User:IceFireWarden/Obscure Artifices of the Mundus
When I was a young lass growing up on the edge of the Karth, I never expected that I would be spending nearly a century and a half of my life studying arcane trinkets and jewelry. Thankfully, my years as a healer working in temples and hospices across many civilized countries seems to have extended the duration of my own life in turn. Of course, my tribe wouldn't exactly approve of my current choice of profession and attire...but that is a sacrifice I had to make. I personally like to think that the poor, illiterate Faminehawk girl I once was needed to die in order to make way for the intelligent, compassionate mage that gets to see the world and inspire new adventurers every day.
In this book, you will find the culmination of my decades of research into the fantastical and the occult. Jewellery, and especially rings, have been discussed in legends as old as time since the dawn of time itself. And while some of these mythical bands are nothing more than imaginary trinkets used for simile and allegory, quite a few of them actually exist. With the aid of other members of the Circle, I have made a descriptive list of some of the more popular rings in mortal lore. Perhaps one of you adventuring types, after reading this account, will go on a magnificent treasure hunt and bring this old sorcerer proof of the fruits of her research, aye?
Because if you do, the Circle and I will be more than happy to compensate you for finding such a mythical item! Each ring has an estimated duhl (Yneslean currency, for you Western readers; each coin is the equivalent to one septim and a half) price attached to its description, due to how fickle such arcane objects can be. I honestly believe that each object wordsmithed upon these pages is ‘alive’ in a sense, which is why they can be found only when they seemingly want to be found. But do enjoy the book, now will you? I worked quite hard on this, I’ll have you know.
Signet of Spite
“A Dwarven knuckle ring forged by M'lika, ancient manasmith of Zaida (one of the Ald-Fiefdoms of In’eslae). M'lika was perhaps the greatest jeweler that ever lived in In'eslae, if not the East itself, and etched magic so tightly into the adornments she shaped that modern mages cannot tell where the metal ends and where the enchantment begins. This ring, embedded with engraved wyrmstone, is curiously the most malicious of her creations. It seemingly hungers for pain, and hungers even moreso for vengeance.”
Ring of Ancient Nemer (Echmeri) Make. It was forged from a mixture of solarite and krakenium, like the majority of the arcane jewelry fashioned by M’lika the Delicate-Handed (other items attributed to her name have been forged from and/or with malachite, brinesteel, and lapis lazuli). Carries a strange damage enchantment that enhances the bearer's strength and anger every time their body suffers from external trauma. Note: Acquisition of this band is ill-advised, as it is painted to be highly addictive, dangerous, and masochistic. Last seen in 2E 345, in the hands of Tra-Yun the Hunter on the island of Moruii in the In'eslean archipelago. Worth five thousand duhl if found.
Wanderer's Cracked Ring
“Once, there was a hero in the days of old. A hero so alone they sold their soul. In exchange they received this oddity of a ring, but from whom and from where has been lost to history. As the centuries passed, this ring made from silk and yarn grew hard and turned to stone, as if empathetic to the state of its original wielder. Seeks company, but seeps malcontent.”
Ring of Unknown Make (read: the design bears no striking resemblance to any of the aesthetics present in the ancient and modern Nirnic cultures known to the Circle). Is recorded to bear an unique emotional enchantment that calms the heart and nerves of the wielder when they travel in groups, while raising the stress and anxiety levels of their traveling companions. Last seen in 3E 110 after it was stolen from the Jorgen Vaults on Hairen Island by the Iron Mambas, a notorious Pyandonean pirate organization known to serve as mercenaries on occasion. Worth ten thousand duhl if found.
The Flayed Band
“Do not believe the lies of every aspiring necromancer with some fame to their name; the dark perversion has existed since the first death came to mortals at Dusk. The Flayed Band, a ring constructed from the muscle and bone of some traitorous lich, serves as a testament to the historic documentation of death and death magic. Its maker is only referenced in legends as Thurajeil, a warlock from the Eastern North who fancied himself a healer of souls, only to be rejected from his brothers and sisters in arms when they ascended into worse shapes.”
Ring of Atmoran Make (???; bears a strange resemblance to some Kamali instruments left behind in Yneslea and Tamriel as well). Has the ability to instantly summon tortured spirits from a cursed outer realm to be transplanted into corpses without any cost or delay, allowing for the creation of numerous zombies to serve its wielder (which is why it is the self-admitted guilty pursuit of many aspiring necromancers). Last seen in 4E 130 in the hands of Knight Trystan of Wayrest, who recovered it from members of the Order of the Black Worm who had been hiding out in the Crypt of Hearts. Worth three thousands duhl if recovered.
