Anklets of the Spectral Song 338

Lore

These anklets were crafted by a Spectral Lupine who, in a past life, was one of the legendary Aqua Sages. Haunted by the fading echoes of the ocean’s song, the Lupine sought to bridge its new ethereal existence with its lingering connection to the sea. It took the principles of the Aquatic Harmonizer and fused them with its own Soulbound Anklets, using strands of solidified ectoplasm and crushed, resonant pearls. The result is an artifact that doesn’t just anchor a spirit to a plane but allows it to project its will as a song, calling not just to the creatures of the deep, but to the very echoes and spirits of the water itself.

Description

A pair of elegant anklets crafted from interwoven strands of spectral silver and glowing, azure-hued ectoplasm. They emit a soft, ghostly light and a faint, melodic hum. Small, shell-shaped charms made of polished moonstone hang from the anklets, and a single, large, mana-infused pearl is set into the clasp of each one. When worn, the anklets feel cool and almost weightless, as if they are partially phased out of the material plane.

Stats

Rarity: Rare
Required Tier: 2
Attribute Modifier: +1 Charisma, +1 Wisdom
Animal Call Bonus: +3 (for aquatic or spectral creatures)
Cost: 900 gold pieces

Tags

Aquatic, Spectral, Communication, Banishment Resistance, Empathy, Resonance, Ethereal Resilience, Spiritbound, Underwater, Planar Anchor, Harmony, Soulforged, Siren’s Call, Ghostly, Ethereal Charm, Spirit-Caller, Aquatic Conduit, Song of the Deep, Otherworldly

Passive Magics

Planar Anchor: The anklets solidify the wearer’s spiritual form. The wearer has advantage on all saving throws against effects that would banish, dispel, or forcibly move them from their current plane of existence.
Echoes of the Deep: The wearer is constantly attuned to the sounds of water and spirit. They can understand the speech of all aquatic and spectral creatures as if under the effect of a permanent Speak with Animals and Speak with Dead spell, but only for those creature types.
Ghostwalk: The wearer’s footsteps are supernaturally silenced. They make no sound when moving, and they have advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to move silently.

Active Magics

Call of the Spectral Tide: Once per day, as an action, the wearer can sound a note from the anklets that is heard on both the material and ethereal planes simultaneously. They can summon either one spectral beast of CR 2 or lower OR two aquatic beasts of CR 1 or lower. The summoned creatures are friendly, obey commands, and remain for 1 hour before dissipating.
Ethereal Jaunt: As a bonus action, the wearer can become ethereal, allowing them to move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. They can remain ethereal for up to 1 minute or until they use their bonus action to end the effect. If they end the effect occupying the same space as a creature or object, they are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d10 force damage. This ability can be used twice per long rest.

Specific Slot

Feet (worn item)

Item Durability and Disabling

As a Rare, Tier 2 artifact woven from spectral silver and solidified ectoplasm, the anklets are more magically resilient than physically tough. Their form is partially ethereal, making them difficult to damage with mundane attacks. If targeted directly, they have an Armor Class of 16 and 55 hit points.

Damaged (1-27 HP remaining): When the anklets are below half their total hit points, the connection between the aquatic and spectral magics becomes unstable. The azure glow flickers with a sickly grey light. The Echoes of the Deep passive becomes distorted, causing the speech of spectral or aquatic creatures to sound like painful static. The Ghostwalk passive fails intermittently, causing the wearer’s footsteps to emit loud, discordant chimes at random.
Disabled (0 HP): When the anklets’ hit points are reduced to zero, the ectoplasmic weave dissolves, and the moonstone charms shatter. The spectral silver turns a dull, mundane grey, and all magical properties cease. The anklets fall from the wearer’s feet as broken, inert metal rings, their song silenced until they can be repaired.

Repairing the Anklets

Repairing the anklets requires a crafter who understands how to work with both spiritual essence and aquatic magic, a rare combination of skills.

Repairing a Damaged Item (above 0 HP): To restore damaged anklets, a spirit-attuned enchanter must perform a “Harmonizing Ritual.” This involves submerging the anklets in blessed saltwater under a full moon and using 200 gold worth of crushed pearls and rare incense to soothe the conflicting energies. The ritual takes one full night to complete and restores the item to its full hit points.
Repairing a Disabled Item (at 0 HP): Restoring the anklets from a disabled state requires re-weaving their spiritual and physical forms. This is a quest-level undertaking.
1. Gathering Components: The crafter must first acquire new Moonstone Charms (costing ~300 gold) and a vial of Prime Ectoplasm from a powerful, willing spirit. This ectoplasm cannot be taken by force.
2. The Ritual of Re-forging: The broken spectral silver must be taken to a location where the Ethereal Plane and an ocean touch (such as a haunted coastline or an underwater spirit-gate). A master enchanter must then use the Prime Ectoplasm to re-forge the silver and set the new moonstones, all while chanting the “Song of the Deep” to re-bind the aquatic and spectral magics. The total cost in additional rare components and services would be at least 1,200 gold.

As a rare Tier 2 artifact that fuses two distinct and powerful forms of magic, the Anklets of the Spectral Song 338 would be a highly sought-after item. Its trade would be conducted in secretive, specialized, and often dangerous locations where the barriers between worlds are thin, and powerful magic is a common currency.

