Shadowspawn wearing the Shadow Crown.
The Shadow Crown, also known as the Moon Hat, represented the culmination of Cronal's extensive study, spanning many years, into the teachings of the dark side and the Sith. This crystalline "hat" was designed to be worn by a living host, allowing Cronal to inhabit them and thus prolong his life; this differed from Darth Sidious' method, which involved using a clone body to evade death. By wielding his Shadow Crown, Cronal pledged his allegiance to the Way of the Dark. Cronal employed his own version of the crown, the Sunset Crown, to establish a direct connection to the Shadow Crown.
When worn, the crown would project a holographic image of Cronal over the wearer's face. This projection was triggered by hundreds of sharp crystals that penetrated the wearer's skull. Once activated, the crown would focus the Dark Side of the Force on the wearer, granting Cronal control over them. Luke Skywalker remarked on its considerable weight, noting it weighed over two kilograms.
However, the crown proved to be exceptionally perilous for its controller, particularly concerning its abilities to manipulate meltmassif should the connection be severed. This ultimately led to Cronal's demise when Luke Skywalker disrupted his control over the crown. This disruption resulted in Cronal being engulfed in meltmassif through his own orifices, which then petrified him and his ship in Hyperspace, leading to their destruction.
Using his Darksight ability, Cronal ventured into the remote areas of the Unknown Regions, visiting locations such as the Gunninga Gap, Valtaullu Rift, and the Temple of Korman Lao. In these places, he uncovered information and knowledge that guided him to the tomb of Dathka Graush in the Valley of Golg on Korriban. The knowledge he gained at the Temple allowed Cronal to access Graush's spirit and learn about Sith alchemy. This alchemy could create a device capable of controlling a living crystal, Mindorese meltmassif. Cronal later constructed a larger structure from this substance, and in 5 ABY, he selected Nick Rostu to don the Shadow Crown and serve as his primary Pawn, known as "Shadowspawn." However, he soon determined that restoring the Empire under a new leader required a more powerful being to wear the crown, specifically Luke Skywalker.
Cronal was not the only Rhandite with such knowledge; Blessed Toxmalb also possessed a Shadow Crown, which was implanted beneath his skin.