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The tenth theme is Unconventional Artifact Weapons

There're so many cool weapons. It's a shame most things are daiklaves. Artifact knives, and fighting gauntlets, artifact nets! - Scrollreader

Ox Forging Gloves - FlowsLikeBits

Gloves

Artifact •

Commitment: 2 motes each

The first of the Ox Forging Gloves were supposedly created by Iron Lotus, a renowed Solar smith, known both for her crafting capabilties and great strenght. She had the difficulty that she tended to break her tools(this was before Solars trascended the need for such things). The original version took the form of heavy work gloves, with interwoven Orichalum threads. Later version have been more stylish types of gloves, and used threads of other types of magical materials. These artifacts are somewhat difficult to produce, relative to power. This is due to the difficulty of making fine wire out of magical materials and interweaving it into an intricate artical of clothing.

To active the abilities of the Ox Forging Gloves, an Exalt must commit 4 motes to them(above and beyond the normal cost to attune to them). While the gloves are activated, objects carried by the Exalt are endowed with exceptional strength, in a manner similar to the charm Object Strenthening Touch. This means that normal fragile objects gain the strength of forged steel. They may be used as improvised weapons(with Brawl), although stats are provided by the storyteller(but they can do lethal damage and parry it without a stunt). This effect persists as long as the Exalt holds the objects in her hands, thus making it difficult to improvise throwing weapons with the gloves.

Normal weapons gain the strength of the five magical materials, and resists breakage like they were made of such. Even weapons make of the Five Magical Materials have the difficulty to damage them increased by 2.

While the gloves are activated, the Exalt may reflexivly active and deactivate their effect on a particular object at will. She may pick up a bottle(normally too fragile to make good weapon), parry several swords with it, smash it to create a sharp edge and make an attack with the sharpeded edge without undue risk of breakage.

With the exception of actual artifacts, the weapons strenghtened by the gloves are considered to be made of the same magical material as the gloves, thus the magical material bonuses add to the weapons stats(this even applies in the case of objects that are normally to fragile to be used as weapons). Exalts may even force attunement to them by doubling the activation cost for the gloves(this doubled cost is committed), thus gaining the MM bonuses.

The Lady Resplendant's Umbrella - Gamlain

Umbrella

Artifact ••

Commitment: 3 motes

An umbrella of the Lady Resplendant is an elegant construction of black, well oiled leather from some unidentifiable scaled beast (perhaps a shark), orichalcum tines and a central pole of carved jade to insure minimum weight. The whole will be embroidered in threads of the five magical materials with great artistry, the metal tines carefully shaped for maximum strength and elegance, and the jade shaft carved with any of a variety of fancifull themes. Created by a Zenith Solar in the heights of the first age, these items were fairly popular - both a potent defense and a likeable prop for the overindulgant Solar Queens.

Attuned to any being the Lady Resplendant's Umbrella is a potent defensive tool with the following stats: Speed +5 Acc+0 Damage +1B or -3L(it is difficult to inflict leathal harm with the sharpened edge of an open umbrella, but possible for a exalt of sufficent strength), Defense +4, but only in the hands of a Solar learned in the proper Solar techniques is it's true defensive power available: The Umbrella grants a 1 wp discount on the use of Heavenly guardian defense up to once per turn. Using the long staff of a great sun umbrella as a weapon requires both hands for creatures under eight feet tall.

A Lady Resplendant's Umbrella is also a perfectly functional magitek Umbrella, warding off sun and rain or other weather flawlessly reguardless of wind, and protecting the owner from extreems of temperature, the shade beneath it's unfolded canopy sufficient to shelter up to four people in a temperature controlled shade. (This power costs 1 mote to invoke for a scene)

Resputina, the Cloth Doll's Accompaniment - OhJames

Gossamer violin

Artifact •••

Commitment: 5 motes

This elegant violin is lovingly woven from filigree and shadow, embroidered with living spiders and lacquered with the tears of thirteen goddesses. Her strings are the finest childgut. She has no resonating chamber. The carvings on her surface move when unobserved. Mortal men and women cannot play her; their clumsy, shaped fingers pass through Resputina’s form like so much mist. The bow, however, is completely solid, even to the hands of the Creation-born.

Resputina’s bow is a long rod of gossamer and ebony, strung with human hair and bearing a shard of a broken heart upon its tip. It is quick and supple as a willow switch, but many times more deadly, for the mindless sorrow contained on its point saps the will of those creatures of shape that are struck by it. It can be used as a weapon with the following statistics: Speed +4, Accuracy +6, Damage +5L, Defense +2, and Rate 5. If not using Power Combat, Resputina’s bow instead has Speed +6, Accuracy +7, Damage +6L, and Defense +1. In addition, every time Resputina’s bow inflicts damage on one of the Creation-born, they must roll their Willpower, difficulty of the number of health levels dealt. If they fail, they lose a point of Willpower immediately.

