Invader’s Bugle

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)

This antique military horn is tarnished from age and exposure to the harsh elements, like a relic left behind by once-glorious army defeated by the cruel winter of the endless steppe. An invader’s bugle appears to be of very fine quality beneath the wear and grime, but all attempts to polish or restore it only tarnish it further. The bugle has 5 charges, and you can use an action to create one of the following effects:

• You may expend 1 charge as part of a Bardic Inspiration performance in combat, granting the subject of your performance one extra Bardic Inspiration die.
• You can expend 1 charge to blast a note on the bugle and turn the ground in a 30-foot cone-shaped spread to become muddy and soft. Creatures passing through this mud must make Dexterity saves (DC 15) or become stuck, requiring an action to free themselves. This mud is bitter cold, and creatures starting their turn in it must make Constitution saves (DC 15, or DC 18 if prone) or take 1d4 points of cold damage and suffer a level of exhaustion. Additional failed saves inflict damage, but not additional levels of exhaustion. Terrain affected in this way returns to normal after 1 minute.
• You can expend 3 charges to sound a mournful note with the bugle to animate corpses within 60 feet of the horn and no more than two feet underground that come under your control, as animate dead, to a maximum of 12 creatures.

These zombies fall into rank behind you and can only obey commands to attack, halt, or march, ignoring all other orders. They remain active until the end of your next long rest, at which time you may sound the horn again to keep them animated. These zombies are covered in frozen mud and have resistance to fire damage.