Animal Spirit Inking (Tattoo)
Shamans that make these are called inkers.
On your body will be placed a magic inking, basically a magical tattoo. It is painful at first, when it is applied, but you can take herbs to dull the pain. It takes hours and there is a magical ritual involved too. Once completed, you can call forth the animal spirit from that inking. This is just a force of will. It will spring forth from the tattoo on your body to form near you. The tattoo does not come off your body, it is still there. And the tattoo does not need to be visible - meaning even if the tattoo is covered by armor, the animal springs forth from it. You can communicate with the animal once it "comes out" - either verbally or mentally and distance does not matter as long as it is on the same plane. It has just above animal intelligence - if it is an animal, but more intelligent if it is something that is typically intelligent - like a dragon.
The animal that comes forth is a spirit animal. It will look and act just like a physical animal, but it is a manifestation of that animals traits. For all intent and purpose - it will behave and appear just like the real thing.
While the animal is out, if the animal takes damage, you take 1 point for any part of 10 points that it takes. You can heal it directly and you will also heal 1 point for any part of 10 points it heals. You can heal it directly in two ways. One is to heal the animal itself as you would heal any friend. Or you can heal the tattoo on your body and direct it to the animal. You do not need to touch the tattoo, just will the healing towards the tattoo. This works for potions that you drink, salves, spells, etc - any type of healing you can direct, through your will, to the tattoo. This works no matter how far away you are, as long is it is on the same plane. Or you can heal yourself and it will heal 1 point for any part of 10 points you heal. The healing works irregardless of distance, as long as it is on the same plane.
While the animal is "out", you can always sense your animal and know generally were it is. This does NOT extend beyond the plane. If it is not on the same plane, you will not be able to sense it, or heal it. There might be some spells or magical effects that can also sever the conection or interfer with it, but those are rare.
You can recall the animal back to your body at any time simply by willing it. Again, distance does not matter, as long as it is on the same plane. It can be called out again, as often as you desire, as long as it has hit points. While it is on your body, it only heals when you heal and again 1 point for every part of 10 points that you heal.
Even when the animal is on your body it takes damage. So if you are in a battle, and you take one hit for 11 points, it takes 2. If you take a second hit for 8 points, it takes 1. If you then call it out, it will come out already down by 3 points.
If the animal dies when it is not on your body, then it cannot be called out again for 3 nights. If it dies at night, that counts as the first night. Then two more nights must pass and then the next day it can come out. Example: Assume it dies Monday at 4pm. So Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday night must pass. Then at sunrise on Thursday it can be "called out" again.
There are two things that factor into how powerful the creature is. The first and most important is the skill of the inker. Both in their ability to ink and their ability to cast the ritual spells needed to make it magical. The second is the actual animal. Meaning if you have a mouse tattooed on your arm, it will not be as powerful as a lion. Also, it requires a really great inker to make more powerful creatures. So theoretically, you could have a dragon inked, but that would require the equivalent of an 20th level inker to make it work. And typically, the size of the tatoo must relate to the size of the animal. So a mouse can be a small tattoo on your hand, while a bear might take up an entire forearm and a dragon your entire back.
It is said that some Inkers can ink monstrosities or even fiends or demons - or even other humans, elves, etc. But this tends to be viewed a vile or evil by most Inkers. But it has been done, so it is possible.
Item type
Magical
Current Holder
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