Weirtouched Seal
“One of the rare 'true fulljoint' rings made in the East, meant to fully armor a person's digit for symbolic purposes. All of them were made by Old One-Eye Gaoloman of Esroniet, who took the secret of forging flexiron to the grave (which is why false fulljoint rings are easily discernible). This simple band, adorned with hieroglyphics that resemble characters of the Elder Alphabet, lets the bearer step through solid objects as if they weren't there. Old One-Eye was a mystic after all, and he is remembered by his people to have been quite fond of portals and liminal magic.”
Ring of Esri Make. Bestows the ability to pass through solid objects like rock, metal, and wards unto its bearer. Last spoken of in the oral rendition of the Yellow Dragon's Dance, where an obscenely short man challenged the dragon Fuskiinyol to a test of entertainment and his subsequent victory earned him this liberating little ring. Unfortunately, there are no recent historical sightings trustworthy enough to cite in this document (which is why there are some within this Circle who believe this artifact may not actually exist outside of word-of-mouth and native folklore). Worth eight thousand duhl if found.
The Sins of Ghan
“Ghan, a contemporary of M'lika, was one of the To'shema (Sorcerer-Kings) who led the ancient Kasuto Empire of Pa'vasaga, the ancestral home of In’eslean sorcery and the third largest island in the archipelago-continent. Born blind, he resented all which he could not feel, and took concerning comfort in the elements that reminded him of his tortured existence. His paranoia of the unseen grew so great that he betrayed his most powerful and beloved students and bound their souls to twisted metals found in the outer realms, crafting the rings that would later be known as his Sins. This decision would ultimately prove to be Ghan's undoing, however; the souls of the Damned cannot be so easily silenced, and his Magus Legions weren't so adverse in their judgement of him…”
Rings of Ancient Nemer (Echmeri) Make. The Sin Rings are the embodiment of the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' according to true enigmaticians of ring lore, and their risky enchantments are as follows:
- Ghan's Wrath is a ring tied to the primordial fire that lit the Aurbis at Dawn, and whose Voice heralded the approaching Darkness of Dusk. Those who use pyromancy while wearing it will notice a significant boost to their destructive power with the element, but will suffer from severe migraines and body temperature spikes with every additional casting of pyromantic spells.
- Ghan's Vanity is a ring tied to the essence of all life, that red drink that drives music to madness. It allows vampires, as well as those who dabble in the strange arts of blood magic, to subconsciously collect blood from the recently slain into the ring for later use (allowing them to perform blood magic without the need to attain blood from bodies directly), at the cost of the ring draining the life force of those who wield it.
- Ghan's Avarice is a ring tied to the first exhales of the gods, borne down from the heavens on gentle notes to become the first winds of the realms. Its power cloaks the wielder in a violent tempest that deters weapons, projectiles, and spells hurled at them by others, but drains the wielder's own breath and stamina when the cloak is in use.
- Ghan's Sloth is a ring tied to the orchestral storms of Nirn, with their drums of thunder and choirs of lightning. Those who wear it are not only able to hurl shocking bolts at their enemies, but are also able to temporarily absorb incoming electrical power and deflect it back to their original source. Unfortunately, however, its usage causes increasingly painful shocks to the bearer's nervous system and brain that can lead to moments of paralysis that will become permanent.
- Ghan's Lust is a ring tied to the bones of the land that shape the song of the world. The environment heeds the call of those who wear this ring by allowing them to call upon bestial aid and grow monstrous vegetation through some form of geo-telepathy. But the ring itself is unloving of the earth, and in the wake of its usage all life in the near vicinity of its user (ranging from plants to animals to the thinking peoples) will slowly be affected with a strange rot that spreads pestilence and famine at a gradual pace.
- Ghan's Envy is a ring tied to the whispered hymns of the world's oceanic depths. When one wears it they become completely immune to frigid temperatures and gain the abilities of several underwater creatures (waterbreathing, echolocation, and so on), but at the cost of constantly emitting an uncontrollable frost from their ring-hand and suffering from an unquenchable state of dehydration.
- Ghan's Cowardice is a ring tied to the duet sung by the solar and lunar planes, or to be more accurate, by sunlight and by shadow. Those who wear it during the day will find more fortune and affection from everything around them while slowly developing intense paranoia, mistrust, and narcissistic views. Those who wear it at night will generate a void of silence and camouflage around themselves that makes them nigh-undetectable to most avenues of perception at the cost of gradually losing their memories and sense of self.