Here are the types of establishments where this unique artifact might be bought or sold in the world of Saṃsāra:

The Sunken Archive of Abyssara

Location & Atmosphere: Located in a magically sealed and perpetually dry chamber within the deepest trench of an underwater metropolis like Abyssara. This is not a shop but a library-vault run by ancient aquatic liches or merfolk archivists who collect artifacts that bridge the material, ethereal, and elemental planes. The air is cold and silent, smelling of ancient coral dust and preserved ectoplasm. The anklets would be stored in a containment field, displayed as a perfect specimen of “planar resonance.”
Buying the Anklets: The archivists would not sell such an item for mere gold. They would trade it for knowledge or an artifact of equal or greater significance. A prospective “buyer” would need to offer something unique: the true name of an abyssal entity, a map to a lost plane, or a living specimen of a creature from the Ethereal Plane. The transaction would be a solemn, binding contract.
Selling the Anklets: The archivists would be among the most knowledgeable and eager buyers. They would understand the item’s full significance and would pay a premium to add it to their collection. They would offer a very high price but would likely pay in rare magical components, powerful spell scrolls, or exclusive access to a section of their forbidden lore rather than just coin.
Cost:
- Buy Price: A trade of legendary knowledge or an artifact of equal rarity.
- Sell Price: A material equivalent of 1,500 gold pieces, paid in rare reagents and forbidden knowledge.

The Ghost-Tide Bazaar

Location & Atmosphere: A clandestine market that appears only during specific tidal alignments on the shores of a haunted, mist-shrouded island. The merchants are a mix of spectral beings, necromancers, and planar travelers. The atmosphere is ethereal and unsettling, with the sound of lapping waves mingling with ghostly whispers. The anklets would be presented on a stall made of phantom driftwood, their azure glow a beacon in the mist.
Buying the Anklets: Haggling here is a battle of wills. The spectral merchant would be able to sense the buyer’s desires and fears. A buyer would need to prove their connection to the spirit world or the sea. The price might be lowered if the buyer can best the merchant in a riddle or offer a spirit a favor, such as finding its lost anchor or delivering a message to the living world.
Selling the Anklets: The merchants of the Ghost-Tide would recognize the anklets’ power immediately. They are the perfect tool for their clientele of spirit-traffickers and planar explorers. They would pay well in untraceable, often cursed, currency (such as ancient coins from a sunken kingdom) to acquire an item that so perfectly embodies their trade.
Cost:
- Buy Price: 1,200 gold pieces, or 900 gold plus a significant quest for a spiritual entity.
- Sell Price: 800 – 900 gold pieces, paid in difficult-to-trace precious goods.

The Shadow-Fin Syndicate Auction

Location & Atmosphere: An illegal, invitation-only auction held in the lavish, magically-silenced ballroom of a submerged criminal enterprise’s headquarters. The attendees are powerful crime lords, disgraced nobles, and high-ranking assassins. The atmosphere is one of opulent danger and ruthless ambition. The anklets would be the star attraction, presented as the “ultimate infiltration tool.”
Buying the Anklets: Acquiring the anklets here requires immense wealth and the nerve for a bidding war against the world’s most dangerous individuals. The auctioneer would highlight their practical applications: the Ghostwalk for silent movement, the Ethereal Jaunt for bypassing any physical barrier, and the Planar Anchor for surviving magical security. The bidding would be fierce and fast.
Selling the Anklets: This is the quickest way to turn the anklets into a fortune, but it is fraught with peril. The Syndicate takes a large commission and offers no protection after the sale. The seller would receive a massive payout but would also become known to powerful, unscrupulous people who now know they once possessed such an item.
Cost:
- Buy Price: Starting bid of 1,000 gold pieces; likely to sell for 2,000+ gold.
- Sell Price: The final hammer price minus the Syndicate’s 25% commission.

The Lupine’s Grove

Location & Atmosphere: Not a shop, but a hidden, sacred grove on a remote island, known only to the Spectral Lupines and those they trust. It is a place where the Ethereal Plane and the natural world are in perfect harmony. The anklets would not be for sale but might be held by the pack’s alpha or elder shaman.
Acquiring the Anklets: The only way to get the anklets here is to earn them as a gift. A character would have to perform a great service for the Spectral Lupines, such as defending their grove from a planar threat, healing their corrupted spirit-well, or acting as their ambassador to a hostile faction. The anklets would be bestowed in a solemn ritual, a symbol of an unbreakable bond between the character and the pack.
Selling the Anklets: Selling the anklets to the Lupines would be a gesture of immense respect. They would see it as returning a lost piece of their heritage. They would not have a great deal of coin, but they would offer a priceless reward: their pack’s eternal loyalty, a permanent spirit guide, or the secret of how to navigate a specific, treacherous spirit-path.
Cost:
- Buy Price: A legendary deed performed in service to the Spectral Lupine people.
- Sell Price: A non-monetary boon of immense spiritual or narrative value.

The Anklets of the Spectral Song 338 are a unique and subtle artifact, best suited for a character who operates on the edges of reality. Their power is not in overt, explosive force, but in unparalleled mobility, spiritual resilience, and the ability to call upon allies from two different realms. The roleplay of this item is that of a phantom, a whisper, and a master of the unseen tides.

Here is how a character might roleplay their use in different environments:

1. In a Flooded, Sunken City (e.g., Abyssara)

This is the perfect environment for the anklets, where their aquatic and spectral powers can be used in perfect harmony.

