Talisman of Epona

== Description ==
Carved from the skull of a sacrificed horse to the goddess Epona, the talisman is about the size of a human palm and has Epona's sigil etched into the top. The talisman looks like a horse's skull with the addition of a sharpened beak attached to the jaws. The bone is pure white despite its apparent age.
This talisman's primary purpose is to turn a mortal into a were-seabird of varying species, intended to serve Epona. It guarantees a 100% transmission rate, but none of the mortal surviving the transformation.
In order to turn someone, the artifact must first be turned into an "active" state with a combination of rituals and sacrifices to Epona. This "active" state will then call upon Epona to oversee turning the selected mortal into a were-seabird; during the time between activating the artifact and calling Epona, other demons and spirits have been known to attempt to disrupt the ritual or take the soul of the mortal being offered. If Epona has been pleased, she will lend her power and the talisman can be used to change the mortal; if she is displeased, she will take the mortal's soul and leave.
Anyone who has been changed into a were-seabird with this method is marked with the sigil of Epona, letting the demon track them through their entire life. When the shifter is on the brink of death, Epona will come to collect their soul; essentially, the shifter is living on the will of Epona alone. The shifter can also find themselves at the target of varying spirits and demons, as mechanically they now carry Person of Interest.
Once the artifact is used to change a person, it will enter a dormant state and cannot be used again until it is once again powered up-- a process that can take a decade or more to gather the required energy.
== Special Note ==
* While the current location of the artifact is listed as "unknown", it is currently in the possession of Ryan Heartseed, who destroyed the previous holders of the artifact and ran away with it. No one else knows where the artifact is, as Ryan has killed almost everyone who knew about the artifact to begin with.
Category:Artifacts