Rashniks Favor

Once a revered sigil for the High Priest, this magnificent ring and its purpose was lost to history following the corruption of Filip. Few, if any, still remember its existence, and no one would recognize it if they saw it today. As the murderous mob literally tore Filip apart when they discovered the truth, the ring was still attached to this finger, and no one bothered to remove the insignia of his office until a few days later. The splendid garb of the High Priest was torn and ruined by blood from the frenzied assault, but the breastplate was still intact and could be recovered.
Vultures and their kin had already started devouring the body, and no one was surprised that Rashnik's Favor was nowhere to be found - after all, Rashnik had clearly withdrawn his favor from his people, so it was only logical he had taken it away.

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The ring most likely got carried away by a carrion feeder together with the finger it was still attached to. It is still intact and has not lost any of its gemstones, but is so covered in mud, grime and dried blood that by now it resembles a stone more than anything else. It is unlikely that anybody would pick it up in its current state, lying among other stones looking almost exactly the same.

Appearance

The ring is a wide bronze band with seven artfully and unusually cut gemstones in the middle. The stones are arranged in the shape of the sun, with six sunbeams emerging from the six-sided orange stone in the center. On one side are three pale yellow beams, while three intensely yellow ones frame the right. The sunbeams cover almost the full width of each side of the middle stone, but get pointy quickly, leaving space in between for engravings and finely modeled symbols.
The first symbol, on top of the sun, is a stylized flame, which to the unsuspecting onlooker might even look a bit like a drop of water. It represents the day with Rashnik's magnificent glory, and fire, which is Rashnik's gift to keep the Shiona safe in the nights when he is absent, and his brother only irregularly showing up.
The two bottom sunbeams enclose a star, a symbol for the night that signifies Rashnik's absence, a terrible fate feared by the Shiona of ancient times.
Left of the flame is a crown symbol, which is repeated on the opposite side of the central gemstone, right of the star. It is unclear what the meaning used to be, as in contemporary Shiona culture, the crown symbol is completely absent.
The last two slots, to the left of the star and to the right of the flame, show a trident fanning out from the central point. This is the symbol for Rashnik's wrath, the lances of sunlight burning everyone who has earned his ire. This symbol has become one of the most used symbols in the culture of the Rashniki faith, mostly pointing down to signify that Rashnik's wrath has turned against them for the terrible sin of their ancestors.

History

The ring has been an heirloom handed down from the High Priest when he felt he could not fulfill his office anymore to his chosen successor. Back in the glory days of Alamma, every Shiona would recognize that ring, and parents of daughters feared its presence - whoever carried Rashnik's Favor had the right to choose any of the young virgin Shiona girls to serve in the Qurilion as a bride of Rashnik.
The wielder usually claimed that the ring had twinkled when Rashnik had chosen his bride and thus he was just acting on Rashnik's orders, and often he would be able to produce a visible glimmer as a proof when the chosen bride enters the room. This caused people to fear the ring rather than the wielder.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Rashnik's Favor, with its unique cuts and surface shapes, fits into Qurilion's central alter like a key fits into a lock, which allows the wielder to manipulate it.

Significance

The ring was the insignia of the Rashniki High Priest. During the rituals led by the High Priest the highlight would be when the High Priest channeled Rashnik's favor and the Qurilion suddenly lit up in a stunning display of dazzling colors.

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The relic actually is the key to an elaborate contraption of mirrors and colored lenses. The High Priest was well-versed in the seasonal changes of the suns position at a given time and thus was able to use the ring to adjust the contraption in such a way, that for a short, glorious moment the whole Qurilion seemed to be lit up by Rashniks flame. This knowledge was handed down from the High Priest to his chosen successor, but the fateful day when the corrupt Filip was torn apart by the Shiona both the ring and the knowledge got lost.

Inktober 2019

Prompt #1: Ring

Item type

Unique Artifact

Rarity

Unique

Raw materials & Components

The central stone is a beautifully cut mandarin garnet, shining with a fiery orange. The six sunbeams around it are made of colored diamonds (three on the left side, light yellow hue) and golden beryl (three on the right side).