The Containment

Wondrous item, relic

Fashioned from an unknown grey metal, The Containment is a tangled mass of manacles emblazoned with runes of power. Its many cuffs and links can stretch infinitely, binding all aspects of a creature’s existence into a state of permanent incapacitation. At its center is a single shackle bolt lock with seven keyholes. It is only through the opening of this lock that a creature restrained by The Containment can be freed.

No creature is above The Containment’s ability to restrain; however, holding a creature is costly. The relic must siphon off the power of mighty beings it contains in the form of a toxic pollutant. This creeping corruption infects everything around it. As stewards of the relic, the Dreadcoats know their duty may lead to a tragic downfall from prolonged exposure. Consequently, the group keeps as watchful an eye on its own members as it does on the rest of the Hive.

While unattuned, the relic has the following properties:

Immovable. If the relic is affecting a creature via its Incarcerate feature, it cannot be moved or magically teleported by any force other than creatures that are attuned to it.

Incarcerate. As an action, a creature can touch the relic to an incapacitated creature, a creature with 0 hit points, the corpse of a slain creature, or an object containing a creature’s soul. When the relic makes contact with the target, its chains and manacles immediately wrap around it, incarcerating the target. A target so incarcerated cannot move, take actions, use any features or abilities, or make any attempt to free itself. The target retains awareness of its surroundings and remains able to think clearly but cannot die or be restored to life. This feature cannot be used if the relic is already affecting a target with this feature. This effect can only end when the shackle bolt of the relic is opened using the seven keys (see the relic’s Bane).

Lamentations of the Jailed. Every 24 hours The Containment expels deadly radiation in a 10-mile-radius sphere centered on it. Creatures within 300 feet of the relic when this occurs must succeed on a DC 30 Wisdom saving throw or be influenced by the creature within the relic. A creature so influenced hears the imprisoned creature’s thoughts within its own mind but is incapable of communicating to others what it is experiencing. If a creature fails seven such saving throws in this manner within 1 year, its alignment changes to neutral evil and its greatest desire becomes seeking the seven keys and unlocking the relic (see the relic’s Bane).

Unconscious creatures in the affected area experience dark dreams of the creature contained by the relic. These dreams are the creature’s memories of past events and, while disturbing, are entirely harmless. A creature that experiences these dreams becomes obsessed with seeking their source. This effect ends if the creature forgets the dreams caused by the relic.

ATTUNEMENT

To attune yourself to The Containment, you must stand in its presence for 10 days, without sleep, and resist all effects of standing in its presence. On the tenth day you must state the truename of the creature within, declaring it to be your prisoner, and you its warden. Up to seven creatures can be attuned simultaneously to the relic in this manner. While attuned, the relic gains the following properties in addition to its unattuned properties:

Keymaster. You know the exact location of one of the seven keys (see the relic’s Bane). If you gain possession of that key, you immediately learn the exact location of another one of the seven keys. This effect persists until you gather all seven keys.

Warden’s Resilience. You have Epic advantage on saving throws against the relic’s Lamentations of the Jailed feature.

BANE

The Containment can only be opened by acquiring all seven keys for the locks on its shackle bolt lock. When a creature becomes imprisoned via the relic’s Incarcerate feature, the seven keys appear on seven random planes within a universe. As an action when all seven keys are inserted into the shackle bolt lock, a creature can open the relic and free an affected target from the Incarcerate feature. A creature so freed is immediately restored to life (when applicable), is restored to its hit point maximum, and gains benefits as if it had finished a long rest.

Any creature that frees another imprisoned by The Containment is afflicted by an Epic curse. A creature so cursed is always considered an enemy by lawful creatures and cannot benefit from any effects produced by lawful creatures.