- Ghan's Gluttony is a ring tied to the ancient stars of the universe, those divine trinkets that light the sheet notes of mortal life and funnel magic into the world, which is why it is considered the most powerful and dangerous of the Sins. When worn the band devours magicka from anything possessing mana in its close proximity (which can be people, items, enchantments, and even the light itself), granting the wearer a virtually limitless pool of power to conduct sorcery. However, the rings' hunger for magic is insatiable and eventually mana at its most basic and fundamental composition will become poisonous to the wearer, resulting in a cruel death of bloating, organ failure, and suffocation brought about by the wearer's own body becoming toxic.
It is believed that when all eight Sins are worn, Ghan and his betrayed foster children will either bless or curse the rings uniter with great power. Their last reported sighting as a group was in 3E 429 in Torasa Aram's Museum of Artifacts in Mournhold, five years before it was broken into during the chaos of the Empire's Fall. Worth twenty thousand duhl if found as a complete set.
Rings of Divorce
“Any devout follower of Mara knows the legend of Thiroyil and Agrass, the lovers who spurned her grace and bore witness to her heavenly anger. In the decades before the Alessian Order, the wild elf princess and her Nedic husband defied superstition and civilization in order to cherish their bond. But as Marukh's zealots ravaged the Heartlands in their prejudice, the two lovers performed the ultimate act of betrayal. Promises of riches, safety, and most importantly, validation, resulted in the mutual destruction of their tribes and city-states in a ritual that cost them the soul of their unborn child. Mara, furious that such strong love could be broken over something as petty and foreign to her as survival, cursed their rings of fidelity and oaths of betrothment forevermore to serve as a testament to those that sullied the generous nature of love.”
Rings of Nedic (Ancient Imperial) and Ayleid Make. One is inscribed with the phrase *'we took his heart, to bring it closer to us'* and the other is inscribed with *'and with this act, brought you closer to me'*. When worn by two willing people, their names will respectively appear on the rings as well. According to legend, they were cursed by Mara herself to serve as the ultimate test of commitment. Once worn they cannot be removed, and both parties will be made painfully aware of one another's location, desires, doubts, and irritations. If the love each holds for the other begins to falter, the bands will tighten and pull the individuals together until their ring-fingers are severed as they suffer from the pain side by side, declaring to the world that they are people incapable of true love in the eyes of Mother Wolf. There have been no reputable sightings in recent reports, unfortunately. Worth ten thousand duhl if recovered as a complete set.
Ashen God's Brand
“The origin of this ring is uncertain, but it's mythical importance to the Orcs is not. If the Crimson Tapestries of Old Orsinium can be taken as true, then this misshapen adornment once belonged to the Right-Hand of Auri-El himself. Shortly after he tore out the Doom-Drum's heart, the Starless Knight was consumed by a rampaging storm of soul-crushing emotion and chaotic divinities that forced upon him self-reflection. And as the god of champions died, a single ringlet departed from his neck and fell down to the Mundus so that his children could save it in the midst of their own changing. But of course, no one alive can attest to the accuracy of this tale; no one aside from the ring itself, of course, with its one side of burnt, brutish malachite and the other of gilded, delicate adamantium as if it were torn between worlds…”
Ring of Ancient Aldmer (Orsimeri) Make. One of the rare antiquated rings believed to have belonged to one of the gods themselves before becoming the plaything of mortals throughout the millennia, of which few are recorded. The rings' enchantment reflects its conflictive appearance quite well - those who wear it will be blessed with some of the strength, endurance, vitality, and charisma of the god of champions himself for as long as they wear it, but this boon comes with a cost; they will start to suffer from a mystic deformity that causes their skin to harden, grey, and crack as if it were stone, perhaps in representation of the ugliness within all living souls. Although there have been no recent historical sightings, it was rumored that King Gortwog possessed it when he ruled Orsinium in the latter years of the Third Era. However, this would mean that the ring was possibly lost during the 11th and 15th years of the Fourth Era, when Orc Town was razed to the ground once again. Worth nine thousand duhl if found.
Burnished Ophidian Ring
“A horned-ring belonging to Raenai, one of the Brine-Daughters of Orgnum, who is known as the Young God. Made from one of the fangs and scales of a Padomaic Krait, one of the intelligent great-wyrms that slumbers in the dregs of the world. In the Eastern and Southeastern mythics, snakes and sea serpents are the descendants of hydras, the forgotten dragons of the sea, and like all dragonkin are associated with the notions of lost treasure and avarice (which is why the very concept of wealth is so metaphysically important to the Maormeri narrative). This ring, having exchanged countless hands throughout the years, only carries but a touch of the Young God's divine charity originally bestowed upon it.”