Proactive “Offense”: The wielder is not a frontline combatant, but a master scout and saboteur. They would use Ghostwalk to move silently through the drowned halls, their feet making no purchase and leaving no trace. Their offense begins with information. Using Echoes of the Deep, they would “speak” to the lingering ghosts of the city’s dead, learning the locations of traps, treasure, and powerful guardians. Then, they would use Call of the Spectral Tide to summon spectral sharks—silent, incorporeal hunters—to silently eliminate sentries or harass a powerful foe from unexpected angles, attacking through walls and floors.
Reactive “Defense”: When confronted by the city’s powerful guardians, such as an ancient water elemental that tries to banish them with a vortex of water, the Planar Anchor is their key defense. The anklets would flare with a cold, azure light, and the wielder would describe feeling an unbreakable weight, an anchor to reality that the elemental’s magic cannot dislodge. When cornered in a sealed chamber by a monstrous undead kraken, their escape is not a matter of force, but of finesse. They activate Ethereal Jaunt, becoming a ghostly silhouette, and simply swim through a solid coral wall to safety, leaving the beast raging in the empty room.

2. Infiltrating a Heavily Guarded Arcane Fortress

This environment highlights the anklets’ supreme infiltration capabilities, relying on stealth and ethereal movement over water.

Proactive “Offense”: The wielder’s role is that of the ultimate infiltrator. The “offense” is the act of bypassing every defense the fortress has. They would use Ghostwalk to move silently across rooftops and down hallways. Upon reaching a locked door or a guarded checkpoint, they would activate Ethereal Jaunt, their form becoming misty and translucent as they simply walk through the wall, the guards, and any physical traps. They might use Call of the Spectral Tide in a targeted, subtle way—summoning a spectral snake or rat to slither through a grate and trigger a distant trap, creating a diversion on the other side of the fortress while they proceed unopposed.
Reactive “Defense”: A magical ward is tripped, sealing the hallway with impenetrable force fields and alerting the guards. While other party members are trapped, the wielder uses Ethereal Jaunt to walk through the magical barrier and disable the ward’s power source from the other side. If a powerful Archmage attempts to cast Banishment on the wielder, the Planar Anchor flares to life. The wielder would describe the feeling of the spell trying to tear them from reality, but the anklets’ power feels like two immense, ghostly hands holding them firmly in place, causing the powerful spell to fizzle.

3. In a Desolate, Spirit-Infested Wasteland

With no water, this environment tests the anklets’ purely spectral abilities.

Proactive “Offense”: The wielder becomes a spiritual diplomat and commander. Surrounded by hostile, lesser spirits, they would use Echoes of the Deep not to speak, but to project the anklets’ song—a melody of authority in the spirit world. This could pacify or intimidate weaker spirits into leaving the party alone. Against a more powerful foe, like a territorial wraith lord, their offense is to fight fire with fire. They would perform the Call of the Spectral Tide, not to summon a sea creature, but to call forth a powerful spectral beast native to the region—a great ghost bear or a phase cat—forcing the wraith lord to fight a rival spirit on its own terms.
Reactive “Defense”: A malevolent spirit attempts to possess a party member. The wielder, using Echoes of the Deep, can hear the spirit’s whispers and intervene. If the wielder themselves is targeted by an effect that would destroy their soul or spiritual form, the Planar Anchor provides a powerful defense, described as their own spirit solidifying, becoming too “heavy” for the enemy to affect. When overwhelmed by a horde of shrieking phantoms, the wielder would use Ethereal Jaunt as a defensive reset, becoming incorporeal for a moment to let the horde pass harmlessly through them, giving them a moment to find an escape route or prepare a counter-attack.

4. During a Naval Battle on the Open Sea

This environment allows the anklets’ aquatic summoning to shine as a powerful, large-scale offensive weapon.

Proactive “Offense”: The wielder is a one-person naval weapon. While the two ships exchange cannon fire, the wielder would stand at the railing of their vessel and perform the Call of the Spectral Tide. They would roleplay this by describing the shell-charms on the anklets chiming with a song only the deep can hear. In response, two massive sharks or a giant octopus would rise from the depths. The wielder would then telepathically command their summoned allies to attack the enemy ship’s hull, rudder, or sails. The offense is strategic and devastating, crippling the enemy vessel from beneath the waves where they cannot fight back.
Reactive “Defense”: The enemy vessel is crewed by powerful sea-mages who cast a spell to try and capsize the wielder’s ship. As the magical force slams into the ship, the wielder could use Call of the Spectral Tide defensively, summoning a pod of spectral dolphins to appear and push against the hull, stabilizing it. If the wielder is thrown overboard in the chaos, Ethereal Jaunt would be their salvation. Instead of drowning, they could activate it to become weightless and incorporeal, walking on the surface of the water or through the waves back to their ship, a ghostly figure returning from a watery grave.

Perception of Activation:

When the wearer of the Anklets of the Spectral Song 338 activates their Call of the Spectral Tide ability, the perception is a powerful and otherworldly event that blurs the lines between the sea, the spirit world, and the physical plane.

Sight

User’s Perspective: The anklets flare with a dual-colored light: a ghostly, silvery luminescence interwoven with a deep, oceanic azure. Your vision momentarily splits, perceiving the world as if it were simultaneously underwater and shrouded in the Ethereal Plane’s mist. You see the faint, shimmering forms of spirits and the ghostly echoes of aquatic life swirling around you.
Observer’s Perspective: A brilliant but silent flash of azure and silver light erupts from the wearer’s feet. A thick, spectral mist that smells of the deep ocean floor rolls out in a 15-foot radius. The wearer’s form becomes translucent and seems to ripple, as if being viewed through both deep water and a ghostly fog. Phantoms of fish, sharks, or spectral tentacles may appear and dissipate within the mist.
Positives: The visual effect is ethereal, beautiful, and clearly signals a powerful summoning is taking place. The mist provides temporary visual cover and can disorient enemies.
Negatives: This is an incredibly overt magical display, a beacon of otherworldly energy that will attract the attention of any hostile creature, magical guardian, or rival spellcaster in the area.

