The Bone-Echoes, known to some by ancient names like Echo-Frames, are a rare and enigmatic ancestry, considered among the lowest forms of reanimated constructs by many in the Starfall Galaxy. They are animated skeletal remains, typically lacking many of the complex systems that make other synthetic or biological threats a serious danger. However, the reanimated bones of powerful alien predators, combat automatons, or ancient beings make for formidable foes. Those with exceptional will or subjected to extraordinary circumstances can retain some of their might and intellect upon returning as a Bone-Echo. Some desperate factions or rogue AIs turn their strongest enemies into skeletal reanimated servants, assuming they can keep control of them.
Bone-Echo adventurers were usually skilled and powerful in their former lives, or their core programming was exceptionally robust. Through unremitting force of will or extraordinary technological/Mana-based circumstances within the Ruins of the Tibburat Marches, their ego, ideals, or core directives persist even in death or deactivation. However, the very act of rising as a Bone-Echo is traumatic. Memories of one's former life are usually fractured or hazy, if anything can be remembered at all. For some, these memories return with time, often triggered by Mana-fluctuations or technological echoes; for others, they're gone forever. For the most part, this comes down to how the Bone-Echo views itself: either as a continuation of the person or program it once was, or an entirely new being forged from the wreckage of its past.
Bone-Echo adventurers often set themselves apart from other mindless reanimated constructs by dressing as flamboyantly as their station allows. Large, feathered caps made of exotic alien materials, ornate armor designed for their unique skeletal forms, embroidered silks woven with Mana-threads, or glittering cybernetic jewelry are likely staples of their wardrobe. Some carve intricate "tattoos" into their bones or paint their skulls with bioluminescent pigments to maintain a sense of self that simple Bone-Echoes lack, and to signal to the living that they're not like other mindless reanimated.
Bone-Echo adventurers must come to terms with their new identity. They aren't bound by the limitations of the living and are often underestimated by those who only see their skeletal forms. They learn to leverage their uncanny resilience and the fear their appearance inspires.
Core Identity: Fractured Legacy, Unyielding Will, and Otherness Bone-Echoes are fundamentally driven by a persistent will that transcends death or deactivation, often seeking to prove their sentience and capability in a galaxy that largely views them with fear, pity, or revulsion. They readily wade into danger with little regard for the safety of their skeletal forms, understanding their unique resilience. They desperately seek acceptance from the societies they once moved through with ease, or perhaps entirely new communities that can look past their terrifying appearance. Others will likely assume you're the servant of a malevolent force (a rogue AI, a necromancer, or a Rift-Entity), have difficulty empathizing with your unique state of being, and regard your reanimation with either pity or envy.
Physical Description
Aside from their complete lack of flesh and organs, Bone-Echoes vary widely in appearance, reflecting the broad diversity of all living beings and constructs they once were. They can be tall, short, or anywhere in between. Bone-Echoes of creatures with horns, wings, or tails retain them, although they are usually useless in their skeletal state unless enhanced with cybernetics or Mana. Bone-Echoes raised from fresh remains tend to have stark white bones, sometimes with faint Mana-luminescence, while older ones tend to be gray or yellowed, perhaps with scorch marks from their final moments. Bone-Echoes who adventure for a while often possess faint lines crisscrossing their bones like scars, indicating where their forms were damaged in previous battles, or where cybernetic repairs have been integrated.
As their bodies are constantly being rewritten by residual energies or unstable implants, Bone-Echoes do not age in a conventional sense. Their lifespans are unpredictable, often cut short by the inherent instability of their forms or by those who hunt them.
Societies Across the Spheres
Across the Starfall Galaxy, intelligent Bone-Echoes rarely gather in large enough numbers to constitute any kind of settlement. Even in sectors heavily affected by chaotic Mana or rampant rogue AI, where their numbers might be highest, they typically mingle with other anomalous beings (such as Automatons, Scarred, or Spark-Kin) rather than band together solely with their own kind. Many Bone-Echoes would rather keep company with those who remind them of their former life, though such reminders can just as easily lead to revulsion derived by the chaotic Mana-energy infused within them. In highly controlled sectors, Bone-Echoes are usually treated as members of the servant class or classified as dangerous anomalies, rarely having any upward social mobility.