Ring of Ancient Aldmer (Maormeri) Make. Its effects are similar to a more minor variant of the enchantment bestowed on King Orgnum's Coffer; those who wear this ring will find valuable items and materials easier to come by (like rare ores, artifacts, and information), but currency itself will remain scarce and their pockets empty (not because of any curse, but because the ring's archaic spell has weakened through constant use). Attributed to have been made by King Orgnum himself, whose status as a god is up to much debate. It's last reported sighting was in 3E 429 in Torasa Aram's Museum of Artifacts in Mournhold, five years before it was broken into during the chaos of the Empire's Fall. Worth four thousand duhl if found.
Bounteous Ophidian Ring
“A horned-ring belonging to Moretiya, one of the Brine-Daughters of Orgnum, who is known as the Young God. Made from one of the fangs and scales of a Speckled Jaunedice, a greater breed of hydra scioned directly by Carugharughurac, the Maormeri-Echmeri dragon god of the sea and drowned time. Hydras are kin to dragons, after all, and are tied to the greed that leaks perpetually from Father Time's mighty jaws (for only He seeks the total dominion of all the known worlds). Unlike the rings of her sisters, Moretiya's signature band was kept hidden from the worlds for many centuries until an Altmer thief relieved it from her sleeping frame, which is why the magic gifted to it remains strong and lively.”
Ring of Ancient Aldmer (Maormeri) Make. Its enchantment, granted by the absurd and mysterious powers of King Orgnum, grants the bearer immeasurable luck when discovering currency of any kind while exploring their environment, as if coins were drawn to their very presence and heeded an unspoken call to their side. When used in conjunction with the Burnished Ophidian Ring, it is said that the riches acquired would surpass anything Orgnum's Coffer could possibly generate. It was last seen in the 429th year of the Third Era in Torasa Aram's Museum of Artifacts in Mournhold, five years before it was broken into during the chaos of the Empire's Fall. Worth eight thousand duhl if found.
Kudera's Rings of Protection
“Yacuria, the goddess of tears and the mourning of the dead, is a popular goddess in the East due to her intimate relationship with Death the Firstborn. But it is of little known fact that she was once worshipped heavily in the West underneath the subnymic Kudera, who served as one of the matron-goddesses of the northwestern Nedes. Those Descendants of Galen, who inherited the chivalrous spirits of the primeval wanderers, sought to protect their realms and one another at all costs, and continued to do so even when the southern elves came to bind them to field and chain. According to the Galesh Tales, Dukera was so saddened by the state of her favored tribe of man that she journeyed tearfully to the east and was never seen again. Sai’s grace caused the tears she left behind to crystallize inside the soil of Altbal, and with them the first armsmen of that land fashioned powerful charms. It is said that the Kuderan Knights still make annual pilgrimages eastward in the hopes that they will one day bring their goddess back home.”
Rings of Galen/Galesh (Ancient Breton) Make. One of the few legendary rings that are known to be in the multiple, although most legends depict them as only being around in the singular at any given time (the Kuderan Knights are rare nowadays, and their secret cabals even rarer, so it is hard to question them about the nature of the rings). These gold bands fixed with jade-like tearstones carry a divine enchantment that protects those who wear them from physical attacks; bolstering their armor and shields beyond the quality of the ore they were fashioned from. It is no wonder then why they are a popular errand of knights and soldiers. One was recorded to have been seen in Jehanna in the 64th year of the Fourth Era, when a Knight of the Rose lost it in a duel to Centurion Adrian Silmane. Worth seven thousand duhl if found.
Old Mage's Ring
“No one truly knows who the first sorcerer, the first mortal to stare into the great tear of heaven and find power in the light there, was and could have been. But every ethnic, of every culture, of every land, and of every race has a tale, and it is of no surprise that the First Sons and Daughters of Old Mary have the oldest tale. When the God of Magic, He-Who-Fled-The-Mythic and has Many Names, fractured at Dawn, a lone mer pondering the first Long Night followed a shooting piece of that god's great soul and found the constellations awaiting them at the riven top of a grand pillar. Within that rift they learned the trade of Aetherius from the mentoring metaphor that aired at its summit, and from him fashioned a simple and intricate ring. Quite the imaginative, unreliable tale, isn't it? But what is magic, if not the tool of rather creative narrators…”
Ring of Ancient Aldmer (Altmeri) Make. Seemingly made from adamantium or solarite, but of a meteoric glass-like quality never before seen on Nirn, which lends credence to the idea it came from the far reaches of infinite Aetherius. It is unique amongst most rings due to possessing four different enchantments all related to light and magic:
- Allows the bearer to generate what seems to be pure, concentrated starlight from the ring's gemstone. Interestingly enough, this light harms vampires, ghouls, and other types of undead as if it were silver or sunlight.