Sound

User’s Perspective: You don’t just create a sound; you become the source of a song heard on two planes. You perceive a complex, layered melody: a deep, haunting whale call that resonates in your bones, interwoven with the high-pitched, whispering chorus of the spirit world. You can distinctly hear the approaching cry of the creature you are summoning as it answers your call.
Observer’s Perspective: A powerful, ethereal melody emanates from the user, seeming to come from everywhere at once. It is a strange and beautiful sound, a mix of a deep oceanic song and a ghostly, whispering choir. The sound is deeply unsettling and unnatural.
Positives: The song is enchanting and can be morale-boosting for allies who are prepared for it. It is a clear and undeniable signal of the user’s unique power.
Negatives: The sound is profoundly unnatural and will attract immediate attention from anything that can hear. It can be terrifying to those unfamiliar with it, potentially causing panic in civilians or skittish allies.

Smell

User’s Perspective: An intense and contradictory fragrance floods your senses: the cold, dusty scent of a long-sealed tomb (the spectral) and the sharp, briny tang of the deep ocean floor (the aquatic).
Observer’s Perspective: The air grows cold and heavy, carrying a powerful smell of the sea—salt, brine, and kelp—mixed with the cold, musty scent of an open grave.
Positives: The scent is intensely evocative and reinforces the otherworldly nature of the magic being performed.
Negatives: The smell is bizarre and potentially nauseating to some. It is another way the user can be easily tracked by creatures with a keen sense of smell.

Touch

User’s Perspective: An intense cold spreads up your legs from the anklets, a feeling that is both the icy chill of the abyssal depths and the unnatural cold of a ghostly touch. The anklets feel completely weightless, as if your feet are no longer touching the ground but are instead submerged in two different, unseen worlds.
Observer’s Perspective: The temperature in the immediate area around the user drops noticeably. A cold, damp mist seems to cling to all surfaces and creatures nearby.
Positives: The intense cold can be bracing for the user, helping to focus their mind on the complex task of summoning.
Negatives: The chill can be uncomfortable for allies and may cause adverse effects in already cold environments. It makes the user’s presence physically obvious.

Taste

User’s Perspective: An unavoidable taste of saltwater and cold, metallic dust fills your mouth.
Observer’s Perspective: Not applicable.
Positives / Negatives: This is a minor flavor element that reinforces the item’s dual nature.

Extra-Sensory Perception 1: The Two-Fold Call

User’s Perspective: You feel your consciousness split and project outward. One part of your mind plunges into the nearest body of water, no matter how small, seeking the life within. The other part extends into the Ethereal Plane, searching for the spirits that linger. You feel the creature you are calling—aquatic or spectral—answer your song, its mind touching yours across the planar boundary as you guide its essence into the material world.
Observer’s Perspective: A powerful psychic or a user of the Mind’s Eye would see the user’s aura explode outwards in two distinct forms. One part flows like a river into the earth (seeking water), and the other expands like a ghostly mist into the air (seeking spirits). They would then see a shimmering thread of this energy latch onto a distant point and “reel in” the summoned creature’s spiritual form.
Positives: The user has a direct, tangible connection to the creature they summon, allowing for perfect telepathic communication and control.
Negatives: This mental projection is mentally taxing. A hostile psychic could potentially intercept this “call,” follow it back to the user, or even attempt to subvert control of the summoned creature as it manifests.

Extra-Sensory Perception 2: The Thinning Veil

User’s Perspective: You feel the boundary between the worlds—the Veil—become thin, fluid, and malleable around you. The physical world feels less solid, less real. You feel the pull of both the spiritual and aquatic realms, a sense of belonging to both and neither simultaneously, which empowers your other ethereal abilities.
Observer’s Perspective: Everyone within the area of effect feels a sense of profound and strange dislocation, as if they were suddenly plunged deep underwater or as if the world has become a ghostly echo of itself. The feeling is strange, disorienting, and deeply unnatural.
Positives: This thinning of the veil enhances the power of the user’s other spectral abilities (like Ethereal Jaunt) for a short time after the summoning.
Negatives: The feeling of dislocation can be deeply unnerving for allies, potentially causing them to become disoriented, frightened, or nauseous. A weakened veil can also make the area more susceptible to unwanted intrusions from hostile ethereal entities.

The Rite of the Spectral Song

This complex ritual details the method for merging the Aquatic Harmonizer with the Soulbound Anklets. The process involves deconstructing the physical form of the Harmonizer and infusing its communicative, aquatic essence into the spectral matrix of the anklets. The goal is to create a single artifact that no longer needs to be played, but instead passively and actively sings a song that resonates on both the material and ethereal planes.

Items Merged

Aquatic Harmonizer (Tier 1): Must be in pristine condition. Its physical components will be repurposed, and its aquatic-song magic will be extracted.
Soulbound Anklets (Tier 1): Must be fully charged and undamaged. They serve as the chassis and the source of the spectral and planar-anchoring magic.

Additional Materials Needed

A Large Abyssal Pearl (1): A rare, iridescent pearl harvested from the deepest ocean trenches where the veil to other planes is thin. It will serve as the new nexus for both magical energies.
Ectoplasm of a Drowned Mariner (1 vial): A specific type of ectoplasm that holds a strong affinity for both the sea and the spirit world, used as the primary binding agent.
Crystalized Siren’s Song (a shard): The physical remnant of a powerful siren’s call, harvested from underwater caves known for their magical acoustics. This will grant the anklets their melodic, enchanting voice.
Strands of Spun Moonlight (a handful): Used to re-weave the ethereal components and give the new creation its signature glow.

