Pauldron of Broken Souls

Pauldron of Broken Souls
Magic Item [Very Rare, Evil]
Rank: 7 (Potency 70)
Properties
Special Actions
Aura of Fear [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Free Action
Potency (MR): 1d8+7 (Yes)
Limitation: Once per day
Duration: 1 moment
Upkeep: Spend 1 Resolve to increase the duration by 1 moment.
Effect: You gain an Aura (30ft) of fear. Creatures you choose within the aura are Shaken until they are no longer within the aura.

Bind Soul
Focus Action [FT 4, REC 4]
Cost: 1 Karma
Requirement: The target must have been a living creature when killed (i.e. not Undead, Lifeless, etc).
Target: One dead creature, killed by you within the last 5 rounds.
Effect: You draw the target's soul from its body and fuse it within the armor. The target's soul is trapped within the armor (similarly to a Trap the Soul ritual) until the armor is destroyed or the wearer willingly releases the soul. For each soul trapped within the armor, you gain the following cumulative effects:
Special: The armor can bind a maximum of 3 souls.

Soul Feast
Focus Action [FT 6, REC 4]
Effect: You consume one of the souls trapped within the armor. When you do, you lose the benefits imbued by that soul (as described in Bind Soul above), and gain the following effects:
  • Regain Hitpoints equal to [3 x Healing Value].
  • Reduce the DC of all Injuries by 4 (and make an Injury Check to heal each injury).
  • Regain 1d4+1 Stamina Burn and 1d4+1 Resolve Burn.
Allocation: 6 Stamina, 4 Resolve
Aura: Strong Unholy
"Why thank you for noticing, I do so enjoy the look of terror in your eyes when you gaze upon the purest forms of Chaos, Evil and Madness all rolled up into one putrid package! Now......allow me to demonstrate its purpose!"
——Unknown bearer of the Pauldron of Broken Souls

Description

This terrible armor appears to be a large, malformed pauldron, its bone frame shaped into several spherical lumps, one on the chest, another on the side of the shoulder, and a third on the back. The bone is stained black with a sickly dark green hue. When a soul is placed within the armor, its horrific true nature comes to light, each spherical lump changing its shape to the twisted face of the stored victim. It radiates a terrible energy that constantly fluctuates between pure chaos, evil and madness. Wearing such an armor is not an evil act, but knowingly using any of its powers is. Anyone using the Pauldron of Broken Souls will quickly find themselves corrupted to the ways of evil.

Lore

This armor is rumored to belong to a terrible aberrational warlord who can travel between dimensions, although his exact race and purpose are unknown. All that is understood in regards to this item is that only a villain of the foulest sort would consider using such a horrible device, and should one encounter a willing wearer, they have found a being so corrupted by the ways of evil that he rivals the very demons of the lower planes.