: But what, exactly, does the Ibis Crown do? As far as I
: can tell it must be some kind of magic amplifier, a
: focus of sorts, as Alric doesn't get any kind of extra
: mad skillz after donning it. Magic armor, on the other
: hand, specifically makes one tireless in battle and
: invulnerable to attack, but nothing else. So the crown
: is a general magic item, while the armor is more
: specialized.
GURPS lists many of the Ibis Crown's powers--it boosts IQ and allows casting of lots of powerful mind-control spells, in addition to other secret powers of which only Alric and his most trusted advisors are aware. Why these didn't show up in the game, I dunno...maybe Alric's general awe-inspiringness, as remarked upon by the narrator, stemmed partly from the Ibis Crown casting a "be impressed, be very impressed" spell on the onlookers.
I would suspect that the Ibis Crown was also a powerful aid to Alric when he used Balmung; according to GURPS, the sword attempts to seize control of its user, and the Ibis Crown might help the user maintain his mental fortitude.
And I still believe, deep in my heart, that the Ibis Crown is a telepathic networking device which links the user's mind to the S'pht AI Thoth. Don't bother trying to dissuade me, or even to figure out why I believe that. I just do. :)
BTW, remember that when Balor stormed Muirthemne the Ibis Crown was nowhere to be found...I think the emperor probably had it sent to the catacombs before he faced Balor, so it's not the Crown's fault that he died.
--SiliconDream
