Lantern of Captured Souls

by Frazer 👁 212 views

Charges: 7 (regains at dawn)

A lantern forged from tarnished copper and iron, its glass panels smoked by age. Inside, a pale blue flame flickers, curling around translucent, sighing faces that press against the inner surface as if trying to escape. Silver filigree spirals around the top, and a faint chill breath seems to accompany each flicker of the flame. When lit, the lantern’s light carries a wraithlike whisper that many claim sounds like distant prayers and forgotten names.

Soulbound Reservoir The lantern can hold up to seven bound souls, each a translucent mote that floats inside the lamp's glass. While at least one soul is bound, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Soulflare Expend 1 charge to fire a spectral bolt from the lantern. The bolt uses your spellcasting ability for attack rolls and range 60 feet. On a hit, it deals 3d8 necrotic damage.

Soul Ward Expend 2 charges to conjure a protective ward that lasts 1 minute. You gain +2 to AC and resistance to necrotic damage while the ward lasts. Additionally, you and allies within 10 feet gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened for the duration.

Wail of the Bound Expend 3 charges to unleash a 15-foot cone of necrotic energy. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 4d6 necrotic damage and is frightened for 1 round; on a successful save, half damage and not frightened. The lantern's whispers intensify during this release.

Echoes of Release Expend 7 charges as an action to unleash the lantern's choir of souls in a brilliant burst. All creatures within 20 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 6d6 necrotic damage and is frightened for 1 round; on a successful save, half damage and not frightened. The bound souls are released, and the lantern returns to 0 charges and remains inert until dawn when it refills to 7.

Lore

Legends tell of a cabal of necromancers who bound the souls of those slain in a great war to a lantern to power a ritual of memory. The lantern was meant to guide souls to rest, but the flame learned to bargain with the living, offering protection in exchange for the souls bound within it. It has appeared in many battles and taverns, whispered to by those who hear the dead’s voices within.

History

Created by a necromancer named Vaelor in the ruined city of Neth-Morath. Vaelor bound seven heroic souls to a lantern to gain their power, empowering himself but dooming the lantern to drift between worlds. It has changed hands many times, often surfacing near battlefields where the living and dead walk side by side. Each owner has claimed the lantern asks for a price, sometimes in the form of a memory or a confession.

Created by Frazer 👁 212 views