Totem of Forgiveness

A totem of forgiveness is a an ancient type of ritualistic item associated with the Spirit of Shadow in Hua Yan Spiritism. It is a small, hollow stone statuette with red glass eyes made in the likeness of a small animal, most often a snake or a mongoose. Used to perform a ritualistic suicide that dooms one's own soul to eternal damnation, it is said to remove any generational curse from your lineage. It is unknown whether it works as advertised or not.

Currently they are illegal to produce and use in their origin country of Lao-Hua, though that does not prevent their production and usage in more decentralized, remote settlements. With curses both real and superficial being flung left and right in the superstitious remote towns of the continent's southern mountains, some see the production of totems as a necessity for any functioning societies.

The reason behind the name of the item comes from the horrific act that comes with its intended usage, meaning the user is asking forgiveness for committing such an act.

Usage

The glass eyes of the totem are sharp lenses meant to be removed so that the hollow statuette has an opening. The lenses are then used to cut open a jugular vein. Both lenses are placed into the cut, which will prevent it from closing up. The statuette is then filled with the blood of the user. This process is meant to end in death, and thus often requires and assistant to help fill the statuette when the user inevitably passes out.

With the totem filled with blood, it is assumed that the soul of the user is now trapped within along with any curses that were affecting them, preventing a cursed lineage.

Item type

Religious / Ritualistic