Overview: The Bone Sigils and Their Purpose The bone sigils are ancient relics forged in the final hours of the old world, shaped from the remains of powerful beasts and imbued with essence drawn from the Dark King himself. Each sigil embodies one aspect of the Dark King’s might, severed and sealed by the original guardians to weaken and imprison him. These sigils act as both prison and power source—binding fragments of a godlike threat while granting the bearer a measure of that same terrible power.
Though their full origin is obscured by myth, it is known that the sigils were created through the Ritual of Sundering, a desperate act that shattered reality and gave birth to the mirror-realm of Shadow Fen. They can only be borne by those chosen—individuals whose nature resonates with the aspect sealed within. Each sigil also manifests as a musical conduit, allowing the guardians to channel their magic through sound, especially during performances that serve as covert ritual reinforcement.
The Sigil of the Maw (Hunger) Forged from the rib of a dire wolf, the Maw represents unending hunger—greed, consumption, and the void left in the wake of the Dark King’s gluttonous will. The sigil lay dormant for centuries until it chose the Forgemaster, a drummer whose rhythms matched the heartbeat of the forge and the fury of the hunt.
Its wielder devours corruption through rhythm, turning each drumbeat into a hammer-blow that repels the Dark King’s essence. The sigil’s magic is embedded in the Forgemaster’s war-drum, inscribed with glyphs shaped like fangs. It is a sigil of resistance, containment, and sacrifice.
The Sigil of the Shackled Flame (Wrath) This sigil contains the Dark King’s unquenchable rage. Bound in a shard of blackened bone fused with molten iron, it burns eternally with suppressed fury. The Technomancer has carried this burden since the Sundering, containing the raw flame that once threatened to consume entire worlds.
The sigil flares through her Bassaxe, an arcane instrument crafted from recovered relics and enchanted circuitry. Each note suppresses rage with harmonic discipline. This sigil is bound to emotional control, creation through destruction, and the discipline to master fury.
The Sigil of the Withered Tongue (Corruption) Discovered by Thorin in a ruined shrine, this sigil silences the Dark King’s voice—his lies, manipulation, and unholy influence. Shaped like a desiccated jawbone, it channels purification through song.
Thorin forged his Thunderpick and guitar from the sigil’s fragments and ancient timber, turning his music into a bulwark of truth. It amplifies clarity, honesty, and the power of words to heal or wound.
The Sigil of the Drowned Star (Madness) The Drowned Star pulses with cosmic distortion, holding the fragment of the Dark King’s dreamscape mind. It drives the unworthy mad, but those who can resonate with its frequency may channel the dream magic within.
Kappa, an alchemist from a world of eternal twilight, was chosen by the sigil in a prophetic vision. He now wields a custom lead guitar inlaid with star-metal, turning chaotic melodies into psychic shields. This sigil represents insight through insanity, creativity through chaos.
The Sigil of the Hollow Eye (Omniscience) The most dangerous sigil, the Hollow Eye contains the Dark King’s sight—his awareness, memory, and knowledge of all things. To blind him, this sigil was carved from the socket of a great beast and inscribed with runes of forgetting.
Hadron has carried this sigil since the binding, using it to mask the other guardians from detection. He channels its power through haunting vocals and synths that mislead and mystify. This sigil is tied to fate, concealment, and prophecy.
Magical Laws and Rituals
The Binding Ritual: Performed during the Sundering, this ritual broke the Dark King’s power into five aspects. Each was trapped in a sigil and tethered to a chosen bearer. The price was high—the shattering of the world and the creation of Shadow Fen as a prison-realm.
Dream Realms: Each sigil has a corresponding dreamscape accessible only through trance or ritual. Guardians often experience visions from their sigil, revealing truths, dangers, or fragments of the Dark King’s return.
Artifacts and Instruments: Each guardian has forged a unique instrument to channel their sigil’s magic. These are both weapons and warding tools, evolving as the bearers grow. There are also lost artifacts—some from the Sundering era—that may resurface.
Ritual Performances: Shadow Fen’s concerts are more than music—they are rites disguised as shows. Songs reinforce the prison, weaken the cultists’ grip, and awaken latent powers in allies such as the Vanguard.
The sigils are not merely items—they are living burdens, bound by law and magic, requiring harmony, resilience, and sacrifice. Together, they maintain the seal that keeps the Dark King imprisoned, and their music echoes across worlds as both warning and hope.