Outside controlled sectors, Bone-Echoes are far more solitary. Some might hide on the outskirts of society or move about in disguise, but it's difficult for them to find acceptance among the living. While they may not be overtly feared in places that routinely deal with monstrous entities, they're also not likely to be respected, seen as curiosities at best, or dangerous abominations at worst.
Outer Sphere (Tibburat Marches & Scavenger Haunts): The Tibburat Marches are a vast, desolate region of ruined cities and war-torn landscapes, scarred by ancient conflicts and seething with residual Mana. This is the primary origin point for many Bone-Echoes, emerging from forgotten battlefields, collapsed bio-weapon labs, or reactivated automated defense systems. They often wander these ruins, scavenging for components, or guarding long-lost data archives. They might encounter Grolak Marauder Hordes or other scavenging crews, sometimes allying, sometimes fighting.
Inner Sphere (Urban Ghosts & Black Market Assets): In the dense ecumenopolises of the Inner Sphere, Bone-Echoes are unsettling rarities. They might move through the crowded lower levels in heavy cloaks, seeking anonymity, or find work in black market operations where their unique resilience and lack of need for sustenance are assets (e.g., as couriers of dangerous materials, discreet bodyguards, or enforcers). They are constantly at risk of being hunted by the Commission's specialized units or being captured for study by corporate bio-engineers.
Frontier (Rift-Bound Sentinels & Anomalous Wanderers): The most ancient and powerful Bone-Echoes are sometimes found in the uncharted Frontier, particularly within volatile Rift-Burgs or regions of intense Planar Bleed. Here, their fractured consciousness might be continuously warped by the Maelstrom's chaotic energies, or they might act as silent sentinels guarding ancient Mana-wells or forgotten cosmic secrets. They are drawn to the chaotic energies that gave them new "life," sometimes evolving unique, unpredictable abilities.
Beliefs
While reanimated constructs are often twisted towards malice by the chaotic Mana that animates them, some intelligent Bone-Echoes manage to stave off the corruption of the negative energy that powers them. Other than the tendency to become twisted towards malevolence over time, Bone-Echoes typically lean towards the alignments of their creators or their former selves. Bone-Echoes without any particular loyalty or allegiance tend toward neutral evil alignment, or neutral if they can stave off the evil impulses caused by their reanimation.
Bone-Echoes who embrace their undeath often revere entities of primordial chaos, death, or ultimate entropy. Those who resent their transformation typically look towards forces of life, rebirth, or redemption. Accepting deities without particularly zealous anti-undead dogma are popular among those who wish to fight against their destructive influences and become something greater than the purpose for which they were created.
Connection to the Rift and Chaotic Transformation
The Bone-Echoes' existence is a direct consequence of reanimation, often fueled by chaotic Mana or rogue AI. Their forms are living testaments to the raw, untamed power of the Maelstrom and the unpredictable nature of cosmic energies. Their reanimation might have occurred through ancient necromantic rituals, accidental exposure to Mana-bursts, or the intentional activation by rogue AIs.
The Rift-Storm Cataclysm was a period of immense cosmic chaos that amplified the very forces responsible for creating the Bone-Echoes, leading to new and more extreme forms of reanimation. Their bodies are constantly being rewritten by residual energies or unstable implants, making their lifespans unpredictable. Due to their inherently unstable nature, they are vulnerable to prolonged or intense Rift-Taint, which can further distort their forms or cause them pain. Their survival often depends on their ability to adapt quickly to their changing physiology and the hostile reactions of others.
Bone-Echoes Mechanics
Bone-Echoes are a Construct, Humanoid, Bone-Echoes ancestry.
Hit Points: 6
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Ability Boosts: Dexterity, Charisma, and one Free Ability Boost.
Ability Flaw: Intelligence.
Languages: Common, Necril (the guttural, resonant language of the reanimated and Rift-touched). You gain additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from Aklo, Dwarven, Elven, Infernal, Orcish (Grolak), Undercommon, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Senses: Low-Light Vision (You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.)
