Carcanet of Undeath

(Wondrous Item, rare, requires attunement)

This black iron chain necklace, featuring a pendant fashioned to look like the face of a female human, is used to create and control undead creatures. Each carcanet is keyed to a specific collection of 10 necrotic spikes, which can be stored on the necklace itself. The pendant is the vital component of the item, acting as a nexus through which necrotic energy flows to the spikes.

The person wearing the carcanet is linked to the undead created by the necrotic spikes and can telepathically command them across any distance. The telepathy flows only one way; the undead cannot communicate or share information with the user. If the carcanet is removed, the undead become dormant, paralyzed until the necklace is put back on by a sentient creature. The user requires a 6 Intelligence
score or greater to control the undead, and control passes to a new user who puts
on the necklace and becomes attuned to it. However, killing the current user while they are wearing the pendant or destroying the pendant (AC 19, 10 HP) causes all undead linked to the necklace to instantly and permanently de-animate. Large creatures can be animated and controlled by the carcanet but require the use of
at least 5 necrotic spikes.

The black iron pendant starts out in the shape of a beautiful woman. Each time a spike is used, the face becomes corrupted and aged, transforming into a zombified face and eventually into a grinning skull when the last spike is used.