Sosentotem

Far beyond the edges of The Nyssan Jungle, deep within its pathless borders, can be found the Taishando Lizardfolk. These fierce and fearsome peoples live in tribes throughout the massive swamplands of eastern Taisha, building communities that dwell in grass and rattan huts which are situated around a central temple stucture, and surrounded by walls made of piled stones.

These peoples worship a strange entity known, to them, as 'Nyssa'. This 'Nyssa' is denoted as either a crone or a damsel, depending on her demeanor, who promotes the worship of the Lizardfolks ancestors, rather than herself. They say she dwells in the unpassable parts of the swamp, with a small menagerie of animal friends.

According to Taishando Lizardfolk tradition, it was Nyssa who taught them how to make the flat, intricately carved amulets that they habitually wear. Sculpted from the bone of a beloved ancestor, the necklaces usually depict a finely decorated skull that watches over its wearer.

These highly personalized items do indeed offer some measure of protection to the wearer, as well as a certain amount of protection from prying eyes.

Tellus' Standard Reference

Sosentotem

Wondrous Item

Rare Requires Attunement

While you wear this amulet, you gain a +2 to AC, and can cast the Pass Without Trace spell as a bonus action. Once you have used this ability, it cannot be used again until you have had a long or a short rest.

Each Sosentotem is different, being a depiction of the wearer's ancestor whose bone it is carved from. They are usually carved in such a way as to allow the ancestor to see and watch over their descendants, such as a carving of an intricately decorated skull with exaggerated eye holes. These amulets can get quite small; only as big as your thumbnail, in some cases. Usually, however, they are about the size of the palm of your hand.

Cost: 300GP
Weight: 3 oz.

Manufacturing process

Beloved forbears are buried, and left to become one with the soil for years. The bones are then dug up, and certain ones will go to the family for rememberance. The rest will be interred in special ceramic jars at a high place in the Seraph Mountains, safe from intrusive flood waters.

Of the few that are kept, some are made into Sosentotem. Sculpted with love and care in mind, and chanted over under two full moons, each is made by hand and given as a gift to a loved one.

History

This highly specialized art form is attributed to Nyssa the Crone, somewhere around the time of the The Lowland Tsunami.