Crown of Papadopoulos XVIII

The Crown of Papadopoulos XVII is an ancient magically-infused crown forged by the Goldsmiths of Steelforge over a milleniae ago. Through the use of illegal magic, shady deals and a chaotic period of humanoid sacrifice, the Crown became an avid collector of magic and spells that turned it into one of the most infamous magical artifacts in history.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Although the crown itself is an intrinsically simple concept, the magic associated with it forms an intricate puzzle of spells, energy and control that could take even an experienced spellcaster weeks or months to begin formulating even a basic understanding of.
The magic itself is protected by a multi-layered defence of various affliction spells that, if the wearer is neither of the Imperial Bloodline or someone adept enough to decieve it, will induce a series of lethal, incureable magical diseases that rapidly decay and deform their body until they perish.

History

First made early in the reign of Emperor Papadopoulos XVIII, the crown became the star of a major scandle when it was discovered that the original contractors hired to create it had embezzled funds from the treasury. To resolve the immediate crisis, the Emperor's advisors convinced him to detain the original contractors and instead hire the dwarven Goldsmiths of Steelforge, a contentious decision considering the foreign placement of the organisation but it led to the succesful production of what became known amongst the Imperial Court as one of the finest, most illustrious pieces of regalia the empire had ever come into possession of.
After a largely uneventful lifetime as the Emperor's crown, the rather controversial Raid on Imperial Bodhurstham saw the crown and the Emperor's head promptly separated from his body by the marauders, causing the crown's infamous descent into the history books. Despite the crown's significant value, there have only been a few confirmed sightings and appearances of the crown, usually in the hands of traders, collectors and at one point Beis the Lich but never again would it grace Imperial hands.

Significance

The missing Crown of Papadopoulos XVIII has gained infamy as the poster child of the Old Empire's failings, an inability to protect the specialist-designed crown jewel of their Emperor symbolising the Empire's lack of protection for their citizens when the Empire began to crumble.

Item type

Magical

Manufacturer

Goldsmiths of Steelforge

Owning Organization

The Old Empire

Rarity

Unique

Weight

1.12kg

Base Price

Priceless

Raw materials & Components

Gold-platinum alloy, precious gemstones and silk padding