Msiri’s Katanga Crosses

Origin
Msiri was ruler of the short-lived Yeke Kingdom in modern day area of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He wanted to follow the power of the famed warlords and enter alliances, so he started building his empire. He started out by trading with settlers for firearms, building up a militia to conquer the neighboring tribes. He would also marry someone from each tribe he assimilated to create alliances and prevent them from rebelling. Enemies and rebels he captured were usually tortured to death. After he achieved regional power, British and Belgian expeditions wanted to trade with him for resources and land. When Msiri declined them, an armed expedition was sent which later killed him.

The x-shape copper crosses were once used as currency by the native peoples. Msiri gave one to each of his wives that he married from different tribes. Collected at various points after the 19th century, a total of 13 have been found so far. More are suspected to exist elsewhere.

Effects
The crosses activate when the user gives the cross to another person. If they represent a group of people, the user can now control the entire group’s actions. The group can range from a small family or company to entire organizations and cities. The user will have control over the majority of the people; those who disobey will be brutally punished until they comply. Any third parties that have a grudge against the user cannot be controlled and will attack the user.