Note/L10N/Windfall/1.0/Books/WFLuckyCharmE?
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<div align="center"><font face=1>The Lucky Charm<br>
by Firena Nobleton<br>
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<DIV align="left"> Separating the fact from fiction about this ancient relic is difficult at best. The relic is seldom referred to in ancient writings. There isn't even enough to piece together a complete myth. But when it is referred to, the stories are remarkably similar, regardless of culture or period.<br>
No one knows the true origins of the Lucky Charm. On this point, each culture has its own story. Men believe it was made by the Gods. Mer believe it was made by powerful Dwemer craftsmen. Orcs believe it was created by the first female Orc as a gift to the first male Orc.<br>
Regardless of whence it came, it was the Lucky Charm's powers that made it famous, and infamous. Among its many powers, it was believed that the Lucky Charm had two main powers. First, it would increase desire. If two people were lovers, it would heighten the feelings of romance to their ultimate conclusion. If they were not lovers, the relic would create a physical desire that could not be denied.<br>
The second main power of the relic was to increase fertility. It was believed the relic would not only ensure conception, but would ensure a male child. As long as the female was capable of bearing children. It was this power that made the relic so valuable to the Kings, and Lords of the time, since it could ensure an heir.<br>
Ironically, the only proven power of the Lucky Charm was to summon Succubi and Water Nymphs. It is unlikely the relic actually had the other powers that were attributed to it. Especially since some of the blood lines that held the artifact ended with no male heirs. Of course, the myth was so strongly rooted that blame for the problem was placed on the female, who was usually banished or worse.<br>
Despite the obvious flaw in the myth, it persisted, and the Lucky Charm became the center of political intrigue and even a few wars. Kings looking to ensure their blood lines would do anything to acquire the relic. As a result the Lucky Charm may have changed hands fairly often. It is believed that the relic rarely stayed in someone's possession for more than a generation or so.<br>
Of course this is difficult to prove or disprove because of the lack of written accounts. In fact there are huge gaps in the written records. In the written records, the relic is only mentioned every few hundred years. Given the powers the Lucky Charm was rumored to possess, this is to be expected. No King would willingly admit needing help in creating a male child.<br>
We can conclude that the relic changed ownership frequently, not from the frequency of the written records, but from the variety of the records. While the relic only shows up every few hundred years, it never shows up in the same place twice. In fact it is rarely in the same area. At one point the relic is believed to have belonged to a Baron in Daggerfall. The next mention of the relic is 250 years later in Mournhold. 180 years after that it shows in Summerset. Most likely the relic moved from town to town, as it changed hands in a variety of ways, slowly making its way across great distances.<br>
The last written record concerns its apparent destruction. The Lucky Charm was in the hands of a particularly brutal Count near the end of the First Age. The Count had stolen the relic from a nearby Baron a few years earlier after none of the local women had given him a male child. The peasants of the area were increasingly discontent with his treatment of them. The taking of their wives and daughters in an attempt to obtain an heir proved to be the final straw. One night the peasants stormed the castle and killed the Count. While ransacking the castle, they came across the relic and believed it responsible for the taking of their women. The peasants destroyed the Lucky Charm, and the relic never appears again.<br>
There are a few problems with this last account. Since the Count was dead, we do not know who wrote the account. Since most peasants of the time did not read and write, it was probably written by someone who heard the story and wrote it down believing that no one present at the event would be able to do so. As such, its accuracy is in question.<br>
The other problem is the destruction of the relic itself. Even though its only proven powers were to summon succubi and water nymphs, it was an item of power. Items of power are rarely destroyed so easily, especially by peasants who lack access to the magical arts and powerful forges needed to destroy such items.<br>
If the relic was not destroyed, then what happened to it? Regardless of its proven powers, the Lucky Charm was believed to be far more powerful. The peasants would have been afraid of such power. Since the Lucky Charm was never mentioned again, we can assume the peasants were able to alter or dismantle the relic in some manner. If so, they would have scattered the pieces to ensure it could never be made whole again.<br>
Early in the Second Age we see references to a few minor magical items. What is interesting about these items is that they appear about the same time, they are one of a kind, they are unusual items, and they are of unknown origin. The items in question are: The Hairpin of Curling, The Crystal of Flexibility, and The Pentagram of Endurance. Could it be that these items are the pieces of the Lucky Charm?<br>
It is impossible to prove one way or the other without collecting all three pieces. That may be more difficult than it seems. Unlike items of power, which are usually well documented, the pieces are minor magical items. If they are documented at all, it is usually in diaries or other personal writings. This makes following an item through time difficult and unpredictable.<br>
Take the Hairpin of Curling, it appears to stay in the Martinus family passing from mother to daughter several times. Eventually taking on the status of a family heirloom. The last written record of it was over 300 years ago, so where is the hairpin now? Was it lost or stolen? The last woman known to possess it had five daughters. Which one got it?<br>
The history of the Crystal of Flexibility is confusing. It traded hands as a collector's item a few times. It was eventually lost when a trading caravan was raided. The Crystal next appears in a temple as an item of worship. Over the years the Crystal somehow becomes a religious item. Its name changes several times as it moves from temple to temple. As religious tastes change, the Crystal moves from main stream religion to more cult-like religions, eventually disappearing altogether. Most likely, the Crystal is now in the hands of some small forgotten cult.<br>
The Pentagram of Endurance may be the least documented of the three. In addition to its small boost in endurance, some wizards believed it helped them when dealing with demons. The Pentagram is known to have changed owners a few times, and ultimately came into the hands of a necromancer named Radeli. Radeli claims the item was stolen a few years later, along with a number of other items. Nothing is known of the Pentagram after that.<br>
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