Charnalite Ring

The Charnalite Ring is an artifact in the Emeron campaign.

## History

The Charnalite Ring is an an incredibly powerful artifact crafted over a thousand years ago by the Galmarian Necromancer Charnalite. It appears to be an silver ring with onyx inlays and with a series of silver skulls across it. When Charnalite was finally killed he had somehow managed to store (or replicate, it is unknown) his personality with the ring. The artifact was lost for hundreds of years after the death of Charnalite but in 1158 MR a cleric of Akana named Austius discovered the ring in a long abandoned keep in the hamlet of Monduplat in the Barony of Imyan.

Unfortunately Austius donned the ring, which allowed Charnalite to take over his mind and body. A band of unknown adventurers, hearing rumors of a necromancer in Monduplat, traveled there and fought Austius, slaying him. The ring, however, fell into an underground reservoir that fed the water supply of both Monduplat and nearby Lakeside.

Due to the corruption of the ring, those who consistently drank from the river in Monduplat and the lake it fed in Lakeside would slowly grow sick and eventually transform into a zombie.

On the 25th of Swan, 1159 the Joined of Vesper recovered the ring, removing it from the water supply. To remove the taint upon the people of both hamlets Froderik Penderghast donned the ring, but was not powerful enough to keep Charnalite from taking over his body as well. He was barely able to use the ring to restore the people, but had to be subdued by his own allies as the ring was forcing him to turn on them.

Edella Montfort vowed to see the ring destroyed and took it with her on the Joined's voyage to Emeron City. Unfortunately when the Joined were arrested in Typmit, Lady Luce Carim asked her chaplain, Brother Enerik Rockspur, to examine the ring. Just before the Massacre at Hampstead Hall both Brother Enerik and the ring turned up missing, as Enerik had taken hired a wagon and driver named Malrick and left the estate promptly.

### With Enerik Rockspur

While on the road the *Charnalite Ring* was able to make mental contact with Malrick, the driver of Brother Enerik’s hired wagon. Under the ring’s influence Malrick donned the ring, allowing it to take full control of his body. The ring, aware that Enerik was a more powerful, if less physically fit, target controlled Malrick to ambush the gnome while he slept and place the ring on his finger. Enerik, now directly controlled by the ring, turned Malrick into a zombie.

Slowly, but surely, the ring used Enerik to create a plague of undead in the estate of Mimidet. When the horde grew large enough, Sir Connell Sullivan was sent to investigate. His men engaged the horde of zombies but Enerik, still controlled by the ring, was able to use his magic to paralyze Sir Connell. The Ring then commanded Enerik to place the ring on Sir Connell, as he was both more fit and a more powerful spellcaster. Now controlling Sir Connell, the ring turned Enerik into a powerful spectral undead and forced the gnome to serve him.

### Campaign in Mimidet

The ring continued to control Sir Connell and used him to grow the undead horde and eventually made a successful attack on Stanhope Hall, successfully turning Lord Enil Duggin IV and his entire family into powerful undead to serve. With Mimidet overwhelmed by undead, the ring then moved north to attack the estate of Typmit.

On the 16th of Wolverine, accompanied by Enerik and the Duggin family, the Ring controlled Sir Connell to attack Typmit, which was held by Lord Walter Obert at the time. The undead quickly swept through the town, transforming or killing any citizen whom they made contact with and in short order the horde was at the walls of Norris Keep. Lord Walter rallied his forces within the keep to try to fend off the undead.

During the battle, however, the Joined of Vesper arrived in Typmit, seeking to stop Sir Connell and, if possible, also bring Lord Walter to justice. The barbarian Tumaini, accompanying the Joined, rushed through the undead protecting Sir Connell’s rear and tackled him, throwing both men into the moat. There, Sir Connell quickly drowned, leaving the ring temporarily without a host. It tried to tempt Tumaini into donning it, but the Molander warrior resisted. Soon Edella Montfort leaped into the moat as well, to secure the ring. Edella too, resisted the entreaties of the ring.

Moments later Edella managed to climb from the moat and did don the ring, but only after fortifying her will with magic. She overpowered the will of the *Charnalite Ring*, forcing it to turn the zombie horde to their normal forms. About half of the zombies, those who had been slain and raised as undead, collapsed into dust. The rest of the undead, those who had been forcibly transformed by the ring, returned to their normal human form with no memory of what had transpired or where they were.

Edella immediately removed the ring and pocketed it, ignoring it’s whispers in her mind while she continued the battle against Lord Walter and his forces.

## Powers

The ring can telepathically speak with anyone holding it (or holding a possession that houses the ring) and try to convince them don it. This signal can apparently be blocked by lead, however Edella Montfort carried in such a box to prevent being harassed by it.

The ring allows the wearer to turn dead bodies into zombies, skeletons, ghouls or wights. Additionally it allows the wearer to control any undead within sight, regardless of who created them. Perhaps it's most terrifying ability, however, is the ability to turn a living being into a zombie at a mere touch, without first having to slay them.

The ring will attempt to take over the body of anyone who dons it, and is capable of overtaking even strong minds.