Ring of Far-Stepping

They hugged one another for a long time. No one said it, but all four knew that this would be the last moment they all stood together like this. Their lives were pulling them in different directions. Flurry felt the tug of the desert wind, calling them back to their homeland. Tobor's throne awaited him in Kethendia. Elli had the academy to run, and of course Rhak needed to return to Rhula. Before they parted for the last time, however, Elli bestowed upon each of them an artifact, four rings linked to one another like their hearts, to keep them tied to one another wherever their lives took them.

A Link Between Worlds

The Rings of Far-Stepping were crafted originally by a gnome wizard as a gift to her travelling companions before their party was pulled apart by responsibility and the winds of time. They were intended to be used as a way to travel instantly to another ring's bearer. Supposedly, the rings work across any distance and potentially across the planes.

To use the ring, one must first anchor their origin by drawing the sigil which corresponds to their particular ring - each has its own unique rune which works as an identifier and anchor. The user must then indicate which other ring they wish to link to and begin connection. The ring bearer on the other end must accept the connection by also linking their ring to the other. When this occurs, the first user is teleported to their destination. To return, the ring bearer must activate the rune which corresponds to their own room, at which point they are teleported back to their origin.

Delicate Craftsmanship

The Rings of Far-Stepping are nearly identical. Each has a band made from a silver-titanium alloy. This band has a ring which can be twisted about the center to line up runes engraved on the outside of the band. There are four runes engraved, one for each ring including the ring on which they are inscribed. On the inside of the band is engraved once more the ring's unique rune for return trips. Embedded in the band on the outside is a set of three gemstones. These vary between rings.

Each ring represents a different member of the party for which they were intended. The first, for the dragonborn Tobor, contains three rubies and has a fire rune. The second, for the air genasi Flurry, contains pietersite stones and is inscribed with a storm rune. For the aarakocra Rhak, one ring contains moonstone and is engraved with a moon rune. Finally, the ring which was kept by the gnome wizard Elli is inscribed with the rune for magic and contains fluorite.

The Sands of Time

After the original ring bearers, mention of these rings vanished for a few decades before resurfacing in an account of a strange ring buried in the desert sands of Crisel. Those who discovered this ring could not determine how it worked, and the ring was sent to the Order of the Jackdaw, where it vanished once again from history. One ring has stayed in the family of the gnome wizard, passed on through generations to the current day. Another is believed to have been lost in the destruction of the city of Silvermere on Kethendia, and the fourth has disappeared altogether from recorded history. Because the rings require the consent of both ring bearers to connect to one another, it is very difficult for these rings to be utilized without a coordinated effort.