Tools Required

Ethereal Forge: Necessary for gently heating and reshaping the Spectral Silver of the anklets without destroying their enchantments.
Masterwork Jeweler’s Kit: For setting the Abyssal Pearl and repurposing the charms.
Resonance Chamber: A magically attuned bowl or chamber (often made of crystal or bell-metal) used to tune magical items to specific frequencies.
Aethyric Suture Kit: A specialized enchanter’s toolset for stitching magical essences and auras together.

Skill Requirements

Master Smith (Spectral Metals): To safely reshape the Soulbound Anklets.
Master Enchanter: To oversee the dangerous fusion of the two distinct enchantments (aquatic communication and ethereal resilience).
Expert Jeweler: To handle the delicate work of setting the Abyssal Pearl and infusing the charms.
Proficiency in Planar & Elemental Lore: The crafter must have a deep understanding of both the Ethereal Plane and the elemental nature of water to guide the two magics into a stable union.

Crafting Steps

This is a delicate, four-day process that must be conducted in a location with a strong connection to both the sea and the spirit world, such as a haunted coastal grotto at high tide.

Day 1: The Deconstruction and Infusion
1. The Aquatic Harmonizer is ritually broken. Its shell-shaped charms are saved, but its core body is ground into a fine powder.
2. The Soulbound Anklets are gently heated in the Ethereal Forge until they are malleable. Their original moonstone charms are removed.
3. The powdered Harmonizer is mixed with the shard of Crystalized Siren’s Song and placed in the Resonance Chamber. The crafter must chant for several hours, extracting the pure “Essence of the Song” from the materials.
4. The original shell-charms from the Harmonizer are then soaked in this essence, becoming the new carriers of the aquatic magic.
Day 2: The Forging of the New Form

Using the Masterwork Jeweler’s Kit, the newly infused shell-charms are skillfully attached to the Spectral Silver anklets, replacing the old moonstones.
The Large Abyssal Pearl is carefully set into the clasp of each anklet. This pearl will act as the central nexus, bridging the gap between the spectral silver and the aquatic charms.
Day 3: The Spiritual Binding

The newly assembled anklets are submerged in the vial of Ectoplasm of a Drowned Mariner.
Using the Aethyric Suture Kit and the Strands of Spun Moonlight, the crafter must “stitch” the ectoplasm into the seams of the anklets, physically and magically weaving the new aquatic components into the existing spectral matrix. This process binds the “song” to the “spirit.”
Day 4: The Final Tuning

The completed but silent anklets are placed within the Resonance Chamber. The crafter must begin a deep, melodic chant, projecting their will and their understanding of both the sea and the spirit world.
They are not simply enchanting an item, but teaching it a new, two-fold song. They must guide the energies until the anklets begin to hum on their own, resonating with the crafter’s chant.
When the hum stabilizes into a clear, beautiful, and otherworldly melody—a fusion of whale song and ghostly whispers—the Rite is complete. The anklets will now sing their spectral song, forever bound to both the tides and the veil.

Drowned Wolf and Sea-Ghost’s Song

Translator’s Note: The following words are taken from carvings on a set of water-smoothed moonstone charms, found in a tidal cave that is said to appear only on moonless nights. The language is not of any known people, and seems to be part of the sea-spray and part of the ghostly mist. Many symbols have worn away, and the word for “song” is the same glyph as the word for “chain.”

And it was in the time of sorrows, when the sea and the spirit-world were at war. The sea, she was angry, for her children were being stolen by the hungry ghosts of the air. The spirit-world was angry, for the sea’s deep currents were pulling its echoes down into the lightless dark where they could not rest. There was no peace between the wave and the whisper.

In this time of un-peace, there was a creature. Its name is lost, but the carvings call it the Lupine-of-Two-Souls. It was a great wolf of the spirit world, a guardian of the veil. But in a great battle, it was cast down from its misty paths and fell into the deep, angry ocean. The salt-water burned its ghost-flesh, and the weight of the water was a heavy blanket upon its spirit. It could not die, for it was already a spirit. But it could not live, for it was drowning in a world of life. It was a ghost, drowning. A great paradox, this was.

For an age, the Lupine-of-Two-Souls was trapped. It was a prisoner in the abyss. The creatures of the sea, they could not see it, for it was a ghost. The spirits of the air, they could not hear it, for it was buried under the waves. It was alone, in the cold, between all worlds.

But the ocean has a heart, and the spirit-world has a memory. And the sorrow of the Drowned Wolf was a great and terrible song that both could hear.

From the spirit-world, the ancestors of the Lupine, they spun threads of pure moonlight and memory. They wove them into anklets of spectral silver, a chain to anchor a spirit so it would not be lost. This was the Soul-Chain, a promise of a home to return to.

And from the sea, the ancient Aqua Sages, they heard the sorrow. They took a perfect pearl from the heart of a leviathan. They took the shells that sing the ocean’s song. They made a Harmonizer, a tool to speak the language of the waves. This was the Sea-Song, a promise of a voice to be heard.

Two great magics were made, one of spirit, one of water. But they could not reach the Drowning Wolf alone.

It is said a small, brave fish, a glimmer-fin, heard the whispers of the Sages. It took one of the singing shells in its mouth. And it is said a small, lonely wisp, a ghost-light, heard the call of the ancestors. It wrapped itself around one of the spectral anklets. And together, the fish and the wisp, the living and the dead, they swam down, and down, and down into the abyss. [The carvings here are much worn, speaking of a great journey through the dark].

