The entity bonds with the Aethereal ideal of death using Essence, through a permanent bridge to Lands of the Dead. Once merged, the transformed entity can be seen with Aura Sight. If ever the bridge is killed or removed in some way, the costs are still permanent, all effects are immediately lost and the character will suffer temporary Deluded Thoughts and possibly worse.

Type: Divine

Common Requirements: The Preeminent Presence must be either Material or Aethereal. Cannot possess Glooming Bond or Luminous Bond; The Game Master, Setting, and/or story elements will determine what is relevant and/or appropriate.

Common Costs: Sacrifice 1 Essence for the Bond. The character will take on physical characteristics reflecting the bonded bridge (i.e. hair, skin, eye color, shadow shape, a halo or shadow crown, a glow, facial feature minor changes, etc.)

Common Effects: After the equivalent of a year, the character will gain 2 Essence as their presence in The Pattern grows stronger. The bridge is marked by the entity taking on properties that make it more like a corpse.

• General Appearance is decreased by 1 measure.
• Death Anchor: The bonded cannot be made undead.
• Essence Pit: Any permanent Essence loss causes 1 additional.
• Drawn to Death: Any drop into negative Health requires mystical healing to recover from (natural healing is ineffective).
• Dead Aura: No life aura.
• Quieted Thoughts: Immune to the Nightmare trait and its effects; Any benefits from rallying, improved morale, etc. is reduced by 1.
• Resisted Healing: Disadvantage on any skill check to heal.

Specific Manifestations

• Behavior: The character becomes more lethargic, less motivated and animated. They are drawn to sources of warmth.
• Physical/Visage: Their visage grows sunken or hollow, dark circles under their eyes. Their skin is colder to the touch, and paler.