## Overview The Soulthread Gem is an ancient soul magic artifact from the Age of Strife, one of only three known to exist in Solare. It is a fist-sized crystalline stone that can visualize the invisible soul-threads connecting all living beings—to each other, to places of power, to magical entities, and to any force that has claimed a piece of their soul. Originally created by death mages in the Age of Strife to map soul-connections and understand the flow of life energy across the world, the gem reveals the fundamental threads that bind existence. It can show bonds between lovers, connections between master and servant, links between living and undead, and most importantly—the threads that bind souls to phylacteries, pacts, and corrupting entities. **Current Location:** Secured in [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]] Thornwell's vault in Brensistria **Discovery:** Found 17 years ago by a young adventuring party including 14-year-old [[Armara]] Axton-Astervale, [[Keldon Ashveil]], and [[Madame Celestine Voss|Celestine]] Voss **Original Purpose:** General soul magic tool created by death mages to visualize and map soul-connections --- ![[Soulthread Gem.png]] ## Physical Description The Soulthread Gem is a crystalline stone approximately the size of a human fist with distinctive properties: ### Appearance: - Shifts between deep crimson and sickly purple hues - Thin black tendrils writhe within its depths like veins or threads - Surface is impossibly smooth and unnaturally cold to the touch - When active, emanates a faint humming sound (almost like distant screaming) - Nearby light sources dim as if the gem devours illumination **Visual Effect:** When observed by someone attuned to magical energies, the "threads" within the gem appear to extend outward infinitely, connecting to something beyond normal sight. These are literal representations of soul-connections across Solare—every bond, every pact, every curse, every necromantic link becomes visible. The gem simultaneously tracks **every soul on Solare**—millions upon millions of connections—but the threads flicker in and out of visibility like stars appearing and disappearing in a vast night sky. At any given moment, only thousands of threads are visible, constantly shifting and changing as different souls come into focus and fade away. This creates an overwhelming cascade of information, like trying to read a book where the words constantly rearrange themselves. Without proper training or magical assistance, viewing the gem's threads is maddening—the mind cannot process the sheer scale of interconnection, the endless web of souls binding all living things across the entire world. --- ## Properties and Abilities ### Necrotic Resonance The gem acts as a focal point for necrotic energy, drawing death magic from the surrounding area: - Any creature that dies within 100 feet has its soul temporarily trapped - Trapped souls feed the gem's power for 24 hours before being released - Creates a "hunger" that makes the gem increasingly dangerous over time - The longer it's active, the more undead it attracts ### Weaponized Soul Drain The Soulthread Gem can be used as an improvised weapon, though doing so is extremely dangerous to the wielder: **Melee Weapon Attack:** - **Attack Bonus:** Uses wielder's Strength or Dexterity modifier (acts as an improvised weapon) - **Damage on Hit:** 6d6 necrotic damage - **Special Effect:** Target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or have their hit point maximum reduced by the damage dealt (reduction lasts until long rest) - **Soul Severance:** If this attack reduces a creature to 0 hit points, their soul is immediately trapped in the gem for 24 hours, preventing resurrection until released **Ranged Soul Blast (Stored Souls Required):** If the gem has trapped souls (from creatures dying within 100 feet), the wielder can channel that stored necrotic energy: - **Action:** Release stored soul energy as a ranged attack - **Range:** 60 feet - **Attack Bonus:** Uses wielder's spellcasting modifier or Dexterity - **Damage:** 8d6 necrotic damage per soul consumed (maximum 3 souls per attack) - **Area Effect Option:** Can release energy as a 30-foot cone (Dexterity save DC 18, half damage on success) - **Cost:** Each use consumes one or more trapped souls permanently **Wielder Risk:** Using the gem as a weapon requires maintaining contact with it: - Wielder must make the DC 20 Constitution save when first grabbing it - Wielder must make DC 22 Wisdom saves every minute while holding it - Each attack made with the gem forces an additional DC 15 Wisdom save or suffer 1d10 psychic damage as the wielder feels the victim's soul being torn apart **Tactical Considerations:** The gem becomes more powerful in combat situations where creatures are dying nearby. A wielder could: - Let allies/enemies kill creatures to charge the gem with trapped souls - Use the gem to finish wounded enemies, trapping their souls for later use - Create a feedback loop where the gem's kills fuel its own power - Deploy it as a last-resort devastating weapon despite the cost to the user This makes the Soulthread Gem a terrifying weapon of desperation—incredibly powerful but potentially just as deadly to the wielder as to their enemies. ### Soul Sight - Universal Thread Visualization Those attuned to the gem can perceive the "threads" that connect souls across reality. These threads are invisible conduits that represent fundamental bonds and connections: #### Soul Connections: - Threads connecting souls to other souls (relationships, bonds between people) - Threads vary in strength and appearance based on the depth of connection - The gem doesn't categorize WHY souls are connected - just that they ARE #### Magical Connections: - Threads between souls and magical entities (warlocks to patrons, clerics to gods, etc.) - Threads from curses or magical compulsions - Magical item attunements #### Corrupted/Necromantic Threads: - Soul binding to phylacteries - Undead control connections - Vampiric or parasitic soul drains - Corruption from necromantic entities (like the