Helm of Nicolagaus the Seer

Steel Realms
Item Source Platform: iCore™ 2011
Value: (Silver Crowns)
Nicolagaos the Seer was a powerful magus from the elder days. His name is mentioned in over 300 years with of history, from the Age of the Second Fellowship from around 600-900 CY. He is known to have been an ally of Ducateon and their advocate in the Second Fellowship. His signature mirror-like helm was a gift from the Ducateon to him, for some service he had rendered, now lost to time.

It was made by Nicolagaus The Seer. The helm allowed him to see all around him, even behind him. It was said he augmented its powers using an item he recovered in the Valley of Sighs. It was passed from him to one of his apprentices. It was last rumored to be seen on a magus fighting against the Sea-Kings near Dunstrad Vale thousands of years ago.

Item Powers (common and Attuned) can be found under Common Knowledge tab.


Knowledge/Facts About the Helm of Nicolagaus

Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore

Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/accessibility. If nothing is indicated, assume it is Pervasive.

Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty

Nicolagaos the Seer was a powerful magus from the elder days. His name is mentioned in over 300 years with of history, from the Age of the Second Fellowship from around 600-900 CY. He is known to have been an ally of Ducateon and their advocate in the Second Fellowship. His signature mirror-like helm was a gift from the Ducateon to him, for some service he had rendered, now lost to time. The helm was said to be made by Nicolagaus The Seer. The helm allowed him to see all around him, even behind him. It was said he augmented its powers using an item he recovered in the Valley of Sighs. It was passed from him to one of his apprentices. It was last rumored to be seen on a magus fighting against the Sea-Kings near Dunstrad Vale thousands of years ago.

Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty

The repeated use of the powers is believed to cause eventual madness. Only those with a high and persistent sanity can prolong this.

Requirements: Magic Aptitude 4; Attunement: Essence Lesser = 2 / Greater = 4 / Extraordinary?

Common Properties

Causes all the wearers hair under it (except beard) to fall off once attuned. The surface reflects nothing distinguishable – all appears as a blurry image to those looking at it.

Body Bonded: Once put on, it cannot be removed – it is fastened until either something more powerful than a curse removal is applied or the wearer dies.

Enhanced Vision: The wearers visual sensory input is significantly enhanced through the helm.

  • All-Around-Vision: If the wearer closes their eyes, they can see all around them in a 360 degree vision. Over time, their normal eyes develop huge cataracts and they will go blind – the helm being the only way they can see.
  • Enhanced Discern Magic: 1/Long Rest the wearer can spend 20 mana for a full set of Ritual of Knowing details.
  • All checks for Meditation gain a +4 bonus.

i20™ Helm of Nicolagaus Details

Item Purpose:

Lesser Attunement (2 Essence)

  • Scry 1/day
  • Acts as a Helm of Comprehending Languages and Reading Magic
  • Can cast Detect Thoughts on anyone you can see, using 1 mana per 10m distance. Each time reduces Sanity by 1 (returns 1/day)
  • Magical Resistance on all attempts to charm/sleep/influence the wearer

Greater Attunement (4 Essence)

  • Acts as if the wearer had the Alert feat
  • Acts as a Ring of Mind Shielding – Makes wearer immune to Detect Thoughts, etc.
  • The wearer gains 2 sorcery Points per day to use in their spell casting, and the Distant Spell meta-magic ability to use them with
  • When you make a melee attack or Distant Spell extended melee attack with a cantrip, you always gain Advantage
  • You can cast the Shield or Mirror Image spells a total number of times each day without using a spell slot, equal to your Magic Aptitude

Extraordinary Attunement (6 Essence)

  • Completely immune to Surprise
  • Brain Schism: For 1 Sanity (recovery at 1/day) the wearer can maintain another instance of Concentration

iCore iCore™ Helm of Nicolagaus Details

ORIG: Adds +1 VGR checks directly once attuned. Requirement: Magic Aptitude 5 + unknown?; Once per day it allows the wearer to cast Far Seeing for 5 mana (at 5x the normal distance); it grants +2 to Mana Sense; +1 to Meditation checks. Also, 1/week the wearer can identify completely a single target for 40 mana.

Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty

The Ducateon discovered the helm in an ancient, buried villa near the Dragon Caves – they did not craft it themselves. The item has defied many attempts to determine its origins, which appears to be not native to Helca. It is understood that its alien origins and makers account for the descent into madness by the races of Helca – who were never intended to wear or use such an item.

Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty

CY 9140’s
Dunstrand Rising (Steel Realms Campaign) Living World Campaign Record > A grave was eventually discovered in Bar-Innis of Dunstrand, within the ancient cemetery of dilapidated church of a backwater called Braddon Bog. Within this was the fabled Helm of Nicolagaus the Seer. Eventually, the helm made its way into the hands of a sorcerer named Mendollin.


Warning
Obscure/Hidden Knowledge is not generally available in known references; It is not necessarily Forbidden.
DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT unless a character has the capability to gain such knowledge [through association, organization, or relation] if they do not possess it themselves or the reader intends to participate in scenarios using this material as a PLAYER! GM Narration will typically provide relevant information by check or story.


Other Materials

Realm's Aptitude Powers: Divine, Occult, and Psychic