They came at last to the Lupine-of-Two-Souls. The ghost-wolf was weak, its form unraveling. The wisp attached the Soul-Chain to one of its legs. A great flash of silver light! And the wolf’s form became solid, anchored in the world of spirit once more. It was no longer unraveling. But it was still drowning.

Then the fish, it came forth. It blew a single, sad note from the shell. The Sea-Song. And the sound was a key. It unlocked the Lupine’s voice. And the wolf, for the first time in an age, it howled. But its howl was not the howl of a wolf on a mountain. It was a new sound. It was the howl of a wolf, and the song of a whale, and the whisper of a ghost, all woven into one. A Spectral Song.

And when this song was sung, a great wonder happened. The Soul-Chain of the ancestors and the Sea-Song of the sages, they were drawn together. The shell-charms of the harmonizer flew from the fish and fixed themselves to the spectral anklets. The great pearl set itself into the clasp. The two magics became one thing. The Anklets of the Spectral Song.

And the Drowned Wolf was no longer drowning. The anklets, they sang. And the song allowed the wolf to be both a spirit and a creature of the sea. It could walk on the ocean floor as if it were a misty plain. It could speak to the living fish and the dead sailors in the same breath. It was no longer a prisoner between worlds; it was the master of both.

The Lupine-of-Two-Souls, now the Singer-of-the-Deep, used its new voice. The song went forth. It told the angry sea that the spirits meant no harm. It told the hungry ghosts that the sea was not their enemy. The song was a bridge. And the war between the wave and the whisper, it ended. The Singer-of-the-Deep became the guardian of the new peace, its every footstep a note in a song of harmony.

Moral of the Story: Thus it is carved: A soul trapped between two worlds is a prisoner. But a soul that learns the song of both is a king. True strength is not found in choosing one path, but in weaving all paths into a single, harmonious step.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Drowned Caller’s Shackles

These elegant, shimmering anklets are crafted from a strange, silvery metal that feels both cold and wet to the touch, regardless of the environment. They are adorned with seashell charms made of polished moonstone. The anklets hum with a deeply unnatural melody, a song that seems to echo from a place between the bottom of the ocean and the depths of the grave.

To attune to the shackles, the investigator must wear them and meditate for one hour while submerged in water. This harrowing experience, filled with visions of sunken cities and whispering ghosts, costs 1D8 Sanity points permanently.

Planar Anchor: The wearer’s soul is stubbornly anchored to their physical plane. They gain one bonus die on any POW roll to resist being magically banished, teleported, or having their spirit commanded.
Whispers of the Deep: The wearer can always understand the guttural speech of deep ones and the sorrowful intent of nearby ghosts. To initiate communication requires a Hard POW roll and costs 0/1D2 SAN.
Ghostly Step: The wearer gains one bonus die on all Stealth rolls.
Call the Spectral Tide (Action): Once per day, the user can perform a 1-minute ritual to summon a creature. This costs 8 Magic Points and 1D6 Sanity, and requires a Hard Cthulhu Mythos roll.
- Success: Summons one creature appropriate to the environment (a Deep One near the sea, a powerful Spectre in a graveyard) which is bound to perform one service before departing.
- Failure: The summoned entity is hostile and uncontrolled.
Ethereal Jaunt (Action): By spending 5 Magic Points and making a POW roll, the user can become incorporeal for 1 minute, able to pass through solid objects. Experiencing the world as a ghost costs 1/1D4 SAN.

Blades in the Dark

The Ghost-Tide Anklets (Fine Item, Worn, Mystical, Ethereal)

A pair of strange, shimmering anklets that seem to phase slightly in and out of reality. They are adorned with seashell charms that make no sound. The anklets sing a silent song that calls to the spirits of the drowned and the forgotten things that lurk in Doskvol’s canals.

This is a Fine item that takes up 2 Load.
Anchor Soul: When you Resist a consequence from a ghost or magical effect that would banish, possess, or control you, you get +1d to your roll.
Silent Step: You get +1d to your Prowl rolls when moving silently.
Call the Deep: Once per score, you can summon a supernatural ally. Describe what you’re calling (a drowned ghost to provide information, a spectral eel to attack an enemy, etc.). The GM will tell you the Stress cost (from 1 to 3, based on the desired effect). Pay the cost to have the ally appear and assist you.
Ghost-Walk: When you are in a haunted location or near a body of water, you can suffer 2 Stress to flow through walls and obstacles for a few moments to get to an otherwise unreachable position or to escape pursuit.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Anklets of the Spectral Song Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

This pair of elegant anklets is crafted from interwoven strands of spectral silver and glowing, azure ectoplasm, adorned with silent, shell-shaped moonstone charms. They feel cool and almost weightless, as if they are only partially on this plane.

Planar Anchor. You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that would move you against your will or transport you to another plane of existence.
Echoes of the Deep. You can understand the languages of all beasts and monstrosities that have an innate swimming speed. You can also cast the speak with dead spell at will.
Ghostwalk. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to move silently, and your footsteps make no sound unless you wish them to.
Ethereal Jaunt. As a bonus action, you can magically shift from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane, or vice versa. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Call of the Spectral Tide (1/Day). As an action, you can cast one of the following spells, requiring no material components: conjure animals or summon shadowspawn. When you cast conjure animals with this feature, you can only summon beasts with a swimming speed. When you cast either spell, it is cast at 3rd level. The spell save DC for summon shadowspawn is 16.

