The Tainted Talisman
Brief Overview
This talisman is said to contain a staggering 152 souls. Each soul belonging to a member of the Rhycon family...General Overview
In the early 160's BN, a Soulmancer by the name of Jomas Rhycon was hired by the people of Perish to stop a demented Soulmancer named Maverik Malekye, who'd taken up residence in a nearby fort. He took the quest and signed on as a champion of the people, only to meet one of the grimmest fates known to man...History
The Brave
Jomas was informed by the townsfolk that Maverik had walked through town and taken what he pleased. When authorities tried to stop him he murdered them and raised their corpses to fight at his whim. Maverik took his newfound army and laid claim on fort Dunstad. Jomas prepared himself by checking his components satchel to make sure he had everything he needed to take down the bastard who singlehandedly created the term "Necromancer." A term made for those who took the peaceful practice of Soulmancy and twisted it into tormenting the dead instead of releasing them.Once he was satisfied with his pouch he climbed a nearby tree to get a peek over the fort's wall. Ten dead men and women stood in the courtyard, their eyes dull and vacant. They weren't moving or anything... They just stood in place staring toward the front gate. Jomas broke a stick off the tree and threw it into the yard, but only one of them responded to it. The corpse stumbled clumsily toward it, and she stopped once she reached it. It was just as Jomas thought. These dead people weren't empty. Somewhere deep inside each of these raised dead was a small trace of their soul, trapped and tormented because some sadistic spellcaster summoned just enough of them back to force their rotten bodies to follow his commands. Jomas intended to fix this, but first he needed to enter. He glanced around the courtyard and tossed a few sticks, baiting the dead into a corner to limit their line of sight. Then, he climbed down the tree and planted a small seed while picturing the area of the courtyard where he wanted to be. Jomas pulled out his water skin and drizzled some water over the seed, causing the ground to dip inward. Magical roots formed a trapdoor at his feet. He passed through it and entered a cylindrical tunnel made of roots. Another trapdoor on the other side led to the exact spot he'd envisioned and he turned to face the dead. They continued to stare, but now they were facing the wall. Jomas sighed and reached back into his pouch. This time he pulled out a piece of charcoal, a small, long pipe, and a clump of white glowing leaves. He packed the glowing herbs into the pipe and broke the charcoals, passing his finger over its surface to activate his spell component. A small flame lit above his index finger and he smiled before taking a deep puff. As he exhaled, a thick plume of heavy vapors spread throughout the courtyard, causing the corpses to glance around in confusion. He whistled a few times until each set of vacant eyes suddenly focused on him. He took another puff and they began to advance full sprint. Just before they reached him he exhaled again, only this time the vapors he exhaled were glowing. As each of the dead leaped at Jomas they got caught in the cloud of vapor. All the corpses fell to rest around him, empty. The thick, magical cloud freed them and carried their souls to the The Grand Reaper.
Eventually, only Jomas stood in the somber dusk. Alone, and surrounded by corpses. He reached into his bag and pulled out his family heirloom. A small talisman that his father had entrusted to him. It brought Jomas Comfort in times like these...
The Broken
Jomas entered the main hall and was immediately taken aback by what he saw. The entire group of settlers that had occupied the fort after the war were alive, but they weren't okay. Jomas could tell by looking at them that their souls were being controlled. They were torturing and killing one another. They'd casually cut into their friends and family members, laughing as if it were a grand occasion. He stepped forward and they all stopped what they were doing and stared at him simultaneously. He froze in his tracks. Jomas knew how to deal with the dead, but not the living..."Cute tricks you performed earlier. You don't truly think they'll be enough to stop me, do you?" Maverik said with a grin as he slipped out of the shadows. As he moved, those he controlled moved with him, mirroring each step he took. They followed him until they were all 15 feet away from Jomas. The Soulmancers stood across from each other eye to eye and Jomas realized that the creature that stood before him was no longer a man... It was a monster, and his philosophy had always been that monsters needed to be put down.
"Yes. But unlike the dead outside, I am going to make sure you suffer for what you've done!" Jomas shouted, causing Maverik to laugh aloud.