Brimstone Wraith) - Any thread showing signs of necromantic manipulation or soul corruption #### Network Structures When a powerful entity (like a lich, vampire lord, demon, or corrupted god) creates a network of control, the threads show: - **Primary Conduits:** Thick, bright threads connecting major anchors to the source - **Secondary Branches:** Thinner threads connecting to individual victims/servants - **Corrupted Ley Lines:** Twisted natural magical pathways serving the entity - **Living Vessels:** People carrying fragments of the entity's influence (glowing dimly) - **Ritual Sites:** Locations where mass death or binding created permanent anchor points - **Directional Flow:** All threads ultimately lead back to the controlling source ### Practical Applications The Soulthread Gem is an incredibly versatile tool for anyone studying soul magic, though using it effectively requires immense skill and focus: **The Flickering Problem:** Because the gem shows ALL souls on Solare simultaneously but the threads flicker in and out of visibility (thousands at a time from millions total), finding specific connections requires: - **Magical Focusing:** Spells like _Detect Magic_, _True Seeing_, or similar divination magic can help "tune" the gem to specific types of connections - **Prolonged Observation:** Watching the threads for hours or days until the desired connection comes into focus - **Filtering Techniques:** Training the mind to ignore certain thread types and watch for specific patterns (necromantic corruption has a distinct "look") - **Triangulation:** If you can identify multiple anchor points of a network when they flicker into view, you can geometrically calculate the source location even when it's not directly visible **What the Gem Can Reveal:** - Track a lich back to its phylactery by following soul-threads - Find a vampire's sire by tracing bloodline connections - Reveal warlock pact-makers and their patrons - Detect possession, corruption, or mental domination - Identify curse origins and how to break them - Map any necromantic organization's structure - See which souls are bound to what entities - Understand complex magical hierarchies (cults, undead armies, etc.) - Investigate soul theft or soul-selling - Track reincarnation or soul transfer magic ### Why Death Mages Created These In the Age of Strife, death mages weren't necessarily evil—many were scholars trying to understand the nature of life, death, and the soul. The Soulthread Gems were research tools, allowing them to: - Study how souls connected to the divine - Understand natural life-death cycles - Map the flow of soul energy through the world - Investigate what happened to souls after death - Develop resurrection and necromancy spells - Protect against soul theft or corruption Of course, these same tools could be used for evil purposes—binding souls, creating phylacteries, building necromantic empires—which is why only three were ever made, and why they're so dangerous. --- ## Dangers and Corruption ### Passive Aura of Dread - 100-foot Radius The gem radiates an oppressive necrotic presence that affects all creatures within 100 feet, functioning like magical radiation: **Arcane Suppression Field:** - **All spellcasting is impaired** - Spells cast within the radius require a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or the spell fails (spell slot still consumed) - **Healing magic reduced by 50%** of normal effectiveness (both magical and potion-based) - **Magical effects that restore hit points or grant temporary hit points provide only 50% of their normal benefit** - **Concentration checks** within the field are made at disadvantage - **Magic items** function at reduced capacity - recharge rates halved, charges regained reduced by 50% - **Resurrection magic** cast within this radius automatically fails - **Teleportation and planar travel** magic fails or becomes unpredictable (DM's discretion) - Divine and arcane casters alike feel their connection to magic "strangled" - as if casting through thick mud **Soul Erosion (Per Hour of Exposure):** Any creature that remains within 100 feet of the gem for 1 hour must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw: - **Failure:** Lose 1d10 hit point maximum (cannot be restored while within the aura) - **Success:** Lose half as much - This effect stacks with multiple hours of exposure - Hit point maximum loss persists for 24 hours after leaving the aura - _Greater Restoration_ can remove this effect (but must be cast outside the aura) - Creatures immune to necrotic damage have advantage on this save but are not immune to the effect **Psychic Resonance (Constant):** All creatures within 100 feet experience disturbing mental effects: - Faint whispers in dead languages (sounds like souls screaming) - Flashes of seeing invisible "threads" connecting to other creatures (disorienting) - Sense of being watched by something vast and hungry - Must succeed on DC 16 Wisdom saving throw each hour or take 2d8 psychic damage - Creatures that fail three consecutive saves gain one level of exhaustion from mental strain - Sleep within the aura is impossible - creatures attempt to rest but suffer nightmares of being unwoven **Magical Contamination:** Creatures who spend extended time in the aura suffer lasting effects: - After 4 hours of exposure: Disadvantage on saving throws against necromancy for 1d4 days - After 8 hours of exposure: Cannot benefit from long rests for 1d4 days (magical exhaustion) - After 12+ hours: Permanent magical scarring - spellcasters have a 10% chance of spell failure even after leaving the aura (removable only by _Wish_ or _Greater Restoration_ cast at 9th level) **Undead Attraction:** The gem's presence draws undead like a beacon: - Intelligent undead within 10 miles sense the gem's location - Mindless undead within 1 mile are compelled to approach - Every hour the gem remains in one location, roll 1d6: - **1-3:** Nothing happens - **4-5:** 1d4 undead creatures appear nearby within 1 hour - **6:** Something powerful takes notice (DM's choice) ### Extreme Danger: Direct Contact **Immediate