Traits: Construct, Humanoid, Bone-Echoes.
Reanimated Form (Undeath): You have the basic undead benefits (see sidebar). For your undead hunger, you don't eat flesh or drink blood like traditional undead, but you do collect Mana-infused remnants or discarded bio-components you can use to help yourself mend.
Basic Undead Benefits:
You are a living creature, but your body is fueled by negative energy. You can be healed by positive energy and harmed by negative energy as normal.
You are immune to death effects, disease, drained, fatigued, paralyzed, poison, and sickened conditions unless otherwise specified.
You do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep, but you still require a daily period of rest (2 hours of inert standby) to stabilize your internal Mana-flows.
You are not destroyed when reduced to 0 Hit Points. Instead, you are knocked out and begin dying when reduced to 0 Hit Points.
Bone-Echoes Heritages
At 1st level, choose one of the following Bone-Echoes heritages, reflecting the original form of their skeletal remains or the circumstances of their reanimation.
Light-Frame Bone-Echo (Compact Skeleton adaptation): For tasks that require a lighter touch, the remains of smaller humanoids or nimble constructs are more suitable. These smaller, nimbler Bone-Echoes fit well in a traveling containment unit, can be forced through tight spaces, and more easily avoid detection. Your size is Small instead of Medium. You gain the Quick Squeeze feat, even if you aren't trained in Acrobatics. Tight spaces not tight enough to require the Squeeze activity aren't difficult terrain for you.
Rapid-Response Bone-Echo (Fodder Skeleton adaptation): The remains of common humanoids or easily replicated constructs are often the favored material for mass reanimation. They are readily available, and their physiology has been studied the most extensively, so these Bone-Echoes can be easily mass-produced. Despite their designation, rapid-response Bone-Echoes make rather mobile foot soldiers due to how efficiently they transfer Mana-energy within their bodies. You have a base Speed of 30 feet, instead of 25 feet.
Augmented Bone-Echo (Monstrous Skeleton adaptation): The skeletal remnants of powerful alien beasts or monstrous humanoids with unique biomechanics are often reanimated for both their deadly physical attacks and their terrifying appearances. You gain a claw, horn, tail, or wing unarmed attack that deals 1d6 damage. A claw deals slashing damage, a horn deals piercing damage, and a tail or wing deals bludgeoning damage. This unarmed attack is in the brawling group and has the finesse and unarmed traits.
Adaptive Bone-Echo (Shifting Skeleton adaptation): Constructed from the bones or chassis fragments of various shapechanging creatures or adaptive constructs, shifting Bone-Echoes retain a measure of reconfigurability, allowing them to subtly shift forms. You gain the Rearrange Bones action.
Rearrange Bones [one-action] (manipulate) You arrange your bones or chassis fragments into the form of a Small or Medium humanoid's skeleton. This doesn't change your normal Speeds, Strikes, or senses. If you are wearing heavy clothing or impersonating a skeleton, this counts as setting up a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception, and grants a +1 status bonus to those Deception checks.
Reinforced Bone-Echo (Sturdy Skeleton adaptation): Certain hazardous cosmic conditions are not suitable for the average Bone-Echo, so a reanimator might choose to reanimate the bones of a powerful alien species, or a heavily armored construct with a reputation for sturdiness. You have 10 Hit Points instead of 6 and gain the Diehard feat.
Bone-Echoes Ancestry Feats
You can select Bone-Echoes ancestry feats from the following options.
1st Level Feats
Echoes of Past Purpose (As in Life, So in Death) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 1: Specific memories of your old life are hard to hold onto, but you know things without remembering why, perhaps due to latent Mana-signatures or fragmented data. You become trained in one skill of your choice (chosen at creation, reflecting your past role), and once per day, you can choose to reroll one skill check related to that skill, but you must use the second result.
System Collapse (Collapse) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 1: You collapse into a pile of bones or disarticulated components, mitigating the worst of the damage you would have taken, and the triggering attack deals only the amount it would deal on a hit (typically full damage instead of double damage). As a reaction when you take damage from a Strike, you can use this feat.