Resputina herself, however, has a power of her own. She is a shaping weapon of the Cup, able to spin worlds of her own shadowed substance, where sorrow, confusion, and misery dwell in equal measure, frolicking in the damp and the cold. She has the following statistics if used in this fashion: Speed +3, Accuracy +6, Damage +4 (Piercing), Defense +6, and Rate 4.

When used by one of the Fair Ones in Creation, Resputina can weave a fate of doomed romance for up to five people. This ability costs 5 motes and 1 gossamer. The raksha rolls her Manipulation + Performance. Each success grants a point of either the Destiny merit or the Dark Fate flaw, which must both pertain to the target’s romantic endeavors. The raksha must divide the points evenly between both merit and flaw, with any excess going into Dark Fate rather than Destiny. Any Creation-born targeted by this effect whose Charisma + Essence is greater than the raksha’s Manipulation may shake off the false weave of fate. However, they are unable to aid any other targets who do not meet these requirements.

Whisperblades - Scrollreader

Magical Material Daggers

Artifact ••••

Commitment: 12 motes (pair)

Speed +0, Accuracy +6, Damage +6L, Defense +0, Rate 8

Unlike many weapons made of the five magical materials, whisperblades are hardly any larger than their normal counterparts, resembling long daggers, perhaps the size of shortswords. They are thus often favored by assassins, and those who wish something less obstrusive than a grand diaklaive, for social situations. They only function in pairs. Each blade has a socket for a single hearthstone.

In addition to their normal combat stats, these blades move with startling speed. The wielder gains a second full action with the WhisperBlades, regardless of his other actions in a round. This must be used to parry only. This effect is not compatible with extra action charms, though it stacks with any other independent actions the wielder may have. Unlike some independent actions, the blades neither adds to movement, nor allow the wielder to invoke more than 1 charm in a turn, unless he uses a combo, as normal. Whisperblades are found in all five magical materials, though starmetal versions are common, both because they are small, and use less starmetal, and because they are the signature weapons of charcoal march of spiders practictioners, who use their own formidable powers along with those of the blades to become truly fearsome foes.

The Sidereal Hairpins - OhJames

Starmetal hairpins

Artifact •••••

Commitment: 3 motes (pair)

Two rather unassuming hairpins are all that greet the eye when this Artifact is discovered. They are about five inches long and straight as arrows, at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, it is revealed that they curve delicately; that first appearance is merely an optical illusion. The material used in their construction is apparently base iron, though they reflect light strangely, glimmering from tine to time with a luminescence uncharacteristic of so crude a metal. The hairpins are resolutely uninteresting, even to the trained eye of a savant. Essence sight reveals only the barest of enchantments laid upon their forms, though it does show that they are constructed of starmetal cleverly disguised. It is only when an exalt tries to force attunement with them that their nature and power becomes clear.

Upon infusion with Essence, the hairpins begin to flicker with a twisting, prismatic light that skates and skitters across their respective lengths. At this point, they become lovely accoutrements to any coiffure; if used as hair ornaments, they reduce the target number of all Performance, Presence, or Socialize rolls based on appearance by three. Should the exalt using the Hairpins be pressed into combat, they reveal another power.

With a mental command, the Hairpins remove themselves from their current position, ruining any hairstyle they were a part of in the process, and sprout yard-long streamers of fine silk in a burst of Essence. They may be directed to attack any enemy within 200 yards of the character. They always hit and cannot be parried; they fly along the secret paths of fate and are too wily to be blocked by another weapon. Should they miss their target, through a dodge or effect such as Heavenly Guardian Defense, they fly immediately back to their owner's hands. In this case, they must be thrown like normal weapons (Accuracy +0, Damage n/a, Range 200, Rate 1), albeit with a +2 Difficulty modifier, due to the necessity of throwing them at precisely the same time. Should they strike true, no damage is inflicted. Instead, they sink into the temples of their target, one on each side, and wrap their streamers along the length of his body. This inflicts a –4 wound penalty for as long as the Hairpins remain imbedded. The streamers flare with green and red light as Old Realm characters bleed onto their surfaces, transmitting prayer after prayer to the Pattern Spiders.

