Ring of Zaal

History

The Ring of Zaal, also known as the Ring of Winds or the Ring of Passage, was created by an magician of the Empire of Kataris known only as the Artificer of the Dawn. It was one of three relics said to make up the regalia of the Basilisk Queens, along with a crown and a staff. Of the three items of this regalia, it was associated with the Queen of Kato Varos, which is now Ysberinge. Little else is known about its creator, or the circumstances of its creation, though it is likely that House Zaal may have more information on this matter.
After the fall of the Katari Empire in 544AK, it is believed that the Basilisk Queens themselves were killed or forced to flee. The ring is understood to have been found by Tiberius Sellic, a renegade Katari general who declared himself Imperator of what little was left of the Empire in the West, and in time it became part of the regalia of the Regent of Kato Varos.
The ring was part of the spoils of war taken by Erastes Tideborn after she landed in the Bay of Ysber and overthrew the Regent of Kato Varos. It was given to the Aldish knight Rykwyn Zaal in 693AK as a wedding gift when, having saved the life of Erastes Tideborn after she was wounded in battle, he was granted the right to marry her daughter Koradoktis. It was passed on down the generations, becoming the mark of office of the Matriarch of House Zaal.
The Ring of Zaal is sometimes referred to as one of the nine Gifts of the Tide Queen, the greatest treasures of Aldernord which are held in trust by the Matriarchs of the High Houses.

Powers of the Ring

The full extent of the ring's powers are unclear, and the magic woven into it seems intent on concealing them from the one who wields it. The Gilded Tower's archives suggest that House Zaal know a great deal about the specific powers of the ring which was never shared with those outside the core of the family - though there is also an implication that even they are not able to wield its full powers, at least not in the modern age.
The ring is capable of manifesting a minor degree of control over the elements of the air, and allows the one who attunes to it to walk through even the strongest winds without it hindering them in any major way. Furthermore, the ring has a degree of metaphysical authority to open certain wards and seals; House Zaal were capable of utilising this to construct a nigh-impenetrable vault under the city of Cameri which could only be entered by one bearing the ring, but it is also said to be able to open other, even more ancient wards.
Perhaps most significantly, the authority of the ring extends to opening wards sealed by the Basilisk Queens themselves which have somehow persisted to this day. Documents in the Gilded Tower's archives refer to certain Wind Tombs, and though quite what these may be is unexplained, it is implied that these are likely to be locations wherein their greatest secrets might be found. Only one such location is named - the deepest prison of the Well of the Judge, in the ruined city of Skatha Visari

Item type

Jewelry / Valuable