The Hungering Maw of Hlad

A ring of black metal twisted in a pattern beyond any modern smithing, always cold to the touch and hypnotic to the weak-willed. Pressed into living flesh, it draws out life-force itself, draining a body toward death and — for an intelligent victim — threatening to wound or wholly consume the soul. The more its bearer feeds it, the more it warps the world around them: the air chills, the earth shakes, and the ring fuses to bone it can no longer leave. Push it far enough and it tears a hole in the world, leaving behind only a withered, palsied hand.

Tags · magical

A black metal ring twists in a pattern beyond modern smithing, always cold and hypnotic to the weak-willed. Pressed into living flesh, it draws out life-force. Against a helpless victim, the ring can reduce them to 0 HP. Against a struggling victim, roll +CON: on a 10+, deal 1d10 damage ignoring armor and leave them reeling; on a 7-9, deal the damage but suffer their counterattack. If an intelligent victim is reduced to 0 HP, their soul may be wounded, their body may fail into wraithdom, or their soul may be consumed, marking progress. Unlocking the ring grants Siphon at reach, then moves such as Inescapable Pull, Maelstrom, and Dust to Dust. Consequences include earthquakes, soul wounds, a fused ring, a life-draining vortex, or a withered hand after the ring tears a hole in the world.