This has several effects: first, the target is no longer considered outside of fate and cannot activate any abilities that would place him in such a condition. Second, his fate is amended with a notation that he is an enemy of Creation and should be destroyed. This means that any attack that misses will be redirected toward the Hairpins’ victim, assuming it is within range. This includes melee attacks. Have the original attacker re-roll their attack with the Hairpins’ victim as the new target, with any modifiers that would have applied to the original attack. (Note: this does not force attackers to spend more motes on Charms they had already activated.)

The third and final effect must be activated by the use of a special mudra that can be taught only by Asanasana, the Grandmother Spider of the Forbidding Manse of Ivy. The exalt must roll her unmodified Essence score, difficulty of her current Paradox rating. If she fails, she gains points of Paradox equal to her Essence rating, as the Pattern Spiders express their displeasure at having the threads of Fate tugged so roughly. (Note: for non-Sidereal exalts, the difficulty of the Essence roll is always 5. If they fail, they are subjected to the Curse of Sidereal Time. On the next day, they lose a number of dice equal to their Essence rating from all rolls involving the auspicious abilities of the House of Journeys. On the second day, they lose dice from the auspicious abilities of the House of Serenity, and so forth. This continues for five days.) Upon performance of the requisite gesture, the Hairpins crackle with the turbulent, roiling substance of raw Fate. This power is shunted into the crown chakra of the Hairpins’ victim, inflicting a random Pattern Bite, instantly and without the possibility of avoidance, barring truly exceptional circumstances. After being grounded of their power in this fashion, the prayer strips dissolve into twinkling motes of light and the Sidereal Hairpins fall to the ground, harmlessly.

If their third ability is not used before the end of the scene, the Hairpins fall out of their target and their streamers burst into blue flame, inflicting six dice of lethal damage as a final injury. They must be manually retrieved and can be taken by anyone in this deactivated state.

Comments

While nice... it's closer to artifact 2 then 1, given its broad scope of powers... the discount for HGD is an invaluable thing. - Haku

Well, mine might classify as 1, so a switch might work, but I'd like other opinions. Heck, the HGD effect is REALLY powerful. I'd saythe other powers tend to classify it as artficat one by itself...-FlowsLikeBits

I thought that might be the case. Bumping the Resplendant Umbrella up to two seems like a good idea, and I do agree that the Ox Forgeing gloves should be artifact * - they're usefull, but lack the Drama of an artifact 2. Or something. Shall we switch, then? Gamlain

Ok, done - FLB

Duw, the hairpins are great. - willows

They are. One of the coolest artifact N/As I've ever seen. Not only do you get the effect of a MA 6, Essence 6 charm (at 20 motes, and a WP, too!) TWICE. But it's also unblockable, and always hits. And all for the bargain price of 6 motes to attune. Can I just be the first to say WHOMG!!!ONEONEONEELEVEN! Scrollreader - Who thinks the hairpins are very cool in concept, and horribly broken in mechanics

Note that it says "Pattern Bite" (i.e., the Sidereals' Limit Break), not "Pattern Spider Touch." Not otherwise offering an opinion on whether they're broken. --MF

Whoops. That's true. I still think it's a little over the top. I mean, one bite, I can buy. It's crazy powerful, but it's a level 5 artifact. But /two/? Have you looked at how mean pattern spider bite is? and the fact that it's unparryable and always hits is a bit meh for me. Make it thrown! Pump up yellowsids! - Scrollreader

Mmhmm. See, the thing is, they were originally going to be level four, sans the third effect. But someone posted another level four before I got my chance, so I tossed in that last effect to try and bump it up to level five. In my opinion, the "unblockable, always hits" thing is appropriate with the first two effects, especially since anything you really need to whack with the Hairpins will probably have an applicability-trumping perfect defense or three, or will be able to dodge real good. So... I'll make it harder to inflict the Pattern Bite. Also, keep in mind that you need to convince an ancient god-bot in Heaven, who rules over the House of Secrets no less, to teach you that third effect. -- OhJames

I must chime in and agree that the hairpins are truly inspired. They are very cheap to attune for all that coolness, however. Also, the name isn't as inspiring as the artifacts themselves. Speaking of hair styling tools, I had an idea for a starmetal comb that I never finished. I might post it anyway, somewhere else, and not ehre where it would be overshadowed by the pins. Resplendence

I don't know. I really like the name, but that's just me. I think it fits with the whole "unassuming" thing. And the cheapness is an aspect of their being Artifact 5. It's a nifty little bonus for the character. -- OhJames

Damn.... those hairpins are nasty... very appropos for a sidereal artifact at level 5. I'd most definately bet my ST for a pair... and I'm not even a sidereal.^_^;;;

Mind you, it's primary power of fitting any hair style that draws my eyes... ^_-
Haku

They're so pretty! -- squealing OhJames