuffed Karantha with toys or brought themselves onto her, she tried to ignore the pain and swore vengeance. For herself, her lovely husband and her three children, their faces everytime before her eyes and screams in her ears.

Not long after she managed to escape. She used her own blood to slip through the handcuffs and, naked as she was, killed both of the Garladans, using one of the spears the slavers had. It was not so relieving as she thought it would be, piercing their bouncing breasts and the lungs behind it, drowning the Garladans in their own blood, but she was free at last.

Karantha took a few tomes and tools with her and swore vengeance. She needed something stronger, more powerful or she needed to enhance her own magic.

After a few days of running north through the woods, avoiding most of the roads, she met a traveller. A Paladin of a Pisocenian god called Kamhandur, the God of War & Knowledge. The Paladin was also a man of knowledge, despite the fact that he was accompanied by a horse which carried his platemail armor and a heavy mullet. His normal attire was a red and black robe and walking stick with a black stone at the tip.

He told her about magic, about the elves and the dwarves. He was aware of the Garladans and their cruel ways and he offered her peace or at least some days and nights under the care of Kamhandur.

Karantha doesn't accepted it to its full extend, but the few nights in the arms of the strong Paladin did a certain amount of healing and clearing her mind. She now knows what she wanted to do.

With the help of the Paladin she outfitted herself in the port of Jochiwon in Ganguk and travelled west, crossing the Emerald Planes and knocking on one of the dwarven doors in the Long Neck.

She created some good dumplings as part of the Dumpling Exchange even if she was no political delegation. As for she was human the dwarves were not so friendly to her, but she was able to get four workers if needed. A smith teached her the ways of metal and gems, the will of fire and the traditions of dwarves.

Ten years after that she ventured further west and a little bit to the north to the Silver Elves were a female smith took her into training for ten years again.

Karantha was pleased with all the things she learned, smithing or not. With an old spell she bound the elven woman to her and brought her back to the dwarves, bound the four workers also.

With their help they found a small valley in the north of the Long Neck and built a small house and a smithy. The valley had only one narrow path and they bought all of the necessary ingredients and materials at once.

Six years the four workers, the elven woman and Karantha lived, worked and, later on, loved in the small house. But her vengeance burned hot as ever in the heart of Karantha. Every night she spend with her new family fueled the rage. Everytime she slept with the dwarves or caressed the beautiful body of the elven woman she heard the screams of her beloved, saw them bleeding and melting before her own eyes.

After a few testruns, testspells and dozens of schematas the construction of the Crystal Crown began. It took them nearly four years because of the spells and enhancements edged into the Crown. It was a delicate process, the slightest error could alter the spells, destroy the clear crystal at the top of the crown or one of the delicate golden supporting beams.

As construction was finished Karantha sat the Crown on her head and casted a fireball. It burned clearings into the nearby forest and was more effective then the six people could hoped. Karantha kissed them goodbye and released her binding. Her five helper were irritated, confused and disgusted by the memories of sleeping and working together. The dwarves were eager to part ways, fetched their tools and left.

"I do not wish you bad, ma lass." The dwarf shook his head, his braids moving in a similar motion. "I enjoyed it. But dunno go tis road, it only leads to destruction."
"That was the plan, love."
"It will be ya destruction, lass. But... your story... we should have brought the might of the dwarven clans over them. I...doubt we'll see each other again. Good luck, ma love."

The elven woman stayed a few days, gathering her wits and spent more time with Karantha. She was not so eager to part ways but missed her husband dearly, so after a wonderful day in the small lake and a stew cooked by Karantha they kissed each other one last time before the woman left the valley, leaving Karantha behind.

"I'd rather not go, but my family awaits.", sang the beautiful elf in her ear, her breasts against Karanthas, caressing her naked back. "Please be careful. Bring the rage of woman upon those Garladans. And if you survive, you can come. Your binding didn't matter, you are always welcome."
Karantha: *cries softly at her shoulder*

The elven woman braided bands of love out of leather, grass and flowers for the both of them before parting, leaving Karantha alone. The human woman gathered provisions, clothed herself in the silken dress in the colour of blood and sundawn and moved east.

We do not know what happened after that. What we do know is that Karantha laid waist to the state of Chanvilesia. Villages and cities burned and even the capital was under attack. Thousands of Garladans died, were torn apart, annihilated. The Tower of Magic itself stepped into action.

What happened after the few gruesome nights is shrouded in mystery. No one knows if Karantha survived, was captured or killed. What we do know is that the Crystal Crown was found in an abandoned farmhouse, bedded on a silken dress in the colour of blood, drenched in dry blood. Was it Karantha who draped it in this way, a lonely survivor or folk with a strange sense of storytelling?

We do not know. The Crown found its way to Jochiwon, was stolen a few years after, appeared at the University of Hulwar and disappeared again. Rumors are that the Inquisition was responsible for the vanishing since they collect powerful artefacts, old magic and all kinds of unusual spells/rituals for an unknown purpose.

What we know is: fear the rage of a wronged woman and fear the next wielder of the Crystal Crown.

Construction

The first thing needed is the base and a high quality gem. It doesn't really matter what kind of gem, a quartz works as well as a pure diamond. The gem is the tip of the crown.

The basis is the headpiece, made out of pure crystal. The crystal is to be carefully bent to fit around the wearers head and then to be engraved with twelve of the thirtysix schemata developed by Karantha and her assistants.

When its finished the basis is encapsulated in a thin layer of gold and engraved with two of the schematas.

The base is finished, now to the beams. You need at least eleven beams per side, connect them with each other and with the outer beams, so you have at least fifteen beams per side (if you count the outer beams every time as well). Inscribe every beam with one of the schemes. Do not mix them up, every beam should mirror its partner on the other side.

If you are finished, craft the holding ring for the gem out of the crystals you get. Be careful not to crack it while bending or inscribing. If your ring cracks, you have to produce another one and you lose days of working. Be sure to add the small golden hooks on the four sides, they are needed to hold the gem in place. Inscribe the ring for the gem.

After inscribing the beams and the ring for the gem they are also covered in a thin layer of gold and engraved with the same schematas as the base. The last remaining seven schematas are engraved into the gem, three on top, three at the bottom and one in the middle.

Place the gem in the holding ring and attach the hooks. If you've done it correctly, they sit firmly on the gem and won't release it.

Working & Effects

The core made out of crystal is to enhance the flow of magic and to stabilise it, directing it to the gem at the top.

The moment the wearer casts a spell/ritual the schematas start to work. They enhance the magic, creating a more "cleaner" and sturdier tunnel to the top. On the way to the gem the spell is getting amplified and stripped of most impurities and shields the spell against disruptions.

The gem on top amplifies and directs the spell back to the caster, amplified & strengthened fourfold.

Show spoiler

Karantha left the Crystal Crown and all her possessions in the farm house, stealing common clothes from a nearby farm. She ventured west and knocked at the door of the elven woman. She lived the rest of her life with both elves, loved by both. She never told anyone what she had done, but incoming reports spoke their own language. Her rage never fully left, her vengeance lingered in the back of her mind. Why she stopped and allowed the Garladans to survive and prosper again... that is a story for another day.

Crystal Crown of Karantha by CrazyEddie via Midjourney

Item type

Jewelry / Valuable

Rarity

Unique.