Crown of Madness (3.5e Equipment)
The Crown of Madness induces no such thing in the wearer. It is merely the official name of the symbol of office of the King of Canadia. But the Crown itself bears a secret within its consruction.
During the Trial War, as I’m sure you’re aware, the rebel leader known as Redeye overthrew the corrupt Laculis line and restored peace to Canadia. He was almost immediately assassinated, and his deputy, Domic Beau Jacin, assumed the mantle of the new King of Canadia.
Now known as King Domic Jacinus, the new leader devoted an entire branch of the Canadese Police to finding the killer. Right in the last year of the Trial War, with Jacinus now 35, it was traced to Baron Zensora of the newly conquered Capraht territory. The stories of the Canadese deployment and the near-fall of Capraht are well-known, as is the negotiation and reparation settlements. Many a scholar has pondered as to why Canadia, for all her losses, did not demand a higher payment.
The truth is that they did, but not in gold or resources. King Jacinus had heard of the Baron’s seeming immortality, and took heavy note of the fact that he was never without the diamond clasp that held his cloak. Might the clasp itself be the source of his seeming endless life? He called up a second, secret meeting and sprung the idea on the Baron, who denied it for about five minutes before caving in. In exchange for keeping the secret, the Baron agreed to create ten such devices for the King to use.
Only one, however, has surfaced so far- embedded into the top of the Crown.
The Crown itself, if one should ever manage to obtain it, is likely not worth it. It takes up the helm slot, only adds +1 to defense, weighs five pounds (huge load to carry on your head, considering its distribution), and adds a +1 DC to all Dex checks. If you're not the King and you're seen wearing it by any officer of the law, you're labelled a moving target for the police, the army, and whatever else the Man can dream up. The immortality ability has its uses, but leave the Crown to the King- you're better off looking for the Forever Stones.
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