Prison Lanterns

by me with Hero Forge

-Aralur Greystone, Arum Of The Dwarf Keepers

The creation of Prison Lanterns is one of the most vile acts of maleficium ever devised. These are enchanted lanterns that enslave a mortal soul by trapping it inside, utilitizing magical pain spells acting as the slave master's lash. Dyrik Mykrrún was a very prolific creator of these foul talismans. We've found many of them and broken them, but many such lanterns probably exist still with poor souls trapped therein.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

by Eron12 with Heroforge

-Magnati, Independent Necromancer

Prison Lanterns are a niche item created for a necromancer's convenience but not a necromancer's neccessity. If a necromancer is powerful enough to create a Prison Lantern, she is powerful enough to not require one.
A soul can be bound into a wide variety of things, but if a soul is bound into a lantern or mirror the trapped soul can be fully visible and spoken with by anyone in the vicinity...This can be a downside if the soul is overly talkative.

Without a magical item of this sort, a spell must be cast every single time a necromancer wishes to speak with the trapped soul, but even a neophyte can cast the spell many times a day without much problem.
The trapped soul is not compelled to obey commands, but while trapped in the lantern, it cannot speak direct lies without suffering great pain though it may lie by omission with no effect. It is not compelled to answer questions or obey orders, but the bearer of the lantern can inflict pain on the prisoner within at any time by just willing it.
None of these effects are difficult to do for even a mediocre necromancer but a Prison Lantern allows the bearer to command the soul within without casting a spell. In fact, non-spellcasters may use these lanterns which is why some necromancers make them in the first place. A tool to give to minions.
Be wary though, while it is exceedingly difficult for a soul to disobey a direct order or lie, there is nothing stopping them from revealing information to your enemies if they are within earshot of the lantern.
The restless dead are relatively easy to bind into a Prison Lantern, but it is quite difficult to bind one of the so-called "honored dead" into a prison Lantern.
With extreme effort (and some luck), a master necromancer can capture a soul of the honored dead that has manifested on the mortal plane, assuming the mortal soul was not very strong willed in life.
A much easier method is to make the honored dead yourself, if you catch my drift. In other words, a necromancer has to murder a living person in the vicinity of a Prison Lantern, preferably with a specially prepared ritual dagger and then immediately cast a binding spell.
Either way, it is more trouble than it's worth to keep one of the honored dead in such a prison. Whether it is the subconscious pleas of the soul within or some working of the Nine themselves, living beings sympathetic to the honored dead are subtly drawn to the Lantern Prison. Restless dead so trapped do not seem to summon would-be rescuers.
I've heard stories about giant lanterns holding dozens of souls, but this seems like a fanciful legend. Whether it is holding one restless dead or one of the honored dead, a Prison Lantern can normally only hold one soul at a time.
A fourth circle necromancer or abjurer or a similarly powerful Purificationist theurgist can release a soul imprisoned inside a Prison Lantern relatively easily. But there is an easier way to free the soul inside, just smash the lantern.
This is why Prison Lanterns are so rare. At some point, they invariably attract the attention of a hero who wants to save the poor soul inside who then breaks it.

Item type

Magical

Rarity

very rare