- Extends the effect duration of even the quickest spells and scrolls.
- Gives a moderate boost to the bearer's dexterity, allowing them to cast magic faster than normal.
- Makes the casting of all magic by the bearer, including even the most noticeable spells, completely silent whether or not the incantation is voiced verbally or mentally.
The Old Mage's Ring was so sought after by wizards that the Psijic Order was forced to intervene and had the artifact whisked away to their secret vaults inside the Ceporah Tower of Artaeum (and that is where it stayed for several centuries). Unfortunately, however, it is believed that it was either stolen by Daedra or anarchic invaders when Artaeum was overrun by the forces of Mehrunes Dagon during the final year of the Third Era. Worth eighteen thousand duhl if found or recovered.
Archaic Shackle
“A fragment from an ancient, most unfamothable chain, of a quality no mortal civilization could ever create. And yet it radiates a power neither aedric or daedric, which betrays its somehow higher than divine nature. The Prisoner Cults of the Mundus, founded by fools who share the heretical viewpoints of a fictitious reality and its (eventual) apocalyptic unraveling, cherish this most curious ring. They believe it to be tied to the holy object of their affection⏤an entity unbound from the world, unbound from the gods, and unbound from the Elder Scrolls themselves. The Prisoner. They who dwell alongside the Egotist within the sideways center, and whose pursuit of freedom threatens to awaken this strained hallucination of a universe. Only these zealous minorities would believe rational folk would find value in an optimistic messiah who teaches nihilism, but contradiction is gullible, and fools will be fools.”
Ring of Unknown Make. The stark-gray metal of this chain-link feels cold to the touch but vibrates with an almost warm synergy, according to the legends, and is a fluid yet indomitable substance unseen before by any culture. Most bizarrely, its enchantment is still largely unknown; those who wear it feel a strange mental and emotional calmness, as well as a great overwhelming power building up deep inside, but have yet to be able to tap into the shackle's true potential. Many members of the Circle believe it has properties that allow the wearer to defy the chains of fate, but perhaps it can only be worn by true Heroes of Prophecy. Regardless, the mystery of its true power and purpose only increases its value to the Circle. Last seen alongside the Staff of Chaos, a fellow 'Weapon of Rapture' that can be found in the White-Gold Treasuries deep below the Imperial Palace, in 3E 410. Worth fifteen thousand duhl if found.
Withered Swamp Ring
“This ring, crafted from the now decaying roots of an ancient Hist, is adorned with a glistening piece of amber that encases the eye of some sort of supernatural creature. Charms like these were once plentiful before the Duskfall that engulfed Saxhleel culture in simplemindedness and primacy, but now they are considered evil omens that must be destroyed when encountered. According to the more superstitious Naga and Paatru tribes of the deeper Marsh, this ring is a relic of the monstrous Lizardmen who fade in and out of Argonia’s troubled history. The Lizardmen, not to be confused with the Saxhleel themselves, are rumored to have been creatures born from pure ignorance and rage; the beastial, uncivilized soul of the Marsh made flesh, who constantly shed skins between shadowed, humanoid, and spectral form so that they may return from the forest that ever moves and reclaim the land stolen from them. This ring, which constantly squints at everything it longs to devour, is their will made testament.”
Ring of Argonian (???; the tales centered around this artifact clearly paints it as not Saxhleel, but who can say that these supposed Lizardmen actually existed outside of rumored sightings during the Simulacrum?) Make. The eye within the amber, as the above quote states, actually seems to follow everything that moves within its field of vision. The Withered Swamp Ring’s enchantment allows its wearer to form a small snake from the surrounding darkness, and this shadow serpent can then be used attack and gorge upon the shadows of others; this action is of course hazardous to the victim, who will grow increasingly more ill the more their shadow is consumed by the monstrosity conjured from this ring. Several members of the Circle believe this relic has connections to Sithis and/or the Shadow Constellation, which are connected in Argonian culture. The last reported sighting was from the esteemed Divayth Fyr himself, who recovered it from the lost Star Gallery itself in 3E 417, before he managed to misplace it while traveling back home. Worth eleven thousand duhl if recovered.
