Coronet of Eloquence
Coronet of Eloquence
The Coronet of Eloquence is an essential tool for the greatest of travelers and wanderers. Communicating with the myriad of cultures, nations, races, tribes, communities, and religions which inhabit this wide, wonderful world of ours can be a nearly insurmountable challenge. It sometimes seems that there is a different language in use for every blade of grass in a meadow, and even a dedicated linguist cannot learn them all.
Well, somebody somewhere has probably developed the incredible talent to speak every language, but for the rest of us mere mortals, there is the Coronet of Eloquence.
The Coronet is a small, simple crown, designed to be worn over a cap or helmet if needed, and which can be of many, many different designs. The creators of such items typically make at least some effort at being 'fancy', with even inexpensive items having some meager decorations and inlaid pretties.
When purchased, a Coronet is 'empty', and lends no benefit to an attuned wearer. When the wearer of a Coronet meets a creature who speaks a language that they do not already know, the wearer may, as a swift action (or with a moment of concentration out of combat), activate the Coronet and it imparts to the wearer the ability to speak that language, instantly.
Now, the cheaper Coronets are just as fast and painless as the expensive ones, but the quality of the knowledge imparted may be a bit...lacking. But no matter how limited the vocabulary or outlandish the accent, being able to speak even a pidgin variant of a language is far better than no communication at all.
The downside of a Coronet of Eloquence is that the knowledge it imparts is permanent as long as the item is attuned. Once a Coronet has taught the wearer all the languages it allows, then no more languages may be taught by that item unless the wearer removes the items, loses their attunement, and then attunes it again, which causes them to forget all of the languages imparted by the Coronet. For truly inveterate travelers, this is no burden, but many others find this a heavy problem.
The owner of this magic item must wear it continuously for 24 hours to attune it to their aura, and until that time has passed, it provides no benefits to the wearer.
Coronet of Eloquence +1 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 500 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 12 (10 + double CL)), Languid remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 250 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +2 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 2,750 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 18 (10 + double CL)), Languid remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 1,375 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +3 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 6,250 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 24 (10 + double CL)), Languid remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 3,125 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +4 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 12,500 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 30 (10 + double CL)), Pale remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 6,250 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +5 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 22,750 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 36 (10 + double CL)), Pale remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 11,375 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +6 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 65,000 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- The first two languages are taught at the Native level of proficiency.
- The third language is taught at the Fluent level of proficiency.
- The fourth language is taught at the Novice level of proficiency.
- The fifth language is only taught at the Pidgin level of proficiency. It's better than nothing...barely.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 44 (10 + double CL)), Bright remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 32,500 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +7 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 285,000 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Epic Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 54 (10 + double CL)), Intense remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 142,500 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +8 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 6,200,000 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
- All five languages are taught at the Native level of proficiency.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Epic Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 66 (10 + double CL)), Blazing remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 3,100,000 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).
Coronet of Eloquence +9 [link] [edit]
- Cost: 35,575,000 gp
- Weight: 1 lbs.
At this level of sophistication, a Coronet of Eloquence is no longer an item which is safe to use, for the wearer or for anyone else, due to the overwhelming ability for the device to teach its wearer Secret languages. The terror and danger of this ability cannot be overstated.
Learning Thieve's Cant or Druidic or even Corhiwar are fraught with peril. Angering every thief and assassin on the planet, or drawing the ineffable ire of The Green, or enraging every Drow Maiden in her dark boudoir, is the very height of foolishness. But even those incredibly dangerous acts pale compared to the perils which this innocent Coronet can expose its wearer to.
Learning to think in OM is the most indescribably dangerous consequence of this item, at least to those around you. An idle wonderment can consume the wearer, and possibly the entire city they stand within. In theory, a badly constructed train of thought could unmake All Reality before you can catch yourself. Even worse is the ability to leave Reality Real, but now...different. Do not do this.
Learning Therien if you have not been versed in its terrors erases the ability of your own mind to believe itself, essentially removing your ability to ever think a useful thought again. The dangers of Coept or Graxt are obvious, causing your mind and body to explode in tumors or wither away in manner most vile, not to mention what it can do to your companions and surroundings. Learning Enuncia without the deepest of precautions is a more subtle horror, that cannot be even explained using words.
All of these terrors to the self pale compared to the danger of learning Sphinx. Speaking a single word of Sphinx if you are not well versed overwrites your own mind with another, 'higher', version of yourself. Speaking it again repeats this terrifying and agonizing process. After a single sentence, you experience utter Death of Self, while remaining fully alive and aware of what you've just done to your former self. Sad victims of this state report that they are exalted in their new state of being, yet fraught with pain and regret in every moment. The agony is unending after that, both for yourself, and for those you will twist and rupture around you in your new state.
Perhaps worst of all is the fact that this terrifying device can teach its hapless wearer up to five of these world-shattering and mind-shattering languages simultaneously.
Never doubt that the most dangerous item in existence is the innocent-seeming Coronet of Eloquence, such that they are often called 'The Crown of Horrors'. It is the height of madness to even consider purchasing or making one.
You have been warned of the peril.
- All five languages granted by this perilous thing are taught at the Native level of proficiency.
- Creation: Creator (Feat), Epic Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 90 (10 + double CL)), Empyrean remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 17,787,500 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).