Markov's Ring of Obedience

Full Item Description
A plan looking gold signet ring, except for a coat of arms embossed on it.

History

The wizard who made the ring was a trusted Court Mage of the country of Karnivhal. Alexis Markov could easily have been one of great power and wealth but he was never content with what he had, he allways wanted more. When he was offered a heavy bounty by the secret service of Queen Yocasta to defect and kidnap Sir Edmund Verney, after Sir Edmund's efforts helped win the Battle of Ovark Pass against the Queen's forces, he could not resist, and spent many weeks wondering how he could kidnap such a powerful mage and spirit him away to the border.

He knew that he had only one chance and if he failed he would most likely end up dead, either at Sir Edmund's hands or on the block at a public execution. He considered at first hiring professional kiddnappers or calling for the help of The Eyes of Yocasta but decided against it for two reasons. First was that the more people were involved in the plot, the more likely it was to come apart. The second was that he did not want to divide up the reward money amongst anybody else because of his greed.At last he came up with an idea that might well work.

He took a ring of plain gold stamped with the royal crest of Karnivhal and he cast several spells on it. A spell of obedience so that the wearer would have to do what he or she was told. A spell of Changing to make the wearer look different. And a spell so that when the ring was put on it could not be taken off again without a codeword. He made it in plain sight, with only the exact spells kept from view, and because of his status nobody worried at all about what he was making. He told Sir Edmund that it was an early birthday present for him.

When Sir Edmund put it on he suddenly found himself transformed into a young girl and totally under the control of Markov, who escorted him out of the castle, telling the guards that he was Markovs daughter. He teased and humiliated him all the way to the border, telling him that the Queen was going to have him stripped of his magical powers by her mages and then thrown into The Grinder and left there to die a slow, agonizing death. Within minutes of reaching the border and meeting with Yocastas men, he kissed Sir Edmund on the forehead mockingly.

The obedience spell was strong but his many commands had put it under increasing strain and it snapped. Sir Edmund regained his free will, fried Markov with a burst of wild chaotic magic of a kind greatly frowned upon and managed to rip off the ring although it took all the skin on his finger with it. He used a powerful healing spell upon his finger, hurled the ring into a river and went back to inform the King of Markovs gross treachery.

Magic/Cursed Properties

If the PCs know what to do with this ring, they can place it on someone, change the person's looks to that of someone else, and smuggle the helpless person out of their fortress/tower/hidden place either to kidnap him or her or take him or her to face justice. Should they humilate the captive in doing so then he or she might well break free.

If a PC puts it on by mistake, and noone has tricked them into putting it on or forced it on him/her, then it will have several deeply unwelcoming effects. The PC will have to do almost anything he or she is told by anyone, be it another PC, an NPC or someone he/she is fighting against. If someone else countermands it then it should be with a 50/50 chance of a successful countermand.Should the command be to kill him or herself then a sucessful willpower roll will break the spell totally, a failed roll will lead to a suicide.

With no set person to change into, as there is no *controller* the change will be random and determined by rolling two dice.
2-a change of gender, no other change
3-changes gender, becomes much younger.
4-becomes forty years older with concequent loss of stats
5-turns into another race (ie elf, orc, dwarf ect)
6-now looks like someone who is famous
7-now looks just like the local ruler, no doubt causing some awkward problens
8-stays the same but loses any fighting skills
9-turns into a large dog (ring shrinks/grows to fit the paw)
10-looks like one of the Undead (but is not really undead)
11-now looks like a wanted criminal
12-looks like someone from the local milita/police/army/armed force

Without knowing the codeword, it will not be easy to get the ring off. First the PCs can try and find a wizard who knows how to get it off. (maybe a quest in it's own right.)
They can cut the finger off (with the concequent agony/loss of stats) Or they can deliberatly humilate the affected PC until he/she gets so angry that the spell fails in which case the ring will fall off on it's own/or be a normal ring for the PC with no powers.

Plot Hooks

Extraordinary Rendition-The PCs are given this knowing it's powers and are sent to kiddnap someone from a heavily guarded place using it to smuggle the target out.

Whoops!-A PC has put this on by mistake, perhaps having brought it at the Garage Sale from Hell

Get me to the Church on Time-Someone accidently put this on before the wedding or had it secretly put on him or her. If the first, the PCs must simpily find a way to get it off the person. If the second they must also confront whoever has tried to ruin the wedding.