Cryng's Rock
“Before their disappearance, the Dwarves functioned as a reclusive society. Their experiments, habits, and apathetic dealings with the other races of the civilized world labeled them as a people to be mistrusted and feared. Thankfully, however, some northwestern fables speak of at least one Deep Elf whose character wasn’t as soulless as the machines his race sculpted. This mer was the sullen Cryng, who came to be called the Brass Knight in the years after he abandoned (or was abandoned by) his Rourken peers during their exodus. Mercenary-knights were quite rare in the early first era, and those petty warlords and nobles who encountered the survivalistic Brass Knight were both dumbfounded and intrigued by this nether-folk wanderer, who wielded a greatsword twice his size and wore a set of ‘steam-breathing’ armor so heavy it broke the spines of lesser warriors unworthy of its burden...”
Ring of Dwemeri Make. One of the few intact pieces of Dwarven jewellery in existence on both Tamriel and Yneslea, due to what appears to be a complete lack of interest in such physical adornments on that dead society’s behalf. Its design is especially peculiar, due to the band consisting of a series of interlocking scarabs with its centerpiece emblem being a cracked but cube-shaped piece of simple limestone. The ring has seemingly inherited a portion of Cryng’s unfathomable strength, making the equipment they wear feel lighter in weight while also bolstering their natural strength so that they can carry more equipment while traveling. It was last rumored to be in the hands of the Restless League pirates of Stros M’kai, an island considered to be a part of the province of Hammerfell, who discovered it in an indeterminate timeframe during the Western War of Grievance (read: the Great War). Worth thirty thousand duhl if found due to the rarity of true Dwarven metallurgy.
Dark Sister's Hairstring
“Only a troubled soul would wear this blood-encrusted band, fashioned from the strands of the murdered and the guilty. The Foresters of Morrowind, who are unshy in their disapproval of the Children of the Void Father, have warred with them for centuries. One particular assassin began a personal crusade against what she considered to be the inferior organization, and with every head hunted became more and more unhinged. Soon came the time she began killing her own brethren, whom she realized were no different than those she had been previously killing due to an epiphany gained from soul-shattering pain, and soon she disappeared into the labyrinthine Halls of Blood to never be seen again. All that remains of her existence, and her will, are these vengeful hairs plucked from her countless victims.”
Ring of Dunmer Make. According to popular description, the disgusting hairs woven into the ring have turned white and gray from age while the dried blood forms a Daedric script that is completely incomprehensible and unpronounceable. Befitting a cruel artifact tied to the dreadful practice of assassination, the ‘ring’s’ enchantment causes the bearer’s weapons to become invisible to the naked eye, allowing killers who stalk their victims to more easily end their lives. Interestingly enough, however, is that the ring seems to drive those who wear it to kill more after every successful murder (which is why the Morag Tong and even the Dark Brotherhood are adverse to procuring it, despite its usefulness). Last seen in the hands of Ilaine the Alley Rat, a former member of the Crimson Scars who escaped Imperial custody three years ago and has yet to be tracked down again by Tamrielic authorities. Worth two thousand and five hundred duhl if found.
Whetstone Ring
“Simple-minded, and by that we mean foolish, people believe that the multiple species of goblin are incapable of true intelligence and reasoning. And although their various cultures lack complex mechanics on the surface, it is within this straight-forward and simplistic thinking that they hide their more worldly wisdom and mortallic judgement in the face of constant strife and adversity. Unlike their admittedly more rational and civilized Hyu-Ketic brethren to the east, the average Tamrielic goblin associates their deities not by name but by color. To them, colors are the abyssal nature of emotions made manifest on the physical spectrum. Blue is the solemn, ever-mournful love the heavens have on the blasphemous. Red is the fierce, indifferent hand inking the quill that writes time. And silver? Silver is the cold blessing of pain serrated on the backbone of hard work. Which is why even non-goblins accept this boon from the Silver God.”
Ring of Ancient Goblin Make. Forged from a mixture of bone, riverstone, and quicksilver ore by a blacksmith with techniques modernists will never be able to replicate (if only Western goblin culture and history was more documented). Befitting an artifact associated with whetstones, the enchantment provided by this ring sharpens the weapons borne by the bearer. And while this may seem only related to the physical sharpening of a blade’s killing edge, stories actually dictate it provides mental clarity and emotional focus as well as martial benefits. Truly a legendary object that hints at a much deeper aspect of its native culture. Its last reputable sighting was in Cyrodiil in the hands of the unknown chief of the Paleknives, a goblin tribe allegedly hired by the Imperial Legion to use guerilla tactics against the Aldmeri Dominion during the Battle of the Red Ring. Worth seventeen thousand duhl if found or recovered due to the rarity of goblinoid metallurgy.
