Stalker's Crest
Ring, very rare (requires attunement)
A knotted band of dark metal shaped like a folded kerchief, edges hammered flat and worn. The back is banded to lock the shape. Shadow Step. While attuned, when you are in dim light or darkness you can use a bonus action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. After you teleport this way, you have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn. You can use this feature whenever you are in dim light or darkness. For GM Eyes Only
A knotted band of dark metal shaped like a folded kerchief, edges hammered flat and worn. The back is banded to lock the shape. Shadow Step. While attuned, when you are in dim light or darkness you can use a bonus action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. After you teleport this way, you have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn. You can use this feature whenever you are in dim light or darkness. For GM Eyes Only
Curse. This item is cursed. This fact is not revealed by the detect magic or identify spells. If the crest is identified, it appears as a necklace of shadowstep. Attuning to the Stalker’s Crest curses you until special removal requirements are met. While cursed, the crest cannot be removed or unattuned.
Each time you use Shadow Step or another teleportation spell or ability, such as misty step, an invisible stalker appears in an adjacent space, targeting you as its quarry with the Faultless Tracker ability.
When it appears, you hear a voice in your mind, “Will you take my place?”
If you telepathically accept the offer, the curse changes. When you next reach 0 hit points, your soul is bound to the Crest, taking the stalker’s place. You cannot be resurrected by any means short of divine intervention. The stalker no longer appears after accepting and vanishes upon agreement.
If you do not accept the offer, or do not respond to the question, the invisible stalker attacks until either you or it is defeated. A new stalker is summoned every time you meet the curse requirements.
Removal Requirements. The only known method to end the curse is to accept the offer. After doing so, another creature must accept the Stalker’s Crest and its offer and then die while cursed. When this occurs your soul is free of the agreement.
If you do not accept the offer, the curse may only be broken by reuniting it with the other Graven Rings, reforming the Curse Carrier, and destroying it. Remove curse has no effect on the Stalker’s Crest.
History. Although I credit the servants who wore the Calling Collars for the Graven discovery, it is Winston Graven who they went to with the information. He organized the first meeting and handpicked those who would attend. Winston was an uncle to Miles and Misty Graven, the heads of the house at the time.
Winston’s personal history is not terribly important to the Graven Rings outside of their origin. He was a military consultant prior to his retirement. After the creation of the Curse Carrier, he discovered his companion Bedrog Bradley had recorded thoughts on the experience using a Song Stone. Winston then killed Bradley, confessed his sins to a local knight, and committed suicide by hanging. This crest was around Winston's neck at the time of his death, along with the noose.
The Arcane Collective was brought in too late to be of any real help by the time we were able to investigate the deaths that followed. Winston and Bedrog’s belongings make up the bulk of our knowledge and research.
Faultless Tracker. The stalker is given a quarry. The stalker knows the direction and distance to its quarry as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. The stalker also knows the location of the ring.
The Stalker's Crest. Despite its cloth appearance, the Crest is metallic.