Necrotic Surge - DC 20 Constitution Save** Any creature that touches the gem directly must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or suffer immediate soul drain: - Takes **20d6 necrotic damage** on failed save (half on success) - This damage bypasses resistance but not immunity - Hit point maximum is reduced by the amount of necrotic damage taken - Reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest - Death from this effect prevents resurrection unless the gem is destroyed or a Wish spell is used **Psychic Shock - DC 18 Intelligence Save** In addition to the necrotic damage, any creature that touches the gem must make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw or suffer mental trauma from perceiving thousands of soul-threads simultaneously: - Takes **8d10 psychic damage** on failed save (half on success) - On a failed save, the creature is also **stunned** until the end of their next turn as their mind reels from sensory overload - The creature experiences a vision of thousands of flickering soul-threads appearing and disappearing in rapid succession—connections between souls across Solare shifting in and out of focus like a kaleidoscope of cosmic scale - This psychic damage cannot reduce a creature below 1 hit point, but leaves lasting mental scars **Ongoing Corruption - DC 22 Wisdom Save (Per Minute of Contact)** For each minute a creature maintains contact with the gem, they must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or suffer progressive soul corruption: - Loses 2d10 hit point maximum per failed save - Gains one level of exhaustion every 10 minutes of contact - Death from this effect prevents resurrection unless the gem is destroyed or a Wish spell is used - Even after releasing the gem, lingering necrotic corruption remains for 1d4 days The gem doesn't discriminate—it will drain anyone who touches it unprepared, regardless of their intentions. ### Extended Exposure Effects Even viewing the gem for extended periods causes psychological harm: - Whispers of power promising control over life and death - Visions of the threads connecting all living things (overwhelming) - Promises of immortality through understanding soul magic - Gradual erosion of moral boundaries - Obsession with mapping and controlling connections **For Every Hour of Active Use:** - User must make DC 20 Wisdom save or suffer soul fragmentation (1 level) - User ages 2d10 years due to life force drain - Powerful undead within 10 miles are attracted to the location - Nearby creatures may sense their own threads (disturbing revelations) ### Soul Fragmentation Levels 1. **Level 1:** Occasional memory gaps, difficulty focusing 2. **Level 2:** Personality shifts, increased aggression or apathy 3. **Level 3:** Loss of emotional connections, growing sense of emptiness 4. **Level 4:** Inability to distinguish self from others, identity confusion 5. **Level 5:** Permanent soul damage—user becomes a hollow vessel _Greater Restoration_ can cure one level of soul fragmentation. _Wish_ can cure all levels. --- ## The Discovery - Seventeen Years Ago ### The Ashenvale Expedition **Sponsor:** [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]] Thornwell, information broker and antiquities collector **Location:** Ashenvale Ruins (collapsed wizard's tower from the Age of Strife) **Team:** - [[Armara]] Axton-Astervale (age 14) - Magical prodigy, evocation specialist - [[Keldon Ashveil]] (age 16) - Charming rogue with exceptional insight - [[Madame Celestine Voss|Celestine Voss]] (age 15) - Noble's daughter seeking adventure - Several other young operatives who would later form the core of the Silver Threads organization - Three members whose names have been lost to time (killed by the gem) ### What Happened: The expedition was meant to be a training exercise—a way for [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]] to identify which young talents had the nerve and skill to become future assets. Deep within the Ashenvale crypts, they discovered a sealed reliquary containing the Soulthread Gem. The gem immediately showed its dangerous nature: - Whispered promises of power to the young adventurers - Showed them visions of threads connecting everything (overwhelming) - Two of the team members touched the gem and were instantly consumed - Their life force drained in seconds, bodies crumbling to ash - The survivors saw the threads connecting them to their dead companions fade [[Armara]], even at age 14, demonstrated exceptional control. She used arcane barriers and cold logic to contain the gem without touching it, wrapping it in layers of magical force. [[Keldon Ashveil|Keldon]] kept the panicking group together while [[Madame Celestine Voss|Celestine]] tended to the survivors and helped maintain morale. They brought the gem to [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]], along with the bodies of their fallen companions. This traumatic first mission bonded the survivors—many of whom would go on to form the Silver Threads organization years later, with [[Keldon Ashveil|Keldon]] eventually becoming its leader. ### [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]]'s Response Recognizing the gem's extreme danger and historical significance, [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]]: - Placed it in his most secure vault—a dimensional pocket protected by seven layers of wards - Paid the young adventurers generously for their discretion - Swore them all to secrecy about the gem's existence - Spent years studying it from a distance through scrying and divination - Learned it was one of only three such gems from the Age of Strife - Discovered its original purpose as a soul magic research tool Over seventeen years, **fourteen different parties** attempted to steal the gem from [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]]'s vault: - Three made it past the outer wards - One reached the Vault Chamber - None left alive [[Vexaris Thornwell|Vexaris]] protected the gem not out of sentiment, but because releasing it carelessly could lead to catastrophic misuse by necromancers, liches, or worse.