Since the stats are unnecessary to understand and use the item, and are not imbedded in the description or history, I'll ignore them in my vote. Go to Comment
This clay is used to form death masks. The corpse's face is moulded with the clay and the resulting impression fired. The mask now can be used as the focus for many different necromantic enchantments including the ability to converse with the departed spirit, to wear the mask and take on his likeness, or even to call back the dead. Go to Comment
Related to Preserver - Small creatures placed within the vessel will be kept dormant and alive for the length of the spell. This allows for transport of such creatures over great distances, or for use as weapons. One could store venomous snakes, plauge rats, scorpions, etc. Go to Comment
Guardian of the Afterlife (Major pottery related magic)
Forms either an infantryman, cavalryman or mount of terra cotta bound to the spirit of a named individual.
In life, these figures are useless - their utility comes in the afterlife where they will provide the bound spirit members of a host it can use in battles there.
More mundanely, for religions where this is not an issue, the figure will function as a weak golem used to defend crypts and gravesites. Although not able to sustain much damage, it can strike as well as a seasoned warrior, and there is nothing stopping improvements such as armour or magical spells from being applied. In this application, the figure will not leave the area of the grave.
crediting comments by manfred to my Death Mask scroll, and Chinese History
(the Terra-cotta army buried in Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum)Go to Comment
Items (Clothes) (Magical)