This article is part of a series for both the April 2020 RPG Blog Carnival and the 2020 Blogging A to Z Challenge.

A plane of perpetual renaissance, Fiora’s beautiful cities are known across the Multiverse for their breathtaking architecture and the ingenuity of their inventors. Despite its scenic vistas, Fiora is one of the most dangerous planes in existence. Every sleeve hides a dagger, every smile a lie. In the capital of Fiora —Paliano, the High City—murder and subterfuge are common. Beneath the thin veil of civility, political factions and ruthless thugs vie for control of Paliano. Those who sit in the legislative seats of the High City control the vote, and the laws issued from Paliano mystically bind the populace. Murder, manslaughter, and violence have never been outlawed—in fact, they are tools utilized by politicians on a regular basis.

Outside of Paliano, the populace lives in smaller towns run by local government. Although they are not directly involved in the schemes of Paliano, the towns are still rife with corruption and back-alley dealings. The massacre of Drakestown is a grim reminder of this truth. Although far from the High City and bordering the wilderness, everyone was viciously murdered here years ago, their lives lost to an unknown scheme. The expansive wilderness also remains unexplored. The explorer Selvala was one of the first to travel the frontier, trying to find the world beyond the debauchery of nobles. Although the magic of the High City still dictates a citizen’s actions, deep in the ancient forests, there is a promise of peace, for a reprieve from the backstabbing —and frontstabbing— of Fioran politics.

«You Stab My Back And I’ll Stab Yours.»

For your campaign

Fiora is home to countless intrigues and plots. The high lords of the High City of Paliano vie for supremacy. Every move is met with a countermove, and trust with betrayal, all under the auspices of the monarch of the moment. Most monarchies in a fantasy setting, though, are intrinsically linked to a hereditary right to become king, and in world where DNA tests are not available, birth right can always be determined with magic.

New artifact: Regalia of Galifar

Unlike most artifacts, the Regalia is actually a set of three powerful items (Galifar is the original kingdom that humans established in the Eberron campaing setting). Each one of them works perfectly fine independently, but provide their wielder with additional powers if he’s using all of them. The DC for any effect that would require one is 18.

• Crown: While wearing the crown you are immune to any attempt at detecting your thoughts and roll any saving throw against a charm effect with advantage.
• Scepter: The scepter works just as a Rod of Rulership (DMG p.196).
• Throne: This piece of furniture has a secret compartment. While sitting on the throne, you can use a reaction to cast invulnerability (XGtE p.160) without holding the material component as long as it is kept in its secret compartment.
• Full Regalia: While wearing the crown, wielding the scepter and sitting on the throne, you can use the following special actions:
  • As a reaction, you can have a Wisdom saving throw automatically succeed.
  • As an action, you can cast Dominate Monster with duration of concentration, up to 8 hours.
  • As an action, you can cast Dominate Person in up to three targets with a duration of concentration, up to 8 hours.

What makes the Regalia truly unique is that all its parts have a special requirement in order to get attuned to a character: they must be descendants of the first King of Galifar, and the attunement must be done during Coronation. If someone who is not a descendant of the first King tries to use any of them voluntarily, they drop to 0 hit points and roll their first death saving throw with disadvantage.

The War Regalia of Galifar was described in «Forge of War». I created this «civil» version of it for one of my campaigns, in which the goal of the heroes was to find the real heir to the throne. You can imagine the tension when the child the tracked had to try the crown for the first time! Let us know if these will be useful to you in any way and tell us all the details!