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Language and Communication

Perfectly Unverifiable Document - FourWillowsWeeping

Sidereal Aspect

Manse •

Trigger: Mote Expenditure

This flaky grey sphere smells like ashes. It enables men to reinforce the beliefs of others—or avoid being caught in a lie. The bearer of the stone can spend 5 motes to activate its ability; for the remainder of the scene, he cannot communicate an idea that contradicts something the addressee(s) have reason to believe. To the bearer, it seems like he says this thing and no one hears, or that he tries to write but no ink appears on the page, and so on. Creation simply denies his attempt. For this stone's purposes, an idea communicated by the bearer is always an idea that the addressee has reason to believe. It is possible to obtain information through the meticulous use of this stone, but difficult! It is a difficulty 3 Lore roll to use the stone to determine a fact through no less than an hour's pertinent discourse with at least five distinct persons who are knowledgeable about the topic, and using irrelevant discourse or concealing one's investications both increase the difficulty by 2.

The Liar’s Stone - OhJames

Water Aspected

Manse ••

Trigger: Concentration

This murky, brown and black orb allows its owner to become remarkably adept at twisting the truth to fit her own ends. When the stone is activated by a moment’s concentration, it begins to slowly project pulses of invisible water Essence that emanate out to a radius of (the character’s essence x 10) yards. The character gains an exra die on all rolls to bend the truth against every intelligent being within that radius. For every turn that the stone remains active, another extra die is added to her pool, up to a maximum of three extra dice. Creatures outside of the radius are unaffected. Also note that the waves of water Essence that the stone projects can be perceived by any power that lets a character see active Essence flows, making this stone a dangerous tool to use in the company of sorcerers or other occult beings.

Four-Footed Language Key - TedPro

Wood Aspected

Manse •••

Trigger: Constant

The bearer of the stone is able to converse with a particular genus of animals. The particular animal the stone allows varies by the personality and aspect of the bearer, as well as the Manse, but typically is an animal with which the bearer has some affinity. All animals of that genus are able to understand the words of the bearer as if they had Intelligence 2 and a shared language, though what they do with this information is based on their own mentality. The bearer is able to understand any expressions of the animals as if they were words, though the concepts are likely to be simple. This can apply to many animals at once, and similar animals (wolves and dogs, horses and donkeys) are often considered the same genus.

Howler On The Wind - Jarons20

Air Aspected

Manse ••••

Trigger: Mote Expenditure

The bearer of this smooth, ringed stone can easily make sure that everyone hears him loud and clear. Any language barrier is negated, as the message of the bearer reaches every person within range, blarring incredibly loud, in whatever language they speak. This stone is used mostly to sound an attack or retreat, or to give a warning or threat, and is a popular tool of tyrants and despots; it is also useful in wartimes. Every Mote, up to 10 motes of essence, dedicated by the speaker increases the range as shown on the chart below.

• 20 yards

•• 40 yards

••• 80 yards

•••• 160 yards

••••• 320 yards

•••••• 640 yards

••••••• 1280 yards

•••••••• 2560 yards

••••••••• 5120 yards

•••••••••• 10240 yards

Translator's Stones - Suzume

Solar Aspect

Manse •••••

Trigger: Concentration and Mote Expenditure

These clear, round stones always form in a pair, and only function as a pair. Separating the stones causes them to become effectively inert. Within the stones can be seen a triangular lens-like area, the corners of which extend nearly to the edges of the stone. By looking through the stones, concentrating, and expending a number of motes equal to 10-(her Linguistics rating), the user may read any text, no matter how decayed, worn or obscured, nor how obscure its derivation. Even the secret coded works of a master sorcerer can be deciphered using the stones. In cases like the aforementioned sorcerer's notes, the Storyteller may require an Intelligence+(Appropriate Ability) roll to understand the material read.

Indelible Unambiguous Signet - ImaginalDisc

Solar Aspected

Manse •••••

Trigger: 1 Mote

This opaque amber stone, with fleks of gold embedded in it has a flat surface which shows prominently when the hearthstone is placed in a socket. Upon the expenditure of a single mote, the user may cause a message of no more than 88 words, in addition to the character's full name along with any honorifics, to appear on the surface of the stone in gilded golden Old Realm characters. Oddly, the characters are backwards, as though viewed in a mirror.

When the user presses the hearthstone against any solid surface, even one made of the five Magical Materials, the characters appear on the suface. No effect short of Sorcery of the Circle of Adamant or power of equivilent magnitude can remove the characters without destroying the object the characters are imprinted upon. The user's name is always included. If the user commits a single mote to the impression the hearthstone makes, any creature capable of understanding language will fully comprehend the message and the character's name the instant they perceive it whether by sight, touch or other means. Furthermore, using the hearthstone in this manner imparts to the object a degree of indestructabilty. If using the Savant and Sorcerer rules regarding artifact creation, this effect imparts the equilvent of ••• script immunity on mundane materials, •••• script immunity on Manses, artifacts, and objects made of the five Magical Materials. Commiting one mote of Essence as detailed above increases those ratings by •

This Hearthstone was occasionaly used in the First Age to send messages, or post notices which would endure misfortune and disastar, but was most frequently used to adorn Artifacts or Manses with exultant poetry that would serve to make the object more durable. Many suriving Artifacts which bear poetry or prayers on them were once empowered by this effect.

Comments

New theme up. I think it's focused, yet broad enough to allow some interesting concepts. Thank you to whoever archived the last theme. - Sparrowhawk

There's some kind of weird formatting error at the top of the page. I can't fix it. Can anyone else do it?

Done! -TedPro

I also think you should have a range. Otherwise everyone in Creation hears it, and that seems kind of silly. :)
~ Shataina

What's wrong with that?
but Range makes sense, I played wih the idea and came up with this doubling range chart how is it? Jarons20

Looks good to me. I just think that "unlimited" effects are too powerful below level 5 Artifacts. Everything has a limit unless it's actively supposed to be insanely ridiculous and world-shaking.
~ Shataina

Honestly, it seems kind of weak to me. I'd just put a cap range of a mile, and remove the mote cost. Paying a mote to be heard at 20 yards seems like a ripoff to me. -TedPro

If I understand this system, I'm supposed to suggest a new theme, right? Should I do that here, or somewhere else? Also, when should I have it wherever it's supposed to go? -Suzume

First you archive the old theme, probably under /Language or some such. Then you write the new theme at the top of the HearthstoneRelay main page, as soon as possible.
~ Shataina

Just a quick question, but why are there two translators stones? I can't see any need for a pair... I suspect I'm missing something obvious, can someone point it out please?
-- Darloth

Think a pair of glasses. Also, these are based on a supposed real-life artifact. Originally a pair of round, rock-crystal lenses set in a frame that mounts on a specially prepared breatplate. It's really a longer story than I want to go into here. Anyway, I thought it was a slightly cool, somewhat different visio-spatial effect. -Suzume

I took a shot at the level 5 stone. I chose to make it Solar Aspect because the stone is aplication of a type of perfection, and that is thematically associated with Solars. -ImaginalDisc

P.S. Does this mean I chose a new theme? -ImaginalDisc