Sykes' Amulet

Sykes' Amulet
Owner	Heather After
Previous owner(s)	Choronzon Ruthven Sykes † Ethel Cripps † John Dee
Characteristics
Type	Protective Amulet
First appearance	Preludes and Nocturnes #1: Sleep of the Just

Sykes' amulet is a talisman that protects its bearer "from anything", according to its original demonic owner.

History

In 1930, when Ruthven Sykes betrayed Roderick Burgess, he was afraid of retribution. He summoned the demon Choronzon and bargained to give him Dream's helm in exchange for protection. The amulet that Choronzon provided worked as promised, thwarting Roderick's spells. However, in 1936 Ethel Cripps left Sykes, taking the amulet with her. The Mage instantly felt it and was able to utterly destroy his former lieutenant from across the world.

In the following years Ethel kept the amulet with her, but when Choronzon was forced to return the helm, this nullified the demonic contract and rendered the amulet useless, which resulted in Ethel's death at the age of 90. According to her will, it was given to her son, an incarcerated John Dee. Dee was wearing the amulet during his escape from Arkham and subsequent rampage at a diner in Mayhew.

After John Dee's imprisonment somehow the amulet came to his son's possession. The child of this man, who would become the sorceress Heather After began to wear the amulet in her teenage years to protect herself from magical menaces. She also wore it in her trip to Faerie after making a deal with Auberon.

Netflix adaptation

This amulet was given to Ethel Cripps by a demon in exchange for Dream's Helm. She kept the amulet for over a century to protect herself, even from the ravages of time, allowing her to remain young and healthy.

However when Dream freed himself from his imprisonment and came looking for his tools, Ethel went to a mental institution to see her son, John to inquire about where he had hidden the Dream ruby. She gifted him the amulet and as a result died of old age. John took the amulet and went on a quest to retrieve the ruby from the storage unit where he had hidden it. After getting the ruby, he decided he didn't need the amulet anymore, so he gifted it to Rosemary, a kind woman who helped him get to his destination.

Appearance

The amulet looks like an eye on a chain, just long enough to be worn on one's wrist.

Known owners

• Choronzon (original owner)
• Ruthven Sykes †
• Ethel Cripps †
• John Dee (formerly)
• Heather After

Trivia

• Despite the original deal Sykes made with Choronzon broke after Morpheus retrieve his helm, the amulet seems still functioning when in Heather's possession.