Wonders I: from Ivory's Own Forge
Glass Rule (Artifact 4) is a perfect dome-shaped shield crafted from rare veins of thrice-sanctified white orichalcum polished to a peerless sheen. Thin but intricate glyphs are etched into the mirror's surface through a process of direct motic inscription; as they are illuminated, each forms one of twelve great orisons to the Unconquered Sun's role as the arbiter of equitable justice. When attuned for eight motes, it becomes weightless as sunlight and strong as the Omphalos itself. No blow can mar its surface or shatter its wholeness. The bearer may add a +3 Shield bonus to both of his DVs. If the shield is successfully used to parry a magically supplemented attack, the owner may reflexively spend 3m, 1wp to mirror the attack--and its enhancements--upon the aggressor as a Counterattack. The attacker is subjected to the same attack, using the results as he originally rolled them.
Inherent to the justness of this retribution, though, is the concept of real danger--this power may not be used if the owner of Glass Rule invoked a perfect defense of any sort during this action. Equally dangerous to the owner is the way that Glass Rule enforces its sense of fairness--an attuned owner who personally instigates a battle or who escalates a battle to lethal levels is automatically subjected to the first attack they make that qualifies for either of these conditions--striking an unarmed man or moving to kill when no other blood has been shed, for example. The owner himself appears in phantom light reflected off Glass Rule, striking at the true attuned user with a look of righteous contempt. Glass Rule can subject its owner to only one such attack per scene, but it may continue to do so for twenty four hours after the breaking of attunement, temporarily taking over any other reflective surfaces in the former owner's presence.
The Tenfold Scabbard (Artifact 4) is a humble-looking bit of black leather covered all over with orichalcum filigree and marked by ten dark, lusterless gemstones. Its attunement cost is highly unorthadox in that it is entirely variable--the owner may attune it for a single mote, or for ten, or for two-thousand if they wanted. Once attuned, the owner may place any artifact blade within it; the Tenfold Scabbard expands to cover anything from a mortal dagger to a grand daiklave. Once sheathed, a weapon disappears entirely, consumed in a burst of golden Essence, and one of the sheath's ten stones brightens in color. Artifact weapons held within the Tenfold Scabbard need not be attuned and, in fact, attunement breaks when they are sent Elsewhere. As a miscellaneous action (Speed 4, DV -1), the bearer may draw any number of blades from the sheath so long as their combined attunement cost is equal to or less than the number of motes invested in the Tenfold Scabbard. Banishing a blade by sheathing it is a reflexive action. Mote committed to the Scabbard can be adjusted through a twenty-minute process of meditation. Obviously, the Scabbard may hold no more than ten swords in its Elsewhere arsenal at any one time.
The First Hunter's Mantle (Artifact 4) is a sash of black silk that seems to devour light from the world around it. When tied around the wearer's waist and attuned for five motes, it covers the user in an umbra of pitch black--save, curiously, for the wearer's eyes, which grow yellow and feline, shining with a savage intensity. The very fibers of the Mantle were woven from some of the eldest memories of mortalkind, and whoever wears the mantle may prey upon those fears. Those who glimpse the attuned user compare their MDVs to the owner's (Charisma + Presence). If they succumb to this attack, they suffer a Compulsion effect forcing them to flee; this Compulsion costs a point of Willpower to resist per action and persists until the target either steels their nerves with a Miscellaneous action to roll their Valor against a difficulty of 2 or has spent three Willpower in total. The greatest power of this mantle comes in pursuit--when chasing anyone fleeing because of fear or still in the process of shaking off the mantle's effect, it doubles the attuned owner's speed and allows him to reflexively dematerialize for three motes a tick in order to overcome obstacles between him and his quarry.
The Gaoler's Key (Artifact 4) is a solid piece of orichalcum worked into a key just under a foot in size. When attuned for four motes, it sheds a cruel, white light at all times equal to a Solar anima at the 4-7 level. The owner is reflexively aware of any attempts to circumvent the proscribed boundaries of Creation within an area equal to their (Essence x 100) yards in radius. In the Wyld, this can mean an Unshaped Raksha crossing the shinmatic horizons of Chaos to take on true shape. It applies equally well to the crossing of a Shadowland, the summoning of Ghosts or Demons, or the use of secret paths into Creation from the endless body of Cecelyne. The owner may spend a point of Willpower to initiate a contested roll of (Essence + Willpower) with any such intruder. The Goaler's Key grants the owner a single automatic success on all such rolls. If they owner wins the roll, the intruder is banished back to the heart of their natural realm and suffers a Compulsion to remain there for at least five days.
Harmony and Wisdom (Artifact 4) are a pair of short daiklaves crafted from pale blue jade the color of the morning sky. They sing in the hands of a gentle soul, and may be attuned for eight motes, with a discount equal to half the owner's Compassion, rounded up. Their blunted edges are soft as clouds and so it is that these swords inflict spiritual damage that can only be soaked through Stamina or Charms, and add Charisma to determine their damage rather than Strength. Mark this damage with an S; it heals at a rate of one point per day. While suffering from the powers of Harmony and Wisdom, a target adds a bonus to their Compassion rolls equal to the highest wound penalty that contains a level of this spiritual damage. If the incapacitated level is filled by this spiritual damage, the target suffers a Compulsion to cease hostilities which they may resist for three points of Willpower, healing back that level of damage. Actual physical damage replaces spiritual harm inflicted by Harmony and Wisdom without moving them up.
Speed 3, Accuracy +4, Damage +1S, Defense +1, Rate 2, Attune (Varies)
No comments:
Post a Comment