Speaking Death Powder

Speaking Death Powder is a powerful artifact created by the Cult of Kratling. The main purpose of the powder is to communicate one final time with a recently deceased person. The powder recalls the life essence of its target, granting the power of speech and communication. It must be applied to a body that has been dead for no more than four hours, and only lasts for a few minutes once applied. Only one application of the powder can be applied to a body.
The powder itself was created by the Kratling elder Horgran Iomite as a way to alleviate the pain of losing a loved one. He researched for years, consulting ancient tomes and praying to Kratling for guidance. Finally, Kratling answered him in a series of dreams. The first dream Kratling sent him was a vision of a giant monster with a misshapen brow, large teeth, stringy and thin hair, that emanated magical powers. The next dream was of the monster high in the mountains, surrounded by snow. The glow of a fire shone from a cave, and the monster had a large sack that wriggled with living things. The third dream was of the monster in the cave. There was a large black pot sitting atop an open fire, and the creature was pulling people from the sack, tossing the into the pot. Their screams echoed in Horgran's ears when he awoke.
He had a variation of these dreams several times. He knew Kratling was trying to communicate with him, but he didn't know what his god was trying to tell him. He began to dread sleep for fear of the dreams. There was too much pain there. He prayed to Kratling more, asking for clarification of the dreams, and he sought help from other elders, all to no avail. The dreams kept coming, and neither he nor his contemporaries could decipher the dreams or their meanings.
Then one night, Horgran had a new dream, a dream of bones. Piles of bones, stacks of bones, cast aside haphazardly. The monster slept among the bones, using them as bedding. The skulls started chattering, sounding out long slow groans that sounded more like the wind blowing than something speaking. In the dream, Horgran wanted to scream. He wanted to flee. but he stayed. He knew this was important. The groaning from the skulls changed, shaping into words which Horrgran understood: cries for mothers and fathers and wives and husbands and children. These were their death cries, Horgran realized, and suddenly Kratling's message was clearer to him. The monster in his dreams could make the dead speak. He needed to find it and extract its secrets.
Upon waking he prayed for guidance again. He begged Kratling to lead him to the creature, and protect him on his journey. He told the Cult Council that he was headed out in search of the beast from his dreams and Kratling willing, he would return with the answer to the question of how to bring the words of the dead into the land of the living.
The Council begged him to wait until the spring or summer, when the weather would be warmer and traveling would be safer, but Horgran denied their request. He knew time was of the essence, and that Kratling had shown him the way now for a reason. Delaying was not an option, nor was taking the trek with the company of others. And so, armed with his heavy hammer, and carrying enough provisions to last a month, he set out toward the Ulant Mountains, a two week journey if all went well. Why did he choose those specific mountains? They were closest, and the peaks remained relatively secluded and unexplored, with only a few small settlements scattered throughout the lower regions of the range.
Horgran did not find the creature in the Ulna Mountains, or in any of the next few ranges he explored. Instead of taking a few months, his quest to find the creature took over three years, and those back at his church had given him up for dead, so to say they were surprised when he finally returned one day would be an understatement. But return he did, and with the knowledge of the means to create the Speaking Death Powder.
How to Use
The Speaking Death Powder is used by applying copious amounts of the mud mixture to the face of the deceased body. When the face is completely covered, sprinkle the bone powder on, then use your hand to combine the two. Stop when you have achieved a consistent ashy color. Then speak the activation word, and be ready to communicate with your dearly departed one.
A word of Caution The poweder's effects last only a few minutes, and the target is often disoriented upon returning to consciousness. Any shock they face will immediately cancel the effects of the powder, so be careful not to startle or scare the target. Common things that shock the corpse are it discovering it is dead, the face of its killer, and anything that scared it in life. Keep these things in mind when using the powder, and you should find success. If you need assistance, you can always seek out an Expiry of Kratling, as they are well versed in the handling of Speaking Death Powder.

Manufacturing process

First, the bones are ground into a fine powder using the mortar and pestle while the maker recites the Thanatos Cant. Once the bones are powdered, the root rock is chopped into fine pieces, and then added to the bone powder, which is once again ground to mix the root with the powder. This powder is then removed from the mortar and pestle, and placed in a storage container made either of wood or clay. Next, the grave dirt is placed in the large bowl and mixed with chopped root rock using the large wooden spoon. This mixture does not need to be powdered like the bones. Mixing the dirt and the roots together will suffice as long as the Thanatos Cant is recited. After the dirt and the root have been mixed, add the blessed water and stir until a thick mud has been produced. Transfer the mud to a container made of clay or wood.

Significance

The Speaking Death Powder holds special significance in the land of Kharsaag as it can be used to pull final words from a corpse, allowing people to hear their loved ones a last time, and for investigators to gain important information from a victim. The Kratlings highly regulate the use of the powder, mostly because they are its makers and supplies are limited due to the difficulty of creation.

Rarity

Very rare, produced and controlled by the Cult of Kratling

Weight

A few ounces

Dimensions

powder

Base Price

priceless

Raw materials & Components

Ground bones of an oger-magi Grave Dirt consecrated by an elder of Kratling A sprig of Rock Root per ounce of ground bones and grave dirt Water blessed by an elder of Kratling

Tools

Mortar and pestle A large bowl A large wooden spoon