LogFAQs > #972641769

#95 - Helm of Fate
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Harnesser of the Cosmos, Director of the Winds of Wizardry, Antonym of Horripulation, prognosticator of fortune, mastercrafter of ley, intolerable bane of chaos, masked menace of the underworld, golden-capped guru of the arcane, plupotentate of the mid-realm beyond, educator of the Upper Kingdom of Egypt, He Who Shouts Down Typhon, founder of the Justice Society, beacon of universal tranquility, author of the epitaph of demon Shathan, wielder of the Ankhs of Life, sorcerer supreme, unbounded imagineer of the Tower of Fate, chronograph of the rivers Time and Space, essayer of the defense of humanity, manipulator of the stars above, first gestator of the tranquil peace, keeper of the legends untold, trapper of the profane dialect of Ur, owner of the gateless spire of vigilance,the guide of destiny, the shepherd of humanity, the guardian against the tidal forces of cosmic horror, regent of the innerspace, vigilant watchmen of the words of eternity, blazing totem of orderly hope, the Dream-Emperor of Possibility, the Sometimes-Mistress of Elysian Mystery, the Oft-Worshipped Timeless Scion of Hidden Histories, the michiilidda of the Incan remnants, capitol defender of the white ivory streets, last bastion of rhyme in the delving depths of Limerick, haunting visage of domination, half-man half-god of orderliness, the straightener of the Crooked Road, sixth defender of the sixth planet, starward gazer of firmament, contemplator of the universal navel, the Crowned Head of the the Fourth Age, the Overlord Above the Typhon Flock, Prince-Majesty of the World-Bringers and World-Enders, the Tidecaller, enemy of the avian half-men, medicine warrior of the Impa Ree, the gunpowder that lit the Soulsea tinder, the shopper of the eternal Supremart, the Botanic Panic, the Arch-Combatant of the Nirnrealm, the Fortitudicous of the Hawk Justicar, Honorary Edge Master to the Splendiferous Atollo Roo.

Why rank the Helm of Fate? I've come to really enjoy the wraiths of the campaign, ghosts doling out some lingering, melancholy advice as their memories fade into obsolescence. The Helm of Fate, the last relic connecting Nabu to the present, I think, carries a heavy weight for the Eighth Age rebellions. But there is also something uncanny about a helm that possesses no visible facial reactions playing the role of a mentor, a teacher. It's horrifying to stare into those deep black pools and receive no emotion back. You can't trust that your heart is on the same wavelength as the Helm - or that the Helm even can feel any longer. Its responses may just be an echo of a slowly-dissipating spirit that once inhabited it; how can you really be sure? Yet, the studious young mages who are working with the Helm have discovered there is a great depth of wisdom beneath the inscrutable golden headwear.

I think so many of the most fascinating characters to present in this campaign are objects. Khaji Da, Starsa, Radio Tuner, Stitchentyme and the Helm of Fate. These beings are so alien as to present not just strange cultures, but something beyond that. There is no commonality in existence between a human and a hat. Yet, we try to find those commonalities anyways; we're desperate to humanize and empathize with everything we witness. We see a cat's stare and immediately connote human emotions on it - a grumpy cat, a fraid-y cat, whatever it is, we have to identify with it, to exchange that emotional language on our terms.

But ultimately the constituency of the Helm of Fate, all of the attached history and decorations, everything accomplished by Nabu, Kent Nelson and so many others under the auspices of the Lord of Order, it all is meaningless now. A new age erases relevancy entirely - and the remnants of Doctor Fate - everything that was in the head of Nabu - now faces a new scrutiny. I see the Helm as largely callous to the feelings of characters like Saoirse, Brennus and others. But I'm drawn to that detachment. The Helm has existed so long that its perception of time is not measured in days, but eons. Not even the rising of the sun and the sunset have the same meaning between you and I and the Helm of Fate. All of this from a hat that was simply the central focus of a heist out of Las Vegas.

Permanent or impermanent, the Helm nevertheless has become a character that I admit is one of my favorite additions to the campaign of the year 2022.

#94 was drafted.