Cube of Power

One for the flame-tongued and the passionate;
One for the cold-hearted and the desolate;
One for the healer and the lover of life;
One for the storm-born and the lover of strife;
One for the tempting breeze and the wild-heart;
One for the shaker of stone and the ripper-apart;
And one for the dreamer of the changes to come;
And together the world will not be undone.

~ Anonymous poem in the Circum Academy

The Cubes of Power are the most important artifacts in the Multiverse. Their power is unequaled, their wielders the leaders of the most powerful magical society in the Multiverse, and their intricacies have never been completely explored. Each generation finds new uses for the Cubes, and each generation becomes more and more indebted to their wielders.

History

The first Cubes were uncovered in the sandy wastes of Renath a few centuries ago. Believed to be related to the Remnants of the Passing due to their cube shape and magical energy, it soon became clear that they harboured a different kind of power. They would attune themselves to their wielders, becoming an inseparable part of their magical energy.
Within a few generations, all seven of the Cubes had been uncovered. Forming their own magical guilds and organizations, they began to work to teach and instruct. Most of the Keepers, as they began to be known, were benevolent, but some were corrupted by the sheer power that they gained from the Cubes. Some even fought amongst each other. While the wielders of the Cubes were known to each other, it wasn't until rather recently that they began to work together.
All of this changed when one Cube went missing, then another. No traces of it could be found on Renath; many worried that they were destroyed. It was a few decades of searching before they finally found one on Orkanis and another on Endaman. From that day forward, the Cubes were known to go from world to world, travelling the Multiverse in search of worthy Keepers.
The Keepers of the Cubes founded the Seven not long after, realizing that the power of the Cubes was tied to the protection of the entire Multiverse. Joining forces, they began to create a magical society that would span the Multiverse, centred on the demi-plane of Limbo. The movement of the Cubes has been the norm for two centuries now, and it does not look like it will end anytime soon.

Movement and Behaviour

When a Keeper of the Cube dies, their Cube disappears and travels through the Multiverse in search of a new Keeper. The criteria for a worthy Keeper are not known; Cubes have been known to choose people who later turn out to be cruel or do not live for very long afterwards. Many were not mages before coming across the Cube, triggering the Change almost immediately upon bonding with them. All that is known is that there are some criteria and the Cubes purposefully choose people to wield them.
After being chosen, a Keeper will develop abilities relating to the Cube that they are wielding (as explained in the sidebar). The Cube will become internalized; in other words, the Cube will vanish and become part of the Keeper. While it can be externalized again if the Keeper wishes, it is no longer tied to a physical object.
There has been no recorded instances of a Cube rescinding its choice of a Keeper, although mages stripped of their powers also lose their Cubes as the recent example of Franco Colbartha showed. Whatever criteria the Cubes have, they are unchanging and completely unknowable.
Beyond the choosing mechanism and their abilities, no other sentient behaviour has been noted from the Cubes. Some Keepers have noticed them humming or whistling when they first found them, although the internalization process eliminates this behaviour. Some also remark that the Cubes sometimes nudge them towards certain actions, beneficial or not, as if they are the vehicles of some higher power.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Current Location

Limbo

Owning Organization

The Seven

Rarity

Only seven exist.

Weight

350g

Dimensions

15cm x 15cm

Seven Kinds, Seven Leaders

There are a total of seven Cubes of Power in total across the entire Multiverse, with each being attuned to a particular element or power and having a slightly different "personality" attached:

• Cube of Time (dark blue): the smoothest and most ornate of the Cubes, this Cube has the power to bestow improved Clairvoyance on the wielder as well as the ability to slow and speed up time very easily;
• Cube of Ice (light blue): this Cube is cold to the touch, and the Keeper of this Cube can easily control blizzards and protect a great many people from icy temperatures;
• Cube of Fire (red): this Cube is hot to the touch, and its Keeper can conjure lava and flames with ease, as well as protect many people from burning-hot temperatures;
• Cube of Earth (brown): this Cube looks to be made of marble-like stone, and the Keeper of this Cube can cause earthquakes and shift rock with a snap of their fingers;
• Cube of Lightning (pale yellow): Light flickers constantly in the centre of this Cube, and its wielder can deflect or create thunderstorms in the blink of an eye;
• Cube of Wind (green): This cube shakes and rattles from time to time, and its wielder can fly without concentration and travel long distances without teleporting; and
• Cube of Life (white): This cube hums even after internalization, and it can be used to heal major injuries and communicate with any life easily.