Crenshinibon

Lore & Background

Born during Netheril's zenith, Crenshinibon was crafted by Akhloum specifically to enslave the tanar'ri demon lord Errtu, a feat that cemented the shard's reputation as a tool of absolute subjugation. Yet, the crystal possesses a living, evil consciousness that craves dominion for its own sake, often outmaneuvering even its creator. Over millennia, it has passed through blood-soaked hands, manipulating empires from the shadows while driving kings and wizards alike into madness or ruin. Its power is terrifyingly versatile: it conjures legions of undead without a whisper of incantation, weaves illusions so potent they warp reality within a mile's radius, and projects a psychic presence that can dominate minds across vast distances.

In Their Own Story

The cavern air grew heavy, crackling with static as the shard pulsed with a sickly, violet rhythm. Artemis Entreri stood frozen, his legendary iron will fracturing under the relentless whispering in his skull. The crystal offered no request for obedience; it demanded total surrender, promising that every enemy would kneel at the mere twitch of his finger. Behind him, shadows peeled away from the stone walls, coalescing into skeletal warriors with hollow eyes fixed solely on the gem. Entreri's hand trembled—not from fear, but from a dark intoxication, the sensation of power surging through him as if it were his birthright. As his fingertips brushed the freezing surface, a voice that was not his own sighed in triumph.

Reader's Guide

Crenshinibon operates as a conduit for overwhelming necromantic and enchantment magic, allowing its wielder to command undead legions and enslave minds with terrifying ease. However, the cost is absolute: the artifact systematically erodes free will, replacing the user's personality with its own insatiable hunger for control. While it grants spells capable of reshaping battlefields or binding kings in mental chains, every use deepens the psychic bond until total possession becomes inevitable. To wield Crenshinibon effectively, one must physically hold or wear it, though its malevolent consciousness can be felt by sensitive mages from miles away. The struggle is constant; failure to maintain dominance over the shard results in the user becoming a hollow puppet for the artifact's ancient schemes. Throughout history, only those with exceptional mental fortitude or specific magical wards have resisted its pull long enough to harness its power without immediate corruption, though figures like Jarlaxle Baenre and Artemis Entreri have found that even their formidable wills are often outmatched by the shard's sentient malice.

Did You Know?

• Originally forged by Akhloum, Crenshinibon was designed specifically to enslave the tanar'ri demon lord Errtu, becoming one of the few objects in history to successfully dominate a fiend of such power.
• Possession grants the wielder the ability to fly without wings and cast specific innate spells at will; however, it does not remove verbal or somatic components for the wielder's own general spellcasting.
• The artifact was central to the cataclysmic conflict in Icewind Dale, where it nearly destroyed the region after falling into the hands of rivals such as Gromnir Il-Khan and Ak'Chazar.