The Relicbound
Art by Goran Gligovic https://www.gorangligovic.com/
Used with Permission.
The Relicbound are undead creatures, caught between
life and death by the power of a cursed item, to which their
soul is bound. So long as that item (such as a particular ring
of power) exist, their wills are bound to the master of that
item, and they cannot be permanently destroyed.
An example of a Ring of Power that might bind a mortal into such a state.
Common examples of such a relic might include a soul-devouring
sword that still holds the essence of the Relicbound it slew,
controlling and preserving it, or a collection of magical jewelry
that binds the wearers of the jewelry to a single ‘Master’ crown or
ring.
The binding item need not be a ring, it could be a crown.
Each Relicbound still possesses the abilities they had in life. This
example Relicbound was a warrior and a commander. Some
Relicbound are also powerful spellcasters. Their leadership is likely
considerably more powerful, with unique and terrifying abilities. In
addition, some of them may even carry the artifact that cursed them,
Especially if that artifact is part of a set and bound to a Master.
It is of note that Relicbound are limited in number to those bound
to the original item. New Relicbound can only be created if
someone else becomes bound to the Master relic, either by being
slain with it (as in the sword example) or being corrupted by it
(as in the example of the collection of jewelry.)
The Binding relic could even be a soul-devouring sword . . . or the archetype of such a sword. What if every being slain by a Pact of the Blade Reaper Warlock was thus bound!
Relicbound straddle the line between life and death, between flesh
and spirit, and their abilities reflect this. They carry with them,
always, the horror of their cursed condition, and can inflict some of
those horrors on their victims. Merely to be near them is exhausting,
and drains vitality. To touch them, drains life. To strike them, destroys
the weapon.
Relicbound fear the life giving rays of the sun, though sunlight only
weakens them. The dark, however, empowers them, and their
strongest weapon is paralyzing terror. They exist in both worlds, by
default, though they can shift themselves fully into one or the other
at need, to avoid an obstacle only present in one, or to move unseen.
The Relicbound carry their Mortal Blades to channel their killing
touch. The necrotic power it transfers infects its victims, turning them
into wights under the Relicbound’s control . . . And thus that of their
master.