There is very little magic in the world. What magic there is tends to be subtle, tiny nudges here and there, control of other creatures and beings, rather than pouring fireballs out of the sky, water from stones. To the people of this world, the most obvious points of magic are the prophets. They receive messages from Fate and what gods there might be, and they channel them out, speaking the messages given to them. These prophets serve one god or all, it is never known, and sometimes they are not even remotely devout. They are given towards precognative tendencies, and when a vision takes them, it is obvious there is magic afoot.

Beyond the prophets, there are few other instances of magic with ostensible effects. Among these are the Casketmakers, the tribes, and the oracles.

However, there are items that surface across the world that are works from the artisans of the cult of the Hand of Fate. These items have one owner in all their existance, and once that owner is found, these items dictate their owners' actions. They control them, subtly or overtly, and then relinquish control once fate is properly alligned again.

The Copper Ring is one of these items. Forged by an artisan of the Hand of Fate, the ring has chosen Camphor as its owner, whether he wants it or not. It has become a niggling little presence in his head, sometimes literally pulling him places whether he wants to go or not. It has planted a seed of ruthlessness that is often missing from the Casketmakers as a whole, and it has begun to harden his heart.

Why? Because its owner is fated to pay a great price, and what price is greater than his innocence and his generosity and his good will?

The ring itself was created by the prophetess Alliyah, who died more than 500 years ago. The ring is a simple circuit of copper, but upon finding its owner, it has grafted itself to his very bone. Unable to be maimed until he has failed a casket, Camphor has chosen to cut his comparative losses (omnipotence versus immortality) and leave it. Hopefully, he figures, once it has gotten what it wants, it will just go away.

The ring also has attracted Camphor's Generals to him. It exerts its will over the fates of all those in contact with him, and works even while he is unaware of the circumstances. Now that it has been awakened and claimed, it will continue to do so until its purpose is served.

What purpose it serves and for how long is anyone's guess, but it is often considered that we're looking at the long haul here, folks. The very long haul.