"Good. Hurt me." Maverik replied, his voice echoing out from each of the people he was controlling as well. Jomas launched forward while reaching into his bag. All of the settlers crowded him, but he threw down a prepared jar of soul releasing vapors and it smashed, causing several of them to stop moving as their bodies did their best to cling to their slipping souls. Many began to convulse, but not enough. There were still twelve of the settlers swiping and clawing at him. He panicked and cast Path of Destruction, watching in terror as the flames spread to five of his targets. Five people who weren't yet corpses were now burning to cinders, Their screams were hard to stomach, but the worst part for Jomas was the small. It smelled like cooked meat. Like food...
He turned and tried to flee, but three of them had worked their way behind him. He was surrounded. One leaped forward and kicked out the back of his knee, causing him to drop down. Then, they all rushed him. He tried to cast Chain of Lightning, but though he managed to hit his targets, he also struck himself. They all convulsed and dropped to the ground, stunned. Maverik laughed from behind them and circled Jomas like prey.
"No... It's not enough. You can't inflict the pain I crave." He said, leaning down to investigate Jomas. "What's this?" Maverik ripped the talisman from Jomas's chest and a twisted grin spread across his face. He tossed it into the air and then cast a strange, purple magic into it mid-air, causing it to stop and levitate above his hand.
"You'll never get away with this. My family will come. They will stop any Soulmancer misusing their gift!" Jomas shouted as he struggled to rise to his feet.
"I've decided how to punish you. You'll stay with me. You'll all stay, and you'll watch every despicable deed I enact just to quell my desires. Ready?" Maverik said, pointing the talisman toward Jomas.
"I told you! You will be stopped-." Jomas started to say, but his sentence was cut short by Maverik triggering his new enchantment. The Talisman pulled Jomas inside it, twisting and distorting his physical form as he warped into a talisman the size of a childs fist. Maverik smiled, surrounded by his mind controlled army. This was his "normal." This was home, and soon... Home would be all of Eden.
The Bloodlines
Less than a week passed before the brother of Jomas, Lunan Rhycon, arrived at fort Dunstad. He waltzed straight through the front gates and battled more like a warrior than a caster. He vanquished 13 of Maverik's undead before entering the main hall. He announced his name and lineage and demanded that either Jomas be set free, or the madman named Maverik come out and face him. Maverik took exception to this. Instead of facing him as he commanded, Maverik sent out his newest toy of torment, the corpse of Jomas Rhycon. Lunan froze and an expression of terror and disgust was displayed across his face as Jomas limped out toward him. Maverik opened his mouth from behind the pillar, and Jomas mirrored him. A sound of desperation and helplessness escaped from his lips."Help me..." Jomas groaned, and Maverik grinned as the warriors earlier composure crumbled. He lowered his blade and approached with his arm outstretched.
"Jomas! I'm here for you, brother." Lunan cried out, and just as they embraced, Maverik opened his mouth wide and chopped down, causing Jomas to mirror his actions and tear into Lunan's throat. Lunan screamed as Maverik emerged, and from behind each of the nine pillars another walking corpse dragged itself out into the light. "Coward!" Lunan screamed as Maverik smiled and pointed at him in silence. The dead converged on him, ripping into him with relentless fury.
"I may have fought you reasonably if you were respectful about it, but I didn't like the way you spoke to me." Maverik replied with a shrug.
After the death of Lunan, each new week brought another member of the Rhycon family to fort Dunstad. After killing around a dozen, Maverik grew annoyed. He reasoned that if this family was going to hunt him, he would do the same in kind. After all, what better way was there to stop a vengeful family than to end the bloodline entirely. But by this point it was personal. He wasn't just going to kill them. He was going to harvest their souls and erase their entire lineage.
Maverik took his undead army and roamed Tundarus, seeking to slay every Rhycon within reach. With each kill he forced the soul of his victim into the talisman. Later he learned that their bloodline was large and spread throughout most of Eden, so he traveled to Birtham to finish what he'd started, the talisman always in hand. He traveled most of Eden seeking out Rhycons, including The Garden of Eden, Adele, and even Shambala.
No one knows the current whereabouts of the talisman. All that is known is that it contains the souls of generations worth of the Rhycon family.
Creation Date
Myumaset the 3rd of Jyor, 248 BN.
Manufacturer
Weight
1/2 lbs
Base Price
492,500kye
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