Living Relic

The Living Relic is an undead unlike any other—an anomaly born from necromantic experimentation on the outskirts of Necropolis. Raised by a necromancer who sought to unlock new possibilities within the realm of the dead, the Relic is an entity of contradiction. Unlike typical undead, it retains fragments of its former life: hazy memories, fleeting emotions, and a personality that refuses to be extinguished. This sentience is a curse as much as a gift, as the Relic grapples with the dissonance between its past and its current existence. Torn between the echoes of who it once was and the relentless pull of the necromantic magic that sustains it, the Living Relic is an unpredictable force—driven by a will of its own, and a thirst for answers to the shattered remnants of its forgotten life.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Medium, Humanoid

• Armor Class 10
• Hit Points 4 1d8
• Speed 30 ft.
• Roll Initiative +0 1d20

STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 10 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0)

• Senses Passive Perception 10
• Languages: English
• Challenge 0 (10 XP)

Actions

Improvised Club

Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit 1d20+2 , reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 1d4 bludgeoning damage.

Ultramax Modifications

• Armor class 14
• Hit Points 1/1/1/1

Actions

Improvised Club

Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit 1d20+2 , reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

Special abilities

Once per a day, the Living Relic can summon a CR 1 Undead at will as an action

Mental characteristics

Personal history

The Living Relic’s existence began in the forsaken outskirts of Necropolis, where it was brought back to life by a necromancer driven by ambition and a desire to unlock forbidden secrets. At first, the Relic obeyed, its mind a haze of fragmented memories and confusion, bound to the will of the necromancer who sought to harness its power. However, over time, as the relic’s memories began to solidify, so too did its sense of self. The recognition of its former life—however faint—fueled a growing rebellion against the necromancer’s control. In a moment of clarity, driven by a mix of anger, fear, and the instinct for freedom, the Relic turned on its creator. With a swift, calculated strike, it killed the necromancer, severing the chains that bound it to the dark mage’s will. Now free, the Living Relic wandered the outskirts, a creature of both death and life, its mind still haunted by the echoes of its past life and the bloodshed it had wrought to earn its freedom.

Mental Trauma

The Living Relic is plagued by vivid, haunting nightmares—fragmented glimpses of its death that torment its waking hours. These visions are never clear, never complete, but they are sharp and striking, each one a visceral reminder of the end it once endured. There is a constant sense of falling, of suffocating darkness, and of pain, but the details remain elusive, slipping through its grasp like smoke. Every time it closes its eyes, flashes of its final moments before death—its body torn apart, its breath cut short—replay in flashes. These dreams haunt its mind, leaving it with an unsettling sense of wrongness, a feeling that it was never meant to rise again. The trauma manifests in moments of panic or hesitation, when the memories threaten to consume it, and in its occasional bouts of silent brooding, as the Living Relic grapples with the weight of its unnatural existence and the violent end that brought it into being.

Intellectual Characteristics

The Living Relic possesses an intellect that is neither exceptionally sharp nor dull, sitting at an average level with an Intelligence score of 10. Its mind functions with clarity in most situations, allowing it to grasp concepts and solve problems with relative ease. However, the fragmented memories of its past life create a sense of mental dissonance, occasionally clouding its thoughts or making it hard to focus on complex tasks. Its understanding of the world is shaped by the patchwork of memories it has, which sometimes leads to moments of confusion or the need for clarification about basic concepts. While it is capable of learning and adapting, its thinking is often pragmatic, influenced by the urgency of survival and the raw need to navigate the harsh realities of the world it now inhabits. Still, it approaches problems with a practical mindset, relying on what it knows to get by, but is also driven by curiosity, often seeking to understand the deeper mysteries of its existence and the limits of its newfound freedom.

Morality & Philosophy

The Living Relic’s morality is shaped by its experiences as both a sentient undead and a being that once lived. Its fragmented memories often clash, leaving it in a state of philosophical turmoil. On one hand, it retains a sense of personal freedom and autonomy after rebelling against the necromancer, viewing its survival and independence as paramount. It doesn’t view life and death as opposites but rather as fluid concepts, understanding that both are parts of the same cycle. Its actions are often pragmatic, driven by the desire to protect itself and others from those who would exploit or harm them. Yet, the haunting remnants of its previous life sometimes pull it toward notions of empathy and justice, though it struggles to reconcile these feelings with its new undead nature. It doesn’t adhere to any particular code but instead operates on a principle of balancing self-preservation with a growing desire to understand the broader implications of its existence. For now, it remains an uncertain soul, questioning what it means to be truly "alive" and what its place in the world should be.

You step into the dimly lit room, your eyes adjusting to the faint glow. In the shadows stands a figure, tall and gaunt, its form unsettlingly still. Its skin is pale, cracked in places, resembling stone weathered by time. There’s something unnatural about the way it stands, as if it exists just on the edge of perception, neither fully here nor fully elsewhere. The creature’s gaze shifts toward you, and for a moment, you feel as though it’s weighing you, its eyes dark yet intense, as if expecting something from you. Its movements are slow but deliberate, almost cautious, and you catch a glimpse of something in its posture — a subtle tension, as if it’s poised to act at a moment’s notice. The figure’s face remains mostly obscured in shadow, but in the briefest flash of light, you notice the faintest trace of a past expression — something distant, fleeting. Then, just as quickly, the moment passes, and you’re left with the unnerving sense that there is more to this being than meets the eye.

Alignment

True Neutral

Date of Death

Before Time

Circumstances of Death

Unknown

Pronouns

They/Them/It

Sex

Male

Gender

Agender

Presentation

Male

Height

5'5"

Weight

100#

Related Plots

• Living Relic

Known Languages

English