Larethian clan leaders each inherit one diadem with which they consolidate the wisdom of their clan, and, rumor has it, even the wisdom of Larethian mark elves of other clans. Legend says there is only one diadem available for each clan, and one clan for each diadem. there are five clans known to have diadems: Brein; Keebler; Kestrel; Quaal; and Swan. the wisdom of the marks does not reveal any "lost" clans, unless one counts the Keebler clan. there is no precedent for new Larethian mark diadems; this is literally unheard of.

FORM

all five diadems are mithril, which is known only by a diadem wielder to be the petrified bones of outworld (children of?!?) Larethian. it follows that most Larethian clan leaders do not wear the diadem longer than official purposes require. the Swan diadem is known to be worn only when a Swan elfar has heard the Song of Avranaith.

although the diadems are not identical among all clans, each clan diadem form is known, and has been unchanged since the beginning times. diadems are circlets, or nearly complete circlets, perhaps eight inches across, no more than an inch high, with a narrow band on top and bottom separated by metalwork designs and settings for stones.

there are no spires or points like human kings display for counting their realms. each diadem is bejeweled with five 1" gem stone settings in front, one for each of the extant Larethian clans. Keebler is historically most often the far left jewel, even on his own diadem. the wielder's clan stone is otherwise centered in front, except for legendary iconoclast leaders, but there is no formal dispensation for position. Non-Swan clan leaders tend to put the most favored clan immediately right of center.

a clan leader may change his or her clan's stone type by gifting each of the other clan leaders with a replacement delivered and installed personally by the clan leader. there have been gem changes performed by a member of the leader's personal hand, but the intermediary was always very highly respected by both clans down to the common folk. ritual gem changing visitations occur once or twice a decade without public pomp, giving frequent opportunities for most-favored status to change subtly. most Larethian clan leaders aren't as political as they are whimsical about pretty gems. traditionally, pearls, rubies, jade, agates, and glowstones are not used in diadems by Larethian clan leaders.

FUNCTION

a clan leader uses the clan diadem much as a mark, consulting the wisdom of each clan member present within the diadem. once shared with a diadem, the wisdom of clan contributors is preserved, even if they have their own separate mark.

diadem wielders of sufficient priestly level may cast gold rank miracles to copy or transfer wisdom from marks of their clan; non-priest(ess) clan leaders usually solicit the cooperation of priest(ess) to cast the widely known gold rank Larethian miracles, but this is not absolutely required, as explained below.

the Larethian gold rank miracle contains two restrictions to placing wisdom in a diadem: (1) a clan x diadem may store the wisdom contained within a mark only of its own clan x; (2) the wisdom of only the CURRENT mark wielder is shared (COPIED) into a diadem. the ritual is non- trivial, and takes a week per level of the wisdom to be shared, plus a discretionary amount. this sharing ritual is similar to the gold rank ritual that preserves (STORES) wisdom in a clan mark when the wielder hears the Song of Avranaith.

A more complex gold rank miracle allows a clan mark to inherit (TRANSFER) the wisdom of one elder from the clan diadem (or, rarely, another mark), leaving the diadem bereft of the wisdom. inheritance is rare and is thought of by many (i.e. mostly just the swan) as a black deed by all involved.

All known attempts to make gold rank wizard spells to share or preserve or inherit wisdom of a mark have resulted in irrevocably lost wisdom. there are dark old legends of kav elfar stealing wisdom from Brein and Kestrel mark blades, but no such stories are told about current times.

it is known that a Larethian diadem allows its wielder to call upon the wisdom of any elder once per Crossing-in-the-Mist. in this manner, a Larethian diadem allows a non-priest(ess) wielder to share, inherit, and preserve the wisdom of a clan when all the clan priestly folk are unavailable. a theoretical newly-born diadem would need to have priestly wisdom shared with a gold rank miracle before the wielder could call upon such wisdom in this manner.

occasionally leaders have supplemented a diadem with enchantments for a particular purpose, but such enchantments apparently pass to Avranaith with the instigating clan leader.

most clan leaders give away their marks when they ascend to leadership role. Lorien was a notable exception, saying her mark was not worthy for any successor but for the "one who will be in sore need of my wisdom after i have passed."