Sinistral Joint-Band
“Discussions that revolve around the left-handed elves always end in the debate of whether or not they were actually of elvish stock. Did the Yokudan, and subsequently Redguard, cultural habit of abhorring the left hand as unsightly and demonic stem from their hatred in their mer neighbors? Or were the left-handed elves merely a political faction of humans whose extreme values and beliefs resulted in this cultural mindset, after their actions caused the downfall of Yokuda? No one can say. But this ring radiates with sinister magic that not even the bravest sword-singer will harness.”
Ring of Yoku (???; the Circle and I are unsure whether it exhibits Aldmeri or Mannish traits) Make. A strange trinket, due to having a noticeable weight despite being constructed of phoenix feathers held together by some obscure resin. This ring’s enchantment will (obviously) only work when worn on a finger of the owner’s left hand, and if someone were to attempt to wear it on the right hand the results are…disgusting, to say the least. The power imbued into this ring allows the wearer to manifest something the Redguard myths refer to as a ‘blade-wraith’, a magical construct that apparently manifests into existence when an Ansei or Ansei-in-training’s soul is corrupted by negativity, and their spirit-sword is consumed by malice. It is unknown if the blade-wraith conjured by the ring belongs to the bearer themself or was forged by the one who created it, but it is known that this evil power can only be used once per day at the cost of scarification of the left-hand. Historical records paint Queen Afsar the Ruthless as the last individual to own the ring way back in the First Era. Worth eleven thousand and five hundred duhl if found.
The Bashful Ring
“Another one of M’lika’s creations that survived the test of time. Parables link the origin of the ring to a pair of humorous thieves who called themselves Coat and Steel. The two worshipped both the goddess Noyx, who served as their matron in the shadows, and the god Raen-N’tai, who served as the patron of their love, and it is well remembered that the lovers treated their crimes as venereal acts dedicated to one another. So when Coat and Steel came to steal treasures from M’lika’s Oretower of Contrition, the mansmith laid the perfect trap for them; she ordered her apprentices to spread rumors that she had invented knuckle-rings capable of conjuring the finest armor in the Auribex House and waited for the lubricious duo to come and take them. And when they did, they decided to wear the rings during the civil hours in their arrogance. Imagine their surprise when they discovered the karmic enchantment placed upon the rings!”
Ring of Ancient Nemer (Echmeri) Make. According to the parable there were originally two of these rings, but M’lika had one of them destroyed after teaching the robbers a lesson. The ring’s gimmick is admittedly on the jocular side and not for the prudish at heart (as I have discovered when discussing the artifact with certain members of the Circle here). When worn, the bearer will believe themselves to be wearing a fine suit of armor and can even ‘feel’ its weight and texture, but this is only the first effect of an extremely powerful illusion enchantment; the ring’s second effect is its true one, which renders the bearer’s clothes completely invisible (and displaying their indecency to all who can see). Because Coat and Steel weren’t evil folk, and only used thievery as an outlet for adventure and romance, M’lika personally came to reacquire the ring and was even able to convince the two of them to become head guardsmen of her oretower. There have been no recent sightings of the ring to report, to the Circle’s relief and dismay. Worth one thousand and five hundred duhl if found or recovered (my fellow Antiquarians do not believe a silly trinket like this should be treated as rarity, despite the cultural importance of its creator).
