The Black Opal Crown is a legendary artifact once worn by Sadamor, an archmage of Netheril who, heartbroken by witnessing humanity’s evil reflected in the crown’s opal, created a sphere of annihilation to destroy the world before being consumed by it himself.
Role in the Adventure
The crown serves as one of four fabled treasures Acererak placed in the Tomb of the Nine Gods as lures. It is the object of intense desire by the yuan-ti of Omu, particularly Fenthaza, the yuan-ti nightmare speaker who serves as high priest of the Fane of the Night Serpent. Fenthaza believes the crown possesses the power to awaken Dendar the Night Serpent and seeks to overthrow Ras Nsi to claim it.
Location & Retrieval
The crown rests on a marble pedestal in the central chamber of the Maze of Death (area 49C) within the Tomb of the Nine Gods. When removed from its pedestal, the crown triggers a deadly trap:
- Stone slabs seal both exits from the maze
- Two bodaks emerge from the nearby sphere of annihilation and hunt any creatures in the maze, dragging corpses back into the sphere
Political Significance
The crown becomes a critical bargaining chip in the power dynamics of Omu:
- Fenthaza will attempt to kill the party to claim it if they possess it
- Ras Nsi may spare the party’s lives in exchange for the crown after the death curse ends
- If Fenthaza lives and leads yuan-ti against the party, she demands the crown immediately in exchange for their freedom, though she may betray weakened characters after Ras Nsi’s defeat
Value & Consequences
The crown is worth 5,000 gp (potentially up to 20,000 gp at auction in major cities). If sold, yuan-ti agents will attempt to buy or steal it from the purchaser. Whether the crown truly has the power to unleash Dendar the Night Serpent is left to the DM’s discretion—if it does, the party may need to venture into the caverns below the Peaks of Flame to prevent an apocalyptic event.