You can find the new entry below the break, or find all of Adlar Ashton’s Guide to Alaria HERE.

The Rings of Corruption

(Note: this entry is easily provable as NOT being written by Adlar Ashton. It appears only in editions of the book published by The Sisterhood of Righteousness who are known to annotate and add entries that better fit their worldview. This includes an apocalyptic battle with a sinister force known as The Corruption, the existence of which Aldar Ashton was skeptical about.)

The Rings of Corruption are one of the most insidious magical artifacts that exist. Their forging predates The Great Collapse when they were crafted with skills long lost to Alaria. They are so powerful that there is no known way to destroy one of these evil relics, but as soon will be explained this is a moot point.

One of the primary dangers a Ring of Corruption poses is that it is nearly impossible for it to be recognized for what it is. Most who find one will see it as something they desire, perhaps a magical ring giving a helpful boon or a mundane bauble that they think will look good on their finger. Once worn the wearer’s mind is muddled, leaving them for the most part unaware of the ring’s existence. After that point few others will be able to notice they wear it. It is not invisible, its magic just ensures people’s minds overlook its presence.

Once on a Ring of Corruption will open the wearer’s mind and soul to The Corruption, allowing them to be more easily influenced by the gods dedicated to this evil and perverse force. They will begin to make poor choices, often choosing whichever option before them leads them down a path that will either corrupt them and turn them into a servant of The Corruption or outright doom them.

It is widely believed that once on someone’s finger the wearer is doomed. Some resist its corrupting influence for years, even decades, but in the end they WILL fall. Only after the person has given themselves to The Corruption, or been neutralized as a threat to its evil perverse machinations, will the ring fall from their finger. After this the ring’s influence on the world around it will ensure it is carried to somewhere someone else The Corruption wishes to corrupt or neutralize will find it.

How many Rings of Corruption exist in Alaria can’t be said. Their presence can rarely be proven, only guessed at when a mighty champion in the battle against The Corruption falls suddenly to its influence. 

What CAN be said is that there are assumed to be many more of these evil rings in circulation currently than there once were. Every year countless treasures are found from before The Great Collapse, unearthed by Adventurers delving into dungeons or found in ancient ruins rumored to be full of long-lost riches. Many of these treasure hordes contain items cursed by The Corruption which, once discovered, are put into circulation. Organizations like The Sisterhood of Righteousness do their best to find these items and, when possible, destroy them. But that cannot be done with a Ring of Corruption.

On the rare occasion a Ring of Corruption is discovered by one who knows of its evil the only thing to be done is try and lock it away. But doing so causes extreme dangers. The rings’ powers are beyond measure, allowing them to slowly and subtly alter the world around them until they are found and put on by one needing corruption.