Deactivated Mode (Play Dead) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 1: You lie prone and pretend to be an ordinary, inactive skeletal remnant or deactivated construct. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks to Hide as an inanimate object.
Reanimated Kinship (Undead Empathy) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 1: Your relationship with reanimation gives you a stronger bond with other reanimated constructs or certain types of anomalous beings. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks when interacting with undead, constructs, or creatures with the Aberration trait.
5th Level Feats
Fragmented Echoes (Past Life) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 5: Flashes of your life become clearer and more frequent, allowing you to apply skills you developed while alive. You become an expert in the skill you chose for Echoes of Past Purpose.
Modular Limbs (Well-armed) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 5: Your detachable limbs offer flexibility in combat or utility. As a single action, you can detach one of your limbs (e.g., an arm, a rib). This detached limb can serve as an improvised weapon (dealing 1d4 bludgeoning damage, Agile, Finesse, Unarmed) or be left to block a narrow passage (acting as difficult terrain for a Small or larger creature). Reattaching a limb takes a single action.
9th Level Feats
Shard Volley (Bone Missile) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 9: You can remove your ribs or other small bone shards to use them as projectiles. You gain a ranged unarmed attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage with a range of 30 feet. This attack has the thrown trait. You can retrieve used shards as a single action, and you automatically regrow lost shards during your daily rest.
Core Anchor (Rejuvenation Token) (Uncommon, Necromancy, Bone-Echoes, Uncommon) Feat 9: You tie your consciousness to the Material Plane by implanting a piece of your Mana-infused core essence into a weapon, piece of armor, or other item that's precious to you. If you are destroyed, your consciousness persists within this item for 1 week. If a Mana-ritual of reanimation is performed using this item during that time, you are returned to life.
Hollow Resilience (Skeletal Resistance) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 9: Your body becomes resistant, your hardened bones or composite chassis deflecting weapons and other forms of damage. You gain resistance 1 to piercing and slashing damage.
13th Level Feats
Chassis Morph (Skeletal Transformation) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 13: You rearrange your bones or internal components into a bestial or more utilitarian shape. Once per day, as a 2-action activity, you can cast animal form or construct form (your choice, GM's discretion for forms suitable to your skeletal nature) as a 4th-rank innate spell, affecting only yourself.
Reanimated Vanguard (Skeleton Commander) (Uncommon, Bone-Echoes, Uncommon) Feat 13: Expert in Religion (or Lore: Tibburat Marches, or Lore: Reanimation Protocols). You gain the ability to summon your own skeletal minions or basic reanimated drones. Once per day, as a 3-action activity, you can summon a single skeleton guard (or a basic combat drone, GM's discretion) as a minion. It remains for 1 minute.
17th Level Feats
Fragment Swarm (Bone Swarm) (Common, Concentrate, Polymorph, Bone-Echoes, Transmutation) Feat 17: You scatter your body and transform into a whirling storm of bones or disarticulated components for up to 1 minute or until you spend a single action to return to your normal shape. While in this form, you gain a Fly Speed of 20 feet, resistance 5 to all physical damage, and you can make a single melee Strike that deals 4d6 bludgeoning damage to one adjacent creature each round.
Rift-Mana Conduit (Necromantic Heir) (Common, Bone-Echoes) Feat 17: Your affinity for Mana, particularly the chaotic energies of the Rift, spills outward and grants you a refilling well of power. You gain a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You gain a single focus spell (GM's discretion, e.g., a spell that deals negative energy damage or one that affects constructs) that uses this Focus Point.
Here are a few adventure hooks designed to appeal to a Bone-Echo Player Character, leveraging their unique origins as reanimated constructs, their fractured pasts, and their often-misunderstood place in the Starfall Galaxy:
Adventure Hooks for Bone-Echo Player Characters
The Whispers of the Tibburat Marches:
Hook: The Bone-Echo PC begins to experience vivid, disorienting "echoes" – fragmented sensory inputs or emotional bursts that are clearly not their own, originating from a specific, desolate ruin within the Tibburat Marches. These echoes hint at a critical event from their "before life" or the moment of their reanimation, suggesting a hidden truth about their past or a lingering threat. A Mnemosyn philosopher, intrigued by the persistence of consciousness, or a Shadar seeking to understand the nature of fractured souls, approaches the PC, believing their unique state makes them a conduit to forgotten history. The mission is to journey into the heart of the Marches, decipher the echoes, and uncover what truly happened, even if it means confronting a painful past or a powerful entity that caused their reanimation.