Knave (2nd Edition)

The Ghost-Water Anklets (1 Inventory Slot, Worn on Feet, Magical, Ethereal)

A pair of shimmering silver anklets adorned with seashell charms. They are cold to the touch and make no sound, allowing the wearer to walk between the world of the living and the world of spirits.

Passive Abilities: You cannot be magically banished or teleported against your will. You can always understand what ghosts and aquatic animals are saying. Your footsteps are completely silent.
Ghost Step (3/day): As your move for the round, you can become incorporeal and invisible. You can move through solid objects, but must end your turn in an empty space. This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.
Call the Tide (1/day): As an action, you can summon one powerful spirit ally that lasts for one hour. You may choose one of the following:
- Spectral Wolf: HD 4, 18 HP, Armor 15, d8 bite, incorporeal.
- Two Giant Sharks (must be summoned in water): HD 3, 13 HP, Armor 13, d8 bite.

Fate Core / Fate Condensed

Whispers of Tide and Veil

These are not merely anklets, but shackles to two worlds at once. They are crafted from shimmering, spectral silver interwoven with glowing azure ectoplasm, adorned with silent moonstone shells. They allow the wearer to walk the line between the deep oceans and the spirit world, hearing the songs of both.

Item Aspect: As a character gains this item, they add the following powerful aspect to their sheet: Whispers of Tide and Veil.

This aspect can be invoked by spending a Fate Point for a +2 bonus or a re-roll on any action that involves stealth, communicating with spirits or aquatic life, or resisting banishment.
The GM can compel this aspect when the anklets’ otherworldly nature attracts unwanted attention from powerful spirits or deep-sea entities, or when the call of one realm makes it difficult to focus on the other.

Stunts:

Planar Anchor: Because I wear Whispers of Tide and Veil, I get a +2 to Will when I Defend against any magical attempt to banish or teleport me against my will.
Echoes of the Deep: Because I wear Whispers of Tide and Veil, I can understand and speak with ghosts, spirits, and all aquatic animals as if we shared a language.
Call the Spectral Tide: Once per session, I can spend a Fate Point to summon an otherworldly ally. I can immediately create a situation aspect like Loyal Spectral Wolf or Enormous, Crushing Octopus with one free invocation on it.
Ghost-Walk: Twice per session, I can declare that I am using the anklets to become ethereal. I can bypass one major physical obstacle (a fortress wall, a locked vault door, a chasm) without making a roll, but I cannot take any other physical action on the turn I do so.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Hydro-Phase Anklets (Artifact)

A pair of shimmering, silvery anklets adorned with seashell-like nodules that emit a faint azure light and a low, melodic hum. These devices are complex dimensional translocators, anchoring the user to their native reality while allowing them to temporarily phase into adjacent dimensions (specifically, the echo of a great ocean and a plane of ethereal spirits).

Level: 6
Form: A pair of shimmering, ornate anklets that are cool to the touch.
Effect (Constant): The wearer is trained in all tasks involving stealth. The wearer eases all tasks to resist forced teleportation or banishment by two steps. The wearer can understand the basic intent and communication of all aquatic and incorporeal creatures.
Effect (Action):
1. Call the Tide: The user activates the anklets to pull a creature through a temporary dimensional rift. If near a significant body of water, they summon two level 3 aquatic creatures. If not near water, they summon one level 4 incorporeal creature. The creatures are allied with the user and remain for 10 minutes before being pulled back to their native dimension.
2. Phase Jaunt: The user becomes incorporeal and can pass through solid objects for one minute. During this time, they cannot affect the normal world, and it cannot affect them (unless an attack has the ability to strike incorporeal targets). The user can end this effect as an action. This costs 3 Speed points from the user’s Pool.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (check each time the Call the Tide ability is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Anklets of the Spectral Tides Item 9 Uncommon, Magical, Invested, Conjuration, Transmutation Price 700 gp Usage worn anklets; Bulk —

These elegant anklets are crafted from interwoven strands of a silvery, ethereal metal and glowing, azure ectoplasm. Small, shell-shaped moonstone charms hang from them, chiming with a sound only spirits and sea-creatures can hear.

When you Invest the anklets, you gain a +2 item bonus to Stealth checks, and your footsteps make no sound. You also gain a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws against effects that would banish you or force you to move to another plane. You can understand the languages of all aquatic and incorporeal creatures.

Activate [three-actions] (envision, conjuration); Frequency once per day; Effect You cast a 3rd-level summon animal spell to summon two aquatic animals, or you cast a 3rd-level summon construct spell to summon an incorporeal spirit (use the statistics for a Spirit of Air, but it is incorporeal and lacks the air trait).

Activate [one-action] (envision, transmutation); Frequency three times per day; Effect You become incorporeal until the end of your next turn. While incorporeal, you gain a fly Speed of 20 feet and can pass through physical objects, though you must end your turn in an open space.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition – SWADE)

The Siren’s Chains

A pair of beautiful but haunting anklets made of a silvery, ghost-like metal. They are adorned with seashell charms that chime with a silent, spectral melody. They are said to be a key that unlocks the door between the deep oceans and the world of the dead.

