Severed

The severed are individuals that have had their soul separated from their body. However, instead of dying or becoming a Hollow, their soul lingers and takes on a physical shape.

The soul of a severed takes the shape of a small animal, like a cat or otter. While you and your companion soul might have different personalities, you are two parts of the same entity. One can’t live without the other, and you are both acutely aware of that fact.

Cut the Soul

The first severed were created as an experiment. Scientists wanted to understand the nature of the soul, and they used an artifact known as the Edgeless Dagger to assist in their experiments.

The dagger is able to cut through anything, including abstract concepts, and they used it to cut away souls from living people to examine independently.

Many died as a result of these traumatic, horrific experiments, but a few survived. The souls of these survivors took on a physical form, unique to each person. The person and their soul were still connected, but they no longer needed to be in the same body.

Most severed are descendants of these original survivors, although other effects can create new severed. Notably, it is sometimes a side effect of a raise dead spell.

Boundaries

While a severed’s companion soul has the appearance of an animal, they are still an extension of the severed. Companions are reluctant to accept touching or petting from other creatures they haven’t specifically given permission to.

A companion soul’s personality and boundaries are often a reflection of the severed’s true feelings. A standoffish severed who actually desires affection might have an outgoing and friendly companion soul, much to their chagrin.

Reflection of the Soul

A severed has no control over the shape of their animal companion, which never changes. Many severed believe that the shape of their companion soul reflects the true nature of their soul. Those with pure souls will have sweet, harmless companion souls, while those with wicked souls will have vicious predators as companions.

This belief leads to a lot of negative reinforcement and self-fulfilling prophecies. Young severed that have companions with a vicious appearance often harbor resentment towards themselves, which in turn often leads to them acting bitter, standoffish, or even as violent and evil as people believed they would. In truth, there are plenty of villainous severed with beautiful, serene companions, and plenty of heroic ones with snarling predators.

Severed Names

Severed can be from any ancestry, so their names typically align with local or familial customs.

Example Names: Ruchepili the Doctor.

Severed Traits

Severed can be of any species. You gain the following traits as a severed.

• Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 and +1 bonus to two different ability scores of your choice, or +1 to three different ones.
• Age. Severed age and mature at the same rate as a non-severed of the same species.
• Size. You have the same size as a non-severed of the same species, which is typically Small or Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet if you are Small, or 30 feet if you are Medium.
• Companion Soul (Major Feature). Your soul takes on the appearance of living creature of CR 0 or 1/8, typically a beast like a bird, dog, or cat. Your companion soul’s type is celestial. You both share a telepathic link up to 100 feet. If your companion is slain, you can resurrect them as a ritual you know that mimics the effects of the find familiar spell. For every 24 hours that your companion soul is dead, you gain a cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. If this penalty ever reaches -5, you die.. As an action, you can place your companion into an active or passive mode. In passive mode, your soul companion stays safely on your person or is protected by you. In this mode, your companion soul can’t take damage but can take no actions except for speaking and can’t be more than 5 feet away from you. In active mode, your companion soul can move and take actions as normal but can also be attacked and take damage. You and your companion soul can’t be far apart, and you both experience pain and discomfort if you are separated. If you are more than 50 feet away from each other, you both have disadvantage on all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. You will not willingly be greater than 100 feet apart from each other, and if you are, you both become incapacitated until you are within 100 feet of each other again.
• Separate Soul (Minor Feature). Your soul has been separated from your body, making you more resilient to your soul moving on in death. You have advantage on death saving throws as long as your companion soul hasn’t been destroyed.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Major Features

Choose one of the following major features. You can exchange this major feature for two minor features.

• Invisible Partner (requires Companion Soul). As an action, your companion soul can turn invisible. The invisibility ends if they make an attack, deal damage, or force someone to make a saving throw. Either you or your companion soul can use their action to activate this ability. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Soul Transpose (requires Companion Soul). As a bonus action, you can switch places with your companion soul. You can’t use this ability again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Strong Soul (requires Companion Soul). Your companion soul’s hit point maximum increases by 2 (1d4) for every level you gain.
• Take the Hit (requires Companion Soul). Your companion can rush to your aid, taking the brunt of an attack for you. When you would take damage or be hit by an attack, as a reaction you can call your companion soul to your aid. Your companion soul can move up to its speed toward you. If your companion soul can end this movement adjacent to you, it takes the damage instead of you. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Minor Features

Choose one of the following minor features, or three if you didn’t choose a major feature.

• Awareness (requires Companion Soul). Your companion soul is intelligent and can communicate. Their Intelligence score becomes 10 if it was lower, and they can understand and speak whatever languages you know.
• Fluent. You can speak, read, and write two additional languages of your choice.
• Frightening Form. You and your companion have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
• General Training. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
• Long Distance Relationship (requires Companion Soul). You and your companion suffer no penalties for being more than 50 feet apart. You still can’t be further than 100 feet apart, and you both become incapacitated if you are. You always know how far away your companion is.
• Scarred Soul. You and your companion soul have resistance to necrotic damage.
• Shared Skills (requires Companion Soul). Your companion soul is proficient with any skills or tools you are proficient with.
• Trained Tools. You have proficiency in two tools of your choice.