Crown of Half-Light

Oct 6

It fits no head perfectly — because it was never made for just one.

Item Type

Wondrous Item (headgear), Rare
Requires attunement (by any creature who has seen the sky from the Starfall Conclave)

GM Summary

The Crown of Half-Light is a starforged circlet that contains fractured timelines and abandoned destinies — thin splinters of all the lives the wearer could have lived, woven together by celestial force.

It is:

A reward for characters who’ve endured prophetic visions
A perfect gift for players obsessed with fate, prophecy, or identity
A double-edged relic that offers power, but tempts doubt and hesitation
Linked to the Observatory of the Folded Sky and Berenzaar the Archivist

It doesn’t glow.
But when held, it casts a shadow — even in full sunlight.

Description

The crown is made of three half-rings:

One of cold starmetal
One of pale driftglass
One of empty space, held together by sheer will

Each piece hums with barely-suppressed memories. If the wearer tilts their head, the hum changes pitch — like tuning a truth that hasn't happened yet.

To others, it looks like the crown is always slightly off-center.
To the wearer, it feels like it’s exactly where it should be.

Mechanics: Fragmented Destiny

While wearing the Crown of Half-Light, the attuned character gains:

Foresight Echo (1/Long Rest)

Once per long rest, before making an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, the wearer may declare:

“This is how it should’ve gone.”

They roll 2d20 and take the higher result, as if fate bent slightly in their favor.

But if the result is exactly equal to the DC or AC — success comes at a price:

One random item in their inventory turns to dust
A vision of an alternate life plays in their mind
Their reflection disappears from mirrors for 24 hours

(GM’s choice or roll on a custom chart)

Shadow of Possibility

The wearer may cast Mirror Image once per long rest. These duplicates do not shimmer or flicker — they act like alternate versions of the wearer who never speak, only react.

Psychic Drift

Each time the wearer finishes a long rest, they must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or suffer a momentary bleed between selves:

For the next hour, they speak as if they’re someone else
Gain a new Ideal or Bond temporarily
Have memories of events that never happened

These do not cause permanent madness — but the Voice Beyond the Star finds those cracks easier to slip through.

More Than a Crown

This ain't just headgear — it’s a mirror with too many frames.

Want the place where this thing first shimmered into being?
Peer through the Observatory of the Folded Sky.

Need the only NPC who understands what it truly is?
Berenzaar the Archivist wrote its true name.

Or if yer players are startin’ to hear whispers when they put it on…
They already know who's talkin’.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is the Crown of Half-Light cursed?

Not by any priest I’ve ever met — but if yer players start talkin’ in riddles and starin’ into campfires too long, don’t say I didn’t warn ya. It’s not technically cursed… but it sure don’t like bein’ forgotten.

Q: What happens if a non-attuned character wears it?

They’ll hear a soft hum. They’ll feel a little dizzy. And they’ll dream of a battle they never fought. Can’t use its powers unless they attune, but the crown’s still… aware.

Q: Can the visions be controlled or predicted?

Nope. Yer players see what they could’ve been, not what they want. It’s a great tool for GM foreshadowin’, weird flavor, or hintin’ at parallel timelines and dark bargains.

Q: Is it tied directly to the Voice Beyond the Star?

No. But the Voice knows it exists. Wears one, maybe. Or used to. This crown’s more like a whistle — and the Voice hears it clear.

Q: What happens if you destroy it?

Never seen anyone try. But if they succeed? I reckon one of ‘em disappears. Not dies — just... stops havin' ever existed.
(You didn’t hear that from me.)