Requirements: Seasoned, Spirit d8+
Passive Abilities:
- Planar Anchor: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Spirit rolls made to resist being banished, possessed, or teleported against their will.
- Silent Step: +2 to all Stealth rolls. The wearer’s footsteps are completely silent.
- Whispers of the Tides: The wearer can communicate with aquatic creatures and spirits as if they shared a language.
Active Abilities:
- Call the Spectral Tide (Action): Once per day, the wearer can cast summon ally without spending Power Points. They can choose to summon either two Seasoned aquatic allies or one Veteran spectral ally.
- Ghost-Walk: The wearer has 5 Power Points that can only be used to cast the intangibility power on themselves. These points recover at a rate of 1 per hour.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

The Siren’s Step

A highly coveted and deeply magical focus, these elegant anklets are woven from strands of Orichalcum and what appears to be solidified, glowing ectoplasm. Adorned with moonstone charms, they are a powerful tool for infiltration and spirit manipulation, prized by shamans who follow a path of water or illusion.

Type: Enchanted Item (Focus) Availability: 16R Cost: 85,000 Nuyen

Effects:

Planar Anchor: The wearer’s astral and physical forms are securely bound. The wearer gains a +4 dice pool bonus to any test to resist magical banishment, forced astral travel, or possession.
Whispers of the Tides: The wearer can perceive and understand the speech of spirits (specifically water, watcher, and task spirits) and aquatic critters. This also provides a +2 dice pool bonus to any Summoning or Binding tests involving spirits of water.
Silent Step: The anklets produce no sound. The wearer gains a +3 dice pool bonus to all Sneaking tests.
Call the Spectral Tide (Major Action): Once per day, the wearer can summon a powerful spirit ally without making a Summoning test or suffering Drain. They can summon either one Force 5 Spirit of Man or two Force 4 Spirits of Water. These spirits are bound for 1 hour or until they perform one service.
Ghost-Walk (Major Action): Twice per day, the wearer can spend a point of Edge to gain the Mist Form critter power for 1 minute. This allows them to flow through small openings and become highly resistant to physical damage.

Starfinder

The Spectral Tide Striders Level 10; Price 19,000 credits Slots Worn Magic Item (anklets); Bulk L

This pair of elegant anklets are a hybrid of phase-state technology and potent enchantment. They are crafted from interwoven strands of spectral silver and glowing, azure-hued biotech filaments. They allow the wearer to briefly step between planes and command creatures of the deep and the dead.

Effects:

Planar Anchor: You gain a +4 insight bonus to saving throws against effects that would teleport you or move you to another plane against your will.
Echoes of the Deep: You can communicate with any creature that has the aquatic or incorporeal subtype, as if you were under the effects of a continuous tongues spell.
Ghostwalk: You gain a +5 insight bonus to Stealth checks.
Call of the Spectral Tide (1/day, 1 minute): You can cast summon creature V, but you can only use it to summon one incorporeal undead (of CR 9 or less) or two creatures with the aquatic subtype (of CR 8 or less).
Ethereal Jaunt (3/day, Move Action): You can become incorporeal for 1 round. While incorporeal, you take only half damage from non-magical sources and can move through solid objects as if they were difficult terrain (you must end your turn in an open space).

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

The ‘Siren’ Infiltration Suite

An incredibly advanced and rare piece of personal technology, likely of Ancients origin. This device takes the form of a pair of elegant, shimmering anklets that bond with the user’s bio-signature. They function as a sophisticated stealth field generator, a dimensional phase-shifter, and a xeno-communication device, all powered by an unknown energy source.

Tech Level (TL): 16 Mass: 0.5 kg Power: 15/day (recharges 1 per hour) Cost: Priceless (Artifact)

Effects:

Dimensional Anchor: The wearer’s personal gravitic field is stabilized against external teleportation effects. The wearer gains DM+4 on any checks to resist forced teleportation or dimensional shifts.
Xeno-Harmonizer: The suit’s integrated AI can analyze and replicate the communication methods of non-sapient aquatic and exotic (e.g., energy-based or gaseous) lifeforms. The wearer gains DM+2 to all Animals checks involving such creatures.
Stealth Field: The suit generates a sound-dampening field that masks the user’s footsteps. The wearer gains DM+4 on all Stealth checks.
Matter Phasing (Action): By spending 3 Power, the user can activate a phase-shifter. For one minute, they can move through solid objects up to 1 meter thick.
Drone Deployment (Action): By spending 5 Power, the suit can replicate and deploy either two small, semi-sentient aquatic recon drones or one larger, ‘ghost-field’ disruption drone. These drones are loyal and follow commands for one hour before dissolving.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

The Siren’s Sepulchral Step

A legendary and deeply magical artifact, these silver anklets are said to have been crafted by a powerful Elven Sea-Mage of Nagarythe who delved into the forbidden lores of both the ocean and the dead. The anklets are woven with strands of captured moonlight and spirits, adorned with seashell charms that chime with an eerie, silent melody.

Type: Magical Item Encumbrance: 0 Qualities: Magical, Fine, Ethereal, Unbreakable

Effects:

Anchor of the Soul: The wearer gains a +20 bonus to all Willpower Tests made to resist being magically moved, banished, or possessed.
Whispers of the Tides: The wearer gains the Petty Magic (Dahz) and Second Sight Talents. They can understand the speech of all aquatic creatures and can communicate with all forms of spirits and undead as if they shared a language.
Silent as the Grave: The wearer adds +30 to all Stealth Tests, and their footsteps make no sound.
Call of the Drowned (Action): Once per day, the wearer can cast the Summon Undead spell as an action, requiring no ingredients or Channelling test, and without risk of a Miscast. They can use this ability to summon either one Wraith or two Bloated Corpses.
Ghost-Walk (Action): Three times per day, the wearer may spend an action to become Ethereal for a number of rounds equal to their Willpower Bonus. They can move through solid objects but cannot affect the material world, nor can it affect them.