The Eclipsic Band
“Relics related to the Lunar Lattice are not uncommon in the lands of the feline elves, but only a few of them are truly special beyond religious or symbolic purposes. It is said that before the Denizens of Old Mary walked the Starry Heart, the Khajiit harnessed the ability to create artificial eclipses that aided in the creation of powerful rulers who made giant leaps in societal development. One such ruler was Lord Jo’rahin, an Ohmes-Raht of reputable power. When his kingdom of Tara’nel-lia was threatened by the Sand Giants of the Great Divide, he used a mineral found deep within the earth to harness the unique light formed when the moons blot out the sun to visionary effect, and banished those barbaric creatures to another realm. His sons and daughters came to cherish this ring, even though it would not offer them the same wondrous abilities it afforded their father, until the grandson of the feudal lord discovered that it required a special sacrifice…”
Ring of Khajiiti Make. The centerpiece of the ring, as well as the Old Ta’agra letters etched upon its slim and delicate surface, consist of an abnormal type of aeonstone that doesn’t naturally occur underground in southern Elsweyr (many here at the Circle believe that the crystal’s natural composition and behavior was fundamentally altered by perplexing sorcery, resulting in the gold color instead of the normal green). The ring’s enchantment is perhaps one of the more puzzling ones listed in this book, as the cat-folk legends either list two different enchantments or one enchantment with two different effects. The first legend (‘Storm of the Dunekings’) explicitly states the ring absorbs moonlight and sunlight into itself, and when an eclipse happens allows the bearer to use the acquired power to destructive capability. The second legend (‘Jo’rahin and the One Hundred Visions’) is much different, however; the enchantment described within that oral history states that the ring bestows clairvoyance during an eclipse, allowing the one who wears it to effect the present with accurate knowledge of the future. Whatever the case may be, the ring still served its purpose of wiping the Sand Giants from existence. According to popular rumor, the Eternal Champion discovered the ring when they explored the Halls of Colossus in search of one of the Staff of Chaos pieces and gifted it to Uriel VII after they killed Jagar Tharn. Worth three thousand and five hundred duhl if found due to insufficient knowledge of its power.
Fingerwraps of Anuiel
“At first glance these bandages look as if they were spun from wool, but in actuality consist of snowflakes magically woven finally into a fiber as soft as the winter clouds, which the Falmer called ‘autadenai’. After the Five-Hundred Companions laid waste to Old Mereth and drove the snow elves into extinction, the Atmorans raided and dismantled the Falmeri cities for treasure and supplies. This relic was one of those mighty treasures appropriated by the northern men in ancient times and subsequently convinced the southern cultures were their own. Enigmaticians have determined that the fingerwraps were consecrated in a holy site of Anuiel, the Soul of Anu who Lies-In-Visions, at the case of the Sunlit Stair. Befitting an artifact tied to Father Stasis, who helped parent the younger gods, its touch is cold yet oddly comforting…”
Ring of Ancient Aldmer (Falmeri) Make. While this artifact will be described in the singular upon these pages, it is wise to remember that there are five fingerwraps intended to be worn on the hand and the artifact’s magic will not work if one fingerwrap is misplaced. As the Nordic tales say, the enchantment bestowed upon this ring causes it to emit a constant frost that has incredible regenerative and healing properties. But there is, however, a daemon’s catch in regards to how one may use it. Nothing malicious thankfully, but the fingerwraps will only heal the people around the wearer and not the wearer themselves. Last seen within the Ysmir Collective of the College of Winterhold in the 134th of the Fourth Era (and there is no reason to assume it still isn’t there, unless the mages somehow misplaced it). Worth ten thousand duhl if found or recovered.
Potentate's Ring of Aphaeresis
“Associating vampirism with the Snake-Men is…dubious, to say the least. And while this ring is definitely one of the Tsaesci ‘blood-drinker’ relics, of which items ranging from longswords to amulets belong to, the Akaviri usage of the words ‘blood’, ‘snake’, ‘skin’, and ‘eat’ have long been suspected to be unusual euphemisms for ‘life’, ‘dragon’, ‘language’, and ‘incorporate’. Sidri-Ashak, one of the Potentates that ruled the Second Empire of Men for a time, was perhaps the only Akaviri in recent memory to be ‘open’ about certain aspects of his culture, and described life as ‘an everlasting scale, coiling deep into and without itself, shedding layers to avoid the fangs of time in search of a great existence.’ With quotes such as this it is no surprise to historians that the Dragonguard safe-guarded this ring when the Potentate vanished into thin air at the end of his reign; their descendants, the Blades, still believe that Sidri-Ashak yet lives…shedding lives, in search of a higher purpose…”
Ring of Ancient Akaviri (Tsaesci) Make. Made from a dark, burnt orange-black metal never before seen in the far western hemisphere, although we who live in the Padomaic Territories and Freelands have only encountered it in its raw ore form out on the Esri Rim (and in that state the ore is incredibly brittle and toxic). Similar to the blood-drinking longswords that can still be found in Tamriel and In’eslae, the ring consists of two distinct bands intertwined together through gruesome, serrated fangs. The ring’s enchantment makes this wearer immune to both mundane and extracelestial poison by biting down on the ring-finger its worn upon and circulating blood through the ring itself, purifying it through powerful magics that then recycle the cleansed blood back into the body. The Dragonguard had once kept it in the island of Dragonhold, but that unfortunately detonated into dust during the Mid-Tamrielic Interregnum, which resulted in the loss of the ring. Worth twenty-five thousand and five hundred duhl if recovered.
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