"Which do you suppose is heavier? The crown or the crime?"

↜ 👑 ↝

Planar type: Utility
Other names: Pleonexia, Tenfold Tithe
Related planes: Limerence, Benevolentia
Draw: Low

Though technically lending no outstanding effects, Sovereign Lucre is an effect plane used by warpjaws to flash an incalculable amount of visible riches! When shown to venal or weak-willed individuals, the sight of such a hoard leaves the subject more pliant to bribes or suggestion--more than Benevolentia or Limerence can typically achieve and by the subject's own accord. Sovereign Lucre was in fact the first thing Brio glimpsed from Bruvelighe's maw, and it drew her to him instantaneously--like a proverbial moth drawn to the flame. As a kobold it's unsurprisingly her favorite effect plane! She begs Bru to let her see it near constantly...

This impressive mass of wealth is in actuality an underground city-sized vault; a remnant of a failed, long dead dynasty. Accumulated over several monastic generations, this hoard ultimately remained hidden and forgotten...well after its royal line was publicly executed following a nationwide revolt. Warpjaws have since discovered the sprawling vault, and have now effectively "inherited" a sea of ill-gotten gains! Perhaps the most interesting thing about Sovereign Lucre is how a number of warpjaws now actively add to the hoard. The vault itself wasn't built to fit--no doubt to accommodate the ever expanding addition of wealth from its owners. Now the beasts have taken to filling any vacant space with currency and spoils of varying other-worldly provenance. As most riches are fundamentally useless to their kind, it's speculated that this behavior stems from a desire to provide variety to Sovereign Lucre; ostensibly making the vault more alluring to wider audiences across their travels.

If those dead monarchs were to see their vault now, they would be absolutely ecstatic over the apparent interest they've accrued over untold years...
___

This intense cel-shaded commission was done by  Halybs! They expressed a bit of interest on the backstory to this one, and I feel it certainly shows in the final piece! Props to Hal for putting my ideas to the brush-stroke and for making several of those crown stencils for my review~