Ring of Protection
Also known as: Protection Ring
A slender band of pale dwarven iron etched with interlocking ward-runes of the Iron Mountains, its inner face worn smooth by generations of anxious fingers. When slipped onto the bearer's hand, a faint argent shimmer ripples across skin and cloth alike, the unmistakable signature of old Dwarven warding-craft holding silent vigil against blade and hex.
Artifact Details
- Type
- Talisman
- Rarity
- Common
- Origin
- These rings were first mass-produced in the deep forges beneath Kharak Dûm, the Iron Mountains' oldest garrison-city, commissioned by Dwarven clan-wardens to equip common soldiers and mine-sentinels who could not afford bespoke armour-enchantments. Journeymen runewrights, apprentices of the great warding lodges, stamped each band with a simplified form of the Elder Ward-Script, making the Ring of Protection the most widely distributed piece of Dwarven warding-craft ever to leave the mountains.
Overview
Ring of Protection is a common talisman in Landorya. Its known origin is These rings were first mass-produced in the deep forges beneath Kharak Dûm, the Iron Mountains' oldest garrison-city, commissioned by Dwarven clan-wardens to equip common soldiers and mine-sentinels who could not afford bespoke armour-enchantments. Journeymen runewrights, apprentices of the great warding lodges, stamped each band with a simplified form of the Elder Ward-Script, making the Ring of Protection the most widely distributed piece of Dwarven warding-craft ever to leave the mountains.. Its most cited abilities include Generates a persistent, low-level ward that dulls the impact of physical blows, reducing bruising and laceration from common weapons., Raises a flickering aetheric barrier against minor cantrips and curses, causing weak hostile spells to fizzle at the wearer's skin., and Alerts the wearer to unseen danger by growing warm against the finger when an enemy intends harm within thirty paces.. Accounts also warn of a drawback: A wearer who relies on the ring exclusively and never trains their own martial discipline finds the ward subtly atrophying their instincts, after months of con…
History
Tens of thousands of these rings filtered out of the Iron Mountains through trade convoys and mercenary contracts, spreading across every corner of Landorya over three centuries. Human border-garrisons along the Ashen Marches issued them as standard kit, and Halfling merchant-guilds of the Verdant Lowlands began carrying them as travel insurance against the road-bandits that plagued the post-Sundering decades. Many rings were seized during the Naga raids on the river-settlements and now rest in the treasure-hoards of Naga warlords who prize them for their wards against poison-resistance-piercing magic. Today the rings remain in steady, if dwindling, supply, as the Dwarven warding lodges have raised their craft standards and no longer consider mass production befitting their reputation, making even these humble bands quietly harder to come by.
Powers & Abilities
- ✦ Generates a persistent, low-level ward that dulls the impact of physical blows, reducing bruising and laceration from common weapons.
- ✦ Raises a flickering aetheric barrier against minor cantrips and curses, causing weak hostile spells to fizzle at the wearer's skin.
- ✦ Alerts the wearer to unseen danger by growing warm against the finger when an enemy intends harm within thirty paces.
- ✦ Gradually knits shallow wounds closed over the course of hours, easing recovery from minor cuts and abrasions.
Curse or Drawback
A wearer who relies on the ring exclusively and never trains their own martial discipline finds the ward subtly atrophying their instincts, after months of continuous use, they suffer a nagging over-confidence that causes them to hesitate a critical beat too long when the ring is ever removed or lost.