"All I wanted was for my best friend to live as long and as healthy as I do. Is that such a crime? To never again see your beloved canine grow grey at the muzzle and weak at the legs only to bury them and do it again in ten more years? To hell with future possibilities and what vile men may do! I care not what they do after my death because I will not be here to see it! Until then, spare me your concerned prattle. Leave me and mine until our time has come; then you can be the overt graverobbers that you are." - Jakobi Rogiersson, addressing The Hand of The Collective
The Crown of Awakening is a Magickal Apparatus crafted by Jakobi Rogiersson in the early days of the Collective. He was a lonesome
Ehlen Magi, swearing off any practical friendship or romance in favor of his faithful canine companions. His original purpose for crafting the Crown was widely considered to be benign; he wanted to greatly expand the life of his dog having grown tired of seeing them die over the years. What he did not intend upon but welcomed regardless was the added effect of highly increased intelligence and strength. The dog could communicate with him as well as show understanding of advanced topics on Magick and philosophy. Though he shared these details from the Hand, he did not share that the dog had gained the capability to casting rudimentary Arcane Magicks as well.
After Jakobi's death, the Hand took control of the Crown and stored it in one of their many treasuries within the tower. Here it stayed for well over a century outside of occasional examination by the Archmagi. It was during
The War of Magi Ascension that one of the High Magi, Evander Madrigal, stole the Crown and associated notes from its store room and fled far from the tower. After his many years of study and evading the Revenants of
Sturn, Evander was recently defeated and the Crown has been taken by the La Patrian Wardens.
The Crown itself is made of animal bone with small red gems inlaid in an even pattern. It could be mistaken for a barbarian or wizard symbol of power, should it not be fatal to Risen. In Evander's experiments during his many years with the Crown, he subjected a number of unwilling Risen to the Crown of Awakening. Everyone began feeling euphoric; their power enhanced and their stress wiped away. Within moments, however, blood would pour from their ears, eyes, and nose followed by a brief and painful death.
Feud With The Hand
For many years after the Crown's creation, Jakobi fought with the Hand of the Collective over whether or not he should be allowed to possess such an artifact. Enhancing beasts either to or beyond the intelligence of Risen was a sensitive subject among them; having a discussion on ethics with a common dog was strange even for the Magi. Using the Crown on a simple pet was one thing, but the possibility of someone placing the Crown on a drake or wyvern could be disastrous. After a long battle of words, Jakobi and the Hand created a pact; Jakobi would not use the Crown on anything besides his canine companion, and the Crown would be claimed and sealed away by the Hand once he passed.
List of Known Effects
Increased Wits and Might,
Extended Life,
Capable of Common Speech,
Capable of Arcane Magick
Risen subjected to the Crown have been found to experience a brief period of euphoria followed by brain failure and death.
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