The Illinsaad Renor Sar'da, or Amulets of Black Death, are rare in the extreme and were possessed ONLY by the Emperor of the Black Throne, Nargus IV, his randii(mate), Ina'htas, the heir apparent, Araxmarr Zavern Sar'da and only a handfull of their best assassins. The dark magics used to create them were granted to only one Black Dragon, Ina'htas, the mother of Calla Blackthorn and randii of Nargus IV.

Materials:

These amulets are carved from the bones of various Silvers, the flat sternum (or breastbone) being the most highly coveted ivory. The pendants generally resemble a coiled dragon with its wings pulled in tight at its back in a circle of thorns...very similar to the House crest. They are affixed to a chain of DragoSkii’kudias (dragonsteele/adamantine).

Properties:

The Illinsaad, through the dark magics used to create them, absorb and entrap snippets of souls (The Rule of Threads); not enough to ‘rend’ a soul, but enough allow the bearer of the amulet to ‘wear’ that soul’s form, tap into their memories, mannerisms and even in extreme cases, the magical abilities that creature/person had in life. *When ‘wearing’ the form of another and the assassin is fully immersed in that soul’s residual awareness, the Pull is masked entirely from other dragons or any creature able to sense the Pull. Period.

The souls are forever trapped in a limbo type existence and contrary to some beliefs, the souls within do not fade or die if the amulet is separated from the original bearer. Illinsaad are also imbued with an ability to camouflage themselves, they can appear as gemstone pendants, intricate filagree, whatever is required to conceal their true nature.

Once placed around the neck of the bearer, the chain of the amulet will embed itself below the skin at the back of the neck, the pendant will swing free. As these chains are made from DragonSteele, it can only be assumed the the powerful magic that created them also allows for the chain to shift with the dragon, rather than cutting off its head. However...these chains carry a nasty surprise. Should the bearer or any other try to remove it, the chain senses the intent and will dig deeper into the flesh. Depending on how much tugging and yanking is involved, this can become an agonizing, bloody experience. There is only one known instance of one of these amulets being forcibly removed, and that was by a doppleganger form of the Demon Y'Roden pulling it free from Mira Badb Catha's (then Blackthorn's) neck. The result left her neck resembling a meat pudding until she was healed by Mystical Bellator and left a network of scars to mark the path of destruction the chain left behind.

Primary souls (Aeosh Prime): The Aeosh Prime is the soul that once belonged to the Silver from which the amulet was carved. This soul is the one exception to the "Rule of Threads". This soul is complete and will have the strongest will of all trapped within and can be the most difficult to control. In Araxmarr's case, Dawn Emberlight, his own mother, was the Aeosh Prime and during his own entrapment within, she acted as guardian to keep him from being torn apart by those who had died by his hand.
Ill effects: In a person untrained to handle the Illinsaad, such as Task Diamondwood, there is a sensation of overwhelming, fragmented memories flooding the mind. Unless a mental filter is put up, these souls will possess the bearer collectively and eventually cause complete destruction of the body, will and mind of the untrained bearer.

Also, it is important to note, that even those highly skilled in the uses of the Illinsaad are cautious with what they take from the souls. It is well known, that if you reach in too often and take too much when you do, the souls will retaliate and in some cases, collectively attack the awareness of the bearer full force.

The Exception:

Mira Blackthorn-Badb Catha has the gift of SoulHealing. The amulet sank beneath her skin once the relationship between her and the amulet became truly symbiotic. As a SoulHealer, she can control the souls within more than any before her, however, she has reached a state of agreement with them. She allows them their moments of 'life' and does not take their forms or skills without asking. This is a rare relationship and has not been duplicated and will never be again.

Destruction of an Illinsaad:

As of yet, an Illinsaad has never been destroyed, however there IS a way it can be done, and it is a closely guarded secret known only to a few. There is a question of what happens to the souls if the actual pendant is destroyed and the answer is based purely on conjecture. The accepted thought is, should one be destroyed, there would be a reaction similar to nuclear fission, as energy itself cannot be created or destroyed. There is a secondary school of thought on this, that rather than an explosion of pure energy, the souls instead would combine into one being called a Hakeashar...a hideous spirit similar to a poltergeist and of one mind and one thought. The amount of destruction would be very much the same as the first possible result, but would be exacted on a far more personal, torturous manner.

Known Illinsaads:

Callan's, later carried by Mira
Nargus', carried by Akavian, removed, and later given to Gideon Crylos by Calla Blackthorn.
Ina'htas Blackthorn - location unknown, presumed to still be on her body.

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Please, please. If you write a character interacting with an amulet bearer or an actual amulet bearer, ask ME about the mythos and any options not addressed here. It is essential this mythos not be altered or adjusted in any way, as it will royally fubar any older boards such as Caliginous, Tapestry of Legends, The Call, etc....