Bone-Echo Appeal: This hook directly taps into the Bone-Echo's core identity of a fractured legacy and the potential for recovering lost memories (Echoes of Past Purpose, Fragmented Echoes). The PC would be driven by a desire for self-understanding and to confront the source of their reanimation. Their resilience (Hollow Resilience, Reinforced Bone-Echo) would be vital in the harsh environment, and Rift-Mana Conduit could help them attune to the residual energies.
The Mindless Legion's Awakening:
Hook: A vast, mindless legion of skeletal constructs, long thought to be inert remnants of an ancient war, has begun to stir in a forgotten Outer Sphere system. They are not fully sentient, but they are driven by a singular, destructive directive. The Bone-Echo PC feels a strange, almost sympathetic pull towards them, recognizing a distorted echo of their own reanimation. A Klaris Legion commander, seeking to understand and repurpose the constructs, or an Automaton collective, fearing a rogue AI controlling them, seeks the PC's help. They believe the Bone-Echo's unique connection to reanimation (Reanimated Kinship) is the only way to safely interface with the legion, understand its directive, and either shut it down or guide its destructive potential towards a less harmful target.
Bone-Echo Appeal: This hook appeals to the Bone-Echo's "otherness" and their potential kinship with other constructs. The PC would be motivated to prevent widespread destruction or to assert their own sentience against the mindless horde. Reanimated Vanguard would be highly relevant for controlling or influencing the legion, while Augmented Bone-Echo could provide the necessary combat prowess to confront the threat.
The Living Corpse Market:
Hook: Rumors surface in the Inner Sphere's black markets of a new, horrifying trade: "living corpses" – reanimated beings (not necessarily Bone-Echoes, but perhaps other forms of undead or constructs) being illegally created and sold as cheap labor or disposable assets by a ruthless Mega-Corporation or a clandestine Commission faction. These reanimated beings are suffering, their limited sentience trapped in servitude. The Bone-Echo PC, having experienced their own traumatic reanimation and struggle for freedom, feels a profound empathy and outrage. A Spark Droid who champions emergent sentience, or a Human abolitionist, seeks the PC's help to expose the operation, free the enslaved, and dismantle the corrupt trade.
Bone-Echo Appeal: This is a morally charged hook that directly challenges the exploitation of reanimated life. The PC would be driven by a desire for justice and to protect others who share their state of being. System Collapse or Deactivated Mode could be used for infiltration, while Modular Limbs might offer unique ways to navigate secure facilities. Their Reanimated Kinship would be vital for connecting with the enslaved.
The Mana-Well's Necrotic Bloom:
Hook: A powerful, isolated Mana-well in the uncharted Frontier has begun to manifest a terrifying "Necrotic Bloom" – a chaotic, ever-expanding zone of negative energy that reanimates local flora and fauna into grotesque, aggressive forms. This is a direct result of a powerful Rift-Entity or a rogue A.I. Construct attempting to harness the Mana-well's energy for a destructive purpose. The Bone-Echo PC, whose own existence is fueled by negative energy, feels an unsettling resonance with this phenomenon; it is both familiar and terrifying. A Triosam "Corrector," sensing a profound imbalance, or a Florin who fears the corruption of plant life, seeks the PC's unique insight and resilience. The mission is to venture into the Necrotic Bloom, understand its source, and find a way to either contain or purify the corrupted Mana-well.
Bone-Echo Appeal: This hook directly engages the Bone-Echo's connection to negative energy and the Rift. The PC would be motivated by curiosity about their own nature and the desire to control or understand this powerful force. Rift-Mana Conduit would be invaluable for navigating the necrotic zone, Chassis Morph could allow them to adapt to the hostile environment, and Fragment Swarm could provide a powerful defensive or offensive option against the corrupted creatures.
Comments
Post a Comment